"You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax, all you need is a book." Dr. Seuss
We've all heard it, we've all said it; put one foot in front of the other, keep moving forward. At times, our feet may need a little inspiration. And if that inspiration comes in the form of a literary road trip, tales told from aboard a train, or a luxurious fictional flight, I’m all for it! Whatever path you choose, even if it’s an exploration of the road not taken, I hope the wanderings you find yourself on as an armchair traveler through the reads gathered here invite you to immerse yourself in an adventure. Bon Voyage!
If you delve deeply enough into the books we choose to read, more often than not you will reveal a connection to something recognizable. That in fact they capture contemporary narratives from the bones of centuries of storytelling. Mythologies, legends, classics and fairytales have all been plundered for plot in myriad of ways and an upon myriad of occasions. So, open the door and take a peek. A bevy of beauties, an abundance of adversaries, a cast of creatures, kings and queens, hags and ingénues, stepmothers and godmothers, pixies, giants and gladiators; which will you find? And what else might await you…
Magical thinking works in service of restoring agency amid chaos, but in The Age of Magical Overthinking, the author argues that in the modern information age, our brain’s coping mechanisms have been overloaded, and our heightened irrationality has caused our grasp on reality to slip. Our brains have always played tricks on us, often as a form of self-preservation. Those mental magic tricks can go horribly wrong when combined with too much access to data and too many point of view. This book offers cautionary tales to help us navigate.
Just a mere orphaned peasant girl, Rin discovers she is to be traded off by her foster parents to a middle-aged husband in exchange for the promise of riches. Her only means of governing her own destiny is by taking a formidable exam that could potentially land her a free ride to a prestigious military school. When she gets in, her peers and teachers make it clear that Rin does not belong at there. In order to gain the power she requires, she will have to flirt with villainy. And maybe even embrace it.
When Newman sat down with a friend to record his life story, he wasn’t particularly interested in reliving the past, but rather setting the record straight. He wanted his record of it all in his words rather than the mythology created by other people. I have been a fan as long as I can remember and now have at my finger tips a veritable encyclopedia of this actors’ thoughts and motivations. It's revelatory, introspective, and profound and in my humble opinion, not to be missed! P.S. Pair with Ethan Hawkes documentary The Last Movie Stars. You won’t be sorry.
“We didn’t call the police right away”. And so begins this gripping story of a family whose lives are upended when their beloved father and husband goes missing. Part mystery, part dynamic family drama and part compelling examination into the meaning of happiness. A deeply moving and deliciously brainy story, beautifully told. With a cast of finely wrought characters, bursting with idiosyncrasies and strong opinions. What’s not to love!
In this phenomenal debut, we start off with a dear reader letter. One with a warning. That we won’t believe the story we are about to be told. That evil dwells in the places we least expect it. And that it’s about to be revealed to us exactly the nature and depravity of that evil. The residents of Clifford Island seem stuck in a time loop and have some rather odd superstitions. Everything must be precise and on schedule. The rules must not be broken. Anything that deviates from that will result in dire consequences. And you won’t believe what those might be!
Looking for some book recommendations? Tell me a book or two you have loved and I will put a list together for you. Totally gratis!
