January 14, 2023

January 1st to 14th, books and other micellany

I recently finished, abandoned, and started three different books in rapid succession.

Finished: Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid. 
It was a fine book. I understand there is some controversy about it?  There was a lot of Tennis, but I am good at skimming.  The characters were not engagingly flawed like those in Malibu Rising.  Maybe I should read more from TJR. I don't think this book was great, but it was a fine read.  I probably would not recommend it the way I would recommend Malibu Rising.

Abandoned: Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell.   
I got two hours into the 7 hours audiobook and I just couldn't do it.  He had an interesting point about default truth theory - that we default to thinking people are truthful - but he didn't seem to have more to say.  And then, it was just narrative on narrative of sexual abuse.  Maybe it would have pivoted elsewhere if I kept listening, but I try hard to curate my intake away from horrific stories of paedophelia and so listening to him describe Larry Nassar and Jerry Sandusky, then listening to audio versions of victim impact statements... just felt icky.  I know there are horrible people in the world, but at what point does reading transcriptions of horror make someone accomplice to the horror?  This book came recomnded from multiple sources so maybe I've had an odd reaction, but it seemed a bit like a dumber more media flashy version of Thinking Fast and Slow (which I loved).

Started: The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
I got this at the library a few weeks ago, and judged it by its cover.  It looked hefty and not interesting. I've recently gotten back into audiobooks so got a copy of this and am actually enjoying it as an audiobook.  I have read a lot around habits recently so some of it seems repetitive now, but probably only from reading other books on habit formation written after this one.  I think it's going to be a good audiobook listen.  

Random Realization: The power of Habit made me realize why I stopped running.  In 2015 I was really into running - I had run clubs 2-3 times a week and did half marathons/10ks fairly frequently (well, maybe 4 half marathons?  But that's a lot for a year).   I was living in Portland at the time and all the run clubs were from local bars.  As soon as I moved back to the UK I stopped running - and I think it's because British run clubs don't run from bars.  I loved going for a run then hanging out with my friends and having a beer.  I needed all those things.  Going for a run then seeing friends was not fun.  Going for a run then having a coffee was not fun.  Run then beer.  Run then beer. Run then beer.  On repeat.  It was great.  I should probably form a better habit than run with beer, but my current habit is "don't run" and I do miss running.  Or maybe I miss beer?  I'll need to read further into the book to find out.

Tis the season to be fever-y: I've come down with another brutal cold/flu/tonsillitis thing.  On Thursday I wondered why the house was so cold, but when the thermostat showed 18c (64f - normal) I wondered if perhaps I was cold.  Having recently bought a thermometer I discovered I was, in fact, 38.8c (102).  I slept for the rest of Thursday and much of Friday.  Friday and Saturday brought on the most sore throat I've had in memory.  Now I'm only worried to see if the kids get this illness.  We had much fun planned for the weekend but I have been majorly useless.  I know I'm generally ill from October to April, but could I be less ill please?  Maybe just a runny nose, not a full on lie-in-bed sad ill?

Have you read any Taylor Jenkins Reid?  What's your favourite?  Do you have any magic cures for sore throats?

10 comments:

  1. I've only read Daisy Jones & the Six, but I do have Carrie Soto Is Back on my list.
    I also HATED Talking with Strangers. It was tedious to read and just so disturbing. Malcolm Gladwell books are very hit-and-miss for me.

    I've read the Power of Habit 3 times and listened to it once; it's a solid book, though I like Gretchen Rubin's books + Atomic Habits by James Clear a bit more.

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    1. I'm glad you hated Talking with Strangers! I wondered if I was just missing something that other people liked - but I thought it was awful. Will definitely add James Clear and Better than Before to my audiobook list - I always like listening to self improvement/habit books in the dark winter :-)

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  2. Sigh, time is the only cure that I know of for sore throats, and I hope yours clears up soon.

    I've only read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, which I adored and I still remember the last line of the book vividly. But for some reason that one perfect experience was enough and I've never wanted to pick up another one of her books. I can't really explain it.

    I've never been able to do Malcolm Gladwell, but I very much enjoyed the first episode of a podcast called "If Books Could Kill" which is a takedown of Outliers.

    I always enjoy a good habits book, and I think you're spot on with your running/beer observation. Maybe bring back the beer and then running will follow!

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  3. I hope you feel better soon.
    I haven't read anything by TJR yet but it is on my reading list for 2023. And then life plays out that Daisy jones and the six is the next bookclub pick. I would have preferred to read another one from her but it is decided for now.

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    1. I'm thinking Daisy Jones will be my next TJR book - maybe in the spring. I feel like I don't need to read lots of her work in one go. Let me know if you enjoy it!

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  4. I didn't enjoy Carrie Soto as much as the rest of the world, either. Too much tennis, too many terrible characters. I did enjoy Daisy Jones and Evelyn Hugo a lot, though, so there are TJR books I would recommend! Plus, it's fun to start to see some of the recurring characters in TJR's world if you read multiple books from her.

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    1. Ooh I love it when characters reappear in a world! I will add both of those to my reading list.

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  5. I love Throat Coat tea (by Traditional Medicinals) for soothing a sore throat. It has licorice in it, which I hate, but it WORKS. Love the correlation you found between running and beer. I think it definitely helps to instill a habit if you can pair the good habit with something fun. That's why I am trying to pair blog reading/commenting with walking on the treadmill.

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    1. Thank you for the recommendation! I love the idea of commenting on blogs while waking on the treadmill - I read so many blogs but don't find time to comment as much as I want to. What a great habit idea..

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  6. I bought the Talking to Strangers audiobook a couple of years ago and tried to listen to it once. It didn't take and I am kind of glad -- sounds very bleak. I usually enjoy his books, but my memory of the first bit was that it was SO overproduced that I found it distracting.

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