Tag: memoir

Best Reads of 2022 (so far)

I’ve read 65 books so far this year.  Of these, StoryGraph characterizes my reading as predominantly “emotional”, then “reflective”, “funny”, “mysterious”, “light-hearted”, and “informative”. My most frequent categories of books are romance, historical, contemporary, memoir, and literary (as categorized by StoryGraph, which isn’t necessarily the way I’d categorize each book). I’ve read more nonfiction than…

Reading about the Environment: The Book of Hope and Diary of a Young Naturalist

This year I signed up for a challenge to read more books about the environment (hosted by Gum Trees and Galaxies).  I haven’t read too many yet this year, but I read these two in June and July and it made sense to write about them together. Both books are pretty impossible to “review” in…

Review: Mala’s Cat by Mala Kacenberg

In some ways, every Holocaust story is like every other: the horrors endured, the unbelievable cruelty, watching family members die, and having to make unimaginable decisions to survive. But in other ways, every Holocaust story is unique, as is this one. Born in 1927 in Tarnograd, Poland, Mala had a happy childhood until 1939, when…

Review: The Puma Years by Laura Coleman

I loved this memoir about Coleman’s time working in a wildlife sanctuary in Bolivia. It was completely different from anything I’ve read before, and I enjoy reading about people who do things that I’ll never have the courage to do.  In her early twenties, Coleman quit her job in England and backpacked around Bolivia. Wanting to do…

Review: Garlic and Sapphires, the Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise by Ruth Reichl

I’m reading Reichl’s life backwards.  Last year I read the excellent Save Me the Plums, so this year I decided to go back to her previous book, about her work as the restaurant critic for the New York Times.  And while I enjoyed this one a bit less, Reichl is still an engaging and thoughtful…

Nonfiction November: My Year in Reading Nonfiction

It’s Nonfiction November, a five-week event of discussions on everything related to nonfiction. This week’s prompt, hosted by What’s Nonfiction, is about looking back at our year of reading nonfiction.  What was our favorite read, what did we recommend most often, and which topics were we drawn to?  I’ve read 15 nonfiction books so far this…

Review: Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want to Come by Jessica Pan

This book is Pan’s memoir of a year when she decided to challenge herself to live like an extrovert.  She explains that there’s nothing wrong with being an introvert, only she’s an excessively shy one (a “shintrovert” as she calls herself), which means she’s probably missing out on friendships and career opportunities by not engaging…

November Wrap-Up and Mini-Reviews

I spent a lot of time this month participating in Nonfiction November, so I thought instead of the usual monthly wrap-up I’d post some mini-reviews instead. These three books address issues related to science, religion, and the intersection of the two. I recommend all three.  The Story of More by Hope Jahren (audio by the author):…

Review: Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb

It seems fitting to discuss a book about therapy the day after Thanksgiving, a holiday that raises so many complicated family issues — though hopefully yours was lovely!  This book has plenty of buzz already without my review, but I loved it.  It’s unlike most books I’ve read, in that it’s an inside look at…

Nonfiction November: My Year in Nonfiction

This month is Nonfiction November, a celebration of all things nonfiction.  I’ve read some fantastic nonfiction this year and I’m proud of myself for reading more nonfiction than I used to.  I enjoy this event because I get so many good nonfiction recommendations for next year.   Each week will be a topic hosted by a different blog. This…