Reading Roundup: February 2021
El corazon con que vivo by Jose Maria Perez
This book took me a while to read because it was a little slow and meandering. Based on the description of the plot, it sounded like there would be more action and a clearer narrative arc. This was an interesting look at the Spanish Civil War and a good way to practice my reading, but it wasn't the best book I've read this year.
The Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt
This book was recommended by a friend, and although I was skeptical about the premise I decided to give it a chance. I worried that it would have a particular ideological slant and would be biased against university education or students. However, I was pleasantly surprised that I found myself agreeing with a lot of it and have recommended it to others multiple times since then. Their arguments about the nature of some of the problems in education and society are compelling and fit in with other things I've been reading lately.
The Survivors by Jane Harper
One of Harper's strengths is creating vivid descriptions of her settings, and she does a phenomenal job in this book. It takes place in a small town among a group of people that are all interconnected in complicated ways. I kept reading to the end and didn't see the twist coming, so I thought it was a successful read.
Incarnadine by Mary Szybist
Four months after reading this book I can't remember any of the specific poems. I do remember enjoying it and particularly admiring her word choice and imagery.
Thorn by
This is another retelling of the Goose Girl, and while I enjoyed it, I couldn't help comparing it to Shannon Hale's books. I still like those ones better, perhaps because I read them first, but I did enjoy this. If you like young adult fantasy, especially with strong female characters and unique world building, you will probably like this one.
Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May
This is a much easier book to read than How to do Nothing and much more personal. I think they complement each other well and describe similar ideas in unique ways. It gave me a lot to think about, although it also convinced me that one way to make my life better would be to live in an old house in the English countryside near the sea.
Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler
This was my book club pick for the month, although I had read parts of it at work during training sessions. I thought it had a lot of good, practical advice for having difficult conversations with people and will probably go back and revisit parts of it as I need them. Hopefully now that I've read it I can integrate some of the things I learned into my life.
The Lie by C.L.Taylor
I wanted a quick read for a Saturday afternoon and this book was a good bit of distraction. Some parts of the plot were pretty implausible, which made guessing the twist difficult. It kept me reading to the end, but I probably won't read another book by the same author.
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