Reading Update

Book #1 of 2024 was River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile, by Candice Millard. I live close to the source of the Nile found in these pages, and I've visited it, so that made this book even more interesting to me. This is well-written, deeply researched, and fascinating all the way around. It did make me wonder why things in Uganda are still named after Speke, who turns out not to have been such a hero.

Book #2 was Spare, by Prince Harry. I am glad I read this. I thought it was well-done, and I'm so curious about the process, since I know the Prince worked with a ghostwriter. (I just found this article about the ghostwriter and I'm going to read it as soon as I finish writing this post.)

Book #3 was Debunking the Myths of Forgive-and-Forget, by Kay Bruner. I have some people to forgive. I even put it on my list of goals for the year: "Forgive people." It's not a surprising admission; I can't imagine anyone could get to my age without having been seriously hurt. There are several folks that I keep thinking I've forgiven, and then I'll see their names on social media and feel a clenching in my stomach. I was encouraged while rereading Letters to Malcolm recently to find Lewis' description of realizing at one point that he had finally forgiven someone who had wronged him decades before. It's a process. I'm trying to read some books this year on forgiveness: what it is, how to do it. This was the first, which I'd read before, but which was worth reading again.

 

Book #4 was Watership Down, by Richard Adams. I've been wanting to reread this book, which I last read about forty years ago, and I enjoyed it so much. I've read most of Adams' books but I'm going to try to see if there are any I've missed. He's a good writer.

Book #5 was Nora Goes Off Script, by Annabel Monaghan. I really enjoyed this one. It's just the right combo of fluff and satisfying story. Surely there will be a movie.

Book #6 was This Time Tomorrow, by Emma Straub, another book that I enjoyed hugely. It's about time travel and growing old and why and how we love the people we love. And it's on deep discount for Kindle right now, as I just found out while looking for the link.