My Overdue Book Report
I keep a book journal. Do you? Leafing through it made me realize I haven't shared any of my recent reads. Here are a few books I've just finished, evidence of very eclectic taste.
Nature:
Nature:
I agree with BookBrowse.com's statement, "Everything about this slip of a book is unassuming, yet its petite size, prose, and characters rise like quiet giants from its pages." Read it when you want a quiet book about nature that's unexpectedly engaging and lovely.
Fiction:
I read this before there was a ton of hoopla about it. I really enjoyed it, as did everyone in my book group. You may want to wait until the hype has died down so you can appreciate it without expectations. But I do hope you'll read it.
Memoir:
I'm embarrassed to say that I didn't know much about what it was like to grow up in South Africa just after apartheid ended as I probably should have. I didn't understand some of the tribal conflicts or the depravations endured by most people. I don't have a good sense of what it might mean emotionally to be someone of mixed race. Trevor Noah's book helped with that. He also narrates the Audible book, so consider that option if you don't have a preference. Hearing his voice adds an element to the book that you'll otherwise miss unless, of course, you already speak Zulu or Xhosa.
Non-fiction:
Total nerd alert. Yes, I found The Checklist Manifesto very interesting. I happened to sit next to an OR nurse on a flight shortly after I had finished reading the book. We discussed Gawande's observations and theories and how they're put into practice in this particular nurse's hospital. It was kind of fun to hear about the checklist-in-action. Occasionally it's chilling to read how checklists of the most basic procedures have saved lives. It seems rather elementary to me, but apparently, there's been some resistance to implementing them. Hmmm.
Fiction:
I read this before there was a ton of hoopla about it. I really enjoyed it, as did everyone in my book group. You may want to wait until the hype has died down so you can appreciate it without expectations. But I do hope you'll read it.
Memoir:
I'm embarrassed to say that I didn't know much about what it was like to grow up in South Africa just after apartheid ended as I probably should have. I didn't understand some of the tribal conflicts or the depravations endured by most people. I don't have a good sense of what it might mean emotionally to be someone of mixed race. Trevor Noah's book helped with that. He also narrates the Audible book, so consider that option if you don't have a preference. Hearing his voice adds an element to the book that you'll otherwise miss unless, of course, you already speak Zulu or Xhosa.
Non-fiction:
Total nerd alert. Yes, I found The Checklist Manifesto very interesting. I happened to sit next to an OR nurse on a flight shortly after I had finished reading the book. We discussed Gawande's observations and theories and how they're put into practice in this particular nurse's hospital. It was kind of fun to hear about the checklist-in-action. Occasionally it's chilling to read how checklists of the most basic procedures have saved lives. It seems rather elementary to me, but apparently, there's been some resistance to implementing them. Hmmm.
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