This month I closed down the Airbnb for the season and started my first ever gym membership! October has flown by, and I hope to share a little more of my first week (or two) at the gym soon but for now, onto the books!
The Icarus Deception by Seth Godin
Hard Cover Worthy- 5/5 Stars:
In Greek mythology Icarus was warned not to fly too high to the sun, caught up in his success, when he did so his wings melted and he plummeted to the sea. The idea being that we should be wary of getting carried away and sticking our necks above the status quo, above what is known to be safe.
Godin’s argument is that playing it safe is the real danger. Compliance does not lead to transformative success. Instead Godin wants you to treat your work as art, work that changes someone for the better. Stop waiting to be picked, pick yourself, and work to push the envelope in what you do.
What I thought: If you are stuck in a rut, or having a hard time finding direction… READ THIS! For me, The Icarus Deception is right up there with Big Magic and You Are Not Lost in terms of inspiring and motivating reads. It will definitely be re-read if ever I’m having low moments in my creativity and work!
Amazon: US or CA
Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams
Read Worthy- 3.5/5 Stars:
Careless People is a memoir of Sarah’s seven years as Facebook’s director of global public policy. She joined as a true believer thinking Facebook could change the world, and watched it become something else.
What I Thought: I had no idea what this book was about when I first picked it up, and it turned out to be an interesting listen as I went about my day and errands. Will it make it’s way onto my shelf, probably not; but if you are interested in some of the background policy and the teams behind social media, this is definitely worth the read and quite the eye opener. As I was writing up my own review I did a quick google search on the book and oh my gosh, the rabbit hole is real!
Amazon: US or CA
Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Hard Cover Worthy- 5/5 Stars:
Ryland Grace, a middle-school science teacher, wakes up on a spaceship with no memory of how he got there. The mission: the sun is dimming, Earth is freezing, and he’s humanity’s last-ditch attempt to find out why.
What I Thought: I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this book; I typically don’t enjoy topics surrounding space, it just really creeps me the heck out and the vastness & unknown is so unnerving. However, I did enjoy the movie so I thought I might give the book a go, and oh my gosh! If it was possible, I would have thought this book was written specifically for Ryan Gosling, I had the movie playing in my head the entire time, it was so spot on! What made the book even better was the inclusion of space facts, tons of them! I can definitely see this becoming a go-to read in the classroom and for bookclubs!
Amazon: US or CA
The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout
Read Worthy- 3/5 Stars:
Artie Dam is a high school history teacher in coastal Massachusetts, with a life that looks perfectly fine from the outside. But he has a secret of his own, and then discovers one that’s been kept from him about his past, upending everything.
What I Thought: The plot and characters were ok, the writing style was good, and it was an easy listen as I went about my gardening for the day, but I think it was the foundational message and final couple of chapters that really brought it home for me. This story of ordinary people, unspoken grief, and how little we actually know the people closest to us; how our silence can be isolation while vulnerability and empathy can be the bridges that connect us, even in times of stress, pain and turmoil.
Amazon: US or CA
The Sirens by Emilia Hart
Read Worthy- 3/5 Stars:
Lucy wakes from a nightmare to find her hands around her ex’s throat and flees to her sister Jess’s house on the Australian coast, only to find Jess missing. As Lucy digs into the town’s rumors of men lost at sea and reads her sister’s diary, the story spirals back through 1999 to 1800, to twin sisters torn from Ireland aboard a convict ship. A tale of sisterhood across centuries, bound together by the sea’s mystery and magic.
What I Thought: I had really high hopes for this book, being a fan of Emilia’s previous book, Weyward, and being a fan of mermaids in general.
Everything was pretty ok; it was a bit boarder line for me, but the concept and the plot is what really pulled it through. I loved the plot twist, and how it brought up the topic, evolution, and stagnancy of women’s safety. Expect an easy read.
Amazon: US or CA
The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk by Carissa Broadbent
Read Worthy- 3/5 Stars:
After Mische’s sacrifice plunges the world into eternal night, a goddess offers her and the imprisoned Asar one last path back to each other: seize the power of the god of death so Asar can ascend to true divinity. With the underworld collapsing and the gods preparing for war, they’ll have to find their way back to each other and toward divinity.
What I Thought: I loved the first installment of this series, The Serprent & the Wings of Night, but I feel as if the series has plateaued at this point.
The writing and characters were good, the plot and ending were ok, and I did like how it tied back into the ‘main’ story line. I just felt as if I’ve lost the originality of the world I first fell in love with. I’m looking forward to reading the next installment & hope it brings it back!
Amazon: US or CA
What was your favorite read this past month?
-Anna R.
*As always if you purchase through any of the links in this post, or throughout this blog, a small commission comes back to help support the page & what I do here!
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