I’m heading on an 8 day trip to Mexico next week and looking forward to lots of beachside reading, but wanting some recommendations: namely, non-fiction and/or self help that is easy to read, but “smart”…if that makes sense. I don’t want to read something dense, but I do want to have something that I can learn from (subjects/topics are open). Stuff I’m considering now is “Outlived” by Peter Attia, “Four Thousand Weeks” by Oliver Burkeman, and “The Wager” by David Grann.
I read it earlier in the month. I liked it quite a bit.
I read Four Thousand Weeks and enjoyed it, mostly, though I don’t remember too much about it.
Your description of what you’re looking for brings to mind Bill Bryson and Malcolm Gladwell. Not everyone (certainly not everyone here on this board) is a fan of either of these two writers, and some might say their books are full of oversimplification and factoids that aren’t quite accurate, but I like both of them; their works are accessible, not dense, and (at least mostly) informative. Might be worth a try anyway!
Finished Gone Girl, which is a great book, and thanks for the recommendation! By the end of the story, I hated both of the protagonists.
It was a excellent way to pass the miles on my drive to the West Coast. Now I have to find something for the drive home…
Glad you liked it. Flynn’s other novels are good, but not as good as Gone Girl, I’d say. Next, I’d recommend Dan Chaon’s clever, chilling Await Your Reply.
Finished The Wishing Game. If you’re in need of a heartwarming story with no danger of things not turning out all right, this is for you. I read the last few chapters with Kleenex in hand, but afterwards felt like I’d been eating sugar right out of the bag.
I started and then quickly gave up on The Prophets by Robert Jones, Jr. I got three chapters in before my sense of dread sent me to checking the Goodreads reviews (never a good sign). Many of the negative reviews called it “overwritten” which was my problem with it. Back to the library it goes.
On the flip side, I recently read and loved Dumb Dumb Dumb: My Mother’s Book Reviews by Mary Jo Pehl. Here’s my review of it.
Finished The Maltese Iguana, by Tim Dorsey, which I enjoyed.
Now I’m reading Signs and Mysteries: Revealing Ancient Christian Symbols, by Mike Aquilina.
I will get the new thread up tomorrow afternoon MST.
Today on my road trip I listened to the entirety of The Murder Rule by Dervla McTiernan. A decent mystery read with a really good plot twist at the end.
Next up: Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon.
Ooo, hope you like it!
New Thread: Happy Fourth of Ju-! oh wait…