#summerofreading

[thereadingbarista-blog]

Time to take a trip on the nostalgia train.

[fredhandbag]

Always have plenty of reading options at the beach 🏖 Were any of these on your summer reading list? #summerreading #vacationstack #summerofreading #bookofthemonth #bookstagram #bookshelves #booknerd #bookhoarder #bookworm #sodacityreads #bookish #bookreview #hardcover #novel #bookaddict #bookcover #bookhaul #bibliophile #goodreads #homelibrary #fiction #crimefiction #thriller (at Bradley Beach) https://www.instagram.com/p/B1RDpOFAJCO/?igshid=1l88nhcgrighu

[wanderingoread]

Summer of Reading: The Lost Girls- three friends, four continents, one unconventional detour around the world

The Lost Girls- Baggett, Corbett and Pressner

This book falls between the genres of memoirs and travel writing. Three women, all in their mid to late 20s, decide to quit their increasingly stressful and depressing lives in Manhattan to travel the world for a year. They travel through South America, Kenya, India, Laos, Thailand, Bali, New Zealand, and Australia in total.

What Oread Enjoyed: I appreciate that the authors did not shy away from sharing their experiences that were not “PG” or actions that showcased their flaws. Backpacking is tough and they were honest in their struggle to handle living out of a backpack for a whole year. They focused a lot of the quirkiness of cultural exchange and the struggle of learning to live with yourself- warts and all- before you can really grow as a person.

What Oread Disliked: It was sometimes difficult to remember who was speaking in the current chapter as all three have similar writing styles. Sometimes the experiences they chose to write about compared to the ones they only mention in passing did not make sense to me, but I assume they had reasons for it.

In Conclusion:  Overall, I feel confident recommending this book. It’s a quick read for when you’re craving an Adventure Lite and dipping your toes into cultures and societies you may not have otherwise encountered.

[wanderingoread]

Summer of Reading: The Psychopath Test

The Psychopath Test, Jon Ronson

According to Wikipedia, psychopathy is defined as: a personality disorder, characterized by persistent antisocial behavior, impair empathy and remorse and bold, disinhibited, egotistical traits. 

This book is Jon Ronson’s delve into the “madness industry”. From patients to doctors to reality TV to pharmaceutical companies, how do we handle those we deem insane? What is insane? Is psychopathy a yes/no or are there shades of grey? What is the DSM and is it useful? Ronson attempts to discover the answer to these questions and more as he travels around the world investigating the mental illness industry through the lens of how psychopaths are diagnosed and treated.

What Oread Enjoyed: Really enjoyable, as always, is Ronson’s sense of humour. The Psychopath Test satisfies that morbid curiosity many of us have regarding people who lack empathy in a clinical, chronic way. I liked that the book was a fairly short, light read but still answered a lot of burning questions regarding the reliability (or lack thereof) of psychoanalysis and how we as civilians could choose to use (or not use) professional practices in our daily lives.

What Oread Disliked: The frequent asides to Ronson’s personal life. While they occasionally provided context, I dislike the strange add-ins that read as though the publisher thought some personal life add-ins would make the book more thrilling or titillating. It did not, they were distracting.

In conclusion: An easy-to-follow introduction into how culture, industry, and science shape the psychology world. Also contains an answer to the question, are you a psychopath?

[coffeeobsessedhistorian]

Traipsing through the woods. #getout #hiking #summerofreading #books

[wanderingoread]

Summer of Reading: Polgara the Sorceress

There may be minor spoilers in this post.

Polgara the Sorceress written by Leigh and Davids Eddings

Unlike many other readers, I read this book before any of the other Eddings’ work. This is meant as a prequel to the Belgariad and the Mallorean quartets, somehow I missed those and Polgara was all I knew for several years before finally finding the rest of the books written in this world. Thus my description of the story it will be a bit different than many other readers.

The premise: Polgara is a twist on the “wise old man” archetype. For one, she’s a woman. More importantly however, this story (as well as it’s companion Belgarath the Sorcerer) gives lovers of the fantasy genre a behind-the-scenes look at what our beloved “wise old man” archetype does before s/he meets the heroes.

What Oread Enjoyed: Polgara as a character is a fascinating person to me. She is manipulative, ruthless, and cunning but also motherly, compassionate, and occasionally has a bout of baby-fever. I really feel for her in her triumphs, defeats, grief, loneliness and love. If you were mostly immortal and had demi-god-like power, what would your life be like? Polgara the Sorceress (and Belgarath the Sorcerer) answer that question.

What Oread Disliked: The one issue I have with this book, indeed all of Eddings’ work that I have read, is the sexism. The women (when they exist) all fit neatly into the “bitchy, manipulative, and gossipy“ cardboard-cutout and the author uses characters throughout the series to wax poetically on the differences between women and men. Women are silly-headed mysteries and men are just large children, according to Eddings. Also, the bad guys are dark-skinned and from the East. Really awkward reading through those sections. I have heard that David Eddings greatly admired Tolkien which sheds some light on why these two big “cringes” are so entrenched in his work.

In conclusion: If you can set aside the reoccurring sexism and mild euro-centricity, Polgara the Sorceress is lovely. The characters are an exploration of many archetypes and how they interact with each other and the world around them, the world is precise and the evolution of it all is facinating.

[coffeeobsessedhistorian]

Reading outside is my new favorite hobby. #summerofreading #thenightcircus #mysunglassesmatchmybook (at Ogden, Utah)

[queerwitch91]

[ Newest additions to my summer reading list. #summerofreading ] (at Rivers Edge Apartments & Townhomes)