gratifying brawny reads

things I've read that have been hot glued to my soul

Recently I’ve been on a streak of incredibly delicious reads. I love these streaks! The hardest part, however, is picking the next book selection: it’s like a game of blackjack, when you don’t know whether to draw again or stand down. What a nerdy thrill. I am sharing a few passages from the books I’ve been reading, and loving, recently.

Know my Name, by Chanel Miller

I think Chanel Miller will go down in history as one of the most talented authors of our generation. I read “Know my Name” almost three years ago now but I think about her story often. Recently Miller has published some beautiful comics and art on in the NYT. This author is only 31 years old. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for her.

My Name is Lucy Barton, and all of the sequential books in series, by Elizabeth Strout

I just finished Lucy by the Sea, the latest book of this series. The latest book hits the nail on the head about all of the nuances of the pandemic, as well as a very accurate description about seeing Maine and “the sea”. In Maine, it’s not the ocean, it’s “the sea”. IYKYK. I am probably going to write to Strout about this last book, because if you’ve studied psychology at all you can see a lot of Inner Family Systems intertwined beneath the pages.

My Brilliant Friend, and subsequent books in series, by Elena Ferrante

This Neapolitan author helped me understand the city so much better. There were a few passages in this book that made me wonder why I should even attempt to write anything at all. They were the passages that describe 1) the main character’s first glimpse at the ocean and 2) what it’s like to live with anxiety, that I thought I might never ready a more beautiful thing the rest of my living days! Not to mention, this book takes place in Napoli. The one theme in this book I took to heart was about class; it made me think about how our ancestral sacrifices shape who we are and impact generational wealth for years to come.

A Song of Achilles, Madeleine Miller

Did you read the Illiad or the Odyssey in high school, and nearly tear your eyes out in boredom? There is a part of me that wishes I had the intellectual prowess to commit myself to the study of these texts, but I also am not ashamed to admit that I need a little romance to keep my interest. Now I live in former Ancient Greece and I’ve suddenly become interested in Greek life, and the perfect book came to me! A book about the Ancient Greek hero Patroclus as told from childhood to the end of the Trojan War, this book finally helped me understand what went down in the Illiad while keeping my interest . What does one sacrifice for love, or for honor? For fame or for legacy? Now I am itching to read more Greek goodies!

Pachinko, Min Jin Lee

All of my favorite books are becoming tv series, including this one! I watched season 1 of this series and felt it was indeed true to the text. This book is so satisfying because you get to see how life unveils over generations, and how one tiny decision can have such a big impact on an entire family. I knew little to nothing about the Korean population in Japan, let alone the Japanese occupation of Korea, and I also learned a lot about history by reading this book. I highly recommend!

Do you have any books to recommend to me, now that you know what I like? I hope so! Please drop them in the comments!