The book combines the author’s own experiences with a variety of approaches to examining depression itself including symptoms, treatment, history and theories concerning the role of depression in human evolution. Review: A well written and insightful overview of depression. #60 of 365 The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression by Andrew Solomon As the novel progressed, however, the plot unfolded very slowly with multiple chapters devoted to the central characters wandering around in the snow, forming a bond and learning about each other’s cultures. The audiobook is beautifully read by Guidall but since different chapters are from the perspective of different characters (and there are folktales interspersed with the narrative), more than one reader might have made the different perspectives more evident. The planet of “Winter” is most famous for its uniquely androgynous population but Le Guin also discusses the planet’s political system, royal succession, low protein diet and communal child rearing arrangements and of course, the freezing weather. I found the early chapters of this novel extremely engrossing as Le Guin creates a fully realized alternate universe. I don’t normally read science fiction but I decided to give it a try as the audiobook narrator is George Guidall and I enjoyed listening to his readings of Les Miserables, Crime and Punishment and Don Quixote last year. Review: Ursula Le Guin passed away recently and her most famous book, The Left Hand of Darkness, was featured as an audiobook on Audible.
Le Guinĭates Listened: 9 hours and 39 minutes, February 25-March 1, 2018 #59 of 365 The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Shrewed ends with inspiring advice for women and girls, which I hope Renzetti eventually gets to deliver as a commencement address. Renzetti’s own life experiences and interviews with prominent women are woven into the text. Highlights include an analysis of work-life balance and how being busy becomes a status symbol in itself, the complicated cultural attitudes regarding women’s ambition, and the literal cost of being female as products marketed toward women often cost substantially more than equivalents for men. Review: I enjoy Elizabeth Renzetti’s columns in the Globe and Mail and looked forward to reading her essays on women and society. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. #58 of 365 Shrewed: A Wry and Closely Observed Look at the Lives of Women and Girls by Elizabeth Renzetti A thought provoking read, which reinforces my view that occasional breaks from the online world are a very good thing! Review: I am one of the youngest people who can remember life before the internet and I often think about how society has changed in recent decades with the advent of social media and smartphones. Harris examines how the internet and social media have affected memories, attention spans and relationships and analyzes his own attempts to undertake a one month digital detox and read Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace as buzzing devices compete for his attention. #57 of 365 The End of Absence: Reclaiming What We’ve Lost in a World of Constant Connection by Michael HarrisĪcquired: Purchased from Book City, Toronto There will be more royal books reviewed next week and undoubtedly more connections with my past reading.
Shrewed: A Wry and Closely Observed Look at the Lives of Women and Girls by Elizabeth Renzetti references Roxane Gay’s memoir, Hunger, which I also read earlier in the year. The End of Absence: Reclaiming What We’ve Lost in a World of Constant Connection by Michael Harris (no relation), discusses Sherlock Holmes’ “mind palace” as it is introduced in Arthur Conan Doyle’s A Study in Scarlet, which I read a few weeks ago. Week 9: How The Books All Fit Together This past week, I ignored my own guidelines for my Book a Day 2018 project (to read an academic history book, a classic novel and more than one royal themed book each week), and instead chose books that looked interesting without any concern for how the books related in one another, shopping at Book City early in the week and choosing from recent audiobook selections and secondhand bookstore finds as the week progressed.Įven when selecting books at random, however, I noticed connections between this weeks books and books I have read during previous weeks. I will post my reviews here each week and provide regular updates on Twitter and Goodreads. My New Year’s Resolution for 2018 is to read a book (or listen to an unabridged audiobook) every day: 365 books by December 31.