I read quite a few books, and a diverse selection at that, this month. Of these, my favorites were This is Your Mind on Plants and In The Distance (by the same author of Trust).
Fair Play by Eve Rodsky: This book reminded me of the Mom Manager Epidemic by Thelan. I’m really lucky with a partner who does his fair share of the work (though we only got to this point with the usual squabbling and compromising). According to the book I hold about 25 cards on my own (out of 100), and I’m a Collaborator married to a More Than Most (basically a person who has someone helping them for many of the household chores). But if you find that you’re doing an unfair share of the work then this book might be for you. I think Fair Play is a lot more specific on how to get your partner to take on more household/child care work but it can feel a tad homework-y at times. I will say that this book did make me realize there are some household tasks that neither my husband and I are getting around to (estate planning for example), and we should probably look into that. Lastly, I love that the author emphasizes the goal of freeing up both partners time (via working together efficiently and by not doubling up on the same tasks) is so that each person can have their “unicorn time” (ie the time that allows you to work on your passions and make you feel more like you). As you can imagine my unicorn time is this blog and writing in general—and since I have been making time to do this I feel very content (with making content, har har).
Diamonds and Deadlines by Betsy Prioleau: This is a biography of Miriam Leslie, also known as Mrs. Frank Leslie, who was the first woman to be the head of a publishing company (and very successful at that). The biography spans from 1880-1915 and it’s a wonderfully detailed look into life during the Gilded Age by an outsider who wants in. Overall I enjoyed the book and a historical perspective that you don’t usually get from history textbooks. The book made me appreciate our rather stable times (as compared to the booms/busts and income inequality of the late 19th century), and her life story is a lesson on not giving up ever.
Counterfeit by Kirsten Chen: This book was a recommendation from Kathy and I couldn’t resist a fictional book about bags (real or replica). And since Chen is a SF resident, a lot of the book hit close to home (like the description of the shopping destinations, the type of tech people, along with the experiences of being an Asian American). I don’t want to give too much away but as a bag person, let’s just say that the schemes in the book are definitely fiction. But there are some truths in there about the world of fakes as well. One of my favorite quotes from the the book: “An Hermes Evelyn, was, quite frankly, nothing special, even somewhat unattractive: a flat gray rectangle of soft pebbled leather with a utilitarian crossbody strap and a large H perforated into the side that was meant to be hidden, but which most people were facing outward.” Lol, very similar to my sentiments from my Hermes Evelyne review, and Chen really knows her bags. She even references the Purse Forum as that “forum for bag fanatics.” Anyway this is a quick fun read (perfect for a vacation) and a book bag lovers would love.
In The Distance by Hernan Diaz: I loved Diaz’s second book, Trust, so I decided to read his first. And it did not disappoint. It’s an epic Western novel that is unlike most westerns (though yes it has some Cowboys, Indians, and frontier gold mining towns). It’s a great read and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
This is Your Mind on Plants by Michael Pollan: I picked up this book since I’ve liked Michael Pollan since Omnivore’s Dilemma. And I wasn’t disappointed. I enjoyed this book about Poppies (Opium), Caffeine, and Mescalin. Having tried some substances in the past, NGL reading this book did make me want to try a poppy tea (not opium) and maybe even mescalin. I also appreciated my morning cup of coffee after reading this book. I think if you’re interested in how come plant’s produce substances that can alter human consciousness then I think you’d appreciate this book. Also in general I think I really like reading books written by gardeners/farmers (the agrarian writer) because they bring a true wonder and awe to the world of flora.
Night Sky With Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong: Since I read Vuong’s other book of poetry and his novel, I decided to read the the book of poems that made him famous. Compared to Time is a Mother, I thought the poems in this book (his earlier work) was easier to understand and a little less over my head. I’m still not a poetry person but I liked this book.
The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka: This is a fictional account of the Japanese “picture brides” that went to the US to marry husbands they met through pictures and letter. I watched a similar movie about this when I was younger and this book reminded me of that. Many of the brides were ill-prepared for the hard work, abusive husbands, and racism that met them in America. I guess this book (and the movie) are especially interesting to me since I’m pretty sure somewhere in my ancestry there’s a picture bride in there, since this was also a common practice in Hawaii when the Japanese were “imported” to labor on the sugarcane plantations. I also appreciated the point of view of the Japanese-American in California—the fields they worked, the Japantowns they settled in, and lastly their deportation to internment camps during WWII.
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson: I really liked this novel about several generations of Caribbean and Caribbean-American people. It weaves a tale that centers around black cake, a traditional Caribbean cake that sounds a bit like fruit cake. I also learned a bit about Jamaican history, like the fact that there’s a fairly established diaspora of Chinese-Jamaican people or the fact that many Jamaican women were able to go to the UK via a nursing program. I enjoyed the story very much and also appreciated the short chapters that made it easier to sneak just a bit more reading in.