I listened to a lot of books this month. Five of the seven books I read were audiobooks. I found I couldn't concentrate on really much of anything. Hearing the words read while I walked was its own type of healing. It got me to focus - maybe not necessarily on hard copy books, but other necessary things (like cleaning and cooking). By the end of the month, I could finally sit and read - for hours. Which was how I finished "A Little Life".
I don't hand out five star reviews willy nilly. I don't like edges. So, you won't see many one star reviews either. But three books I read this month were truly just too... good is the wrong word... emotionally pulling. I cried during the readings of "The Anthropocene Reviewed", "A Little Life", and "Know My Name". To be fair, I didn't cry until the last page of "A Little Life". Now, books make me cry all the time, that does not automatically make it a five star book. These three books truly made me feel something, something not directly related to me or what I was going through at the time. They woke me up to how wonderful and sad life is... sometimes I need reminders. I like to feel things, everything, and I think I was starting to feel numb. Which, I suppose, means I was feeling everything. Just too much.
I don't feel numb anymore. It feels like I've been broken open and everything comes out in weird ways. I'm so happy and free. I'm also incredibly sad and hurt and angry. All at the same time and individually. I kind of think these books this month broke me out of the funk I had not noticed I was in.
The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I listened to this book and I think I'm going to buy a hard copy of it. There are a lot of things I wanted to highlight to remember. I don't normally do that, but this was SO good. It's basically John Green reviewing different things about life. Some of it feels very personal to him and sometimes it was just thoughts on things. I loved how he added his own little stories into it. None of it made sense together and it was magical. It made me think how shallow we can be when reviewing different things or how shallow our thoughts can sometimes be. It made me want to explore more into the things I love and don't love and WHY.
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was a bit dark and spooky in the best way. I just love reading teen dramas about murder and boarding school. Though, I guess this was technically college and they were of drinking age. It felt like a dark Center Stage, but it was theater not ballet.
Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I also wish I had this audiobook in a hard copy. So many things I wanted to highlight and remember. It was really cool how she put down what she "knew about love" at different ages and her lessons kept getting better. I really enjoyed listening to it - Dolly's voice is lovely and I laughed a lot (I'm sure people walking by me thought I was a bit nuts). Highly recommend, especially if you're going through something.
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was a nice read/listen. I adore Reid's books. This was not a favorite. The story was fun and I liked the parallels between the eldest daughter and her mother. The going back and forth in time was cool. Definitely a beach read - quick and easy.
The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music by Dave Grohl ⭐⭐⭐
I liked this, I didn't love it. I have a weird interest in Dave Grohl that I believe comes from him being on Chelsea Lately. I think he's funny and cool. This book made me think he is still funny and cool. Hearing about his early music life, especially Nirvana, was interesting. It was good to hear someone talk about how people lived that kind of life in a realistic way with a slight romantic touch. Hearing him talk about Kurt was heartbreaking.
How to Read the Constitution and Why by Kim Wehle ⭐⭐⭐⭐
It was in my audio library. So, I listened to it. It was good. I learned a lot. I think it's important to understand the differences of... what was it... politics and policies? Something like that. It was in layman's terms which was super helpful. I think it would have been good to have a hard copy to follow along with. To really get it, I need to see it. This is something a lot of people would benefit from reading, but those people wouldn't ever read something like this...
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
THIS BOOK. I've been intimated to read this for the longest time because it is so long and the print is so small. I also knew it was not going to be a happy book. It focuses on a group of friends, but one of the friends in particular. I would say it should come with a trigger warning about physical abuse, rape, and sexual abuse of a minor (and adult). It doesn't get too graphic, but if that's something you've dealt with/are dealing with, it could be a lot. It is hard to understand something when you haven't gone through it, especially traumas, but this book did a great job getting under the nail of it. Also, how it affects the people around the person. I wanted to scream at the main character a lot because he just couldn't see how loved he was, but that's the point, I suppose. I highly recommend taking the time to read this. It was beautifully written and even though it was sad, it felt very real.
Know My Name by Chanel Miller ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This book was in my audiobook library for awhile as well. I thought it was something completely different from what it was. Chanel was the woman raped by Brock Turner and this was her story. I'm so glad she got to tell her side and, just like Chanel, I had no idea how convoluted the justice system is. Like I know it never seems to be on the victim's side, but holy shit. The fact that this happens to so many women (and men) and either never gets reported or doesn't get taken to court because proof, or just how many people aren't believed... it's infuriating. I was so upset listening to this, but that's the point. This is definitely an important read.
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