Reading on the road #7

After a couple of months at home, with a lot of work and access to a TV, I'm back to reading again. I've just started Olive Kitteridge (loving it) and I've nearly finished Amy Schumer's audiobook, which is surprisingly emotional.

Anyway, here are some of my faves from the last few weeks:

So Sad Today

This book is like nothing else I've ever read. It's a collection of personal essays from poet and author of the @sosadtoday Twitter account Melissa Broder about her anxiety, addictions and eating disorders. But it's not depressing, it's somehow weirdly comforting. Her writing is so honest and funny, mixing poetic language with witty one-liners. I absolutely loved it and I want to read it again already.

Complications

Yep, another surgery memoir (I'm kind of obsessed). And this is a good one. Atul Gawande uses anecdotes from his time as a surgical resident to explore issues like the ethics of practicing new procedures on patients, the role of intuition in diagnosis, and the balance between striving for perfection and acknowledging human error. It really made me think. A great read for anyone with an interest in medicine.

A God in Ruins

I really enjoyed Life After Life, and this is a companion novel, although you can read it on its own too. It focuses on Teddy Todd (brother of Life After Life's Ursula), with flashbacks of his life from 1925 to the present day. We learn about his time as a pilot in the second world war, dealing with the death of his wife, struggling to connect with his daughter. How the war shaped him and coloured his view of modern life. It explores intergenerational relationships with such insight and it's full of humour.

The Bricks That Built The Houses

Written by rapper and poet Kate Tempest, the language in this novel is so lyrical. She takes us through South East London, the effects of gentrification and the things people do to try and make something of their lives. The characters are well thought out, with detailed backstories and interesting dialogue. I loved the pace of it.

For more books I love, have a look at my previous posts in this series.