What I’m reading: November 2021
As I sit here in my big grey armchair, the rain hammers against the windows, the ferns fly this way and that in the brutal winds, and I cradle my big cup of tea. To me, there’s nothing better than being indoors when it’s raining. Cosiness is the best (the Scandis know best!). Funnily enough (or maybe not, as I imagine my phone reads my mind somehow), I just opened my Goodreads to refresh my memory on my book-reading antics, and the perfect quote popped up.
“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.”
What a beautiful quote! There are some things you read and you feel right at home, like those words were crafted in your very own soul and are making their way back to you. Hand me a good book, a blanket, a comfy spot and a big teapot (with a cosy on) and you’ll probably never see me again.
So, here’s the lowdown on my reads this month:
1. Living an Examined Life: Wisdom for the Second Half of the Journey (James Hollis)
Jungian analyst James Hollis pretty much makes his way (not necessarily gently) into the recesses of your mind and soul, shining a torch on all of the bits that you’d rather not, but probably should, think about. It’s a bit of a heavyweight; this one’s probably not going to rock you to sleep. Best read a chapter at a time, the book essentially challenges the reader to take responsibility for themselves and their life and push aside the fear and lethargy that grip us so strongly and tell us we can’t or shouldn’t. There are some harsh truths in here about our society’s focus on ticking the boxes of life and gathering material goods to fill the emptiness of our day. Chapters include ‘Recover Personal Authority’ and ‘Exorcise the Ghosts of the Past That Bind You’. Although many people deliver these sorts of messages, Hollis’s compassion and deep understanding of the human psyche set him apart as a wise teacher worth listening to.
2. Why Therapy Works: Using Our Minds to Change Our Brains (Louis Cozolino)
Recently, I’ve been curious about therapy; why it works, how it works, when it works. This book makes a case for therapy from an evolutionary and neuroscientific perspective, unpacking the fundamentals of human connection and describing how therapy opens the door to healing. We are all wired for, and long for, connection with others. Therapists can provide that connection by being ‘amygdala whisperers’, calming our over-reactive fear responses to create new pathways forward.
3. Assassin’s Apprentice (Farseer Trilogy #1) (Robin Hobb)
A bit of a rogue one for me. I told my brother I love memoirs or first-person perspectives and he sent me this. It’s a fantasy novel, told from the perspective of the ‘bastard’ son of a king who’s taken from his mother and brought up by the stable master in the castle keep. I was surprised by how moving this book was, touching on such human themes as grief and loneliness. The fantasy part was more like a backdrop to an exploration into the pain and joy of life, but it did provide the unexpected twists and turns that make a novel so compelling.
4. Love Live Here: A Story of Thriving in a Transgender Family (Amanda Jetté Knox)
I can’t remember how this one made it onto my list, but I’m glad it did. Memoirs are my favourite book genre; stepping into the mind and true story of someone else is irresistible. Knox’s then-husband and her child both come out as trans, and she tells the story of her dramatic shift from the cookie-cutter life, to anything but. Well told and important for widening people’s understanding of what it means to be a trans family.