My Book List

January 2013

The Good Doctor by Dalmon Galgut

A book of South Africa’s transition. (Rian Malan) Takes place in a very rural hospital. Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and the Commonwealth Writers Prize.

This is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz

In the new book, as previously, Díaz is almost too good for his own good. His prose style is so irresistible, so sheerly entertaining, it risks blinding readers to its larger offerings. Yet he weds form so ideally to content that instead of blinding us, it becomes the very lens through which we can see the joy and suffering of the signature Díaz subject: what it means to belong to a diaspora, to live out the possibilities and ambiguities of perpetual ­insider/outsider status. – New York Times Book Review

April 2013

The Roundhouse  by Louise Erdrich

A story of coming to age told  by a young teen boy. It’s a story of love and justice. A self made justice that is supported by his community on the reservation in North Dakota. I love this book and was pulled into his world.

May 2013

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Wow. This was recommended by a friend and when I ordered it and it arrived on my desk at work, everyone and I mean everyone, who saw that I had the book in my basket warned me not to read it. They said it was just so depressing and dark. And it was. Dark – futile, hopeless. But I read it with encouraging and some spoilers so that I could handle some of the parts when they showed up. His writing is so sparse, bare and amazing. I loved the book and it brought up many questions with no answers. It gave me love for my life and my own struggles which are sweet and not existential. I am glad I read it, yet it will haunt me for a long time.

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah

After reading The Road by Cormac McCarthy, I thought I could perhaps handle this one. It was hard, but incredible. It was almost like a true story version of the Road. The brutality, the rawness, the reality of war in Sierra Leone. It was a hard and painful read, but I’m glad I did it.

January 2012

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

I adored reading this book. It was an “immerse yourself for an entire day” type of book. And that is always a luxury. I loved the description used, I felt I knew the characters. I allowed myself this book for its entertainment factor, without criticism.

Little Bee by Chris Kleave

This book surprised me with its simple story line. An incident brings two worlds together. Little Bee is a fugitive from Nigeria who has an unlikely bond with an English couple. A shocking incident on a beach in Africa illustrates the clash of cultures. I love being reminded of the luxury that is my life. And this book does that. Reminds me to be grateful, every moment. I have found myself discussing this story with the people in my life.

The Farmer and the Obstetrician by Michel Odent

This is a look into the parallels between industrialized farming and industrialized childbirth. Uncanny and obviously one and the same topic. Michel Odent has always been a proponent of the necessity of undisturbed birth and goes into great detail regarding this topic. I love the reminder and will reintroduce many of these concepts into our own practice – where possible.

Walden by Henry David Thoreau

My goodness! How incredible it is to read this as an adult. I’m sure I had to read it in high school. He is a minimalist, a locavore, an environmentalist. His descriptions brought me into the woods surrounding Walden Pond where he lived in a small and isolated cabin for two years. He watched his surroundings and described them with reverence. His brilliance had me constantly agreeing with him. His words….. sigh. I fell deeply in love with this man, his lifestyle and his courage.

“The surface of the earth is soft and impressible by the feet of men; and so with the paths which the mind travels. ” – Thoreau 1854

The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls

I was late to clinic because of this book. I could not stop reading it late into the night and early the next morning. It is by the same author as Half Broke Horses. It is a memoir of a childhood full of adventure, dusty desert towns, hunger, Appalachia, neglect, poverty and hardship. It was a book that made me squirm, yet continue reading. It gave an insight into a world often unseen. It is a true story.

February 2012

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Well….I enjoyed the style of writing, bunches! The story, however, was deeply disappointing. I had the expectation that this was a wildly romantic love story between Katherine and Heathcliff. Wrong. Very, very wrong. The darkness wasn’t lightened by desire or love. It felt evil, twisted and extremely disturbing. I’m in the market for classic love stories – great literature! What would you recommend?

Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain by David Eagleman

Well-known neuroscientist, David Eagleman, wrote this fascinating book on different aspects of the brain’s subconscious workings. It is really a series of essays chock full of the most interesting newest research on the brain. The question, “Who am I?” reaches a different level as it questions our ideas of free will. I loved this book so much and highly recommend it to anyone fascinated by our brain! I couldn’t put it down.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

I have read this book so many times and enjoy it again and again each time I read it. This time I loved not only the simplicity of the writing, but the simple lifestyle led by the Nolans. The goals were simple. Survive and be educated. Francie’s sweet insight into life in the early part of the 20th century moves me deeply. A classic.

Flourish by Martin Seligman

“A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being…..” Although I grew weary of some of the examples and case studies he used, I loved the simple truths of this book. Seligman discusses the concept of how to measure “well-being.” He reminds us that this can be measured. He is the founder of Positive Psychology. He doesn’t believe in ridding ourselves of illness, but by arming ourselves with tools for resilience, well-being and happiness. He discusses the possibility of growth after trauma; he urges countries to measure their worth by considering the general “well-being” of people instead of economics. He discusses the importance of gratitude and backs it with research…… His website is full of resources. I dislike his tone sometimes,. He does seem to use the book to settle a score or too. But the man is brilliant and has practical tips for increasing general well-being – important for happiness.

March 2012

Trauma Stewardship by Laura Lipsky

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Oh Pioneer! by Willa Cather

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

June 2012

The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

July 2012

The Sweet Hereafter by Russell Banks

Stasiland by Anna Funder

Oh! I loved this book. It is an incredible journalistic experience of a young Australian woman who is determined to understand the GDR or East Germany. She is young and a wonderful writer. Falko loved this book as it has been one of the only ones that he felt really was able to capture some of the stories of his own life, his own experience of life in East Germany. I loved it and recommend it!

August 2012

Some Assembly Required: A Journal of My Son’s First Son by Anne Lamott

Anne is always an incredible reminder of how to write. I’ve read Bird by Bird and Operating Instructions and in each book I am pulled into her prose by the detail and ability she has to describe her surroundings and experiences. I love her self-deprecating and humble, honest humor. She reminds me of Natalie Goldberg. 

Still Alice by Lisa Genova

A page turner about Alzheimer’s disease. If you can believe that. Seriously, this is the most riveting book chronicling Alice’s recognition of Alzheimer disease in herself. She is a prestigious Harvard professor studying the mind. Amazing. The author, Lisa Genova is a neuroscientist. 

Home by Marilynne Robinson

I chose this book because she is the author of the Pulitzer Prize-Winning Gilead.  It was a descriptive and quiet novel describing a family’s inner dynamic. A sweet, haunting and slow story. One to savor.

September 2012

Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy

Witnessing Ted: The Journey to Potential Through Grief and Loss, by Ted Wiard

Lovely book. Thankful for this gift. 

October 2012

Mudbound  by Hillary Jordan

The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton

Not sure how to describe. This book won It won the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award for a best first novel in 1988.  A bit depressing.  A young girl grows up in a home devoid of love.

November 2012

How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity and the Hidden Power of Character by Paul Tough

Oh I loved this book. Paul Tough walks us through the research of what it really takes to succeed in this world especially if you are coming from a non-privileged background. Discusses the effect of trauma on children and their ability to persevere. A great read for all parents and especially for those who are involved in social work.

December 2012

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

I love reading the classics. Well, often I do. Some turn out to be disappointing, like Wuthering Heights. This was a different experience for me as it was so male! Male characters and only a handful female and those that are there – well they are quite unsympatisch. I liked the book though, it had a riveting plot and it carried well through to the end. I liked the simple style of writing. I’m glad I read it.

Lark and Termite by Jayne Anne Phillips

The language is beautiful in this book. It’s a sad story. I don’t really enjoy stories that switch from character to character. The perspective is different for each. Each time I get into a story, a perspective, it changes into the next. But the poignancy made it intriguing. Softly and quietly sad.

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

I absolutely loved and adored this book. Beautiful, insightful. I could not put it down, I read it all day one day. It was such a joy to read. Real, raw, insightful yet hopeful and even uplifting. Perfect book.

January 2013

The Good Doctor

A book of South Africa’s transition. (Rian Malan) Takes place in a very rural hospital. Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and the Commonwealth Writers Prize.