We had the Olympics this month so that was fun.
The Mind Electric by Pria Anand. A little nonfiction for a change of pace. The subhead, “A Neurologist on the Strangeness and Wonder of Our Brains,” does a fine job of describing this fascinating walkthrough of the author’s experiences, learnings, and musings. It’s beautifully written from a “human” point of view––at no point does this doctor assume omniscience. She comes from a place of awe: gratitude for what we’ve learned, humility for the mysteries remaining, and deep respect for the individual patient at the core of every anecdote.
Role Model by Rachel Reid. Yes, another in the Game Changers series. Obviously, I will read all of them. They are both sexy and soothing. It’s a pretty magical combo. In this installment, we have a closeted player on the Ottawa Centaurs (clever!) connecting with the team’s sunny-side-always-up social media manager.
Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry. A perfectly enjoyable read, but I don’t think quite is at this author’s engaging best. In an outline, the characters and situation probably would sound like a knockout, but it all added up to kind of meh. I’m glad I’m writing down my reading again because I likely won’t remember this one without the help.
Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez. An almost entirely tedious read livened up by the main character’s social media posts and flair for naming rescue animals. The same arc happens in virtually every chapter. Long distance couple gets together for a handful of days, has cinematically quirky dates, realizes they love each other and want to be together but can’t for ***reasons***. Lather, rinse, repeat. Bleh.
***Sidebar alert*** One of the things I loathed about the above book is the underlying premise that it’s fine to make your family promise that they will never place you in a care facility no matter the circumstances. That’s a horrible thing to ask of people you love. Ask to always be treated with dignity; absolutely expect for them to consider your wellbeing and what you would prefer in every decision. But in this book, an entire family sacrifices themselves and their own sanity left, right, and center to honour a promise that should never have been asked. And at no point does anyone think, “hey that was a pretty shitty, selfish thing for mom to do.” Another thing that irks me is that no one questions the fabric of a society where getting support in caring for an incapacitated loved one requires bankruptcy-inducing expenses. There is absolutely no public safety net and that’s just normal in the world of this book. I hate it.
Common Goal by Rachel Reid. Hot goalie meets hot bartender. Another serving from the Game Changers series. Thank you, please.
The Cinnamon Bun Book Store by Laurie Gilmore. A perfectly fine, low stakes, conventional happily ever after romance.
