I follow my enthusiasm by reading…a lot. And once a month, I share (some of) the books I read last month and the books I intend to read this month. You can join the informal book club by sharing your own list with me on Facebook and find all the posts here.
(The usual disclaimer applies.)
What I read
- My Age of Anxiety, by Scott Strossel – This is an occasionally interesting history of Anxiety disorders and their treatment, told through the lens of the author's own life-long experience. Much of it was very interesting, but he left out solutions and history that he didn't personally experience and discussed some medications with mind-numbing biological detail.
- Missing, Presumed, by Susie Steiner – I got this as part of my Book of the Month Club (which I SO recommend!) and I loved it. Creepy, without being graphically violent. I look forward to reading everything else by this author.
- Switched On: A Memoir of Brain Change and Emotional Awakening, by John Elder Robinson. This is the tale of an autistic man who undergoes experimental treatment that dramatically alters the way he perceives his world. I heard about this treatment first on Invisibilia and then spotted this on the New Non-Fiction shelf at the library so I picked it up. A friend's son was recently diagnosed with Autism, so it's timely.
- Shoot the Damn Dog: A Memoir of Depression, by Sally Brampton – This is the best memoir I've ever read about dodgy mental health, and one of my Top 5 memoirs, period. Right after finishing it, I dropped it in the tub… so now I own this library book and I'm secretly thrilled. If you worry you might be all alone in how you feel, read this.
- The Girl on the Train, by Paul Hawkins – Confession: I saw this book all over social media and so I picked it up when it appeared at my library. Another creepy sorta-thriller. If I didn't read so many great mysterious novels this month, this would have fared better.
- Before I Go to Sleep, by S. J Watson – Another mystery that sucked me in! The premise is the same as 50 First Dates (woman loses her memory every night), but without the romance and with a dash of spine chilling secrets.
- Carry On, Warrior, by Glennon Doyle Melton – I don't know how I stumbled on Glennon's blog, but I got totally sucked in. I read tons of the archives and then requested this book from my library. If you like her blog, read the book.
- Dark Matter, by Blake Crouch – This was one of the Book of The Month Club options that I didn't choose, but it looked good so I got it from my library. Um, yeah, I read it in one late night gulp. A barely-sci-fi thriller (ie, it's set in a world just like ours, but with one big scientific discovery). It's a novel I'd recommend to any of my friends (even the non-nerdy ones).
Special Mention: Harry Potter, books 1, 2, and 3. Yeah, so. It's time to come clean: I've never read or watched any Harry Potter. I know, I know. I just wasn't the right age to read it when it came out (really busy reading tons of French literature, in French!) and I didn't get around to it. So I decided to fix that, and sped through the first three last month.
To be honest, and at the risk of losing all my readers, I gotta admit: I didn't get it. The first two books were just…okay. Not as gripping or fast moving or even as well-written (gasp!) as other YA I've read. (Hello, Lord of the Rings! Anne of Green Gables!)
However, by Book 3, I started to get it. I'm at least hooked enough to start in on Books 4 & 5 this month.
What I’m reading
I need some more recommendations! Tell me on Twitter or Facebook!
Yeah, so I read a LOT this month. I didn't even share them all here (I skipped the ones I didn't love, or wouldn't recommend.) Here's to another great month of reading!
What I read last September.
And in September 2014.
What are you reading?
