The Parable of the Sower – Octavia Butler, 1993. Re-read, quotes TBD.
The Evolution of Beauty: How Darwin’s Forgotten Theory of Mate Choice Shapes the Animal World—And Us – Richard Prum, 2017. Quotes pulled, TBD.
Jonathan Livingston Seagull – Richard Bach, 1970. Re-read for the umpteenth time (it’s so short!), but my opinion of it drops a little each time.
Round the Bend – Nevil Shute, 1951. Umpteenth re-read (yes, I was needing comfort reading) but holds up still.
Homage to Catalonia – George Orwell, 1938 – quotes pulled, TBD
Dancing at Lughnasa – Brian Friel, 1990 – For Irish Writers book group. Only one quote so not enough for a separate post: Gerry, who’s signed up to go fight in the Spanish Civil War (coincidental, having just read Homage to Catalonia), is asked why he’s going.
Not so sure I know either. … And there’s bound to be something right about the cause, isn’t there? And it’s somewhere to go—isn’t it? Maybe that’s the important thing for a man: a named destination—democracy, Ballybeg, heaven. Women’s illusions aren’t so easily satisfied—they make better drifters.
The Countess Cathleen – W.B. Yeats, 1912 – also for Irish Writers, quotes pulled TB.
Manage Your Day-to-Day: Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus, and Sharpen Your Creative Mind – Jocelyn K. Glei, 2013 (99U series) – This was really good! Short chapters with nice graphic design.
The Circadian Code: Lose Weight, Supercharge Your Energy, and Transform Your Health from Morning to Midnight – Satchin Panda, 2018 – It seemed really good, but mostly because I already do time-restricted eating (Panda’s major recommendation) and it’s worked really well for me. So I was nodding along & patting myself on the back, which is not the most objective frame of mind. In general I’m super-suspicious of “this is The One Answer!” books, but clearly less so when it’s something I’ve already adopted…
My Boyfriend Barfed in My Handbag… and Other Things You Can’t Ask Martha – Jolie Kerr, 2014 – I read the whole thing but I’m not 100% sure why. I may have learned a few things but I mostly forgot them again (OK, I do want to try using ammonia) and the jokey tone was fun in small doses, annoying in large. I guess I kept expecting Captain Awkward or Ask A Manager level advice/entertainment, but that bar is unreasonably high.
Drunkard: A Hard-Drinking Life – Neil Steinberg, 2008 – Ah, I thought maybe I had read this already – yes, back in 2010. Why did I put pub year of 2009 – maybe it was the paperback?