Books of September 2020
Fall has hit with full force here in the PNW. Lots of rain, and lots of dreary days. We also had about a week of solid smoke here because of all the fires on the West Coast. I couldn’t take any long walks on those days and it felt kind of like living in a bubble.
All of that allowed me to have quite a bit of time curled up with a book and a cup of tea - although not quite a much as I would have liked. Granted, I don’t know that I would ever be satisfied on that front.
September brought my official certification as a life coach through The Life Coach School and along with it a dive into a pretty intense project. The next several months will be crazy, but I’m here for it!
I think the excessive work and the weather balanced out to keep my reading at a pretty steady level though this month. In September I read the following 14 books:
Memoir: Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life - 2 Stars. I’ve never given a book 1 star, but this one was pretty close. In this book, the author, Lulu Miller studies the life of taxonomist David Starr Jordan, and through her study discovers many insights into her own life - both in the similarities and the marked differences. Her struggle with the chaos and meaninglessness that she sees in the world are only more evidence to me that the world we live in is neither. I read a lot of books that I disagree with, and this is definitely one, but it makes me sad to see the struggle and pain where I know there to be a clear answer. Regardless, I did learn that apparently fish don’t exist - but I do still plan to continue to use the term.
Business: So You Want to Start a Podcast: Finding Your Voice, Telling Your Story, and Building a Community That Will Listen - 3 Stars. I’ve been swimming around the idea of starting a podcast, and probably will at some point in the not-too-distant future. And so I figured one of the best ways to start thinking about and working towards that was to read this book that has been on my list for a while. There is certainly a lot of good tips and advice in this book - especially as it relates to podcast content. Kristen Meinzer acknowledges that the purpose of the book isn’t to go too much into technology and software - although that would have been nice. I’m sure though there are other great places to get that information. If you want to start a podcast and feel like you need to focus more on solidifying your messaging or content, this book can help.
Mystery: Third Girl - 3 Stars. It’s not a surprise that this is another Agatha Christie mystery. Her books are my favorite - just a little (if any) suspense, interesting characters, and generally a pretty good twist or surprise. I found it fascinating that both this book and the other mystery I read by her later in September both had an absent mother as a major part of the plot. They were written about a year apart, so maybe that was just something she had on her mind at that time! A good Poirot mystery with the assistance of Ariadne Oliver, two characters that I love, especially in their interactions with each other.
Personal development: Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close - 2 Stars. I think that the authors of this book are right, for the role that friendship plays in our lives, the topic is understudied and undervalued. In this book, the authors share the story of their relationship, discuss some of the research and theories that surround friendship, and also highlight much of the lack thereof. While they do have an interesting story and I agree with much of what they have to say, I think that there wasn’t too much unique or remarkable about the form or function of friendship shared. And I would rather go invest in my friend relationships than read about them.
Novel/fiction: A Castle in the Clouds - 3 Stars. This was an interesting novel, with a mystery stuck in that kind of felt like a side-piece. It took almost as long for the mystery to develop as the story, and a lot of the aspects of the plot (especially the romance) felt very cliche. And the ending was a bit too happily-ever-after - and that’s coming from someone who likes happy endings. I enjoyed the story overall though, and the characters - although I’m not sure that I was truly made to care about any of them. It was an easy read and the setting - a hotel high up in the Swiss mountains- was cozy and enchanting even if I was just reading about it.
Sustainability: Zero Waste: Simple Life Hacks to Drastically Reduce Your Trash - 3 Stars. I’ve read several books on living zero waste this year, and I have another couple more on my list. It is interesting to see the slightly different perspectives between them, as well as all the major commonalities. This book tried to be all-encompassing, and I think they did a pretty good job of that. There was a lot of focus on DIY-ing products and other zero waste solutions, something that I know is quite necessary for that lifestyle but that I’m not ready to 100% embrace myself. I’m also not sure I agree with DIY-ing everything, especially things that could have a potentially negative effect on your health in the long term (like homemade toothpaste). But I’m sure that they would say that the conventionally produced product could harm you as well. I do think that the more I am exposed to the DIY possibilities, the more comfortable I am becoming with them - at least the idea of them. I have yet to really dive in and make anything from scratch, but I’m more and more open to it. I enjoyed this book and the perspective, even if the overall attitude and lifestyle still seem a bit extreme.
In addition to the six planned books I also read:
Life in the Fasting Lane: How to Make Intermittent Fasting a Lifestyle―and Reap the Benefits of Weight Loss and Better Health - 2 Stars. Since I’ve been doing intermittent fasting over the last couple of months, I was interested to read a whole book dedicated to the topic. I think that there is a lot of science behind it, and it lines up with a lot of the other health-related books I’ve read over the years - even if fasting is a slightly different approach. And while I don’t ever intend to do an 11 day fast like the one mentioned in the book, I do think I will continue to incorporate some form of fasting going forward into the future. I think that it is important though to do our personal thought work around our relationship as food as well though, not just jump straight to fasting. By trying to just change our actions, we miss dealing with the real root of the issue for many of us - our relationship with food and why we eat it. I also find it interesting to read about all the health benefits of fasting when we know that it is something so highly recommended in the Bible!
Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family - 4 Stars. I know there is a lot of controversy over this book right now, and I definitely can see the frustrations on all sides. However, the book presented for me a side of royal history that I am not as familiar with (being such a big Kate fan). Taking everything in the book with a grain of salt (or several), I still enjoyed hearing about some dynamics in the royal family that I was unfamiliar with before. And reading about how Harry and Meghan’s relationship developed was also super sweet. I also felt like I now have a much better understanding of some of the decisions that Harry and Meghan have made - and why they’ve made them. As with much of human life, there is no clear answer or even clear sides, and we all do the best we can with what we have or know.
Dream Big: Know What You Want, Why You Want It, and What You’re Going to Do About It - 3 Stars. I have always enjoyed Bob Goff’s books and this one is no exception. Since I am so obsessed with planning and achieving goals - this one was particularly up my alley. Bob Goff has so many amazing stories and he manages to weave them so seamlessly together in his writing. This book seemed to lack a bit of cohesion, however. It felt very repetitive at times and the actual practicality was so mixed in as to be easily overlooked. Dreaming big and working to make those dreams reality is something that most of us want to focus on, and if you’re looking for encouragement for that journey rather than actual advice, this book is a great resource.
Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do- 3 Stars. Racial tensions are still running pretty high in the United States, but this has partially helped to keep a lot of focus on educating yourself and standing up for what is right - two things that I hope will continue no matter what the future holds. The combination of research, stories, and application was really well blended in this book and I found it all very useful. I wish that the book had touched on other areas of bias - although I recognize that wasn’t necessarily the point of the book. Bias is something that is so prevalent - even if most of it is unconscious. Regardless, being able to recognize it is the first step towards being able to address it.
The Answer Is . . .: Reflections on My Life - 3 Stars. Growing up it felt like whenever we would visit my aunt’s house she would be watching Wheel of Fortune or Jeopardy. So while I was a bit too young to know many of the answers, I certainly exposed to quite a lot of educational content thanks to Alex Trebek. In this book, he tells pretty much the entire story of his life through a series of short vignettes. He has such a unique perspective and it is interesting to hear him reflect back on his life and all his years on Jeopardy. Very few people keep any job as long as he has had that one, especially in the entertainment industry. He also read portions of the audiobook which was really fun - his voice is definitely iconic. Since the book came out this year, it even discusses COVID and quarantining - at least the beginning of it. Although he is suffering from cancer and doesn’t know what lies ahead, he seems so content, that it is refreshing to read. He may not know all the answers, and neither do we, but that’s okay.
Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History - 2 Stars. I was curious to read and learn about what was one of the most intense storms in recorded history. And that part of the book was fascinating (if a bit depressing). However, the majority of the book was spent discussing other tangential characters and stories and ideas. I didn’t stay very engaged through those parts. The story of the storm is amazing and shocking and sad, but the rest of the book isn’t quite as exciting.
The Emotion Code: How to Release Your Trapped Emotions for Abundant Health, Love, and Happiness - 2 Stars. This book is built on a fascinating premise that I guess must be true judging from the number of stories and testimonials throughout the book. A lot of the science seems pretty “out there” but also makes sense with what we know from research in areas like the heritability of trauma, acupuncture, and other related treatments. While the idea is fascinating, the book is not quite as interesting. It’s repetitive and all the examples feel like they’re trying to convince and prove the point rather than just supporting it. This is an idea that I will keep thinking about and I expect I will be seeing more about it in books, podcasts, and other personal development mediums in the not-too-distant future.
At Bertram’s Hotel - 4 Stars. I pretty rarely give an Agatha Christie mystery 4 stars, but this one deserved it. And I don’t generally like the Miss Marple stories nearly as much - so this book was a surprise (even apart from the mystery). Like I said, this book also had an absent (at least at the beginning) mother play a major role. And a racecar driver, a unique component, which reminded me a lot of Neflix’s Murder Mystery movie. The story had several parts and a pretty complex mystery that all wrapped up nicely in the last couple of pages. The ending wasn’t that surprising actually, but the story getting there kept me engaged and entertained.
Like I shared about a bit in my Sustainability - September post, this was a pretty crazy month for me. And it looks like things are only going to continue to build through the end of the year. Lots of late nights and less reading time than normal in my future. But this is only for a season, and although it’s a season of sacrifice, it’s one that I’m pretty excited about.
I technically didn’t set a reading goal for this year in terms of number of books to read - but since I’m already at 128, I think I would like to finish 150 by the end of the year. And like last year, if I hit that number by December, I’ll probably spend December re-reading some of my favorite books. And that’s something else to be excited about.
Until next time,