Reading Challenge 2019- July Update

I didn’t read much in July. It was a month that really knocked me out of my groove. I did read four books. I ended the month with a total of 51 books read. I just didn’t have the heart to finish my 52nd book by the end of July. I was mildly bummed, but this summer has been a journey of accepting what is. I’m a little bit reticent to share the books I read in July, it’s truly the most random mix. But I’m committed to sharing, even if it’s a little {a LOT} more random than normal. In July, I read a three-part series and a classic book on grief. I have said this before, but I love books set in or about China. The series Crazy Rich Asians has been on my radar for a while. I sort of avoided it for a while, because I wasn’t sure how I felt about the title. However, I had been on the waitlist for the books for several months at the library. In June when I was in the library I found the first book (Crazy Rich Asians) on the “Lucky Finds shelf” (The new and in-demand books that they keep on the shelf that you can check out if you happen to find them, they don’t send these ones out on holds) I excitedly started reading it and I HATED it. I couldn’t deal with an entire chapter of a wildly rich man whining (in his head) about how his closet was so shabby and didn’t compare with his friends-or the bible study group that stopped gossiping to pray they could reach their stockbrokers in time to sell stocks on a hot tip and “no one would suffer any loss” (INSERT HUGE EYE ROLL) After a few chapters I returned the book and was OVER the entire series. A few weeks later I ran into someone who was reading the book and we started talking. I told her I wasn’t into it and she suggested that it’s a book that you do better with if you watch the movie first and THEN read the book. . . I was intrigued and thought it wouldn’t hurt to watch the movie. So back I went to the library and checked out the movie. I LOVED the movie… I watched it two or three times in the week that I had it. I was completely hooked after seeing the movie. I think the movie helped me see that in many ways the book is satire and best appreciated as a fairy-tale of sorts. I read the entire series (Crazy Rich Asians, China-Rich Girlfriend, and Rich People Problems) in July. They are over the top; the entitlement, waste and complete cluelessness are jaw-dropping. It’s awful, and I totally loved it. It was complete escapist reading and it was exactly what I needed as I walked through a difficult month. I would recommend the books. I also think it’s worth watching the movie first, I fell in love with the characters in the movie and it helped me enjoy the books more with those characters in mind. I also enjoyed reading more about the author and the real buzz and pride in the movie production and impact of the books. There is always more than meets the eye, and these books are an example of that. The other book that rounded out my reading in July was, A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis. This is a short book of C.S. Lewis’s thoughts and observations after the death of his wife Joy. I found it helpful. His questions, reflections, and realizations were familiar to me while processing the loss of a very close friend. I’m getting back into a routine of reading more after a bumpy July. SPOILER ALERT- I have reached my year goal (52 books and counting) and I’m gaining back momentum. August has been good for reading (so far) I read a book this month that made its way onto my “best books ever” list… so stay tuned next month to read about that book. Enter your email to subscribe– It’s only ever used to notify you of new questions from The Art of Powering Down.

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