This is an interesting take on a modern memoir, with the author telling about his time as a guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, This is an interesting take on a modern memoir, with the author telling about his time as a guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, set against the tumult of his family life. After graduating college, he took an exciting job at The New Yorker magazine, but when his older brother became gravely ill, he left the glamor and stress of The New Yorker to work as a guard at The Met. Giving us glimpses into the functional of the guards at The Met, along with a view of different galleries and exhibitions, he grieves the loss of his brother, meets his future wife, marries, and has two kids. While his personal story is relatable and universal, I feel like the book might have been more meaningful for me if I were a frequent visitor to The Met. This book is similar for me to The Ravenmaster, by Christopher Skaife, who wrote about his time caring for the ravens at The Tower of London. Both books are heartfelt and well done for what they are, but they are far more interesting if you have a strong connection to the places they describe....more
This was a sometimes delightful, sometimes droll, look at literature and society from the times of the first scrolls through the modern day. If you arThis was a sometimes delightful, sometimes droll, look at literature and society from the times of the first scrolls through the modern day. If you are looking for an actual history of scrolls or books, this is not the place to find it, as other reviewers have noted. Instead, the author anchors the reader with the development of the library at Alexandria - along with its eventual destruction - and then begins a meandering journey through her personal experiences with literature and how literature has molded culture since the days of early Egypt, the Greeks, and the Romans. It felt jarring to encounter so many modern references to movies, but it seems she is simply trying to show how the people of ancient times were, in many ways, not that much different than we are today....more
This book is part true crime, part biographical meditation, and part social commentary, and it is very reminiscent of Killers of the Flower Moon by DaThis book is part true crime, part biographical meditation, and part social commentary, and it is very reminiscent of Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann, in that the author here is embedded in much of this story. Opening with the flooding that displaced a tribal community when the US government authorized a new dam in on the Missouri River in North Dakota in the late 1940s, the author traces the systematic injustices done to several tribes in North Dakota, providing a metaphorical framework to describe the inequity of the oil field boom on the same communities. At the height of the boom, an oil field worker goes missing and one woman, Yellow Bird, takes it on herself to organize the search for the truth. This story is multi-layered, sometimes dragging, other times racing forward, and it doesn't tie up everything in a neat bow, but it is a compelling story showing how history reverberates through the lives of so many today....more
This is a short biography of the Roman emperor who has become known as one of the fathers of stoic philosophy, because of the popularity of his book, This is a short biography of the Roman emperor who has become known as one of the fathers of stoic philosophy, because of the popularity of his book, known as The Meditations. What is interesting here is that Marcus Aurelius didn't consider himself to be a master of Stoic philosophy, and his collection of his writings was meant as a personal exercise, not intended for broad distribution or publication. As with many of the Roman emperors, he had his family problems, both with his guardians/parental-figures, and with his children, but his mother and wife were strong, positive forces in his life. I found this to be a great primer on the life of Marcus Aurelius....more
I picked this up not knowing anything about the author or having read any reviews. After reading the introduction by Tayari Jones (author of An AmericI picked this up not knowing anything about the author or having read any reviews. After reading the introduction by Tayari Jones (author of An American Marriage), I was anxious to dig into this collection of short stories. Diane Oliver wrote these stories set in and leading up to the civil rights movement in the 1960s in the US before she tragically died in a motorcycle accident just before she was set to graduate from the renowned Iowa Writer's Workshop with her MFA. The first story shows us the night before a young black boy is set to integrate a school in the deep south, with the story told from the perspective of his older sister - and it is a heartbreaking, masterful example of the best of what a short story can be. The perspective shifts and varied tones in these stories show a brilliant writer, and the only story that didn't work for me was probably just beyond my ability to understand. This is an amazing collection of stories and I highly recommend it....more
I listened to this audiobook on a recent road trip with school-librarian wife, and we both enjoyed the story. A young girl is struggling to understandI listened to this audiobook on a recent road trip with school-librarian wife, and we both enjoyed the story. A young girl is struggling to understand why her mom is spending most of her time sleeping in her bedroom, no longer going to work or being part of the family. As she embarks on a new project for her science class, along with her best friend and a surprising new friend, she records her thoughts in her lab notebook, like a journal of self-discovery. This is a sweet and hopeful book about family and friendship, about mental health and depression, and about learning to care for each other....more
If you have read Tea Obreht's first book, The Tiger's Wife, you are familiar with the flavoring of magical realism she sprinkles into both of these boIf you have read Tea Obreht's first book, The Tiger's Wife, you are familiar with the flavoring of magical realism she sprinkles into both of these books. This story is set in a future America devastated by climate change, with widespread flooding due to rising sea levels covering many major cities. One of the new job categories growing out of this crisis is that of a recovery diver, who are tasked with entering flooded buildings to recover corporate or private assets. This story revolves around a young girl and her mother who move to a big city where they live with their aunt who manages a residential building called The Morningside. The mom embarks on a new career as a recovery diver and the girl observes the residents of the building, building imagined or real conspiracies, mixed with magical realism, about the woman who lives in the penthouse. She also makes friends with a bold young woman from a similar ethnic background who joins her on her adventures, spurring them on and leading to choices that have irreversible consequences....more
I don't know why it took me so long to get around to reading this book, especially since I'd heard so many good recommendations from people I respect.I don't know why it took me so long to get around to reading this book, especially since I'd heard so many good recommendations from people I respect. And this book did not disappoint. I've read lots of books about writing, and this is definitely in my top three books I would recommend: On Writing, by Stephen King; The Way of the Writer, by Charles Johnson; and this book, Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott. I enjoyed the audiobook version, narrated by the author, and her dry humor was often laugh-out-loud funny. She is self-deprecating talking about the emotions of the writing life, and practical in her advice. This is one I'll be reading again....more
I started this novel in translation three times before I could finally enter into this richly imagined world, so here are a few things that I would haI started this novel in translation three times before I could finally enter into this richly imagined world, so here are a few things that I would have found helpful to understand. The main character, a white French botanist, remembers his travels into the heart of Africa on a colonist expedition to look for new plant species. While on his journey, he falls in love with a young woman he meets who is said to have magical powers. When he returns to France, leaving devastation in his wake, he tries to forget about his experiences but ultimately shares this in a secret diary with his daughter, whom he charges with a task to seek resolution, hoping to find peace of mind before he dies. This story is an ugly look at the international slave trade, told through the ignorance and privilege of the white colonizers....more
I know a lot of people love this book, especially if they read and loved the author's previous book about depression, but I found myself constantly frI know a lot of people love this book, especially if they read and loved the author's previous book about depression, but I found myself constantly frustrated while reading this. I was surprised by how often the author seemed to cherry-pick sources, presenting what felt like an obviously biased view, while being dismissive of other points of view or setting up paper dragons to rail against. Other books, like Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport, do a better job with some practical recommendations. The problem is that while social media and new technologies can be distracting, they can also be powerful tools for creativity and connection. There seems to be little nuance here and I felt like the arguments the author was making were often heavy-handed. There are a few good points here, and I think this could be a decent contribution to the discussion about focus and distraction, if you are going to read several books on the subject; but if this is the only book you read on focus and overcoming distractions, be cautious and question everything....more
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