Despite the holiday/end of the year chaos still yowling around like a giant storm, I've somehow managed to finish a few stellar books and I'm smack dab in the middle of two books that have been excellent so far. They are making any kind of adulting very challenging.
We Can Do Hard Things by Glennon Doyle, Abby Wambach, and Amanda Doyle (Adult Nonfiction)
Though the format was chaotic, I got more than enough blurbs to use as stepping stones when I need them. I would classify this book as a read a little bit here and there, mark favorites with a year, maybe journal about how they affect me and apply to my life, but with one big caveat. I would tell myself to read all the answers to one question rather than a blurb here or there.
Though I'm not a podcast person, I am intrigued by the podcast that grew this book. Not enough to listen to it though! I'll keep starting my journey with the books that come out of social media and podcasts for a while yet. I like how there are so many different voices in this book. Jane Fonda comes instantly to mind. I didn't give her much thought prior to reading this, but now I am incredibly intrigued.
Here are a few of my favorite moments:
The very first question and the very first answer hooked me.
Why am I like this?
"I am a great mystery to me. Understanding why I do the things I do is important to me because the things I do affect the people I love. So I don't want to live on auto pilot. I want to choose carefully which patterns to pass on. I want to break cycles. I want to live with freedom and agency and intentionality. This means I have to look under my own hood and tinker with an examine my programming." - Glennon Doyle
Recently, I have been told I've been a bit reactionary, which is weirdly where I'm at when I'm on autopilot. I'm sure I shrieked like an unhinged pterodactyl when I was told this, but the reminder was helpful. When I read the first blurb in this book, it helped me think about why I want to interrupt the reactionary pattern. I also like the metaphor of looking under the hood. Why am I reactionary? Where does it come from? How does it affect others and myself?
How do I go on?
"One of my favorite words in the English language is alchemy. For me, it's about taking the thing that you're most afraid of and transforming into something meaningful and useful, maybe even beautiful."
-Suleika Jaouad
I have been stewing on this one! I think the hardest part is identifying what I'm most afraid of.
I also like this quote a lot:
"It makes sense that the antidote to the absurdity of life is the absurdity of life." - Amanda Doyle
A Rebellion of Care by David Gate (Adult Nonfiction/Poetry)
This was my first experience reading David Gate, and I enjoyed several poems. Though I will likely buy a copy, I'm not sure I would shelve it with poetry. It feels less like a collection where the poems work together to enhance the overall meaning and more like it belongs with the group of books that I will pick up every now and then to read a blurb or poem here and there. Hugh Prather came to mind almost immediately after I started reading this, and I really enjoy reading his works one blurb at a time.
On that note, one of my favorite poems was "Body Language."
"Whenever we divide our bodies
into what we like about them
and what we don't
we mutilate ourselves
you are not an inventory
of parts
in columns of pros
& cons
your body is more than gains
& losses
you are a whole being -
a poem
whose every word
makes meaning."
Mrs. Peanuckle's Mushroom Alphabet illustrated by Jessie Ford (Board Book)
Another winner in this series! Though it's one of those board books with a lot of information, it will fascinate anyone who loves mushrooms. I liked how a few letters were reserved for information about mushrooms - decompose, their kingdom, and Q for questioning. If you question whether a mushroom is edible or not, it's best to ask a grownup or leave that mushroom alone! The illustrations, including how the words are presented, are inviting, eerie, magical, and highlight the beauty of mushrooms.
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