Recently Read

Truly Madly Guilty, by Liane Moriarty. I was really looking forward to this, since I've enjoyed several of her other books. This one let me down a bit. Overall, it was entertaining and kept me engaged, but I got a bit bored at times. She draws out the big reveal (What happened at the cookout?!) for so long, and by the time I found out, I was almost over it.

The M Train, by Patti Smith.  I love this review I saw on Goodreads:  "I can't believe Patti Smith wrote a book about drinking black coffee and watching serial crime dramas and it's the best thing I've ever read." I totally agree. This book isn't about anything - there's no plot, no characters outside of Patti herself, and yet I adored the book. Her writing is gorgeous, descriptive, and moving. Patti Smith is an observer of life, and by reading her words and stepping into her life for a bit, I'm inspired to look up more, to make deeper connections (with people, places, and things), and to go on adventures.

Better than Before, by Gretchen Rubin.  I read this one as a part of my book club at work. I haven't yet read her first book - The Happiness Project - although I've read many blog posts by her, so I get the main points. This one defines and organizes themes about how we form and maintain habits. It's nothing ground-breaking, and yet sometimes just by putting a name on something, it can make it that much easier to understand and put into focus. My habit tendency is a Questioner - that is, I only do things when I understand how they benefit me. There are lots of great anecdotes and examples in here, and it was helpful to think about my own habits. An interesting read and worthy of discussion.

Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl, by Carrie Brownstein.  I really enjoyed this book. It helps that I'm a fan of Sleater-Kinney, which is a love-em-or-hate-em band for sure. I remember seeing them as an opener for Pearl Jam, and my husband complains about them to this day. They are not for everyone, but I've been a fan since I bought the Dig Me Out CD in college after hearing about them through CMJ. Carrie's writing is smart, thoughtful, and honest. She doesn't dish on anyone, and you can tell there's a lot she does hold back - the purpose is to write about the band, about what music means to her, and how the band saved her life.