I can’t believe I’m posting another book roundup! I just posted one barely a month ago, and to have finished another 5 books since then is pretty amazing for me. I definitely have treadmill running to thank for it. (If you follow me on Goodreads, these reviews may sound familiar, but if not, enjoy!)
Run Like a Mother by Sarah Bowen Shea and Dimity McDowell
3/5
I think I’ve mentioned here at some point that I really like the Another Mother Runner podcast, so I decided to check out their first book as well. To be honest, the book was only so-so. The back-and-forth-between-authors writing style was jarring to me, and the amount of slang (or really, just cute/cheesy ways of saying different things) made some sections feel really overwrought. On top of that, I feel like this book was really geared towards newer runners, not someone like me who’s been doing it for years — for example, I really didn’t need the chapters about running gear, etc. That said, I did like the chapters more towards the end of the book that dealt with balancing running with family time, relationships, life, etc so while I wouldn’t recommend this book for every runner, I also don’t feel like I wasted my time reading it.
Play It Away by Charlie Hoehn
2/5
Since I only gave this 2 stars, I feel like I should start out by saying that I didn’t hate it. This was for my August book club and it was short, succinct, easy to read, with a few nuggets that I found interesting and/or helpful. I am in 100% violent agreement that people should work less and enjoy life more but…I did a TON of eye rolling as I read this. Anxiety disorders from working too much are the epitome of a “first world problem.”
If you are anxious and work too much, try doing any/all of these things: work less, sleep more, eat healthier food, don’t watch depressing news, spend more time with loved ones, spend at least a few minutes every day doing something that makes you happy, get some fresh air. There. Done!
The End of Night by Paul Bogard
4/5
I read half of this book back in March, and finally finished the second half 6 months later. Don’t let that fool you thought because this was a really great book! Bogard is slightly long-winded at times and repeats some themes over and over, but overall this is a fascinating look at the growing light pollution in our society and what it means to all of us. We’re not just talking about astronomy here either (although being able to truly see the stars is important to the human experience as well) but also about broader impacts — how working the night shifts affects your health, for instance, or how animal migration patterns are affected by bright cities, or how security lights don’t really make things safer despite what we’ve all been led to believe.
The Martian by Andy Weir
4/5
This was a fast, entertaining, suspenseful and surprisingly funny read. I enjoyed it a lot. (And wish that real-life NASA had the budget that fictional NASA does in this book! Ha!)
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
4/5
This was our September book club selection and I’d give it 5 stars for the writing but 3 stars for the story itself. I really loved the writing style, and Atkinson did a phenomenal job of somehow writing the exact same scene over and over, yet making it different each time, and recalling Ursula’s previous lives without making it feel repetitive. I do feel like maybe I didn’t totally “get” the story. The timeline I think we’re supposed to find most crucial is one that, to me, felt random. It’s given away in the first few pages, and then basically ignored until the last few pages, and then seemingly overturned again anyway. After so many lives and twists and turns, I’m not sure what I wanted, but it wasn’t that.
