July Books 2022

 



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. Overall, it was an interesting journal to complete. As I indicated before, I often found myself feeling like I was repeating work I'd already done. I really didn't feel like this journal pushed me the way I expected it to. Someone else, however, at a different point in their life journey might find it great and enlightening! Still, I felt encouraged and inspired all the way through.



Science of Yoga: Understand the Anatomy and Physiology to Perfect Your Practice by Ann Swanson is interesting. Swanson breaks down human anatomy in bite size morsels that are easy to digest. Her illustrations of what is happening within the body during various yoga asanas helped me not only be more aware of my body during the poses but to determine if I'm using good form by noticing how my muscles and joints are reacting. My only real complaint with Science of Yoga is that often the illustrations spread over two pages making it difficult to easily follow where the lines are pointing in places. Otherwise, I found this book quite informative and helpful!


Ongoing:


Just Mercy:  A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson. I started this book hesitantly because I have watched the movie, which I found very interesting and heartbreaking and yet somehow hopeful. The book, and I should finish it within the next few days, seems to provide a little better insight than the movie did, and so far it has been thought-provoking, heartbreaking, inspiring, and hopeful.


Oregon's Main Street: U.S. Highway 99 "The Stories" by Jo-Brew hasn't been the kind of read I expected. I started this book and expected to finish it very quickly; however, I soon realized I could only read it in small doses. Basically it's the history of U.S. Highway 99 in Oregon told through the eyes of people who lived there at various times. Some stories are more gripping than others. Some are more insightful than others. Some are more inviting than others. I haven't fully formed my opinion of this book as a whole yet...


Complete Poems of Bertolt Brecht by Bertolt Brecht is a very long book of poetry. I've now read 84% 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. There are some others that just seem to be in search of the point, but I kind of think that might be the point...


The Come as You Are Workbook: A Practical Guide to the Science of Sex by Emily Nagaski, Ph.D. - I just started this workbook a few days ago, so I haven't really formed any strong opinions quite yet. So far, the few exercises I've done have been easy enough and interesting.


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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