nut free nerd

It’s been a little while since a posted some mini reviews. Here are some brief thoughts about a handful of books I’ve read in the past few months: two fiction reads, and two works of nonfiction.

Mona’s Eyes by Thomas Schlesser (translated by Hildegarde Serle) tells the story of Mona, a young girl living in France who has mysterious episodes of losing her eyesight. Her grandfather, who is apparently an extraordinary wealth of knowledge about the art housed in local museums, begins taking Mona to see one piece of artwork each week. I read most of this book while on my honeymoon in March, and then finished the rest of it in May. This book was calming and repetitive enough to feel like a good book to dip in and out of while traveling. I enjoyed it overall, but towards the halfway point it began to feel a little too repetitive. This is a sweet, wholesome story–not my absolute favorite, but I’d still recommend it if you’re interested in learning about art or reading about a grandparent/grandchild connection.

The Chrysalids by John Wyndham is set in a dystopian future (written from the vantage of 1955) where a post-nuclear society has become religiously and vehemently opposed to differences or abnormalities of any kind. The novel follows the main character–the son of an important leader in this community–from when he is a young boy into adulthood, when all hell breaks loose. This book is fascinating. I would have loved to study this book in a college class, to write essays about its themes of fearing the “other,” ostracism based on perceived differences, and even climate change. In a weird way, this book reminded me of The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood–the subject matter is obviously incredibly different, but the vibe is strangely similar. If you liked one, I’d recommend the other.

A Perfect Coincidence: The Extraordinary Friendship and Astonishing Deaths of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson by Jim Rasenberger [gifted to me by the publisher, Scribner Books]. This book is what the subtitle says it is, but it’s also so much more–a critique of hypocrisy, an exposure of history’s way of twisting the facts, and a connection of the issues that plagued the United States’ founding to those that still plague the country today. I’ve read many books about the the founders of the United States over the years, and this may be my favorite one. It is well-written, well-structured, and well-crafted.

Are You Mad at Me? by psychotherapist Meg Josephson explores the trauma-response “fawning”–more colloquially known as people-pleasing. This book is engaging, interesting, and filled with specific recommendations to help ease that response. Whether you would identify yourself as a “people-pleaser” or you know someone who would, this book provides eye-opening insight into why people may feel this way.

Have you read any of these books? What have you been reading lately? I’d love to know.

Take care xx