I am currently experiencing something that I don’t have much familiarity with – the beginning of a reading slump.
After working through my Robert Moses book (if you know, you know…you can also find out more by checking out this post) and hitting a wall, I have tried to find other books that are challenging, but that I can move through quicker. For some reason I have found myself more inclined to pull out my phone and watch a YouTube video than to get out my book. And while I like that choice in the moment, I don’t like how I feel later when I assess how I’ve been spending my time.
I thought it would be good motivation for me to share five recent reads, plus a preview of what I am reading now!
The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This novel is advertised as the perfect book to read if you are missing Downton Abbey. And I am always missing Downton Abbey! It tells the story of a rich American girl who goes to England with her mother to find a titled husband.
After meeting a duke, they are engaged one week later and the main character is set on her path to become a duchess and take on the English social scene. However, the couple has their own unique pasts that cause conflict and strife in the marriage and the novel explores the pull of your heart, self respect, and money.
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was an extremely well written story of a woman going through psychological challenges. Starting out you get a feel for what was important to her and over the course of the novel you see how what she cares about slowly slips away. It is a disheartening and depressing tale, but it gave me a greater appreciation for what it must feel like to have a mental illness and insight into how treatments have evolved.
There was also a fair amount of commentary/indication of how the author was impacted by gender roles and I think this would be a very interesting book to discuss in a class.
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I’d heard a lot of hype about this book and am glad I finally got my hands on it! I enjoyed that it was to the point and had actionable tips to help you improve your habits themselves and sticking with them. I highlighted a ton of good points and it most stood out to me that small, incremental improvements are the most sustainable way to get the best results.
Forever by Pete Hamill ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was not what I was expecting! The premise is that there is a man who can live forever as long as he stays on the island of Manhattan. However, a substantial part of the book follows his childhood in Ireland and crossing the Atlantic before coming to New York City. I enjoyed getting to learn about New York through the years and that different populations were featured. There was love and drama, but I was not satisfied with the ending. Still a great read for descriptions of New York and adventure.
Delicious! by Ruth Reichl ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was a great combination of coming of age, New York City, and historical fiction. I loved the premise of a young woman working at a food magazine and finding that there are stories in the magazine’s history that deserve to be told. The wonderful descriptions of food and wide range of characters made this a fun read.
What I’m reading now
I’m in the middle of Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell on Joe’s recommendation. It is good, but very challenging so I find that I’m moving through it slowly. I have My Life in Full: Work, Family, and Our Future by Ingrid Nooyi and The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towels queued up next – really looking forward to these!
I’d love to hear your advice for getting motivated to read! Any great books you can recommend?
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