Books of November 2020
This month I met my reading goal for the year and dove head-first into re-reading tons of my favorite books.
I always look forward to the end of the year and the re-reading that it brings. And even though I didn’t originally set a reading goal for this year, I ended up making one a few months ago that I felt was realistic and that would also push me to read a bit more. It also allowed me to start the re-reading a bit earlier - since I normally start December 1st, or when I reach my reading goal, whichever occurs first. So this year I had an extra week of returning to books that I’ve loved in the past, and I am so excited to share those here too.
My planned books for the month were:
Memoir: Unfiltered: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me - 3 Stars. I’ve always loved Lily Collins and recently binged her new Neflix show, Emily in Paris. This memoir of her early years was an encapsulation of what most young women experience, whether they work in Hollywood or not. Her vulnerability was so genuine and didn’t escape into humor unnecessarily, as some memoirs tend to do. I was inspired by how relentlessly Lily Collins pursued what she wanted, while also following where opportunities led her. I think that holds a lesson for all of us. And I hope she writes another book a few more years down the line to show how her perspective has developed over the rest of her career.
Business: Designing Your Work Life: How to Thrive and Change and Find Happiness at Work - 3 Stars. I enjoyed reading Design Your Life a few years ago, and so I looked forward to reading this second, more focused edition too. I love the idea of approaching your life as a designer. It is fascinating to consider integrating design theories into the tweaks and changes we make in our lives. I find that I do many of these things almost subconsciously now, although it is something that I’m sure I developed over time. And it has resulted in having a life that I truly love. I especially was intrigued by the idea in this book of thinking of three great, different ways a given situation could turn out. It’s a brilliant way to open our minds up to varying possibilities that can lead to the outcome you want. And it also shows that maybe a slightly different outcome is okay too. That was probably my favorite concept shared and one that I plan to use with many of my clients. Other than that though, none of the concepts in the book really popped. However, if you are looking to design (or resdesign) your work life, this just might be the book for you.
Mystery: One, Two, Buckle My Shoe - 3 Stars. I read this book on election day. I’ve long known that Agatha Christie is one way to calm my mind and distract it at the same time, and that was something that I was definitely looking for on the first Tuesday of November. This mystery did both, and although it felt even a little darker than usual for Agatha Christie, I was kept guessing until the end.
Personal development: The Enneagram of Belonging: A Compassionate Journey of Self-Acceptance - 2 Stars. I’ve long been a fan of the Enneagram, but this book didn’t particularly resonate with me - other than the forward written by Brene Brown, which I loved. I felt like the book focused much more on how we as individuals find belonging, rather than how we can interact with others to discover and build intimacy. I also felt that it swung back and forth between sharing very well-known facets of the Enneagram and odd theories - many of which felt like quite a stretch. I think that the Enneagram is an amazing tool, but I think that it can stay just that, an amazing tool. It doesn’t have to become something through which we have to interpret every feeling, interaction, or the world as a whole.
Novel/fiction: Something She's Not Telling Us - 4 Stars. Darcey Bell is a fantastic and thrilling author. I’ve loved everything by her that I have read, even if her books tend to hover around the fringe of my tolerance level. I’m not a big reader of thriller or horror, and while this book wouldn’t qualify as either, it’s about as far in that direction as I am willing to go. I loved that the main character’s name was Charlotte (my legal name), so I felt immediately connected to the book. Although the character isn’t someone that I would necessarily desire to emulate. The jumping back and forth between perspectives felt a bit distracting, especially since there were some characters that I vastly preferred over others. Besides that, I loved the writing style and how the story unfolded. I was on the edge of my seat (metaphorically) until the very last page. And although I didn’t love the specific ending, it was one that I can deal with.
Sustainability: Apocalypse Never: Why Environmental Alarmism Hurts Us All - 2 Stars. I struggled with this book because it so encapsulated the grey area of environmentalism. Like with politics, there is very little black and white. There always seems to be someone to say that your actions are wrong and what you are doing is actually what is going to destroy the earth. I think that many people find that discouraging, and instead of pressing through to the other side of the discomfort, they throw up their hands and decide that anything they do will be wrong (or later interpreted to be so). And they stop trying altogether. While I don’t think that was the intent of this book, that is certainly how I was left feeling - even after almost a year of systematic sustainable shifts in my own life. I agree with many of the ideas and theories presented here, and a lot of the science makes sense. I also think that the book makes a very good point that environmentalism can and should go so much further than just carbon emissions to deal with issues of humanity, health, and resources on a global scale. Unfortunately, the way to do that is not clearly depicted in this book, at least not in a way that we as individuals can play a part in.
In November I also read:
How to Survive a Pandemic - 2 Stars. Very little of this book was spent on how to survive a pandemic and much more on how to prevent them from occurring in the first place. Unfortunately, even that wasn’t particularly helpful since many of the changes required are major cultural and societal shifts that the book even admitted are unlikely to happen. It was disturbing to read the depictions of the way diseases move through animals. The way most animals are treated maximizes virality, and the way that virality is attempted to be undermined is disgusting. This book pushed me even further along the spectrum towards vegetarianism and veganism. This is an older book that was (partially) updated and rereleased since COVID took hold, but I still felt like much of it was out of touch with the times - and in a sense it was. Pretty much anyone in the world could release a book under this title going forward, but I hope that it would be one with a bit more hope, optimism, and practicality. And while some people in positions of leadership should read and implement the suggestions shared, the rest of us are stuck doing our best - whether or not we’ve read this book.
Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World - 3 Stars. This book was a great reminder that anxiety makes itself feel necessary when it really isn’t. It has a great combination of examples, scriptures, and tools for moving forward. After a tumultuous year, this was a helpful book to center my thoughts and help me prepare for going into 2021 with confidence - no matter what happens in the months ahead.
Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: And Other Conversations About Race - 3 Stars. Another great read to help me continue my education around racial justice in the US. The thing that stood out to me the most about this book was that it was originally written in 1997 and then updated just a few years ago. It was heartbreaking to see how little was changed and how many of the things that have occurred in 2020 are just repetitions from the past. And so the cycle continues. But we have to say ”no more”. And luckily the book was able to identify a few small areas of improvement. Our work and effort in these areas must continue to grow.
The Midnight Library - 4 Stars. I was a bit hesitant at the start of this book because I generally try to avoid books around suicide - it is just a topic that I don’t enjoy reading about and find personally painful. However, while suicide is a core facet of the story, it isn’t overly dwelt on. And beyond that, I loved the story and progression, as well as the discussions of philosophy and elementary physics. The ideas behind the plot are brilliant. And I told a bunch of people about the book - always a sign that I’m reading something that I love. I think that the ending was a bit predictable but it was no less enjoyable for being so. And there were plenty of moments along the way that were completely unexpected, so it all balanced out.
Once I hit my reading goal, I moved on to re-reads. I decided not to rate my re-reads this year, although I know I have in the past. Trust me, if I re-read a book, it is one that I love (or that I remember loving). That is why I was so excited to dive into these comforting and familiar books. And so, this month I read the following re-reads:
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler - I loved returning to this book from childhood. I started with this short read because it was the perfect break for my brain after some longer and denser books this month. Once I shared that I re-read this book on Instagram I had so many people reach out to say that it is one that they want to read or have read and loved. This is my favorite work from E.L. Konigsburg and I have read several of her books in the past. I also loved reading this book after having observed Gretchen Rubin’s Met experiment this year - where she visited the museum every day that it was open (which was much less than expected this year). And she has shared that she loves this book too, which makes sense since Gretchen Rubin known as a lover of children’s literature. With that precedent, I felt more emboldened to start my re-reading with a book from that category and also to incorporate more of them into the books that I want to re-read before the end of the year.
The Scarlet Pimpernel - I smiled from the first sentence of this book until the last. I love the story and the writing and the characters. I read it in one day several years ago, and I did it about the same this time. A great classic read and one that I definitely will return to in the future. This was another that so many people shared that they had read and loved - and a few more were encouraged to start it for the first time.
Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things - This is one of those books that I read every year. And it never ceases to make me laugh and cry. Every time I take away something different, and that’s how you know you are reading a truly great book. The book is full of complete surprises, but still handles the tough topic of mental illness with vulnerability, honesty, and humor. It was GK Chesterton who said, “it is easy to be heavy; hard to be light.” And this book carries both the heavy and the light perfectly.
The Willoughbys - Another book that I read almost every year. I’ve always been a fan of Lois Lowry, but this is such a departure from her normal style that I am always surprised. It is another book that covers heavy topics in a light way - I am beginning to see a theme here. But it always makes me laugh. And right now, that’s what matters.
Even though I have technically hit my reading goal for the year, there are a few new books that I want to read before the end of the year. Some I need to get back to the library and a few I am really excited to finish.
As I looked ahead into December, and my 6 “required” reading categories, I decided that instead of reading 6 new books and having to find ones to fit into the categories, I would re-read a favorite book from each of the categories! And I am really looking forward to that. I think we all need things to look forward to, and even though the holidays are just around the corner, I’m super excited for these smaller things too.
I’ve also started to work on my reading goals for 2021 and I am so excited to share those soon!
Until next time,