I’ve been a fan of Felicia’s from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-Long Blog to her YouTube gaming show with Ryon Day, Co-Optitude. It was inevitable that I would read her memoir, though now that I’ve read it, I regret letting….one whole month pass. I should have read this the second it was released! Continue reading
memoir
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
I used to be really into novels in verse (stories told through numerous short poems), but I haven’t read one in a while. I’m so glad Brown Girl Dreaming reminded me of the art form. It’s a great way to condense a long story (in this case, Woodson’s childhood) into bite-sized emotional pieces.
Woodson does a wonderful job of conveying her experiences both through the micro lens of her family as well as the macro lens of the changing racial cultures around her. We get to see what it was like for a black girl to grow up in the North and the South during the Civil Rights generally, and we get to see her family support and tragedy specifically.
I loved this book. Because of its format, it’s a quick read. It’s heartwarming and heartbreaking, just like life. Continue reading
Learning to Bow by Bruce Feiler
I think I’ve made it clear in previous travel related posts that Japan is at the top of my Wanderlust list. Reading about Feiler’s year as a junior high English teacher in Tochigi ought to have boosted my interest, but…it didn’t. Feiler does a great job describing and analyzing the cultural distinctions of the Japanese, especially where education is concerned. But his account lacks a certain spark. Although he calls people friends and briefly describes his date-scene failures, there isn’t a lot of life in his recollection.
Perhaps he is imitating the Japanese custom of avoiding offending others. There are times when his frustrations at constantly being othered as an American appear, but he doesn’t dig into those feelings. The more I think about this, the more it seems he is honoring his Japanese friends. But since so much of his book asserted his American identity, I’m a little disappointed that we didn’t get to see more of his fire, independence, and emotion.
Learning to Bow is great as an introduction to Japanese culture. But as a memoir, I wasn’t satisfied with the level of self-disclosure. I suppose that makes me extremely American! Hmm. Continue reading
Holy Cow: An Indian Adventure by Sarah Macdonald
Despite my love of Indian people and Indian food, I have never been very interested in visiting India. Unfortunately, Macdonald didn’t convince me to change my mind. Sure, I loved reading about her growing appreciation for the chaos and contradictions of India, but I’m content to let that be her story and not mine.
The book is interesting, but a little awkward. Some chapters detail her personal life (losing her hair, nearly dying of double pneumonia, meeting Bollywood superstars), while others chronicle her pursuit of religious experiences. I liked both, but the book as a whole didn’t feel cohesive.
Since India is the birthplace of a huge number of religions, it makes sense that Macdonald, previously an atheist, would take advantage of her new life to explore the realm of the spiritual. I enjoyed learning about Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Islam, etc alongside her. But, like many spiritual explorers, she tends to highlight the pros and ignore the cons. In the end, she wants to take a little something from each religion, and she never stops to discuss the fact that this belittles many of the religions that claim this picking and choosing is impossible. It felt like she didn’t want to offend anyone, which, while understandable, doesn’t exactly make for persuasive writing.
I’m always down for a book that explores the topics of travel and religion, and I’m glad I spent time reading Holy Cow. But I don’t think I’ll be rereading anytime soon. Continue reading
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
If the movie is anything like the book, I completely understand why Wild has been getting so much attention. Strayed’s story is amazing! It would be compelling enough as one woman’s journey hiking the PCT alone, or else to describe the grief of losing your mother at a young age. The fact that Strayed’s story does both at once is a testimony to the power of travel, the healing growth that comes from pushing your limits in a new, difficult situation that demands your full attention.
Strayed is a brilliant writer, balancing the introspective moments of hiking alone with humorous (or occasionally terrifying) interactions with fellow hikers. I loved getting to see the PCT culture that bonds disparate people because of a shared intense experience. I’m not sure I could ever hike the PCT, but Strayed does a remarkable job of making it sound appealing despite descriptions of lost toenails.
I loved this book, and I’m going to watch the movie so I can relive the experience. Nature, healing, endurance, learning who you are–the story is beautiful, and I’m so glad I got to read it. Continue reading
The Longest Way Home by Andrew McCarthy
A book about a traveler who fears being unable to commit to marriage? Um, yes please! McCarthy’s book is an absolutely beautiful combination of self-awareness and travel log. As he hops from Patagonia to the Osa to Vienna to Kilimanjaro, McCarthy considers how his love of travel–and the escape it offers–affects his relationship with his father, his children, and especially his fiancee.
This combination of physical exploration and emotional introspection hit exactly upon what I too love about traveling. Finding yourself outside of a normal routine, relying on strangers for help, and witness to events and sights totally new–these circumstances of travel offer people a chance to examine themselves in a deeper way than life typically allows. The fact that this can become a crutch, so that self-awareness is dependent upon isolation and exploration, is also explored as McCarthy works his way toward marriage. His honesty and transparency made me trust him and root for him as he found a way to merge his love of traveling with his love for his fiancee. Continue reading
Soul Survivor by Philip Yancey
The church is meant to be a place where sinners find Jesus and learn to love each other in unity on a journey toward become saints. Unfortunately, the church remains filled with sinners who often devolve toward infighting and arrogance. Those who grow up confused by the disparity between what is taught and what is lived out can be tempted to leave all of Christianity behind.
Although my church past is not as horrifying as Yancey’s, I still struggle to reconcile the strains of legalism and divisiveness that I was taught alongside grace and love. Reading Soul Survivor was like taking a gulp of fresh air as I was encouraged to leave the bad behind and cling only to the good.
Yancey’s spiritual growth largely came from looking outside of the church to social reform leaders and literary geniuses. As a soft-hearted bibliophile, I was utterly won over by his thirteen spiritual directors. Much like the men and women described in the Bible, the people who most affected Yancey are complicated people who pursued the difficult life of forgiveness and reconciliation while also committing affairs and battling depression. They are not perfect people, but they wrestled with God. Unwilling to accept easy answers or the status quo, the people who fill Soul Survivor‘s pages are so inspiring. I’m so grateful to Philip Yancey for his honest recollection of his past as well as his offering of spiritual giants to learn from and emulate. Continue reading
Turn Right at Machu Picchu by Mark Adams
My friend Jenna has always wanted to go to Machu Picchu, and I have never been interested in joining her. But when travel blogger Nomadic Matt recommended this book about a guy researching Machu Picchu’s discovery while exploring the Incan ruins for himself….I got totally hooked! Where is my ticket to Peru? I’m ready to go!
Well, not really. If Adams did anything successfully, it is convey the physical toll of climbing up and down numerous mountains. I’m not hugely into exercise, but he’s also brilliant at describing the stunning views from those same moutaintops. I’m willing to work through the pain for the reward. Continue reading
Pastrix: The Cranky, Beautiful Faith of a Sinner & Saint by Nadia Bolz-Weber
There is a growing awareness amongst Christians that the Church in America has often become a place of meeting for the healthy and privileged. Nadia’s church, House of All Sinners and Saints, deliberately fights against this habit, reaching out to the culturally disenfranchised–the alcoholics, the homeless, the queer and transgendered. Reading about her passion (based on her history as a conservative Christian turned Wiccan alcoholic turned Lutheran pastor) was completely invigorating.
What really impressed me, though, was that her knowledge of God’s love doesn’t stop there. As an outsider, it is easy for her to love outsiders. But when her church started attracting middle-class suburban men and women, she felt many of the same emotions of disgust and tight-lipped smiles that are usually directed for her crowd. What is amazing about Bolz-Weber is her commitment to live out her faith, no matter how hard or how long she spends fighting against it. So against her natural inclinations, she welcomed the “normal” people into her church and created space for conversations between the different groups of people. What resulted–friendships and healing relationships between two often opposed groups of people–was absolutely beautiful to read about. Continue reading
Yes Please by Amy Poehler
Let the autobiographies of funny famous people keep rolling in! I continue to be entertained and enlightened by these memoirs (including those by Neil Patrick Harris, Tina Fey, Mindy Kaling, and Rob Delaney). Amy Poehler’s memoir is a combination of autobiography and essay compilation, a choice that frustrated me until I accepted the decision and found myself really enjoying her book.
The chapters are not chronological, nor is this anywhere close to an attempt to share her whole life. Sometimes she digresses from her main point to share a particularly funny or juicy anecdote. Although this is not the best from a writing standpoint, it makes the book feel more like a conversation. Reading Yes Please is like talking to an excited Amy Poehler who wants you to know about this, and oh yeah, this thing happened too! Continue reading
It Is Trish 