I felt like my reading slowed way down in November, but I was surprised to realize whilst writing this post that I actually read six books, two of which were nonfiction and four of which were fiction (two of those four, of course, being fantasy).
Each book fits into one of five categories: Nonfiction, Paper TBR (as opposed to my Goodreads TBR), Book Club, Native American Heritage Month, and Mood Reads. Covers are linked to Goodreads.
Nonfiction
The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness, by Jonathan Haidt
★★★★
Genre: Nonfiction
"After more than a decade of stability or improvement, the mental health of adolescents plunged in the early 2010s. Rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide rose sharply, more than doubling on many measures. Why?" (From Goodreads)
This is a very necessary book. And, based on the length of my library's waitlist for it, a lot of people agree.
I found The Anxious Generation to be engaging, well-researched, and practical. It seemed to be geared mainly toward Gen X, although the author does address Gen Z directly at the very end. Mostly he's talking to parents, teachers, and government officials.
Even though I did not have a "phone-based childhood", as Haidt calls it in the book, I still find myself somewhat affected by screens in the ways that Haidt describes. I hope that Gen Z will read this book and be able to self-correct by taking some of the advice and guidelines laid out therein.
Paper TBR
The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact, by Chip and Dan Heath
★★★★.5 stars
Genre: Nonfiction
"The New York Times bestselling authors of Switch and Made to Stick explore why certain brief experiences can jolt us and elevate us and change us—and how we can learn to create such extraordinary moments in our life and work." (From Goodreads)
As always, Chip and Dan Heath present a well-researched, story-packed nonfiction that's thought-provoking and downright enjoyable to read. I don't have much more to say than that I loved it!
Book Club
Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson
★★.5 stars
Genre: Classic/Historical Fiction
"Tricked by the uncle who has stolen his inheritance, young David Balfour is kidnapped and bound for America. Or at least that was the plan, until the ship runs into trouble and David is rescued by Alan Breck Stewart, fugitive Jacobite and, by his own admission, a ‘bonny fighter’. Balfour, a canny lowlander, finds an echo of some wilder and more romantic self in the wilful and courageous Highland spirit of Alan Breck. A strange and difficult friendship is born, as their adventures begin." (From Goodreads)
I did not find the characters (except the lawyer at the end) to be likable, and Stevenson's style of storytelling has never been my favorite.
Native American Heritage Month
There There, by Tommy Orange
★★★.5 stars
Genre: Fiction
"Tommy Orange's wondrous and shattering novel follows twelve characters from Native communities: all traveling to the Big Oakland Powwow, all connected to one another in ways they may not yet realize." (From Goodreads)
It would be in extremely poor taste to say that this book ended with a bang. But it did just sort of end, and I was left not sure what to think or feel except sadness. I saw the ending coming, but it was no less gut wrenching for all that. There was no redemption–no reason for what happened. Am I missing the whole point of the book??
From a writing perspective (setting aside content/plot), the book was masterful. Not that the grammar was always perfect, but that was the point–Tommy Orange crafted a voice for each of his characters, and while that voice started to blend together between chapters after a while (the distinguishing factor becoming how much the POV character swore), it was still very distinct.
In the first section, the chapters felt very disjointed. It wasn't until the second half of the book, when we got some repeat characters and some POV characters who had been mentioned or made an appearance earlier, that the story began to make sense. I really like how they all were woven together.
The ending really brought the book down for me. What was it all for? Why did I just spend a week and a half with these characters? It just felt so pointless.
Mood Reads
Apprentice to the Villain, by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
★★★
Genre: Fantasy
"Evie Sage has never been happier to be the assistant to The Villain. Who would have thought that working for an outrageously handsome (shhh, bad for his brand) evil overlord would be so rewarding? Still, the business of being bad is demanding, the forces of good are annoyingly persistent, and said forbidding boss is somewhat…er, out-of-evil-office. But Rennedawn is in grave trouble, and all signs―Kingsley’s included―point to catastrophe. Something peculiar is happening with the kingdom’s magic, and it’s made The Villain’s manor vulnerable to their enemies...including their nemesis, the king." (From Goodreads)
I am truly appalled that I keep reading these. They're such poorly written fluff. And yet, I need to know what happens to the characters next!
Also, I seem to keep reading the same Tangled-inspired scene where a wanted outlaw (or, in this case, Villain) takes issue with how his wanted poster is drawn, and it's annoying me: "'Well, this is absurd–my head is not this big,' he grumbled."
Here are my favorite examples of the writing from this book (don't read #2 if you don't want spoilers):
1. "'Wait. I know you,' Trystan uttered in absolute astonishment at the man before him."
2. "Gideon halted, his throat bobbing as he rolled his lips and rocked back on his heels." (How does one roll one's lips, I wonder?)
3. "Irony was funny sometimes, and other times it was like someone had slapped you with an umbrella."
4. "Lyssa's quiet snores resounded behind her ..." (The definition of "resound" is, "fill a place with sound; be loud enough to echo". How is that ... quiet?)
5. "The pang was replaced by a sting as a question curdled from his lips ..." (Excuse me?!)
The Golem and the Jinni, by Helene Wecker
★★★★★
Genre: Historical Fantasy
"Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life by a disgraced rabbi who dabbles in dark Kabbalistic magic, created to be the wife of a man who dies at sea on the voyage from Poland. Chava is unmoored and adrift as the ship arrives in New York harbor in 1899. Ahmad is a jinni, a being of fire born in the ancient Syrian desert, trapped in an old copper flask, and released in New York City, though still not entirely free. Ahmad and Chava become unlikely friends and soul mates with a mystical connection. Marvelous and compulsively readable, Helene Wecker's debut novel The Golem and the Jinni weaves strands of Yiddish and Middle Eastern literature, historical fiction and magical fable, into a wondrously inventive and unforgettable tale." (From Goodreads)
I've really been loving historical fantasy this year, and this was a phenomenal read. It was loaned to me by a friend after I told him I enjoyed The Pomegranate Gate, which is based on Jewish folklore. The Golem and the Jinni is one of those books I wish I could have written myself, and undoubtedly one of the best books I've read so far this year. So unexpected, so beautifully written. Such incredibly real characters, despite the fact that the main two are literally myths. I love how all the characters' lives and stories were interwoven.
Happy Sunday. Love to you.
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Happy Sunday! <3
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