June 2022 Books






Proust was a Neuroscientist by Jonah Lehrer. I didn't finish this book. I quit reading it at approximately 40% in. I'm not sure what I'd expected, but, man, this book bored me. I felt like it meandered and never really made its point. It's very unusual for me to opt not to finish a book, but I really felt like I was wasting my time reading this one. Sadly, I couldn't see a way for it to redeem itself. It's still available for purchase unlike some of his other books due to a scandal regarding his work, but I've opted not to link to it or include it in this month's book photo.



  At the Dark End of the Street: Black Women, Rape, and Resistance - a New History of the Civil Rights Movement from Rosa Parks to the Rise of Black Power by Danielle L. McGuire is an intense but interesting read. McGuire uncovers and highlights history that has been skewed to make it more palatable even though it also does a disservice to those whose stories are pushed to the sidelines of history. While not always easy to read, At the Dark End of the Street is important for having a more accurate and honest accounting of the history of the Civil Rights movement and what that movement accomplished. McGuire also reminds us why Civil Rights and women's equality are so important to have a strong and vibrant society through the struggles and determination detailed in the book.



Self-Consciousness by John Updike isn't what I expected in the least. I bought this book several years ago at a dinner given for Updike in Boise, Idaho. He spoke at the dinner and was quite interesting. I got the chance to have him sign my copy and to exchange a couple of words with him. Every time I started to read the book in the intervening years, I thought about that dinner and decided to "save" it for later. Sadly, it's not as easy or enjoyable a read as I expected. These memoirs written as long reflection-type essays often reflected the quintessential White Protestant male position though there were moments when he clearly wrestled with that position. The sense of self-consciousness muddled with his sense of entitlement was hard for me to get past or really to even reconcile. I wanted to enjoy this book much more than I did.


Ongoing:


Science of Yoga: Understand the Anatomy and Physiology to Perfect Your Practice by Ann Swanson is interesting so far. I just finished the anatomy part of the book and am set to start the asanas portion of the book tomorrow. Swanson breaks down human anatomy in bite size morsels that are easy to digest. I'm still reading this book, but I have to say reading it has made me feel more aware of my body during the poses as well as how the poses feel as I practice them. I have finished the section on the asanas and only have the section she's titled Questions & Answers left to read. I should finish the book very soon and will share my overall thoughts on it next month.


Complete Poems of Bertolt Brecht by Bertolt Brecht is a very long book of poetry. I've now read 72% of this book. Brecht's poems are often intense, sometimes very personal, and always feel deliberate. His examinations of the everyday intermixed with fascism, war, and atrocities keeps me intrigued and makes me think, at least thus far. There are definitely some poems that speak to me more than others.


Get Untamed: The Journal by Glennon Doyle is a guided journal inspired by Doyle's book, Untamed. I started this journal at the beginning of March. Last month I said, the questions are simple and the answers are fairly easy, but surprisingly it's not pushing me the way I expected it to. Still going on this one. Should finish it some time in July. I have mixed feelings about it. I think because it feels like I've already done much of this work...


52 Lists for Calm by Moorea Seal - I started this journal, but it will take all year to complete. It's a list journal with prompts that one fills out weekly rather than daily. Some prompts are better than others. I'm not enjoying this as much as I expected at this point.


52 Lists for Bravery by Moorea Seal - This is another list journal I started at the beginning of the year. Like the one for Calm, it is a weekly list journal with prompts. This one also has some prompts that are better than others. Maybe I've outgrown these journals because I'm not enjoying this one as much as I have ones in previous years. Or maybe I shouldn't have chosen to do two at the same time... Hhmmm!


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