My summer reading list, reviewed
T’was a summer of much sand between many pages. Here is a selection from my summer reading list that I recommend, and a few notes on why:
Non-fiction
The Art of Possibility
By Benjamin Zander and Rosamund Stone Zander
My, how the world shone brighter when I was listening to this audiobook. Ben and Ros tell stories of making unlikely situations work out, solving tough problems and believing in ourselves. A joyful read, and a real guide to thinking with a possibility mindset. Not overly simplistic, or saccharine, but a pragmatic approach to thinking bigger.
Essentialism
By Greg McKeown
A bestseller that convincingly promotes the “essentialist” life. That means choosing a clear purpose with a clear goal, and steering your ship directly toward it. McKeown gives many tactics to help right the ship for those of us (all of us?) who easily find distractions. Useful for personal and professional alignment.
Leap First: Creating Work That Matters
By Seth Godin
More of an audio experience than an audiobook, Leap First is a long lecture that Godin gives to a group of creatives. He touches on the inevitable resistance we face when putting art out into the world. Our brains warn us of danger when we release work, which is why we so often don’t create, or don’t show anyone our creations. He talks us out of that “not good enough” thinking, and inspires people to make interesting stuff!
Fiction
The Woman Upstairs
By Claire Messud
(Quietly) screamed at the end of this one. Have you ever felt like you’re going to burst with intense hunger for life? Ask yourself that. Maybe you were coming out of a low point — a bad relationship or terrible job — and your zest for something better was unshakeable. Good book on said subject.
Everything Under
By Daisy Johnson
Including this one here if and only if you enjoy dark psychological novels. A story of a woman and her twisted relationship with her mother unfolds through a series of flashbacks to their time living on a river in England. Do not read while home alone at night.
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous
By Ocean Vuong
The heartwrench, the sweetness, the realism, the horror, the tenderness of love. My friend lent me this book, and when I finished it, I texted her: “OH MY GOD! MY HEART!” She responded: “Dead. Clinically dead.” This book is beautiful and heartbreaking. A personal life story told through a son’s letter to his mother who can’t read English. Author Ocean Vuong’s debut novel. Please read.
