The other day, I was sitting alone on my pool deck, reading The Summer Book by Tove Jansson, with my feet dangling in the water. My sweet dog, Willow,The other day, I was sitting alone on my pool deck, reading The Summer Book by Tove Jansson, with my feet dangling in the water. My sweet dog, Willow, climbed up the deck stairs and walked over to me. I was blocking her path, so I thought she was going to climb over my extended legs. Instead, she climbed onto my lap and stretched her soft body over mine. My heart swelled with love for her, and for the fact that I was no longer alone. She is my little shadow, keeping me company as we go through life, protecting me from the threatening sound of loud planes flying overhead, and covering me with passionate kisses when I do and don’t expect it. Like the saying goes, she’s my best friend.
This lovely book, gave me the same feeling I got when Willow climbed onto my lap while I was reading on the pool deck. Hearing Sy Montgomery talk about the animals that have meant the most to her was delightfully heartwarming. As an animal lover myself, I related to her strong connection towards the different creatures she spoke about. We, as humans, have endless things to learn from the beautiful creatures that inhabit the world around us. This book, like many of the aforementioned creatures, was a wonderful companion!...more
Reading this lovely book transported me back in time to when I was an art student studying illustration and art history in New York City. I’d spent coReading this lovely book transported me back in time to when I was an art student studying illustration and art history in New York City. I’d spent countless hours wandering around the Met, admiring the stunning artwork, and being in awe of the artists who created them. I’d always noticed the Met guards standing watch over the artworks, like The King’s Guard standing—statue like—in front of Buckingham Palace. I remember thinking, what an amazing and important job it must be. Being able to spend your days in one of the most beautiful museums in the world, keeping precious pieces of art safe, sounded like heaven. It still does sound like a type of heaven.
Hearing Patrick Bingley share what it’s like to be a guard at the Met felt like getting a glimpse beyond the closed doors I’d always wished I had the keys to. He takes the reader by the hand and shows what it’s really like to have this “heavenly” job. Together, I explored the Met with Patrick Bringley. He was a truly wonderful guide (or should I say “docent”). I saw the Met in a way I never could have imagined, and it was an absolute joy!
I also loved hearing about Patrick Bingley’s life outside of the Met. I was especially touched by the way he spoke about grief, which was devastating and deeply moving.
This book deserves its own golden frame, because—like all the pieces at the Met—it is a gorgeous work of art. ...more
As I listened to this audiobook, I felt my mind, and understanding of tuberculosis, expanding. The way JThank you, John Green, for writing this book.
As I listened to this audiobook, I felt my mind, and understanding of tuberculosis, expanding. The way John Green expressed his thoughts and shared the history of “our deadly infection” was fascinating and heartbreaking.
This is such an important read, and I’m honored I got to hear it. ...more
In this lovely collection of essays, Ann Patchett discusses writing, reading, family, friendship, motherhood, marriage, and many other interesting andIn this lovely collection of essays, Ann Patchett discusses writing, reading, family, friendship, motherhood, marriage, and many other interesting and heartfelt topics.
One of my favorite nerdy bookish hobbies—as a voracious reader and passionate writer—is learning about the authors I admire. In my dreams, I would meet Ann (or one of the other authors I admire) in a sunny cafe with a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice in my hand and a goofy grin on my face. I would ask her about her favorite books, her inspirations, her thoughts on writing, and anything else she’d be willing to share. Even though this dream of mine is in fact *a dream,* listening to this audiobook (narrated by Ann Patchett herself) made me feel like it came true, minus the cafe. Thankfully, I could provide myself with the orange juice. Listening to Ann Patchett, tell me her thoughts and share her different stories with me felt extremely special. By the end of this essay collection, I had tears in my eyes, and a deeper connection to her as—not only a talented writer but also—a wonderful person. ...more
This heartfelt memoir was an absolute joy to listen to, because the lovely author, Michelle, narrates the audiobook herself.
While listening, it felt This heartfelt memoir was an absolute joy to listen to, because the lovely author, Michelle, narrates the audiobook herself.
While listening, it felt less like listening to an audiobook and more like having a deeply meaningful conversation with a friend. Hearing Michelle’s story, and meeting the people in her life through the stories she told about them, was an honor.
All of us go through deeply emotional and difficult times in our lives. It’s part of being human, and what I love about that is the ability to connect and heal through sharing our stories with others. Like I said before, it was an honor to have Michelle share her story (and to connect and heal) with me. ...more
The fact that I get to give this book a *star* rating makes me very pleased!
I found this book by chance at The Strand bookstore in NYC. I was immediaThe fact that I get to give this book a *star* rating makes me very pleased!
I found this book by chance at The Strand bookstore in NYC. I was immediately intrigued, since I’m quite nerdy when it comes to stars and astronomy. I appreciated that this book was written as a type of “introduction” to stargazing (and astronomy as a whole), since I’m not a huge expert on the subject. It was extremely interesting and made me want to learn even more about our vast and awe inspiring universe! ...more
I always find it quite difficult to rate non-fiction, especially when it’s a very honest and vulnerable story, so I shall leave my thoughts here insteI always find it quite difficult to rate non-fiction, especially when it’s a very honest and vulnerable story, so I shall leave my thoughts here instead :)
Baek Se-hee spoke about her mental health in such a candid way. Although she didn’t shy away from revealing the difficult and dark parts of her experiences, and herself, she also filled this book with so much light.
It was wonderful to get this insight into her mind, and to see that we are all simply trying to be the best versions of ourselves.
Above all, my biggest take away from her story is how important it is to speak to people about how you’re feeling. I’ve always been a firm believer in sharing your thoughts and emotions with people you trust. Even though thoughts themselves have no weight, they can be a heavy burden. Sharing that burden with someone else, someone you trust and perhaps love, can not only lighten that burden, but it can also create a strong bond between you and that trusted person.
Isn’t being human so beautiful, with all these thoughts and feelings we share? I think so :) ...more
The world is a little brighter, is filled with a little more hope, for having this book exist within it… I give The Anthropocene Reviewed five out of fThe world is a little brighter, is filled with a little more hope, for having this book exist within it… I give The Anthropocene Reviewed five out of five stars!...more
“Love only what falls your way and is fated to you. What could suit you more than that?”
“Even if you were destined to live three thousand years, or t“Love only what falls your way and is fated to you. What could suit you more than that?”
“Even if you were destined to live three thousand years, or ten times that long, nevertheless remember that no one loses any life other than the one he lives, or lives any life other than the one he loses…No one can lose either the past or the future – how could anyone be deprived of what he does not possess?…It is only the present moment of which either stands to be deprived: and if indeed this is all he has, he cannot lose what he does not have.”
“Men seek retreats for themselves – in the country, by the sea, in the hills – and you yourself are particularly prone to this yearning. But all this is quite unphilosophic, when it is open to you, at any time you want, to retreat into yourself. No retreat offers someone more quiet and relaxation then that into his own mind, especially if he can dip into thoughts there which put him at immediate and complete ease: and by ease I simply mean a well ordered life.”
“So discard all else and secure these few things only. Remind yourself too that each of us lives only in the present moment, a mere fragment of time: the rest is life past or uncertain future. Sure, life is a small thing, and small the cranny of the earth in which we live it: small too even the longest fame thereafter, which is itself subject to a succession of a little men who will quickly die, and have no knowledge even of themselves, let alone of those long dead.”
“What a tiny part of the boundless abyss of time has been allotted to each of us – and this is soon vanished in eternity; what a tiny part of the universal substance and the universal soul; how tiny in the whole earth the mere clod on which you creep. Reflecting on all this, think nothing important other than active pursuit where your own nature leads and passive acceptance of what universal nature brings.”
This is such a moving and important book, and I’m so glad Raynor Winn has shared her (and her husband’s) story with the world.
Hearing about what theyThis is such a moving and important book, and I’m so glad Raynor Winn has shared her (and her husband’s) story with the world.
Hearing about what they went through, as a couple and as individuals, was incredibly eye opening. She made me think about homelessness in a way I never had before. She explored how society perceives the homeless and how disheartening and unjustified that treatment usually is.
As a lover of walking, I adored how she described their walks and how transformative they were. Reading this book, it almost felt as if I was walking with them, which is a true sign of brilliant storytelling. ...more
"Books, like landscapes, leave their marks in us. Certain books, though, like certain landscapes, stay with us even when we left them, changing not ju"Books, like landscapes, leave their marks in us. Certain books, though, like certain landscapes, stay with us even when we left them, changing not just our weathers but our climates." - Robert Macfarlane ...more
In this lovely little book Neil Gaiman tells us why art matters, why reading is important, and why you should "make good art!What an inspiring read!!!
In this lovely little book Neil Gaiman tells us why art matters, why reading is important, and why you should "make good art!"
This is a must read, especially for the moments when you feel unmotivated or uninspired!
It's a treasure when an artist (of any creative form) gives you their advice. That's exactly what Neil Gaiman does, and that's exactly what this book is, a treasure!...more
...as if I couldn't love E.M. Forster even more!!! That fact that one of my favorite authors (Forster) has "No English Novelist is as great as Tolstoy"
...as if I couldn't love E.M. Forster even more!!! That fact that one of my favorite authors (Forster) has also read and loved the same books as I have just makes my heart sing!
Going into this book, I thought it was going to be a type of "guide to writing fiction." Well, I can happily say that I was very wrong. I did know I would love this book because it's a written transcript of his Cambridge lectures. What I didn't expect was for it to feel like a love letter to other classic books and authors! Something that made me smile, was how humble E. M. Forster was! He honestly didn't consider himself a "great" writer, which makes me adore him even more. I wish I could travel back in time and tell him just how great he was and still is! His books have impacted so many people and have stood the test of time. In these lectures he spoke about Dickens, Austen, the Brontë sisters, and so many more classic authors. What he didn't realize then, is that he is now among them! If only I could have been one of the many lucky people sitting in on these lectures. My dream of being an Oxford student came alive while reading. Instead of instructing "how to write fiction" or "the art of fiction," he chose to consider what made a novel "a novel." These lectures weren't a "how to" but a "what is." By picking apart these "aspects," he shows us the beauty of narrative storytelling. To accompany these aspects, he selected certain books and read excerpts to prove his point. By doing this, he was able to illustrate each aspect and give them backing. I not only found this incredibly inspiring as an aspiring writer, but as an avid read! This book can also be looked at as a curated reading list from Forster himself. I have added so books to my TBR because of his wonderful words about them! What's better than getting book recommendations from one of your favorite authors? ... Well know that I think about it, it would be even better to talk with them face to face!
Carolyn Marie
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