Springtime Reading

My book club is 7 months old and going strong!  We have 4-6 dedicated members representing a wide range of perspectives and contributions.  One of the highlights of my month is getting together for wine, snacks (cheese is always a staple of our diet), and conversation with my friends who have a shared love of reading.  We don't have a theme, and we read everything from nonfiction and self-help to historical fiction and futurism.  My favorite book so far has been Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff, a thought-provoking and honest portrayal of marriage and the secrets that define a person.  

Here's our complete list of the first 7 months:

1.  Boys Adrift: The Five Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men, by Leonard Sax

2.  In the Unlikely Event, by Judy Blume

3.  Little Bee, by Chris Cleave

4.  A Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun, and Be Your Own Person, by Shonda Rhimes

5.  Fates and Furies, by Lauren Groff

6.  Circling the Sun, by Paula McLain

7.  The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood

And here's our plan for the next few months:

8.  Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, by Haruki Murakami

9.  My Name is Lucy Barton, by Elizabeth Strout

10.  My Life on the Road, by Gloria Steinem

11.  Animal Dreams, by Barbara Kingsolver

One of the members of my club shared this amazing post that offers book recommendations based on your Myers-Briggs personality: Myers-Briggs Goes to the Bookstore.  For this psychology major and book worm, this is just about the greatest thing ever.  My personality type is most often ISFJ ("The Defender"), although I dabble in INFJ ("The Advocate").  For those unfamiliar with Myers-Briggs, it's an approach to personality classification that uses four traits to categorize people into 16 personalities, which guides understanding and identity.  (Interestingly, most of my book club members are categorized as introverts, although you wouldn't know it when we're drinking wine!)

The recommended book for my personality is A Little Life by Hanya Vanagihara.  It is fantastic so far!  I love a book that's truly about the characters, and this is probably one of the most honest depiction of men's friendships that I've read.  It's 700+ pages but well worth the commitment so far.  I am intrigued by many of the book selections on this site and hope to explore a few of the others!

Finally, on the topic of spring reading, I have also discovered the amazingness of listening to hilarious audiobooks while running.  They keep my attention (although also offer the opportunity to let my mind wander a bit without missing too much plot) and provide some entertainment when the going gets tough.  This saved my butt during my half marathon and 10K races earlier this season.  I especially love when the authors read their own books.  I'm currently listening to Mother, Can You Not? by Kate Siegel and Uganda Be Kidding Me by Chelsea Handler, and I downloaded some selections from Amy Poehler and Jenny Lawson.  These chicks crack me up!

Stay tuned later this month for a new dessert recipe and some running updates! :-)