What I've been reading...
As is turns out, giving up social media has left me with more time to read. Additionally, I have a newfound freedom where I allow myself to walk away from a book I'm not enjoying. I have to talk myself into taking the leap each time, but with so many worthwhile things to read, why force yourself through something you don't connect with? I'm not in school anymore, so take that, teachers. (Just kidding, teachers, I love you so much.) Sadly, the book I recently walked away from is Hidden Figures. I have yet to see the movie (though I really want to), but I expected the book to be a narrative that dives into the lives of the group of African American women who were vital to computing for NASA. While the book did begin to introduce the women before I quit reading, it wasn't as personal as I expected. It is well-researched and well-written, but it reads more as an all-inclusive picture of the era. It is interesting, but didn't quite keep me hooked enough to forge through. It reads like a verrry long newspaper article. If you are into this type of nonfiction, you will love it. It's just not for me.
As a Judy Blume fan growing up, I was so excited to see that she'd written a book for adults. Has this been happening? How did I just find out?! In the Unlikely Event is a novel set in Elizabeth, New Jersey in the 1950's and looks into how 3 plane crashes in the town affected the lives of the people forever. I did not realize the historical accuracy of the plane crashes themselves until after I finished the book. I wanted this to be a home run read, but for me, it wasn't. I will say that Judy Blume is still a fantastic storyteller. I cared about the characters, and I was never bored. That said, this book has SO many characters. There are many, "Wait, who is that? Should I remember them?" moments. When you aren't great with names, this can be tricky. The ending is realistic rather than overly optimistic, so you can judge whether you'd be a fan based on that.
Finally, I just finished When Breath Becomes Air. Everyone, please read this book. It is an achingly beautiful look into life, death, and relationships as told by Paul Kalanithi, a talented neurosurgeon who was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer in his 30's. This book was published after his death. He was one of those rare breeds of surgeon who also has the gift of words. I don't know how this peek into death can be so honest and deep and yet not leave you with the burden of darkness weighing on you, but it does just that. Reading time is only a few hours, so go for it.
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A Glimpse into the Mind of my Animal-Loving Daughter
We just started watching Wildlife SOS on Netflix because I can't stomach cartoons anymore. It's a British reality show about an animal rehabilitation center. During one of our first episodes, an adorable badger cub came into the center. Unfortunately, he died from his injuries. I glanced over at Piper, because she has such a soft heart and is definitely the one of my children who loves animals and snuggly things the most.
"I wonder if she's going to be upset," I thought. "Is she going to cry over this?" I wondered.
I looked at her as she called to the vet on the television, "Just keep the body!"
She has mentioned that she wants to be a rancher when she grows up, but she may have a future in the field of taxidermy.
