Books to Spark Your Interest
Today, I’m sharing a few favorite reads (and listens!) that might spark something delightful, insightful, or just plain helpful in your world. Whether you’re in the mood to be moved, entertained, or gently unraveled, maybe there’s something here for you.
Reading:
You Could Make This Place Beautiful: A Memoir. This New York Times bestseller, by the poet and author Maggie Smith (not the actress), is about her divorce, but I’m riveted by the unique way she frames her story in short chapters, some of which are directed right at the reader.
They Will Tell You the World Is Yours: On Little Rebellions and Finding Your Way by Anna Mitchael. As I say in my Amazon review, this is a book that can make you see the world anew. Again, I admire the style she’s chosen to convey her message––in this case, using a series of short vignettes.
Listening to the audiobook:
This American Woman: A One-In-A-Billion Memoir by Zarna Garg. In her unmistakable voice, Zarna takes us from her brokenhearted childhood in India to her happy life in America, where she has become an unlikely stand-up comic, opening for Tina Fey and Amy Poehler and headlining her own special on Hulu.
The World: A Brief Introduction by Richard Haass. They say we carry collective trauma from the past into the present. I’m listening to the audiobook because (a) we should know this stuff about how we got where we are today, and (b) let’s be honest, if I tried to read it on the page, I’d fall asleep. Listening, however, is quite compelling.
I just got back from the bookstore and have an eclectic pile of books on my “to read” list:
UnWorld: A Novel by Jayson Greene. Not my usual genre, but his memoir about losing his daughter, Once More We Saw Stars, floored me. I support writers I like, so I gave him a preorder and can’t wait to read it.
A Pocketful of Happiness: A Memoir by the actor Richard E. Grant. I saw him on YouTube giving Architectural Digest a tour of his home after his wife’s passing. I’ve been reading grief memoirs lately, and I’m curious to read one told in diary format.
You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories about Racism by Amber Ruffin and her sister Lacey Lamar. Amber, a writer on Seth Meyers, always cracks me up, and there are probably some things in here that are good to know.
We’re almost done setting up our terrace, and I can see myself sitting outside with my mojito-flavored sparkling water and a good book. Or, maybe I should just stay inside and write my own book while enjoying the air conditioning? Hmmm.
What would you do?
