I know, it’s not summer. But November is when we need start to need an escape the most, am I right?
I heard about this World War I era historical fiction novel by Helen Simonson from a dear friend via the post, which felt completely appropriate. I immediately requested it from the library, and it did not disappoint.
It was the best kind of historical fiction.
When I first came across the term “gateway book,” it gave me great hope. My firstborn is not a reader. According to him, he doesn’t enjoy reading even a little. He does the bare minimum required of him for school. And I keep hoping that someday, a gateway book will break through to him and help him love reading.
As I mentioned last week, after reading Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things, by Jenny Lawson, on the recommendation of my friend, Janeen, I realized even people who love to read can find gateway books into new subjects or genres.
Since I’ve been writing about the books I’m reading, I’ve noticed a pattern where often, I start a book and am slow to engage with it. It has happened enough times in the past few months that I’m starting to think it’s a reflection of me and not the books.
Furiously Happy was no exception. I started reading, and at first, a lot of the humor fell flat. I kept thinking, “Why is she cursing at me? I don’t even know her!” But as I got to know Lawson through the book, the laughs came more easily, and my respect for her grew.
“So, depression and anxiety are like two sides of the same coin?” The Chaplain asked.
We were standing in the kitchen one morning. I’d just walked in the door after a night shift. It had been a busy night, partly because I had floated to another floor. I didn’t know where anything was (including my patients’ rooms), and had more patients in my assignment than we have on my own floor. I didn’t have the entry code for the supply room. It was like a field trip where all the doors were locked and there wasn’t a map. I didn’t mind it.
As usual, though, I was exhausted, and hadn’t had time for a real break. Instead, it had been five minutes here, five minutes there. On one of those five minute breaks, I’d come across a research article entitled “Get Excited: Reappraising Pre-Performance Anxiety as Excitement,” by Alison Wood Brooks, published in Journal of Experimental Psychology in 2014. Sometimes journal articles bogs me down, but overall, I’m a fan of reading about research studies. (If you didn’t already know I was a nerd, there you are.)
I don’t remember when I first heard about Trevor Noah, but probably when he started hosting Late Night TV. I haven’t watched much of him, but a big deal was made of him in the news, and I think some of his shorts came up on YouTube when I was watching episodes of John Oliver, who is funny and educational, if a little crass at times. I enjoyed the few spots of Trevor Noah that I watched when I came across them. Then, the Chaplain got his audiobook, Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood.
It took me a while to get around to listening to it. It has some language, so I couldn’t listen when the kids were around. But once I got started, I found ways to keep listening.
What a great story. Noah is a fantastic storyteller, and an amazing narrator. He seamlessly switches between accents and languages to become a one-man show re-enacting the story of his growing up years. His perspective is fascinating, the cultural narrative is fascinating, and the story itself was interesting and unpredictable. He provides historical information about apartheid in South Africa and even offers some perspective on race in America. He goes back and forth to tell different parts of the story, braiding the different threads to bring everything together at the end.
If you enjoy well-narrated audio, comedic writing, and good storytelling, this is an excellent choice for your next listen.
I have tried to get decent photos of the audio books I listen to, and I’m sure there is plenty of info on the internet about how to take good photos of screens. Unfortunately, that’s not something I want to be good at, so I’m trusting that if you find the reading recommendations you find here helpful, you will be able too look past my lack of effort in this regard.
I came across Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, by Peter Scazzero, at my parents’ house on a visit over the summer. A year ago, I probably wouldn’t have given it a second glance.
When I asked my dad about it, I was a little surprised when he lit up and started talking. He sent me my own copy, and I started reading it. I think I was only a few paragraphs in when I started looking for a pencil.
