Book Report

  

Reckoning by V (Formerly Eve Ensler) – When I cracked open this book, for a split second the cynic in me asked whether this was just an attempt to ride the coattails of “The Vagina Monologues”. After all, I’ve read other works by the same author that came out after the monologues, and some of them fell flat. But this book is moving, at times shocking, and always expertly crafted. It’s a series of essays and a few poems. Whether it is snippets from V’s life or her time on the road visiting rape survivors in Congo, the author always has a ton to say and it truly is worth listening. Grade: 8

 

The Spies of Shilling Lane by Jennifer Ryan – Historical fiction taking place during WWII. The protagonist is not a very popular woman in her English town. She was just divorced, and she’s bossy. She decides to travel to London where her estranged daughter has gotten a job helping the war effort, and they find they have more in common than they thought. Grade: 5 (perfectly enjoyable historical fiction but nothing outstanding)

 

To Be Taught If Fortunate by Becky Chambers – I don’t read a lot of science fiction. I’ve always just preferred to watch it instead of read it, but this was a novella of 150 pages and it sounded good. Our narrator is part of a four-person team sent to survey various planets. The transmissions they receive from earth indicate that things are far worse back home than they’d thought in the decades since they’ve been away. The writing is good and the story is grounded in science; this author has absolutely done her research to write “science fact”. But from the perspective of the plot, the novella cuts off abruptly. It feels really unfinished. Grade: 5

 

Listening Is An Act of Love edited by Dave Isay –  If you’re familiar with NPR’s Story Corps, you know what this is. A compilation of story corps interviews: two people who get into a booth and interviewed each other. Sometimes short essay collections just don’t hit the mark. You don’t get enough time with any one writer or essay to get into it. But this was really good! The folks who talked about 911 brought me to tears, and so did the ones who talked about Katrina. As it says on the back of the book, this is a glance at the lives of some of the people who live in this vast, diverse country. I’d honestly say that if someone wanted to try to start getting their arms around the lives of “ordinary” Americans who lived during the past 80 years, this is a very good place to start. Grade: 8

 

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck – This book was published nearly 20 years ago, and I think it’s considered one of the best primers on fixed mindset versus growth mindset. There are lots of examples and ideas on how to move from the fixed mindset to one of growth. The author also admits it’s not easy. Most of us want success etc just by being who we are. So yeah, not an easy switch….and also at times the book is a bit boring, but its key messages are important. Grade: 7
(Edited in later....) I keep thinking more about this topic. Like when I was in school, I was never good at math. I didn't hate myself for it, but it was frustrating. Looking back however, I can see that I did aim for....growth. I worked hard and I often had a tutor. Never made me into a math whiz but perhaps it helped instill habits of hard work that have served me well all my life? Anyway, definitely a topic worth thinking of.