As you all know, i’m a huge reader. During the work week I religiously read for an hour in the middle of the day with a cup of tea. When I first started reading regularly, I was a relatively lax reviewer. I loved the light and fluffy. However, as my reading list has expanded, I have become a much harsher critic of the books I read– which I imagine is just a natural evolution.
Anyways, since my last review from three weeks ago, I’ve finished three books + started a new one. As always, I ask that if you do decide to purchase on of these books, that you please do so through the links I provide. I’ll receive a tiny commission. Otherwise, library it up!
Worth Buying:
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counter-intuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson
Before you read this review, it’s definitely important to note that I somewhat grew up in the realm of self-improvement. When I was 16 my parents send me to a 4 day Tony Robbins “Unleash the Power Within” seminar in New Jersey. I walked on fire. When I was 21, my parents sent me to Michael Bernoff’s “Core Strength Experience” in Arizona. I grew up listening to Tony’s CDs in my Dad’s car, and can recite his daily affirmations from memory. So, given what you now know about my upbringing, it would make sense that a self-help book wouldn’t quite change my life. That said, it definitely altered my perspective, and changed my way of thinking.
This book came highly recommended and has a great reputation. Mark Manson has a great sense of (bro-ish) humor. There were definitely aspects of this book that I loved– how we need to re-frame how we view our problems. That happiness is not a destination. Manson doesn’t really want you to give zero f*cks; he just wants us to be more selective about what we DO care about.
If you’re completely new to the self-help/improvement sphere, I definitely recommend this book.
worth borrowing from the library:
Something In the Water by Catherine Steadman
I received this book complimentary through Random House and was super excited to read it. After all, it was Reese Witherspoon’s book of the month, and Reese has never led me astray. ‘Something in the Water’ is about a British couple on their honeymoon in Bora Bora. While they are there, they discover something very dark and scary while scuba diving– and end up involved in a series of highly dangerous and illegal activities.
If you’re someone who doesn’t read a lot of thrillers, but enjoys them– you’ll probably really like this book. Personally I found parts of it to be slow, but overall thought the story was original and interesting. It’s worth noting that it’s the author’s first book, and it’s definitely an impressive debut.
Worth Passing:
Paper Ghosts by Julia Heaberlin
This book was also gifted to me by Random House. ‘Paper Ghosts’ is the story of a woman who is 12 years old when her older sister goes missing. Grace, our main character, becomes obsessed with finding the person who abducted and killed her sister–whose body was never found. She believes, with good reason, that the person who murdered her sister is a famous photographer named Carl Louis Feldman. Feldman was acquitted of murdering other young women and now lives in a care home for dementia patients. Grace poses as his “long lost daughter” in order to spend time with him, though he knows she is not related to him. She convinces Carl to let her take him on vacation to “Florida” and instead takes him on a road trip around Texas. The point of the trip is to help him remember if he murdered anyone, and ideally locate her sister’s body.
Though the concept was interesting, and some parts quite original— it was SLOW. If i’m reading a thriller, I want it to be a page turner. Overall this book was a waste of time, so I wouldn’t recommend reading it.
Currently Reading:
All We Ever Wanted by Emily Giffin
My book club’s July book is ‘All We Ever Wanted’ by Emily Giffin. It was gifted to me by Random House, but it was actually selected via book club vote. It’s about a racy photo with a racist caption and the aftermath it has on high school students and their parents. I can barely put this book down, so I highly recommend you join me in reading it.
