Read Any Good Books Lately?

It’s getting too cold to hang outside anymore. The temperatures are too low to do any hobbies we enjoy. Actually, they’re too low to go out of the house & get into a vehicle that might take us to hobbies that are even located indoors. (Nevermind that it doesn’t snow here!) We’ve all watched everything good on Netflix & then some. For Matt, Zephyr & I, working on our boat is at a standstill as other home-life duties are popping up all around us. So, I’ve decided to propose to you to go back to what people did, 100 years ago & more, to procrastinate, escape from ordinary life, learn something new, etc…It’s called reading.

It might not be the most exciting blog post, but I’ve actually been fighting something this last week. In turn, my brain & photo snapping has been on hold.

So if you’re looking for something “novel” to do, (pun intended), here are a few books that I love!: (In alphabetical order).

Born Standing Up by Steve Martin

I absolutely love Steve Martin! So does Matt. Talk about perserverance! I mean, he might be the opposite version of overnight success. Thank God he never did give up!

This is definitely one for the audio version! -Just because it’s Steve Martin. And who doesn’t want Steve Martin to sit down & share all his wisdom with them?

It’s not going to have you falling out of your chair in fits of laughter. However, it will make you appreciate all that he has gone through in his life to create the talented & beloved man he is today.

The Choice by Edith Eger

This is not a read for cheering yourself up. It might be a read though if you’re feeling sorry for yourself, or thinking that you can’t do something, or get through something is tough. It’s definitely a read though if you want to cry, find a new hero, or remember why it’s so important to be kind to one another & try to get hate out of your life. This is an amazing woman with an amazing story.

Edith Eger is an incredible 95 year old woman that survived the Auschwitz concentration camp. Why would I want to recommend to others to read about such an awful experience? Well, this is a story about not only her life during WWII but her whole life, pushing away PTSD, & just creating a new life out of basically nothing. I think people need to realize how important it is to hold onto compassion & empathy. Am I Jewish? No. -Which means I have never been predjudiced against for my ethnicity. But that’s all the more reason to be an ally to people who are mistreated just because of their ancestry or color of skin. And racism is on the rise. Either that, or it’s less shameful to be racist now than say, 5 years ago. This to me is so crazy. I don’t understand racism but I see that it blatantly exists. It’s horrible that we let it continue. And I think it’s stories like Edith’s that remind us how truly evil things can get if we let hate go unchecked.

One thing I do promise though, that if you read this book, the love that comes out from this woman will definitely make you smile.

Escape From The Ordinary by Julie Bradley

It’s the one book, that I have on this list, that’s actually about sailing. I’d say read it rather than get the audio version. Matt will second that suggestion.

Anyway, Julie & her husband’s adventures on their brand new boat show that even the best laid plans are subject to be challenged & serendipity, while traveling, will always be experienced. If your heart is in the right place.

Happier Than A Billionaire by Nadine Hays Pisani

This is not a book about how to make any sort of money. It might be a little bit on how to lose it. But only at the cost of happiness & adventure. You will laugh out loud. -Unless, you have no sense of humor. You might even get inspired to uproot your life & move somewhere else. Although, maybe not going from one extreme lifestyle to another. On the other hand, the adventure might just be a side-effect from her partner. He takes the stuff in life that might not be considered an adventure & seems to turn everything into one. 🤣

Ishmael by Daniel Quinn

All I can say is that I can’t believe this guy wrote all of this by 1992! It’s so poignant right now. I think he must have had a crystal ball! Was this book as pertinent back then as it is now? I was 20 in 1992. So it’s just possible that I was pretty unaware of anything outside of 5 feet of me. Aside from giving this book its own mic drop, I will only say that it’s made me take a look at everything a little differently.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

This is the only other fictional book that I’m listing. It’s magical! It’s well written fiction! -which is hard to do for a critic of fiction like me. So what more evidence do you need than that? And if you like your books in audio, it’s narrated by Carey Mulligan. -Who happens to have one of the most lovely voices out there. Seriously, if you ever write a book, have her narrate it.

Well, what is this book about? A library that opens at midnight? A woman? Books? The pursuit of happiness? It’s not for me to tell you. You tell me. Did I even read this book? Actually no, I listened to it. -As mentioned above.

No Way Home by Tyler Wetherall

I can’t even believe this is a true story! It was really hard not to read it all in just a few days. It’s definitely one of the best books I’ve ever read! It’s definitely one of the craziest true stories I’ve ever come across. Is it weird that my romantic dream of a fun life, when I was a little girl, went something along the lines of this? 😂

In all seriousness, this was not an easy life for Tyler. This is the story of how her life became a casualty of her father’s life on the run. -Which basically made her life -the life of a fugitive too. However, she didn’t commit any crime.

I will be shocked if this book never becomes a movie. Although, I’d only want it to if Tyler handpicked all aspects in making the film. So read it before it does get made into a film. Therefore not getting the whole story.

The Puma Years by Laura Coleman

I don’t know what made me gravitate towards this book. The pretty colors? I don’t even think I read what it was about before I downloaded it on my iPad. So I will only give you a few hints here to possibly intrigue you into doing the same thing. South America. Animals. Mud. Journey. Love.

The Sex Lives of Cannibals by J. Maarten Troost

This is one of my favorite books of all time! It came out so long ago that I think I first downloaded it on my Palm Pilot! 😄 It actually made me laugh out loud along with tears at the gym while reading it. I couldn’t hold in my amusement. I’m not sure a book did that to me before reading this.

In this book, the author tells the many tales of his adjusting to life in Kiribati after his wife gets a job there. I’m sure Googlemaps is just a click away, if you’re not sure where Kiribati is. Culture shock is a bit of an understatement for him & his wife. Although he seems to find himself having a harder time than his wife settling into life on this group of islands -in kind of the middle of nowhere. You’ll be pondering if you can do better.

The Universe Has Your Back by Gabriellle Bernstein

I have come back to this book time & time again. Truth be told, I have it in hard copy form, on my iPad & in audio form. It’s definitely been one of the things that have changed my life for the better. I read it for the first time in 2016 when it came out. And since then, I’ve put sincere work into making myself a better person for not only me but for those around me & hopefully beyond that. Anyway, I have found it to be a useful tool for times when I start feeling lost or need to refocus on what’s important in life & how to make that flow.

There you have it! My 10 -off the top of my head, reads for this winter. Treat yourself or a friend to the old fashioned kind of entertainment.

Zephyr telling his daddy not to chase him around the tree! Or Mommy will banish us both to the office for the rest of the evening!

Stay well my friends! Hopefully, I’ll have some boat writings for next week.

Thanks for reading!