Can you tell that things have been hectic around here based on my delays between posts? It has felt like a whirlwind as we’ve been preparing for life changes, and my to-do list has felt weighty with totally new-to-me tasks. But here I am, ready to share the monthly recap of life and books!
Life
I’ve had a bunch of opportunities to see friends and enjoy the sunshine in the city. I’m trying to make the most of my time living in Manhattan (more on moving in a few…), even though I’m not going that far away. There’s a wonderful convenience with living in the city for seeing friends and doing fun things after work that I know will take a bit more planning in the future.
Joe and I went to Forest Hills Stadium for the first time and saw one of his favorite bands in concert. It was a lot of fun and I was so grateful to have a place to sit – pregnant Alyssa has definitely been getting more tired more quickly!
One of the most exciting things from this month is that my dear friend Ally has moved back to the East Coast after living in Colorado for years! I am so excited to be within driving distance instead of a plane ride away.
I spent some time at the Met, naturally, and decided to dedicate a visit to the Hudson River School. I love American art and this genre speaks to me deeply. A security guard approached me and we had a meaningful interaction. He talked with me about his favorite sculpture that was in the room and encouraged me to come back and visit with my baby (oh, don’t you worry sir, we’ll be here).
Work has been exciting and fulfilling, and I’m trying to make an impact and set myself up for a strong final month before I go out on maternity leave. Working outside at the office with this view certainly doesn’t hurt.
The biggest news of the month is that Joe and I closed on our home!!! We have been working towards getting a home for our family for months and we found a place that has the perfect location (close to family, an easy commute to the city, and ice cream shop and library down the road) that we were able to lock down. Now we’re in the process of getting the basics established, like painting and window dressings, before we schedule movers for sometime in September.
It’s wild to contemplate how many things are changing at once, but I’m trying to focus on making our way through our to-do list each week and enjoying the process.
Books
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This book had me hooked from the start with a morbid and unexpected twist. The narrator takes you through the life changing event of becoming a star author, but there are underlying deceptions that make you question who truly has the right to tell stories.
It was a book that kept me entertained and made me think, but I only gave it three stars because the ending required you to suspend so much disbelief that I felt it took away from the rest of the story.
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I read this book on the recommendation of a colleague and I am so glad I did! AI is something everyone is talking about, but unsurprisingly the history of the field is almost as interesting to me as the future. This book profiles the greatest and most influential AI researchers, investors, and thinkers.
There were so many people mentioned and I found it hard to keep track of them all, but the overall storyline and the events that came together to bring this technology to life was fascinating enough to make me not worry too much about the individuals.
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I loved “Pachinko” by the same author, so I was excited to dig into this novel. It’s set in the 1990s in NYC and follows a number of Korean Americans as they experience the city. There are themes of culture, morality, and class that are all fascinating to read about, and the characters themselves are captivating.
My only criticism is that by the end of the novel one of the key characters doesn’t seem to have had much growth or made substantial progress in her life. The ending felt abrupt and like there was more that should have happened – but I guess it isn’t bad to leave them wanting more!
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This is a novel set in New York City that explores the family dynamics and individual privilege of its members. It was an enjoyable read because each chapter made you wonder what would go on in the next, but the themes of wealthy children realizing they have it made but wanting to give away their money and the older generation wanting to hang on felt tired – there wasn’t anything new that the author brought to the subject.
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