2019 - Back to Lists

General busyness of returning from vacation, a new year, so back to lists.

Becoming by Michelle Obama, 2018

Great book.  Not only insightful view into politics and office of the presidency, but also about growing up a minority, not 'fitting', marriage & family.  Obama is an amazing woman and has an amazing story to tell.

A great book to end the year with & finish  in the new year.





Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth by Sarah Smarsh, 2018 - Growing up in poverty in Kansas.  Eye opening story of the cycle of poverty where families are constantly moving for a job/better opportunity to be able to feed themselves & their family.

Where people work bone-tiring-ly hard each day but still barely able to afford food on the table.  Where they need ways to numb their weariness, job related pains, bleak outlooks & pride.

Where they vote Republican because they don't want handouts, but an opportunity to work and earn a decent living.  Where they have true freedom & as farmers, connect with nature in unparalleled ways.

Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover, 2018
Memoir of growing up in rural Idaho, home schooled & secluded from society.  Unexpected twists once Tara leaves her home to attend college at Brigham Young University, then Cambridge University & Harvard.

Ultimately, about family and proves how having someone believe in you can lead to places unfathomable.


The Italian Teacher by Tom Rachman, 2018
A fan of Rachman since his debut novel The Imperfectionists, I thoroughly enjoyed The Italian Teacher.  From his childhood in Rome to his formative years in Toronto to middle aged in London, Pinch (or Charles) lives in the shadow of his larger than life artist father Bear Bavinsky.

Interesting insight into the art world - where artists succeed not just because of talent but also because of over the top personalities, prices for pieces of work are built on stories surrounding the work/artist and how even the masters even had apprentices paint portions of paintings for them.



Charlotte Walsh Likes To Win by Jo Piazza, 2018
Silicon Valley COO, a la Sheryl Sandberg, Charlotte Walsh decides to run for Senate of Pennsylvania after her bestselling book stirs up calls for her to run for office to "fix" the US government.

Vivid characters including her assistant Leila, her husband Max & campaign manager Josh play key roles in her personal & political life.  Insights into politics are depressing: the focus on sound bites, how calling a woman a despicable name is acceptable (i.e. will not impact poll ratings) and the constant vigilance of  trackers (campaign workers who record opponent speeches in hopes of compromising footage).

Also insight into the unique & wealthy culture that is Silicon Valley.

A good read without the typical predictability & tidiness of stories.  Previously, enjoyed The Knockoff, which Piazza co-wrote.

Sweet Temptation by Lucy Diamond, 2010
From the condo we stayed at in Barbados.  Perfect beach read after I finished Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win & didn't have a spare book...

British author.  Three women join Fat Busters to lose weight and become friends.

They support each other as they struggle to lose weight & realize that their weight gain was result of using food to comfort themselves to compensate for other issues in their lives.

Maddie is a working mom of two, victim of her insensitive, brass boss D.J. Collette.  Her mother is a glamours actress who signs her up for a gym membership.

Jess works as a beautician and engaged to be Charlie, who keeps postponing the wedding & criticizing Jess for her weight gain.

Lauren is a bitter divorcee who runs a match making agency.

Funny and sweet, and not as formulaic, Sweet Tempation would be a great Reese Witherspoon produced movie!

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, 2018
Gem of a book.  Keiko Furukura is a woman who takes things literally and does not understand the socially constructed norm. 

She thrives at the convenience store that she works out since rules & social interactions are clearly defined.

She is a convenience store worker & other are either co-workers or customers.

Fascinating look into society - that friends and family are happy for her when she seemingly pairs off with a former co-worker Shiraha, even thought that someone has no job and is living off of her.

And of course, a convenience store as a thriving hub with ebbs and flows where items should be stocked based on weather and customer patterns.