A New Month, A New Me
Rebirth: A Fable of Love, Forgiveness, and Following Your Heart - Kamal Ravikant
I heard about this novel over a year ago and added it to a wishlist and summarily completely forgot about it (of course). Serendipitously, I was given a copy as a gift for my birthday last month, and the moment I cracked it open I knew I was reading something special. The plot doesn't sound like much: man struggles to find his place in the world after a difficult death in the family and after getting dumped by the girl he thought might be the one. Somehow though, Kamal Ravikant weaves a narrative that feels like a dreamy meditation on what it means to be a tiny speck of humanity in this great big world full of suffering, but also full of immense joy. The journey of the main character (based on the author's own experiences, but altered in ways to allow the reader to pour themselves into his shoes) becomes your journey as you read about his trudge across the length of Spain. Spared the physical blisters and sores of actually traversing the Camino de Santiago, when I finished this book I felt spiritually changed. I felt a peace as though some things I never knew I was wrestling with had fallen into place. I cannot speak highly enough of this book. I can confidently put it into my top ten favorite books (which is saying an awful lot, considering my tastes in that regard are essentially reserved for revolutionary science fiction and deep fantasy series). Even if you feel like everything is right with the world right now, pick up a copy and set aside a weekend to curl up with this (pleasantly short) novel. You won't regret it.
Need to Know - Karen Cleveland
Hear me out on this one. Normally I stay as far away from pulp fiction as possible, but when I was gearing up for my warm-weather getaway last month this one jumped off the Amazon results page at me. My companion for said trip normally only reads nonfiction, but when he does read fiction he mostly indulges in those action-packed spy intrigue novels full of gunfights, car chases, and steamy rendezvous with double-agents in stilettos. As such, I thought it would be fitting to read what I figured would be the female equivalent. I have to say, it was a quick and thrilling, but also resoundingly predictable read. It served perfectly, however, as a buffer between more meaningful reading. Sometimes I like to take a breath and get out of my usual lane in reading and this was exactly that. As the main character fights to keep her family safe in the midst of Russian sleeper cell chaos, it's hard not to find yourself daydreaming about how close to reality this might in fact be (given all we're hearing in the news about potential gerrymandering involved in Brexit and the Trump election and also the nerve-agent attack on a former Russian spy residing in the UK). It was a compelling (and satisfyingly quick) read so if you're looking for a cheap indulgence, this might be worth a look.
Startup: A Novel - Doree Shafrir
I'm torn about recommending this book. I had very high hopes for the flashy corporate intrigue promised by the Startup-culture forward setting. I was a sucker for Betas and am still in love with Silicon Valley (Halt and Catch Fire is unfortunately still on my list, but I'll get there after I'm done obsessing over Billions...). I still listen to StartUp (among other Gimlet podcasts) and I'm looking forward to eventually guilty-pleasure-bingeing Alex, Inc. based on the same (why yes, I do own all of Scrubs on DVD...surely Zach Braff has nothing to do with my interest in this upcoming series). I'm almost finished with this book and while it does get much better as it goes on, some of the writing feels a little sloppy and a couple of the characters seem pretty two-dimensional. That said though, the plot itself carries well and I still find myself not quite ready to put it down when I really need to turn out the light to get my beauty sleep. It's proving to be a fun and shiny diversion from more "important" reading. It feels like the novelization of all the above-mentioned shows, so if those have you glued to the couch like me, definitely pick up a copy.
This book is bursting with some of the most achingly beautiful observation I've ever seen expressed. I've been following Atticus on Instagram for a while now and was fortunate enough to receive the book as a gift last month. I'm nowhere near finished with it yet, but it's because I'm savoring every delicious moment of it. There's something to be said for sipping coffee on a Sunday morning and indulging in heartbreakingly earnest poetry. I feel like every day I spend a little time with this book, I see the world in a more beautiful way. Each interaction I have is just a little more special, a little more intense; it makes me feel a little more present and passionate about what I do. These (extremely short) poems are like the tiny bites in a restaurant's tasting menu - manicured in presentation, each morsel is complex and complicated in the best way, each plate is a new surprise, and when you're finished the memory of it sits with you long after; even though it's something you'll never quite experience the same way again. This has been a particularly excellent follow-up to my recent obsession with the words of Rupi Kaur, so if you've enjoyed that kind of poetry you are certainly in for a treat with Love Her Wild.
With March coming to a close, and all this dreadful weather (hopefully) behind us, I am more than ready to embrace April even if it does look like perpetual rain here in New England until June. But I promise, I won't tempt the weather Gods by putting away my snow boots yet!
I love you all and you can't stop me :)