Tuesday, December 1, 2015

November Books

Pretty eclectic mix this month; hip hop history, teen angst, behavioural economics; Indian poverty; 19th century drama; and meditation.

The Rap Year Book: The Most Important Rap Song From Every Year Since 1979, Discussed, Debated, and DeconstructedThe Rap Year Book: The Most Important Rap Song From Every Year Since 1979, Discussed, Debated, and Deconstructed

More than even I needed to know about hip hop, but captures each moment perfectly. 1998-2005 are my dark ages, and I didn't even know many of the featured songs. The Girls got me back in the game.

Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai UndercityBehind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity

Agonizingly hard to be poor in India; harder still when all the government actors are unapologetically corrupt. Amazing reporting.
The Three Sisters




The Three Sisters

Life sucks. It seems so much better over there. But maybe not. Gets a pass for being novel at the time, but hasn't aged well.





Misbehaving: The Making of Behavioral Economics

Misbehaving: The Making of Behavioral Economics

Not a lot new here if you've read Nudge and Kahnemann, but the narrative is interesting, especially the unwillingness of economists to accept that people often don't act rationally, despite so much evidence to the contrary.


Mindfulness in Plain English



Mindfulness in Plain English


Overlong, but with some good tips on meditation, which I'll try.


The Bell Jar



The Bell Jar

After the first 100 pages, I couldn't figure out why I had disliked this so much in high school. The remaining 2/3 reminded me.




Monday, November 2, 2015

October Books

From Marcus Aurelius to Jonathan Franzen, with a stop at the 150 shelf in the library to see if there was anything interesting.

PurityPurity


Note
Overly praised. Did not live up to my expectations and did not seem to be set on the planet we live on. But I read it quickly.



The Art of Procrastination: A Guide to Effective Dawdling, Lollygagging and Postponing

The Art of Procrastination: A Guide to Effective Dawdling, Lollygagging and Postponing

Note
Could have found something better to do.



The Tell: The Little Clues That Reveal Big Truths about Who We Are

The Tell: The Little Clues That Reveal Big Truths about Who We Are


Note
Not as good as I expected from the cover and the blurb from Daniel Pink. Hmmm.


Meditations

Meditations


Thursday, October 1, 2015

September Books

Finally got around to reading the definitive book about Yugoslavia and the author Lloyd Cole name checks in Rattlesnakes.


The White Album: Essays


The White Album: Essays
Beautifully concise writing about issues in the 70s. Always interesting, even when the subject matter isn't.

Huck Finn's America: Mark Twain and the Era That Shaped His Masterpiece




Huck Finn's America: Mark Twain and the Era That Shaped His Masterpiece

Interesting look at Huck Finn in the context of life in the author's world. Twain loved minstrel shoes as a boy and became a champion of civil rights in the 1880s, but never lost his fondness for an art form that fell precipitously from public favor. Seems entirely consistent with a fantastic novel that is a bit messy in parts.


The Last Thing He Wanted

The Last Thing He Wanted




The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive ThinkingThe Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking

Monday, August 31, 2015

August Books

Distant View of a Minaret and Other StoriesDistant View of a Minaret and Other Stories

by 

Sunday, August 2, 2015

June/July Books

Thought I'd read more this summer, but I seem to have spent an abundance of time at the wheel. Full list for 2015 and links here.


Cakes and AleCakes and Ale

Got better towards the end. The points are well made about writers and the people they actually are, but the story moves slowly, despite its brevity.

Bel-Ami





Bel-Ami

Thoroughly entertaining tale of an amoral rascal's ascendancy in French society. Enjoyed this much more than I had expected to. A gift from Pat.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing




The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing

by 
The Run of His Life : The People versus O. J. Simpson
Headscarves and Hymens: Why the Middle East Needs a Sexual Revolution

Friday, June 5, 2015

May books

Full 2015 list here.

Memoirs of a Woman Doctor (Middle Eastern Fiction)Memoirs of a Woman Doctor 

The Reluctant Fundamentalist