November Reads 2022

 

This Can't be Love: The Cabin Trilogy: Book 2 by Joanne Pence was the lighthearted read I needed toward the end of the month. I needed something that carried me along and didn't require me to think too much. The characters were fun to get to know and I fell hard for the cat that kept appearing at  the cabin. While parts of the book were what I think of as typical romance, Pence's play with the tropes was fun. The deeper issue of the characters' insecurities hit me hard a few times as Pence's insights made them come alive. For anyone who enjoys a love story with a hint of a ghost story, This Can't Be Love is a quick but enjoyable read. 

 The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times by Michelle Obama lifted my spirit and made me feel more hopeful than I have in a while. Honestly, I didn't realize how much I needed that dose of hope until I let out a deep exhale about halfway through the book. Her chapter on friendship brought me to tears as I thought about my own friendships and my friends. Her stories made me think and feel deeply about the people in my life, my writing, and the effect I want to have on the world. Obama reminded me of the importance of acknowledging my feelings, both the good and the bad, in order to process them, learn from them, and move forward in life. 

 The Drowning House by John Sibley Williams bleeds pain and confusion onto the page in these poems. While many of the poems are dark and questioning, they somehow left me with a feeling of hope even while making me think. These poems examine the threads of past, present, and future reminding us all that the past informs both the present and the future no matter how much some people wish to ignore it. John plays with words in some interesting ways that are heart wrenching and thought provoking while also feeling disorienting and at times a bit overwrought yet somehow the places that feel overwrought somehow add to the overall message of the poetry.

Chasing America: Notes from a Rock 'n' Soul Integrationist by Dennis Watlington grabbed my soul and wouldn't let go. Watlington's story reached deeper than my heart. I winced as I read about his childhood, especially his exile to his grandmother's home in the South. I blinked back tears at his mistakes recognizing them being a child but also recognizing that as a Black child he didn't have that luxury. I laughed at his blunt descriptions and self-deprecating humor. I felt my discomfort with some of his blunt language and had to check in with myself as to why. Watlington tells the story in a way that had me wanting to call him D as many of his friends did. I felt like I knew him because he didn't hold back in talking about both his virtues and his foibles yet there were a couple of places where he skipped things that seemed to be important to the story. I also wanted to know more about the people in his life. Overall, I would highly recommend this well-written, engaging book about one Black man's struggle to find his place in America.

The Come As You Are Workbook: A Practical Guide to the Science of Sex by Emily Nagaski, Ph.D. - I finished working through this workbook mid-November. Overall, it was an interesting experience that lead me to think deeply about my relationship with my body and my sexuality. The most interesting thing that arose for me as I neared completion of the workbook was that I am far more comfortable with my body and my sexuality than I thought I was. It was an interesting revelation. The exercises seemed easy for me because I'd either already done the work, had no issues with the exercises, or already did the activities on a regular basis. However, I would recommend this workbook as well as Emily's book Come As You Are to anyone who has questions about sex and even to those, maybe especially to those, who think they have it all figured out.

Verseweavers: the Oregon Poetry Association Anthology of Prize-winning Poems Number 26/2021 is filled with poems that felt honest and heartfelt. I could see why many were chosen as winners even without reading the others in the category. The book is compiled into the categories of the contest complete with comments from the judges. I enjoyed reading it.

Ongoing:

Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman offers an interesting collection of Gorman's poetry. I'm only about halfway through this book, but so far I've found it thoughtful and thought provoking.

 Light the Dark: Writers on Creativity, Inspiration, and the Artistic Process by Joe Fassler is a compilation of essays by a diverse group of authors. I bought it because I've been feeling a bit unfocused and somewhat inspired lately. I've read a little over half of it. So far I'm enjoying it for the most part.

52 Lists for Calm by Moorea Seal is 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. I'm close to finishing this, as one might guess, so I should have some more insightful thoughts next month.

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. I'm close to finishing this journal, so I will have more thoughts next month. 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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