This year, I managed to read 37 of 40 books of my Goodreads goal. That was also the year I started Analog August; a 30-day fast from social media. You can browse through that chronicle on Instagram. I embraced much craft, natural beauty, and found an invaluable calm in appreciating the work of my hands apart from a screen. You’ll see that reflected in my book summaries below.
BEST
Cræft: An Inquiry Into the Origins and True Meaning of Traditional Crafts by Alex LanglandsMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Remarkable and rich reflection on the origins and significance of humanity’s evolution with craft. We would not be where we are now without… basketry! Beekeeping! Thatching! Building techniques we now consider archaic, but still have context and application today. A very enjoyable read in slow, contemplative fashion. Can sometimes be a little long in the tooth (this archaeologist loves his history), but still recommend.
You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit by James K.A. SmithMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Powerful, thought-provoking. Habits can to be broken by the mind; they are formed by the heart. What are habits doing TO you? What unconscious practices have you taken up in your days, that shape your life? Will have to read again.
The Luminaries by Eleanor CattonMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Brilliant. A slow start, but it pulls you under into a deep current of intrigue, murder, mystery, mysticism, and unrequited feelings— wow, a true masterpiece.
"Indian" in the Cabinet: Speaking Truth to Power by Jody Wilson-RaybouldMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Gripping. I have little political inclination and limited understanding of how the Canadian system works, but Jody writes this approachably and with just the right amount of tangents and detail. For someone who professes not to enjoy writing, she does a formidable job.
I recall this scandal in the news with little context, but she tells her story with clarity and honesty in her own failings as well. I am impressed at her courage and will use it as an example to my daughter of the kind of leadership to admire: one with integrity of the first order.
I recommend this to anyone and everyone, it is worth your while to get an eye witness account into the cracks of our system. It’s not the worst, but it’s not the best. And Jody’s story reinforces what conclusions I had already drawn of Trudeau; that his primary concern is not service, or change, but power.
Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas HardyMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
So much more depth to the characters than the movie. Local patois, and extra details made for a delightful read. Some of the old English is more complex, I’m out of touch and had to skim when my interest glazed.
The Henna Artist by Alka JoshiMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Wow. Spectacular in every way. Rich culture, beautiful setting naturally described like an enveloping perfume. Flawed, fabulously complex characters with realistic motivations and reactions. Masterfully told. What an accomplished debut novel!
Sisi: Empress on Her Own by Allison PatakiMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is the story of beauty for sheer Beauty’s sake. How one woman’s selfish insecurities affected the nations around her—both inspiring art and neglecting her children. The terrifying part of the story, is that it’s entirely true.
How might Europe have looked, had Elizabeth nurtured the Crown Prince? Could WW1 have been avoided?
It’s not her fault for being beautiful. But she did entrap herself in making it her identity. I hope history remembers both sides: that the legend of the woman who grew her hair to the floor, is also the woman who spent hours, EVERY SINGLE DAY, on her hair, away from her children, using the time for her own linguistic and poetic pursuits. The woman who fascinated the continent with her fashion, flitted her time away with frequent travel to run away from her problems.
I appreciated the tension: she wasn’t wholly self-absorbed, she did love her family. But she always rationalized away her duties with self-defeat. Certainly worth a read.
WORST
The Irish Countrywomen's Association Book of Crafts: 40 Projects to Make at Home by Irish Countrywomen's AssociationMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
Greatly disappointing. Great concept, love this great effort to keep crafts alive… but this collection was a missed opportunity. A hand stamped tea towel has about as much craft as a toddler’s daycare art. DIY ribbon dispenser with an old mason jar? Online craft list, sure. Not worth printing. The few desirable crafts, such as the woven willow basket, would have benefitted greatly by more WIP photos. Many of the crafts were crochet-based, and required such a degree of skill that they were entirely unapproachable.
It’s an unusable guide. The layout too, feels like some modern design effort, but then scaled for… older eyes? Larger print? Very odd.
The Brethren by John GrishamMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
There’s no sense of justice for any plot line—all the bad guys get what they want, there aren’t really any good guys, and in the end I’m left wondering what this book was supposed to make me feel. It was squeezing me towards a climatic end, but then all the air let out of the balloon. Rather unimpressive. This is why I don't read mass market thrillers.
Telomere Miracle: Scientific Secrets to Fight Disease, Feel Great, and Turn Back the Clock on Aging by Ed ParkMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Sounded too good to be true, and it was. Same advice of sleeping lots, drinking water, exercise. Nothing new.