2021 Book List

2020 resulted in a self-assigned passing grade for experiencing 176 pieces of articulation. If I had rushed through to check off a list of 200 books, I would not have derived much joy or novel viewpoints to muse on the current rhythms of life. I would still like to reach this arbitrary goal of personal development. 2020 was draining with a pandemic that no one knew how to respond to. I want to read items that will revive the joy and curiosity that bubbled through my thoughts and expelled into loving action.

2021, will 200 meaningful bodies of thought pass through this interpretive vessel called the Brain? Inventory 1 catalogs this adventure.

Inventory 1: Reviving Index

Book #	Approximate Date of Completion	Title	Author	Notes	Audio
148	12/26/21	Getting Back to Happy	Marc and Angel Chernoff	Coalesce the same tidbits of small rituals to turn into habits to make big changes. Flip the script. And do forth Category: Self-Help Fluff; Nonfiction	Y
147	12/26/21	A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future	Michael J. Fox	Surprisingly, not a pithy graduation gift collection of lessons learned. Wherever you go, there it is. Live to learn (Funny how a simple flip of word order brings so much meaning). Category: Self-Help Fluff; Nonfiction	N
146	12/26/21	Because He's Jeff Goldblum	Travis M. Andrews	I gave him a chance. What makes him endearing? Being open, curious, kindly wanting to connect with others, embracing the unknown and just being present with it, manifesting excitement for expression through depth and a rhythm that makes sense to him,  and unabashedly presenting his essence. Category: Biography; Nonfiction	N
145	12/24/21	Savor Every Bite	Lynn Rossy	Slow down, soothe emotions, surrender limiting thoughts,  smile and create your own happiness, savor every moment. Breathe. Sit with awareness. Watch. Savor is recognizing the pleasure and appreciating the positive feelings you experience. Category: Self-Help Fluff; Nonfiction	N
144	12/23/21	Every Day is a Gift	Senator Tammy Duckworth	Own the suck. "No matter how grievous the wound, healing is always possible, and that the lowest moments can lead to the greatest heights." Wow. A Chinese-Thai-White woman that had a heck of a childhood, immigrated to the U.S., ascended Army ranks, became one of the first women to pilot Black Hawks, was disabled in a freak accident during the Iraqi war, and became an Illinois Senator. Finding support to remain resilient is the reminder in this narrated journey. Category: Memoir/Autobiography; Nonfiction	N
143	12/23/21	F*ck It, I'll Start Tomorrow	Action Bronson	An Albanian-Jew rapper, cook, entertainer reinforcing the idea of rituals to ground you, deflect negative vibes, and overcome shortcomings to live with meaning Category: Memoir/Autobiography; Nonfiction	N
142	12/20/21	RuPaul in His Own Words	Edited by Rachael Hinton and Helena Hunt	A majority of tweets can make a book. Inspired by the growth of confidence to shine with what resonates inside of you. Category: Biography; Nonfiction	N
141	12/19/21	Edge	Laura Huang	Enrich. Delight. Guide. Effort Category: Self-Help Fluff; Nonfiction	N
140	12/19/21	A Moment for Me	Catherine Polan Orzech	Similar thoughts converging in these mindfulness and positive thinking readings: pause, gratitude, embrace murky middle, move Category: Self-Help Fluff; Nonfiction	N
139	12/13/21	Can't Even	Anne Helen Petersen	Ouch. Learning to hustle for work is a broken cycle the led my generation to languish. Burned out because we are always working. We still live in an economic society that feeds on an attitude to monetize all your efforts or else there is no value. The realization bothers me. A lot of my actions are driven by the notion that it needs to produce some value or else it is not worth the time, your most precious resource. Category: Nonfiction	N
138	12/12/21	Clean Mama's Guide to a Peaceful Home	Becky Rapinchuk	Stack systems on top of feel-good rituals. Be at ease with progress. Category: How-to; Nonfiction	Y
137	12/7/21	Jungalow	Justina Blakeney	Tesellations, patterns, bold colors, plants, textures all making me pine the laid-back LA vibe in making a space inspire you Category: How-to; Nonfiction	N
136	12/7/21	Change on the Run	Phil Buckley	Helpful templates on language and organizing data to communicate and get buy-in on change Category: Leadership; Nonfiction	N
135	12/6/21	And Now I Spill the Family Secrets	Margaret Kimball	Wow, a reminder to just listen to help folks through their mental health journeys. Attempted suicide and generational hospitalization for mental disorders. Grateful I have access to resources to help address mental health Category: Memoir/Autobiography; Graphic Novel; Nonfiction	N
134	11/26/21	Nervous Energy	Dr. Chloe Carmichael	Some of these methods were introduced previously in coaching or reading. It spoke to me this time. Let's see if we can flip the script and make my nervous energy serve me to take on nourishing actions. Category: Self-Help Fluff; Nonfiction	N
133	11/22/21	Range	David Epstein	A relevant book for how I'm currently feeling in my career. No shame in doing an about-face. Keep on experimenting and making relationships. Data doesn't solve everything. Lateral thinking helps. Category: Nonfiction	N
132	11/21/21	Amboy: Recipes from the Filipino-American Dream	Alvin Cailan	Haven't tried Eggslut. Appreciate the story of humble beginnings in Pico Rivera and having family recipes build his foundation for loving food Category: Memoir/Autobiography; Nonfiction; Cookbook	N
131	11/21/21	Brat: An 80s Story	Andrew McCarthy	Brat pack is not necessarily an endearing categorization. It was isolating. I felt sad, but relieved he faced his demons and found his way to be at ease with himself. Category: Memoir/Autobiography; Nonfiction	N
130	11/20/21	Clean Mind, Clean Body	Tara Stiles	Hmmm, gentle slap in the face to flow the mind, spirit, and body. Nothing new, but need to incorporate simple habits to address all 3 facets. They are interconnected and necessary for living Category: Self-Help Fluff; Nonfiction	N
129	11/19/21	Flower School	Calvert Crary	Right vase, seasonal or style-specific colors, 1/4 of materials at a time and rotate that vase, cut 1/4" at a time of the stem, foliage to fill in and support! Submerge in water to clean and rid of insects, cut in the morning. Cut an angle to get a larger surface area to hydrate. Leave the star bloom last. Handle at the stem. A good interleave of creative arrangement. Inspired to add structure to an array of colors and textures Category: Nonfiction	N
128	11/18/21	Welcoming the Unwelcome	Pema Chödrön	Ego is just restraint. Breathe in the undesirable and breathe out goodness and light Category: Self-Help Fluff; Nonfiction	N
127	11/11/21	Love People Use Things	Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus	I like Millburn's articulation, but I was losing interest towards the end Category: Self-Help Fluff; Nonfiction	N
126	11/7/21	The Ikigai Journey: A Practical Guide to Finding Happiness and Purpose the Japanese Way	Héctor García	I liked this book so much more. A lot of practical tidbits to invigorate living Category: Self-Help Fluff; Nonfiction	N
125	10/30/21	What Happened to You	Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey	Regulate, relate, reason. This book really spoke to me about healing. Category: Self-Help Fluff; Nonfiction	N
124	10/26/21	Fairest	Meredith Talusan	Uncertainty abounds, but she grew into authentic self. She signed her own permission slip and worked on transitioning into an identity that brought contentment. Was not crippled by gender or albinism. Category:Memoir/Autobiography; Nonfiction	N
123	10/25/21	What Unites Us	Dan Rather	Audacious goals. Living in empathy. As an outsider, I don't see that in the current-day Heights. We still have that potential to be great. We just need to lean on our humanity in our communities Category: Graphic Novel; Nonfiction	N
122	10/16/21	Phoolan Devi	Claire Fauvel	Wow, the harsh realities of being in the lowest socioeconomic strata,  getting abused, fighting to avenge atrocities in bandit gangs, loved ones dying all around, incarcerated for more than what was agreed to, and then ascending through the ranks of Parliament just to get assassinated Category: Graphic Novel; Nonfiction	N
121	10/16/21	Do Nothing	Celeste Headlee	Why do I not heed the cautionary tales of other books in contentment and full lives? There needs to be a shift in perceiving time in abundance and letting the mind wander Category: How-to; Self-Help Fluff; Nonfiction	N
120	10/10/21	Shake It Off! Build Emotional Strength for Daily Happiness	Rafael Santandreu	There is nothing to fear. Fear triggers exaggerated thinking that feeds despair and irrational spirals Category: How-to; Self-Help Fluff; Nonfiction	N
119	10/10/21	Hello, Habits	Fumio Sasaki	Surprised how long it took for me to finish the book. A lot of their thoughts on forming habits resonated, but I have difficulties recalling the information. Back to triggers, resting, novelty, starting, and observing your failures Category: How-to; Self-Help Fluff; Nonfiction	N
118	10/9/21	Anxious People	Frederik Backman	A bit long for my taste, but a good reflection on people's biases and the horrible stories we tell ourselves about strangers without taking the time to pause and empathetically understand their life circumstances. A series of bad decisions lead to a spaghetti of connections and coincidences that show how much we have in common as humans in an unlikely hostage situation Category: Book Club; Fiction	Y
117	10/4/21	This One Wild and Precious Life: The Path Back to Connection in a Fractured World	Sarah Wilson	Leslie Sansone reminds, "Walking is medicine." This reflective collection on healing during the pandemic takes this further and focuses on ambulating the edge to promote the health of a community's morals. Then it got too preachy for my impatient mind. Another reminder to rest and finding salvation in solitude and deep thinking Category: Self-Help Fluff; Nonfiction	N
116	9/26/21	Better Sleep, Better You	Frank Lipman and Neil Parikh	Live to sleep. Daytime habits helps/hurts the quality of sleep. Introduced to the SnoreFree app.  Let's see what happens Category: Self-Help Fluff; Nonfiction	N
115	9/22/21	Niksen : embracing the Dutch art of doing nothing	Olga Mecking	Doing nothing to take a break only works if the culture you live in supports that Category: Self-Help Fluff; Nonfiction	N
114	9/22/21	Parenthesis	Élodie Durand	It only scratched the surface of seizure episodes. I can't imagine the confusion and frustration Category: Graphic Novel; Nonfiction	N
113	9/21/21	Deep Kindness	Houston Kraft	Don't be nice, that's just easy, reactivate pleasantries. Being kind takes effort borne out of trustworthiness, selflessness, effort to understand (empathy), being genuine, and consistently carrying out these acts of love. Category: How-to; Self-Help Fluff; Nonfiction	N
112	9/18/21	Zconomy	Jason Dorsey and Denise Villa, PhD	It's a different way of communication. Not coddling? Drip lessons (micro video training) to demonstrate problem-solving through the eyes of different personalities. Instant feedback given and taken. Decision through trusted relationships Category: Nonfiction	N
111	9/18/21	Unfinished	Priyanka Chopra Jones	She had aspirations to become an aerospace engineer! Diversity is your strength Category: Memoir/Autobiography; Nonfiction	N
110	9/6/21	The Art of Stopping	David Kundtz	More salves for my restless mind and diminishing spirituality.  Stillness Is peaceful motion. Stopping is finding peace to connect you to your true self. No need for retreats. It's an active mindfulness practice to breathe,  slow down the pace of furious stress and distractions, and contemplate the in-between of musical notes (life is music) Category: Self-Help Fluff; Nonfiction	N
109	9/6/21	Be Water, My Friend: The Teachings of Bruce Lee	Shannon Lee	Learning about the passing of many loved ones really moved me to read this one. I am grateful for the availability of these soothing words to make more meaning of this existence Category: Self-Help Fluff; Nonfiction	N
108	9/1/21	The Parakeet	Espé	Vivid cell shadings heighten the heartbreak of a child experiencing the trauma of a schizophrenic,  bipolar, depressed mother. Grandma was the child's closest chum while his mother was trying to sort her broken mind. It hurts to relive the memory of thinking your absentee parent could be a superhero, but in reality, they are fragile and hurting so much on the inside Category: Graphic Novel; Nonfiction	N
107	8/29/21	Instagram Rules	Jodie Cook	Proof that I don't have the commitment (interest) to become an Instagram Influencer. I like to engage and connect with people, but playing this calculated metrics game to ensure organic interaction is tiring and feels like a slimy way to build relationships Category: How-to; Nonfiction	N
106	8/29/21	Know Yourself Know Your Money	Rachel Cruze	A reminder to periodically re-examine the Why in earning, spending, saving, and giving money. Money is a tool in your ultimate life purpose. Your purpose informs your relationship with money. Category: Self-Help Fluff; Nonfiction	N
105	8/29/21	The Dance Cure	Peter Lovatt	Pumping up the intrinsic motivation to move. Why make room for the medicine cabinet when you can make room for expressing yourself physically and sharpening the skill and mindset to process new information (proprioception, sequence of moves, being able to control your body and isolated movement to certain parts). Appreciate the cultural splash of awareness with a lithe peer into the Gay Gordons Category: Self-Help Fluff; Nonfiction	N
104	8/16/21	Asterios Polyp	David Mazzucchelli	Loved the line drawings. Fitting for a paper architect's passage of building humility. Another mirror reflecting on my know-it-all tendencies when I am uncomfortable and want to prove my worth Category: Fiction; Graphic Novel	N
103	8/13/21	Slow	Brooke McAlary	Take your meds: Mindfulness, exercise, diet, sleep. Everything else is known, but not actively practiced (no sincere attention was invested) Category: Self-Help Fluff; Nonfiction	N
102	8/8/21	52 Small Changes for the Mind	Brett Blumenthal	Some new tidbits. Appreciate the worksheets (PDF) Category: Self-Help Fluff; Nonfiction	N
101	8/8/21	Talk Like TED	Carmine Gallo	Good pointers on making a memorable use of 18 minutes. It inspired some thoughts about why it makes sense that women are necessary for aerospace Category: Nonfiction	Y
100	8/4/21	The Art of Flaneruing	Erika Owen	I appreciate the realization that I am living at a time when I have more latitude to explore the world as a woman. The perspectives of minority women through their sojourns help break down social biases. It is no longer just a well-to-do male privilege. Category: Uplifting Women; Nonfiction	N
99	8/4/21	Swimming in Darkness	Lucas Harari	Something about the composition of cyan, neon orange, and great hues that drew me to this graphic novel about the adventures of a French former architecture student trying to get to the bottom of his obsession with the Vals Thermal Baths in the Swiss Alps. The mouth of the mountain consumed this tourist Category: Graphic Novel	N
98	8/3/21	Dress Your Best Life	Dawnn Karen	What a departure from my normal nonfiction. I appreciate learning about a fashion psychologist's perspective of making garb a part of your toolkit to empower your identity. The fact that she is a minority woman helps me appreciate the layers of cultural nuances she can illuminate in her exploratory chapters that I can relate to Category: Uplifting Women; How-to; Self-Help Fluff; Nonfiction	N
97	7/31/21	Let Love Rule	Lenny Kravitz	The magnetic, nostalgic words held my attention. I think it inspired my karaoke streak this week with the musical comforts of '60s tunes that reflected his loving upbringing. His mentions of L.A. life and musical influences shrouded me with safe familiarity. First time hearing "Let Love Rule." It felt like the Piped Piper just hit a frequency that entranced my less reasonable sense to stay awake and do some more reading. Category: Memoir/Autobiography; Nonfiction	N
96	7/26/21	Sensitive is the New Strong	Anita Moorjani	No shame in being an empath. Love yourself to bring more love into the world through this sixth sense in a five sense world. Another timely read because I'm full of guilt and doubt Category: Memoir/Autobiography; Self-Help Fluff; Nonfiction	N
95	7/24/21	Happiness Becomes You	Tina Turner	Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Once raising your life to a higher condition, you can turn poison into medicine. Use the negative energy to fuel into a loving outcome. Unleash the virulent potency through spiritual fitness. Do activities that build up your spirituality Category: Memoir/Autobiography; Self-Help Fluff; Nonfiction	N
94	7/18/21	It's Never Too Late	Kathie Lee Gifford	Wow, this moved me more than I expected. I didn't think it would weave so much Christian faith into her autobiographical anecdotes. Music, movies, writing, authentic dtorytelling. Category: Memoir/Autobiography; Nonfiction	N
93	7/18/21	Badass Habits	Jen Sincero	Mantra. Setting up for success in the way of scheduling, investing, organization, reminders, and emotionally connecting with it (in my case, pausing and recalling why it's purposeful). Track so you can see progress. Stack habits. Rapidly bypass the distractions. Anticipate what self-inflicted roadblocks or detours may appear so you know how to address them. Surround with people, physical environment, emotional environment, and spiritual environment that will lead to reinforcing the identity you are trying to build with the habit. Talk up this identity. Confidently live/embody this identity. Category: Self-Help Fluff; Nonfiction	N
92	7/18/21	Come Fly the World	Julia Cooke	My early pick for the August Book Club. I was emotionally drawn to the historical context of these Pan Am stewardesses at the start of the book. It felt like the author lost momentum towards the end. Category: Nonfiction	N
91	7/15/21	Money Hacks	Lisa Rowan	Not entirely applicable. Curious about being a (remote) notary in Texas. Category: Self-Help Fluff; Nonfiction	N
90	7/13/21	This is the Night Our House Will Catch Fire	Nick Flynn	Been meaning to read something from this UH professor. I liked how he presented his life in short vignettes enmeshed in the smoldering metaphor of fire properties and explosions in the natural world. Centralia, the city that is still on fire since the '60s. Mr. Mann and how he set the field ablaze. Seeing parallels of the unrest in his mind and that of his mother when she lit up their asbestos lined home across the street from the fire station and started spiraling down the path to suicide Category: Memoir/Autobiography; Nonfiction	N
89	7/10/21	The Dictionary of Body Language	Joe Navarro	Another reference I wouldn't mind having on my shelf. I'm glad I enjoyed the audio book version to help understand the nuances of sighing and breathing patterns. Gravity defying gestures and motions indicate an elevated state (usually positive). Shoe draping on toes indicate comfort - I do that often without realizing it Category: Nonfiction	Y
88	7/10/21	Dare to Fly	Former U.S. Senator and Col. USAF (Retired) Martha McSally	Forgive, but no need to reconcile. Prepare, train, break up the milestone chunks into familiar tasks, use your memory of overcoming difficulty to fuel you to success. Category: Memoir/Autobiography; Nonfiction	N
87	7/5/21	Not Necessarily Rocket Science	Kellie Gerardi	A different perspective on getting into the space game. Appreciated the interviews with Lopez-Alegia, (Lucy) Hawking, and the Garriot de Cayeauxs. Disappointed that AIAA was not mentioned in the list of organizations to get familiar with Category: Memoir/Autobiography; Nonfiction	N
86	7/4/21	A Woman Like Her	Sanam Maher	A reminder of how I take freedom of speech for granted. This account on the state of Pakistani women's ability to express themselves online and honor killings because of sexist, conservative cultural beliefs  frustrates the very Western me. I don't care for or agree with the content that Qandeel Baloch posted, but I think she should be free to express herself. Category: Memoir/Autobiography; Biography; Nonfiction	N
85	7/3/21	Life is in the Transitions	Bruce Feiler	I needed this book. I feel like I was going through a transition now. It got me penning thoughts and nudging me to work on this change Category: Memoir/Autobiography; Biography; Nonfiction; Self-Help Fluff	N
84	6/30/21	The Couple Next Door	Shari Lapena	Um. I was fascinated with the plot twists until the end. The last altercation was not needed. Category: Fiction; Book Club	N
83	6/28/21	What is Life?	Paul Nurse	The application of biology to reveal life's purpose was a good perspective shift. A balance of constancy and the ability to evolve is what keeps one alive. Cells, genes, natural selection, chemical reactions, processing information. What good is replicating data without processing it to improve. Creating a new prototype is the destruction of something that exists. It helps shift into another trajectory of life. Category: Nonfiction	N
82	6/26/21	The Art of Showing Up	Rachel Wilkerson Miller	Great scripts to navigate unacceptable, toxic behaviors and establish healthy boundaries. Would be a handy guide to have on the shelf. Category: How-to; Self-Help Fluff; Nonfiction	N
81	6/19/21	Digital Minimalism	Cal Newport	Dedicated office hours for folks to have a phone conversation (not a shallow comment exchange) that develops social depth. Structured leisure. Align tech with your values Category: Self-Help Fluff; Nonfiction	Y
80	6/19/21	Chatter	Ethan Kross	A distant perspective or removing yourself from an inhibiting headspace can turn that self-talk around. Category: Self-Help Fluff; Nonfiction	N
79	6/17/21	Draw Your Day	Samantha Dion Baker	Visual inspiration to start drawing a daily visual record of the mundane and my fancies, feelings, and frolicking curiosities Category: How-to; Nonfiction	N
78	6/14/21	The Bookish Life of Nina Hill	Abbi Waxman	Amusing book club selection. I identify with the comforts of reading and feeling so interwoven in the Angeleno fabric. Nina is anxious like me. I am still trying to my coping mechanisms. Category: Fiction; Book Club	N
77	6/11/21	Scythe	Neal Shusterman	Wow! Great book club selection. I would be open to reading the other books in the series. A great young adult novel that makes you ponder about mortality and morality Category: Fiction; Book Club	N
76	6/11/21	How We Live Now	Rebecca Winward	Not my kind of aesthethic. It felt claustrophobic seeing the ensemble of furniture and layers of texture. I appreciate expanding my mind to paint a floor with chalk paint so there is an indoor sidewalk to draw and hopscotch on. Slim profile legs on furniture to make the room look more spacious (No blocky, squat configurations that make a volume feel full) Category: Nonfiction	N
75	6/9/21	Someone Who Will Love You in All Your Damaged Glory	Raphael Bob-Waksberg	From the brainchild of BoJack Horseman, a collection of whimsical love stories. I'm numb on determining if I truly enjoyed it. Category: Fiction	Y
74	6/6/21	Social Chemistry	Marissa King	Convene, broker, expansion. Different contexts need different ways of connecting. At the end of the day, regardless of connection type, to make meaningful connections, you need to listen, have a learning mindset, and ask follow up questions (dispense a little information about yourself, but show you are listening and want to deepen the conversation) Category: Nonfiction	Y
73	6/5/21	Self- Compassion	Kristin Neff	You are having a difficult time. You are human. What can I or you do to help care for myself? Category: Nonfiction; How-to; Self-Help Fluff	N
72	6/1/21	Life is Like a Musical	Tim Federle	Have courage to be happy. Be nice. Take notes without explaining your missteps. Category: Nonfiction; How-to	N
71	5/24/21	The Paper Solution	Lisa Woodruff	A simple system of a weekly basket with a collection of binders - let's see if I can implement it. Nice templates for information at a glance for each binder. This aside made me smile for digital organization. Category: Nonfiction; How-to	N
70	5/23/21	Invisible Differences	Julie Dachez	My hypersensitivity to light and noises; attentiveness to something for hours; clumsiness; and often slow reflexes makes me think I have some form of Asperger's Category: Nonfiction; Graphic Novel	N
69	5/22/21	Apollo's Brothers	Tom Wilks	Enjoyed the behind-the- scenes look at testing gear at JSC in the 60s and 70s Category: Aerospace; Nonfiction; Purty Picture	N
68	5/22/21	Together	Vivek H. Murthy	Loneliness is lethal. It starts with self compassion and connecting with others to mitigate the devastating effects and heal. Learning the vocabulary that points at feeling shame (full circle, Brené) Category: Nonfiction	Y
67	5/22/21	Sigh, Gone	Phuc Tran	Appropriately enjoyed this for AAPI Heritage Month. Being an 80s kid, rising above the model minority myth, becoming literate in our common humanity (through books and the punk scene). Next up, his TEDx Talk. Category: Memoir/Autobiography	N
66	5/22/21	AOC	Lynda Lopez	My introduction to Congressperson Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez through a variety of essays. A refresh on what socialism is. Four years my junior and from the Bronx, she has surpassed a level of perseverance and activism beyond what I comprehend or experienced. Her style of advocacy is awe-inspiring Category:Women Empowerment; Nonfiction	N
65	5/12/21	Read This If You Want to be YouTube Famous.	Will Eagle	Inspired by the thought of improving my content generation on a visual medium. Not really looking to making videos, but seeing the psychology of capturing someone's 6-8 minutes fancy. Happy for the rabbit hole introduction to Creator Academy. Stick with evergreen topics. Catchy titles. Five to 20 seconds call to action at the end. Get on a playlist. Category:How-to	N
64	5/11/21	The Vanishing Half	British Bennett	Small town named Mallard. Twins that waded through adulthood on different streams.  Engrossing story of blurred color lines. Category:Fiction; Book Club	Y
63	5/2/21	Measure of a Man	Sidney Poitier	Beautifully articulated reflection of spiritual growth. We all have a sinister side.  We ride the waves of life, hoping not to lean into it. Ego masks our ability to intuit the natural rhythm of life and our place in the cosmos Category:Autobiography	Y
62	4/28/21	How to They/Them	Stuart Getty	I was confounded by the modern use of pronouns. This book was a surprising find at the library to help navigate through the acronyms that folks identify with. I was enlightened by the breakdown of gender identity, SAAB (sex assigned at birth), and sexual orientation. The drawings were amusing accompaniment to the fluidity of navigating gender Category:Nonfiction	N
61	4/24/21	Happy as a Dane	Malene Rydahl	Be realistic and know that happiness is fleeting. Danish lessons: Happiness stems from trust, service to others, humility, integrity, firm confidence in your identity, and balance in all aspects of your life (equality in responsibilities and access to resources to maintain a meaningful life). Category:Self-Help Fluff; Nonfiction	Y
60	4/21/21	Consider the Lobster	David Foster Wallace	I felt late to this fan party. I was crestfallen to learn that the author has passed. I definitely want to read his other works. This collection of random factoids and editorials about humanity made me chortle and consider alternative perspectives. A winner. Category:Nonfiction	Y
59	4/20/21	The Shapeless Unease - A Year of Not Sleeping	Samantha Harvey	I liked the extreme traverse of fantasy and reality as you meander through her musings of achieving that elusive sleep. Racing thoughts and noisy passers-by from living off the main drag jolt her from that delicious somnolence. Sounds all too familiar Category:Memoir/Autobiography; Fiction; Nonfiction	N
58	4/18/21	Live Beautiful	Athena Calderone	Interior design that didn't speak to me. I appreciate the architectural puzzles they accented. A built in couch for a beach house in New York that extends to the outside patio? Nice. Category: Purty Picture	N
57	4/18/21	American Utopia	David Byrne and Maira Kalman	A colorful canvas of Talking Heads front man's exploration of home and diversity that makes a Utopia. Spike Lee's film adaptation is on the queue Category: Graphic Novel; Fiction	N
56	4/17/21	Prey	Ayaan Hirsi Ali	A triggering account of immigrants in Europe setting women's rights backwards and not being able to integrate. I am interested in her interview with Joe Rogan. Category: Nonfiction	Y
55	4/15/21	Eat a Peach	David Chang	Engrossing emotional journey of reckoning with your Asian- American identity, career aspirations, and your mental health. I thought his 33 rules for becoming a chef were applicable to other vocations and occupations Category: Memoir/Autobiography	N
54	4/5/21	Chinatown Pretty	Andria Lo and Valerie Luu	70+ years old and maintaining their livelihood in comfortable, striking garb in San Francisco,  Los Angeles, Chicago, Manhattan, and Vancouver. I loved the snapshots of Toisan industry and perseverance Category: Nonfiction; Purty Picture	N
53	4/4/21	Inclusify	Stefanie K. Johnson	Equity, not equality. Do what it takes to make people successful. Category: Nonfiction; Leadership	N
52	4/4/21	Dwayne Johnson, The Rock: His Life, His Movies, His World	Hiram Garcia	Love to see tender, humbling moments of this positive force. Category: Purty Picture; Nonfiction	N
51	4/4/21	Breath	James Nestor	Shaming realization that I am a mouth-breather. Each short breath diminishes life force. To relearn proper posture and deeper breathes. Category: Nonfiction	N
50	3/31/21	People Who Love to Eat Are Always the Best People	Julia Child	Delectable compendium of quotes of the playful joys of learning how to cook and savor the good stuff with loved ones Category: Nonfiction	N
49	3/31/21	Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide	John Cleese	It was a creative way to state the obvious. It was good being exposed to these thoughts in a new manner. The novel presentation of these guidelines should help make them stick in my approach to finding alternatives. Play within self-imposed boundaries of space and time. Question often and rumble with it until the grease eats through the wax paper and you're clear on getting the desired residue or elimination of the idea. Bad analogy that surfaced, but getting it out there. Category: How-to; Self-Help Fluff; Nonfiction	N
48	3/30/21	Untamed	Glennon Doyle	I was drawn to her short essays and musings because it feels like Women Who Run With the Wolves prompted Doyle to reflect on the leitmotifs of wild women being free and bringing their best selves forward by feeling, knowing, imagining, and burning those memos that cage us. How her oldest daughter handled being an empath revealed the reminder to pause. To feel it, good or bad, and take in the lessons from feeling. Naturally, I had to peek into the associated Brené Brown podcast episode. Category: Memoir/Autobiography; Women Empowerment; Nonfiction	N
47	3/25/21	You're Not Listening	Kate Murphy	Rut row. Listening to audio books in double time diminishes my ability to connect and really gather meaning in real time. Depending on what your dominant side is, you filter what is heard with more emotion or more logic based on what side ear is closest to the audio source Category: Nonfiction	Y
46	3/20/21	The Winter of the Cartoonist	Paco Roca	Good introduction to Spanish cartoonists in the 1950s, fighting for creative rights Category: Nonfiction; Graphic Novel	N
45	3/20/21	Maybe in Another Life	Taylor Jenkins Reid	I appreciated the use of alternating chapters to explore parallel realities. Team Henry here. Category: Fiction; Book Club	N
44	3/14/21	Atomic Habits	James Clear	Obvious, attractive, easy, satisfying. 2 minutes to build up. Go! Category: How-to; Self-Help Fluff	Y
43	3/13/21	A Very Punchable Face	Colin Jost	Of SNL fame (head writer), stand-up comedian hailing from Staten Island (not Pete Davidson), Scarlett Johansson spouse, escapism to Puerto Rico,  bad at punching, loves Margaritaville. Amused. Category: Memoir/Autobiography; Humor	N
42	3/13/21	How to Make a House a Home	Ariel Kaye	The organization of the book was comforting and gave ideas on meaningful interactions with the spaces I inhabit: flow, color, lighting, texture, accents,  space Category: How-to; Nonfiction	N
41	3/10/21	Unf#ck Your Brain	Faith G. Harper	HALT makes an appearance. This was too much fluff because I couldn't hear pass the cursing. The quality of the audio was distracting, too. It sounded like it was recorded in the landing of some metallic stairway. I feel like I didn't get new insight. Still on the journey to find new approaches to calm my over-anxious reactions Category: Self-Help Fluff; Nonfiction	Y
40	3/9/21	Start Finishing	Charlie Gilkey	Chunks of focus, social, admin stuff, and restoration. Chunk, link, sequence. Build the right environs and habits. Work on multiple time perspectives so you can adjust your plans periodically. Happy for the sidebars that lead to other reading recommendations Category: Self-Help Fluff; Leadership; Nonfiction	N
39	3/7/21	Presence	Amy Cuddy	Power pose before you take action!  Action impacts feelings. Move to inspire confidence. You deserve to take up space. Category: Self-Help Fluff; Leadership; Nonfiction	Y
38	3/5/21	The Art of Being Indispensable at Work	Bruce Tulgan	GSD. Vertical alignment (communicate up and down). Know where you invest your time. Bite, chew, swallow. Have a do list (not to do lists)  and know when you have gaps in your schedule to GSD. Be in an orbit of go-to folks. Write stuff down and professional-ize it (repeatable, quality outcomes). Category: Self-Help Fluff; Leadership; Nonfiction	N
37	3/2/21	Requiem for the American Dream	Noam Chomsky	"Celebrated thinker of our time," they say. Gosh, it feels like a scary, broken record that we've not heed any warning to. The points drove more home when I watched the the documentary. Principles of concentrating wealth and power scares the meritocracy we pine for from existing. 1) Reduce democracy 2) Shape ideology 3) Redesign the economy 4) Shift the burden 5) Attack solidarity 6) Run the regulators 7) Engineer elections 8) Keep the rabble in line 9) Manufacture consent 10) Marginalize the population Category: Nonfiction	Y
36	3/2/21	Big Black Stand at Attica	Frank "Big Black" Smith	Wow, these 4 days in 1971 were not discussed in any history class I had. The warped media portrayal of the inmates' struggles and the senseless violence towards the inmates is infuriating It saddens me to think that the penal system still has not improved. It still feels like a prison industrial complex where inmates are not rehabilitated, but stuck in a prejudiced system that keep is them trapped. Category: Nonfiction; Graphic Novel	N
35	2/27/21	The Clutter Connection	Cassandra Aarssen	I'm a cricket. Visual simplicity, organizational abundance. Container Store solutions were made for my type, apparently. Category: Self-Help Fluff	Y
34	2/27/21	The Goldbergs Cookbook	Beverly Goldberg	Fun! Lots of meat (including veal) and cheese. Ocean meat parmesan. Category: Cookbook; Humor	N
33	2/26/21	The Greatest Love Story Ever Told	Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman	I love that they listen to audio books while piecing jigsaw puzzles together. I have not seen any of their shows, but listening to their thoughts makes me think I'd be amused by them. Their endearing, respectful, and harmonious partnership is apparent in their genuine and warm banter throughout this aural journey of their romance Category: Biography; Nonfiction; Humor	Y
32	2/25/21	The Toni Morrison Book Club	Winnifred Brown-Glaude, Juda Bennett,  Cassandra Jackson, and Piper Kendrick Williams	This felt like an interpersonal Cliff Notes summary of Ms. Morrison's books through the lens of individuals that have been sidelined to the fringes of mainstream society. Now I need to actually go read these books. These essays were emotionally shocking and I crave better understanding of finding solace in Ms. Morrison's words. Category:Nonfiction	N
31	2/21/21	Hidden Figures	Margot Lee Shetterly	It took me too long to enjoy the content of this book. I watched the movie. I heard the praise. It took a Book Club prompt to get me there. I want to channel that endurance, that drive to excel, and that love and care to set an un-movable foundation for those that come after me. Category: Biography; Women Empowerment; Book Club	Y
30	2/21/21	Notes to Self	Emilie Pine	Ouch. Infertility, perfectionism, depression, broken family dynamics. All things that speak to my soul and heart. Ms. Pine articulates my hurt with respect to throwing myself at work when my biological role doesn't seem fulfilled. Category: Memoir/Autobiography; Women Empowerment	Y
29	2/21/21	Eat Joy	Natalie Eve Garrett	I was surprised I didn't devour this book. It took over 1.5 months to get affirmation that food can heal and comfort. I like to see what celebrated authors consume to nourish their bodies while they pen works that nourishes many souls Category: Memoir/Autobiography; Cookbook	N
28	2/20/21	Mosquito Supper Club	Melissa M. Martin	I have to say this peek into a Cajun bayou kitchen left a stronger impression than most other cookbooks. I love the cultural highlights of resourcefulness, resilience, and integration. I would love to savor their locally-sourced seafood bounty the next time I am in New Orleans. Category: Women Empowerment; Cookbook	N
27	2/14/21	The Confidence Code	Katty Kay	Give yourself permission to do. That is the secret to building confidence. Category: Women Empowerment; Self-Help Fluff	Y
26	2/13/21	Emotional Detox for Anxiety	Sherianna Boyle	Surprised how humming can heal. CLEANSE Category: Self-Help Fluff	N
25	2/7/21	Kill Reply All	Victoria Turk	Wow, I feel out of touch with digital interactions and proper netiquette. STBXH is a common acronym?  Milkshake duck? Never heard of that term for an online darling that was soon scoffed at for having a questionable background. Category: Nonfiction	N
20, 20, 20, 24 Hours to Go...	2/6/21	Listful Thinking	Paula Rizzo	Another mirror book. I do make plenty of lists so I don't feel like I've learned that much more. Only pick up a call if I have set an appointment? Not during this pandemic if my mom needs tech support. This was written in 2014. I wonder how Ms. Rizzo would revise this book for today. Her site/blog is still active. Category: Self-Help Fluff	Y
23	2/6/21	Reasons to Stay Alive	Matt Haig	AIDA - Attention, Interest, Desire, Action. I checked out for most of the book. However, it's reassuring to hear that people feel more alive by reading. It helps them reckon with time: time travel, accelerate time, get ideas on how to use their time in their own contexts. Category: Memoir/Autobiography; Self-Help Fluff	Y
I two two you	2/4/21	I Tried to Change So You Don't Have To	Loni Love	She won my heart knowing she sang Niecey's "Free" at a talent show, was an electrical engineer, and demonstrated so much heart in pursuing comedy her way, not the Def Comedy Jam way. I loved her lessons learned: Laughter can save your behind and having nice things is not as valuable as being resourceful Feeling let down by one's bad behavior is a healthy sign that you know your worth Doing the wrong thing sometimes look like the best solution,  but have faith that the higher being will show another way Find the hustle appropriate for you When you're dealt a bad hand, figure a way to pull yourself together Messages to help set you on your way are there. You just have to listen The person you're holding on to the tightest is the one holding you back, it's time to let them go Even in the most awful situations, people can come together to help you handle anything even though you are caged in deep prejudices Give your own permission to be yourself.  Claim your space. Tell your story Embrace your quirks that give you the opportunity to be a role model for others that are on the fringe of mainstream like you Say yes to opportunities that replenish the spirit If you stand in your truth and behave with integrity,  no one can take you down Category: Memoir/Autobiography; Humor	N
21 Jump Street	2/2/21	Dot.Con	James Veitch	Rhymes with "peach." It took multiple correspondences to tickle my Shen Men. I discovered this was a sensitive spot at a pressure point stress relief workshop.  What did for me were the fluid identities he would assume in befuddling e-mail scammers. I was hoping to see more social media scams. The repetitive e-mails droned. The turning point were the doctored images he attached to the e-mails Category: Nonfiction; Humor	N
HalloweenH20	2/2/21	Why Not Me?	Mindy Kaling	I enjoy her sense of humor. Her anxious mannerisms mirror my energetic pace. Yeah, confidence - a trap to buy body wash Category: Memoir/Autobiography	Y
1Nine	2/1/21	Fanocracy	David Meerman Scott and Reiko Scott	Leverage passion and identity to create connection and meaning for your best advocates. Listen. Category: How-to; Leadership	N
1Eight	2/1/21	The 7 Secrets of Responsive Leadership	Jackie Jenkins-Scott	Resonated with my personal strengths and the way I already operate: curiosity, empathy, humility, and resilience. The "Keep Your Bags Packed" chapter was really relevant to my current feelings Category: Women Empowerment; How-to; Self-Help Fluff; Leadership	N
1Seven	1/31/21	Here for It	R. Eric Thomas	The humor in his essays split my sides. He is a couple years my senior, but I can appreciate the New York/Maryland/Philadelphia cultural milieu he was growing up in to embrace his identity as a gay, Christian, Black man that can morph words into pointed observations. His struggles in feeling like he wholeheartedly belongs to these labels are relatable. Imposter syndrome over and over. Category: Memoir/Autobiography	N
1Six	1/31/21	Salt & Time	Alissa Timoshkina	Grateful for my Saint Petersburg trip so I can appreciate seeing this collection of Russian recipes. Bread and salt to welcome. Buckthorn berry beverage to refresh Category: Cookbook	N
1Five	1/28/21	The Twilight Man: Rod Serling and the Birth of Television	Koren Shadmi	Paratrooper, radio personality, writer, host. What a career. All that sacrifice and burnout though. I hate the feast or famine mentality that kills the soul and causes cardiac arrest. I have not seen any of his television shows. Maybe I'll watch one of them. I was surprised with twist at the end of the graphic novel. If this is representative of his storytelling techniques, it'll give me a good chuckle and make me yell, "You got me! " Category: Biography; Graphic Novel	N
1Four	1/27/21	The Ultimate Droodles Compendium	Fritz Holznagel	Very, very amused by this introduction to Roger Price. A writer/talker that worked with Bob Hope and created Mad Libs. He harbored ill feelings towards Zoom kids. Created his social commentary magazine, Gruff. Yay, right-brained exercises to provide witty captions for a sandbox of retro squiggles Category: Biography; Nonfiction	N
1Three	1/24/21	Yes to Life in Spite of Everything	Viktor Frankl	Meaning is what drives life. "Life is not something, it is the opportunity for something." It is how we react and move to the finite amount of time and other resources we have despite hardship or suffering from physical or mental illness. I can't compare the hardships of a concentration camp to anguish within my circle. It is our responsibility to move towards a decision to actualize the opportunities. I want to re-read this when I can reflect on these thoughts without feeling so disorganized and being distracted by psychological discomforts of the work environment and some volunteer commitments Category: Nonfiction	N
1Two	1/24/21	Storm Front	Jim Butcher	Gave it the good ol' college try, but it's not my genre. Appreciated the buffoonery in self-deprecating retorts and "Hooboy." That is all. Category: Science Fiction; Hard-Boiler; Book Club	N
1One	1/24/21	Dapper Dan: Made in Harlem	Daniel R. Day	Loved the reinforcement that no one will pave the way for you. Need to do the homework and listen, observe, and execute without sacrificing integrity. The first 5 years of a person's life shapes you like no other. Like him, I was fortunate to have so many loved ones invested in my well-being even though we may not be in the echelons of the middle class. He passes on the attitudes to at-risk youth as he can about questioning materialism and to think about what makes it a good life. I can only hope my STEM outreach efforts provide a similar impact. My mom would scour yard sales to make sure I had presentable clothes. Mr. Day had an eye to accentuate one's identity and marry it with practical garb. Category: Memoir/Autobiography	Y
Diez	1/18/21	The Infinite Game	Simon Sinek	Ouch. It felt like I participated in the ice bucket challenge of shame when I realized how I'm involved with many finite games and not playing the infinite game. My actions and current involvements are not helping with the long-term just cause to develop and sustain energetic enrichment or to help the community to soar, learn, and appreciate interdisciplinary feats especially in aerospace. Who is my worthy rival to help bring the best out of me? Where is the courage to do the ethical thing that will bring enrichment? Category: Nonfiction	Y
Nueve	1/15/21	About Your Father	Peggy Rowe	I agree with the reviews:  Mike Rowe's mama certainly captivates audiences with more candid, approachable reminiscent passages than Erma Bombeck. So drawn, I'm following her Facebook Page Category: Nonfiction	N
Ocho	1/14/21	Happiness Will Follow	Mike Hawthorne	Half Puerto Rican,  half white. Lived in poverty, abuse, alienation, and hurt. The proud single mother masking reality just to try and make it. I didn't live in such dire circumstances, but seeing these bold tableaus of navigating your family history makes me that much more grateful for my mom and what she did for my upbringing Category: Memoir; Graphic Novel	N
Siete	1/14/21	Bix	Scott Chantler	Chantler knows how to frame emotions. My introduction to Bix Biederbecke. Biederbecke's alcoholic spiral in swatches of blue-green revealed depths of risk and uncertainty like the sea.  "Singing the Blues" and "In a Mist" need another careful listen. They made me feel contemplative and I didn't pay any attention to the nuances of his compositions.  Category: Biography; Graphic Novel	N
Seis	1/11/21	Mental Floss: Cocktail Cheat Sheets	Editors of Mental Floss	Amusing. Will I recall these tidbits? Maybe. Category: Nonfiction	N
Cinco	1/10/21	The Art of Gathering	Priya Parker	Mmmmmmm... getting comfortable with conflict and hot topics if it serves a purposeful valve in releasing unproductive attitudes at gatherings. Closing is as important as opening - don't unleash announcements then. Make it the second to last thing. Set the memorable tone by establishing purpose, explicit rules. 90% of a successful event is done before the start of an event. Lots to ponder. Category: How-to;  Nonfiction	Y
Cuatro	1/6/21	When Less Becomes More	Emily Ley	I wanted to see how the creator behind Simplified Planners streamlined her day and actions into something meaningful. A reminder to protect your wellspring. Got turned off by the discussion on faith because I was not receptive to hearing about that particular practice. I am still searching for my own spiritual practices to nourish my soul and well-being Category: Women Empowerment; How-to; Self-Help Fluff; Nonfiction	N
Tres	1/3/21	Southern Lady Code	Helen Ellis	Living in Houston for over a decade has certainly introduced me to some of these alternative verbal launches. Yes, Texas is a different kind of South (especially in this "international" city), but I feel the stereotypical Southern biases are present. Yee-ouch, some of the intended meanings are harsh and rather rude. Even though the author has lived in New York for some time, the pseudo-pleasantries shine. It makes me feel uneasy Category: Memoir/Autobiography; Nonfiction	Y
Dos	1/3/21	Sister Outsider	Audre Lorde	A probing collection of essays, interviews, and snippets of poetry (a more accessible format of expression because you do not need long-winded thoughts to be structured) that explores the complexity of being a Black lesbian and the pain and suffering (unprocessed pain) of not having anger caused by racism, sexism, or homophobia addressed. Women empowerment cannot progress if we cannot respect each other's differences and recognize we are all struggling for equality. An introduction to Grenada. Island persons of color have greater grit and resilience after countless imperialistic aggressions Category: Memoir/Autobiography; Women Empowerment; Nonfiction	N
Uno	1/3/21	Sick	Porochista Khakpour	An uncomfortable listen. Hypochondriac thoughts hovered. Psychosomatic menses symptoms seem to manifest. Unlike Khakpour, Los Angeles visits restore me. The thought of New York does not appeal to me. Convalescence in New Mexico sounds restorative. I am a Southwest gal, after all. To revive health, I need to listen to my body more, take things slower, bask in the outdoors. No quackery from miracle practices. Category: Memoir/Autobiography	Y