What I'm Reading: March 2020
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb
“But part of getting to know yourself is to unknow yourself—to let go of the limiting stories you’ve told yourself about who you are so that you aren’t trapped by them, so you can live your life and not the story you’ve been telling yourself about your life.”
Wow, this book was so good! It’s intense and raw and emotional, packed with anecdotes from the author’s own experiences both in her life and in the lives of her patients. It hit home for me in so many ways and I’m sure it will for you, too. It’s a poignant reminder that we must always be kind, to those around us for we don’t know their struggles, and especially to ourselves.
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez (translated by Gregory Rabassa)
“Wherever they might be they always remember that the past was a lie, that memory has no return, that every spring gone by could never be recovered, and that the wildest and most tenacious love was an ephemeral truth in the end.”
This book, admittedly, took me a bit longer to finish. It’s a bit slow and often confusing. I’m not sure if it’s due to the translation or the type of writing or a little of both, but I wound up having to set the audio down to 1x speed, whereas I usually keep it at 1.5x or more. I kept with it, though, because I actually love the poetic diction and the moments of reflection throughout the book.
It follows the course of the Buendia family over several generations, showing how the tiniest actions of one family member can echo and ripple far beyond his or her immediate understanding. They’re messy and imperfect in a lot of ways, but that’s the point: what family—what human—isn’t?
The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
“If the nose of a plane is pointed only 1 percent off course, it will ultimately end up about 150 miles off course. Such is the case for your habits. A single poor habit, which doesn't look like much in the moment, can ultimately lead you miles off course from the direction of your goals and the life you desire.”
I liked a lot of the concepts discussed in the book and it definitely echoes a lot of similar titles I’ve read this past year. But I will say, the audiobook version could be a little over-the-top at times. It’s read by the author, who clearly feels passionately about his advice, but it came across preachy occasionally. Nevertheless, it’s a quick read and touches on many great tools and insights about success and how to become the kind of person who achieves it.