Odds and {Book}ends

The Friday 5

Wow it has been quite a while since I updated my poor little blog. I haven’t been wanting to post recommendations until I thought of a clever name for the post (I know, I’m crazy) and I’ve been wayyyy busy. I’m definitely going to try my hardest to post weekly from now on. So here is “The Friday 5” for your weekend reading enjoyment! :) Feel free to tweet me book suggestions at @triciaannn. I’m always interested in hearing about new, awesome reads! 

I was lucky enough to attend a talk by Betsy Myers on Tuesday. She is such a strong, refreshing voice - both in person and in her book. It’s a very quick and interesting read, focusing on her time in various leadership positions in politics, both in the Obama and Clinton administrations/campaigns. Myers’ stories and advice are perfect for giving you the extra little push you may need, as well as practical, real-world advice, to get out in the world and follow your passions. You’ll be “freaking out with joy” while reading and well after. 

I’ve been wanting to read The Paris Wife so so so bad! I’ve heard from multiple people that it’s the shizz, and it’s about Ernest Hemingway’s wife. I’m very curious! 

On Wednesday, I was lucky enough to attend a talk given by two people from my favorite non-profit, Partners in Health. The talk was given by Joia Mukherjee and Manzi Anatole, two people who have been integral in PIH Rwanda and beyond. As Paul Farmer is one of my idols, (If you haven’t read Mountains Beyond Mountains, stop reading this and please read that instead STAT) I decided I should probably read his life’s work, starting with Haiti After the Earthquake. Honestly, reading anything by Farmer or MBM will probably change your life, so if your into that kind of thing, I highly suggest it. 

I have a bit of an obsession with physics/space/science. Ever since the Nobel Prize in physics was announced, I’ve been waiting for a book to come out explaining the winners’ findings. And here it is! If you are enthralled by books/articles in the vein of The Elegant Universe, and if you’re a bit of a science nerd, I’m thinking this is for you. 

A friend suggested this book to me, and it sounds legit, so I’m suggesting it! Can’t wait to read it :)

“It is bound to be a failure, every book is a failure, but I do know with some clarity what kind of book I want to write.” 

- George Orwell, Why I Write

I’m inspired by the above essay to read Animal Farm (which I’ve been meaning to do for FOREVER). I even found it online for free, here. Project Gutenberg is basically the coolest site ever created. I’ve also resumed reading Vanity Fair on another free e-book site, since my copy at home was too large to bring with my to NY :) 

Happy & Free Reading! 

“Like all failed experiments, that one taught me something I didn’t expect: one key ingredient of so-called experience is the delusional faith that it is unique and special, that those included in it are privileged and those excluded from it are missing out.” 

“That’s how New York looked: like a gorgeous, easy thing to have…” 

- A Visit from the Good Squad (yes, I’m finally reading it.) 

“Don’t write when it moves you—that’s a loser. Try to make it habitual, even if you just start with 15 minutes a day, two pages a day. Make it such a part of your routine that not doing it feels strange. You have to be willing to write badly. You can’t say, ‘I’m going to write habitually, and it’s going to be good.’ It’s unpleasant to write badly, but it’s much more important show up on a regular basis so that you’re there when the good stuff comes.”

-Jennifer Egan