Gifts are complicated things. The simple premise of giving someone something they need, love, or want is what actually complicates the definition of a gift. Gifts, before anything else, function like a contract that requires the exchange of goods and/or services until someone dies, or decides to break off the relationship with the gift giver. … Continue reading
Category Archives: nonfiction
Geography and Conversations About Race: a review of Reni Eddo-Lodge’s “Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race”
Talking about race is exhausting. It is emotionally draining, stressful, awkward, painful, scary, and sometimes really dangerous. To have a conversation about race, or any hard topics like gender, sexuality, and class, requires a level of vulnerability that demands patience and practice. People from different sides of the spectrum often come to the table with … Continue reading
“Without You, There Is No Us”: a review
Disclosure: This page may contain affiliate links. Clicking through for additional information or to make a purchase may result in a small commission. Suki Kim’s book Without You, There Is No Us: My Secret Life Teaching the Sons of North Korea’s Elite was written in 2014. I really enjoyed this book. It was a powerful … Continue reading
“From Here to Eternity”: a review of Caitlin Doughty’s latest book on death
From Here to Eternity: Traveling the world to find the good death is Caitlin Doughty’s latest book. Part anthropological study, part travel memoir Doughty travels to far and wide places around the world to learn about how different cultures deal with and treat death. This book feels like the natural flow-on from her previous book … Continue reading
My Top 5 Books About Death, Dying, Medicine, and Grief
Disclosure: This page may contain affiliate links. Clicking through for additional information or to make a purchase may result in a small commission. It is coming up to Christmas, the end of the year, and the 21st of December. Whilst many people around the world are making Christmas lists, dusting off menorahs, tentatively imagining New … Continue reading
“Hunger”: reflecting on Roxane Gay’s memoir
Every woman and girl knows what it is like to have their body judged by not just the people around them, but also by themselves. I distinctly remember being about seven or eight years old at my friend Amanda’s house playing dress-ups, when I thought to myself as I looked in the mirror, “Well at … Continue reading
My Ultimate Books to Re-read
I have re-read a lot of books because of my studies, however, this usually means that the re-reading is out of necessity and not total indulgence. In saying that, there are three books that I keep returning to throughout my life because they are just so great. Each time I read them again, I feel … Continue reading
Hillbilly Life Lessons: A Review of J.D. Vance’s “Hillbilly Elegy”
Poverty traps people not just in a monetary way. It also traps people in silence. People don’t open up about their complicated families or lives for fear of judgement. And people will judge. Let. Me. Tell. You. Vance’s memoir was like a breath of fresh air in this sense. Continue reading
“Insight”: a personal review of Dr Tasha Eurich’s novel of self-awareness
This is Dr Tasha Eurich’s latest book. This is the first book I listened to with my newest Audible account. I’ve spoken about audiobooks in the past, and back then I wasn’t so excited. However, this time around, I’m sorta loving audiobooks. Although that is another discussion for another post. Insight: Why We’re Not as … Continue reading
A Review of “Do No Harm” by Henry Marsh
Do No Harm is a medical memoir. Henry Marsh picks tales from his career as a neurosurgeon and shares his failures, successes, frustrations, and hopes. I think that this book is extremely important for our society because it details the frustrations and complications of working in hospitals and brings a human aspect to medicine in … Continue reading
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