What I’m Reading
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As summer is winding down and Pumpkin Spice Lattes are on the horizon, I find myself spending a lot of time reading lately. There are a lot of really good, really interesting books out there these days and I’ve found a few that have caught my attention.
Everything I Never Told You
I loved Celeste Ng’s story about a family in crisis. On the surface, this is a novel about a girl’s disappearance and subsequent death, but really it’s about family dynamics. It’s about how parents project their own dreams onto their children and how the children struggle as a consequence. Each family member has his or her own story, which is something we forget sometimes when we’re thinking about families. Even the youngest child has a point of view and a voice that should be heard. And everyone is affected by what happens in our families.
Crazy Rich Asians
If you’re looking for a laugh out loud, entertaining read, Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan is it. I was fascinated by the look into the lifestyles of the ultra-rich in Asia, a culture I wasn’t familiar with. I’m not sure I envied them at all, but it sure was interesting to see how the one percent lives. Really, the book is just funny. Crazy Rich Asians is great escapism—a great beach read if you’re lucky enough to still have time for the beach. And the movie looks pretty good too.
Educated
One nonfiction book I’ve read recently is Educated by Tara Westover. As a newly minted PhD myself, I could definitely relate to Westover’s struggle to make the most of her education. While my journey to my doctorate didn’t involve the same struggles that Westover endured, I could still see a lot of myself in her determination. Westover’s story is a lot like The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. Both women grew up in families determined to live off the grid, for better or for worse. If liked Walls’ story, you’ll enjoy Westover’s too.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
I liked the title, quite frankly, so I picked the book up and I’m glad I did. I think of this as the anti-self-help book. I used to love to read self-help books, but then I realized I felt worse after reading them because they were presenting me with an ideal that, as a mere human, I could never live up to. Author Mark Manson shows that the quality of our lives is largely determined by where we give our fcks. He points out that most of where we give our fcks don’t really add to the quality of our lives. I have to say I agree. If you want to read an advice book that is more practical than woo-woo, give this one a try.
