Book Report

[stormkeeper_lovedoris]

 Not Too Late by Gwendolyn Bounds – Picked this one up at the local indie bookstore (the one that is CLOSING!! So sad) and decided to give it a try. The author is a corporate exec who turns 45 and feels an itch to do more and decides to start training for lots of really hard physical stuff like Spartan races, which sound like grueling torture. She faces lots of setbacks and health scares but she keeps going, entering race after race and often coming in top 3. (She also happens to have a wife, which I didn’t know when I picked up the book). Even though I think that training to run races in a desert at age 51 is somewhat insane, this was a very engaging read. Grade: 8

 

Forager: Field Notes for Surviving a Family Cult by Michelle Dowd – Listened to it on audio. The author was raised in a cult; not The Family but kinda similar to it, called The Field. Right-wing Christian shit where the females are abused and taught to be submissive, though this one has the cool extra twist that they live on a mountain (in Northern CA I think) and the author’s mom teaches her all sorts useful things about foraging and surviving on a mountain. And the same mom looks the other way as horrific abuse happens, and doesn’t visit her daughter when she has to stay in a hospital for months. Please can stupid idiots who join cults and who don’t want to love their children please just stop having fucking children?? Well, a review says this is a “fierce and empowering coming of age story”, and I agree. Grade: 8

 

These Letters End in Tears by Musih Tedji Xaviere – Oh how I wanted to enjoy this novel! Taking place in modern Cameroon, the book’s main character is a lesbian who has to live in the closet and who has lost the love of her life. There’s a great storyline in here but it all unfolds slowly and I had to force myself to pick the book up. Grade: 3

 

The House With the Golden Door by Elodie Harper – Book two of a trilogy taking place in ancient Rome, starring a (formerly) enslaved woman named Amara who is just trying to survive. I don’t think anyone reading this report will ever read these books, but I’ll still avoid spoilers. This is SUCH GOOD historical fiction! It’s a page-turner and it’s well-researched, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the third book. Grade: 8

 

Wavewalker by Suzanne Heywood – A long memoir that I read in a few days. The author’s parents decided, when she was 7 years old, to sail around the world. So Suzanne spent 10 years on her parents’ boat. They mostly sailed around the South Pacific, her dad did stupid things and lost money, her mom was a cold-hearted jerk who viewed Suzanne as a servant. I was infuriated reading this: the parents had no interest in their kids’ schooling or social lives or anything. The mom in particular was horrible and needs to be tossed over the side of a boat. In any case the story is absolutely enthralling, and at least it has a happy ending though Suzanne had to fight tooth and nail to even get to somewhere where she could occasionally mail her correspondence courses. Grade: 8

 Thinkertoys by Michael Michalko - It’s not the kind of book you read cover to cover but I will include it here because it’s good. It’s a workbook with tons and tons of ideas on creativity, especially as it applies to work problems that you want to find a solution to. The book is dated (one section references using “a computer with a modem” lol) but there are so many suggestions and things to try when you need to problem-solve or need a dose of creativity, and I actually pulled a few for an actual work project, and….they worked! So I am keeping it. We do need to employ more creative problem-solving techniques in the business world – that’s for sure. Grade: 8

Comments

[nytshd3]

Booooo, what bookstore is closing?

Kind of cool about not too late, nice reminder that you can make changes late in life, but, what the hell? I guess everyone has their own thing they want to do, but this wouldn't even be in the top 10000 for me lol Really cool, though, that she did it.

Forager sounds kind of horrifying, wow. I'll definitely never understand people who have kids just to abuse and neglect them. But I guess cults have that impact on people.

Sorry These Letters End in Tears was so slow. It's always annoying when a book has a great premise and they just can't get it done.

Woo, glad the trilogy continues to be good! Really cool that it's so well-researched and well-written.

Were you just on a 'abused and neglected children' kick this time around with Wavewalker? lol Seriously, though, I've heard about people who do this and it's like... if you choose to take your children on a boat around the world,there are things you need to plan ahead for them. Yeesh.

Thinkertoys sounds interesting (though I did have to laugh at a computer with a modem lol). And it's AWESOME that it worked for an actual work project!!

Thanks for sharing as always!

[stormkeeper_lovedoris]

I swear that I don't plan the order I read the books in - in fact, I use a randomizer to pick which of the 200+ on my 'to read' list that I will order from the library. But yeah, two 'terrible parents' books on the same report, ugh.

Thinkertoys really is worth it if you are stuck on a project at work. I am grateful to it, even if it's dated. :)