Good morning, Foreign Bodies readers! In lieu of a Monday Matter today (partly because I’ve been out of town for the last week and flew in late last night), I figured it would be a great time to hear about your recent reads!
What books, collections, stories or essays have you been reading? Anything that’s stuck with you? Let me know in the comments!
'The Blue Zones,' by Dan Buettner. It's about five places around the world where people live longer, healthier lives than just about anywhere else in the world. The author traveled to all of them, to meet the people who are living to old, old ages and find out how they're doing it. It's fascinating.
I enjoyed Cleopetra and Frankestein by Coco Mellors. I also found The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation by Anna Malika Tubbs to be very good!
Although I didn't read it very recently; Invisible women by Caroline Criado Perez has stuck with me. It's about data biases in the world that is designed by/for men. As a woman I always thought I was aware of the biases I face in the world but there is so much we accept as "that is just how things are". It made me think of how from the very beginning the world has been designed to create obstacles in a woman's path. I notice it everywhere now.
Hi everyone and thank you for this call, Fiza! I finished reading Forbidden City, new historical fiction by Bay Area-based author and journalist Vanessa Hua. The book's protagonist is Mei, a teenage girl from the China's hinterland. Mei is one among many other young women like her who are recruited by Beijing's Forbidden City during the Cultural Revolution to serve and work with Mao Zedong and his officers. What does service and work entail for these young teenagers motivated by the opportunity to escape an environment they were born into? This buried lede takes centerstage in Hua's exploration. Consider Forbidden City highly recommended by me. A recently published dialogue between Vanessa Hua and me in Catapult literary magazine dives into Hua's 14 year old process of birthing this novel and bringing it to the world.
I'm currently reading "Healing: Our Path from Mental Illness to Mental Health" by Dr. Thomas Insel, former NIMH director who's pretty much discussing how we're gotta our "mental healthcare system" wrong with a crisis response model like the rest of our healthcare system is set up as instead of a preventative care system which would be founded on the social determinants of health.
Wildland: The Making of America's Fury by Evan Osnos. Puts the Trump era in perspective He goes from hedge fund to coal mining to 9/11 to MAGA. Really nice storytelling style.
'The Blue Zones,' by Dan Buettner. It's about five places around the world where people live longer, healthier lives than just about anywhere else in the world. The author traveled to all of them, to meet the people who are living to old, old ages and find out how they're doing it. It's fascinating.
This sounds so good!! Might have to pick it up before I head to the cabins this week.
This sounds super interesting!
Lady parts by Deborah Copaken
Girlhood by Melissa Febos
Dark Tourist by Hasanthika Sirisena
*saves everything you recommend*
Everything I never told you by Celeste Ng
A fave!
Growing Up Disabled in Australia - very powerful aabout what life is like with a disability.
Adding to my reading list, Sirani! Have you read the anthology Disability Visibility edited by Alice Wong?
Haven't read this one! I will now add it to my list now to give feedback.
I enjoyed Cleopetra and Frankestein by Coco Mellors. I also found The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation by Anna Malika Tubbs to be very good!
I have The Three Mothers!! Need to actually get to reading.
I recently finished reading "The Seventh Day" by Yu Hua and "Queer Theology" by Linn Marie Tonstad!
Think like a monk - Jay Shetty
Although I didn't read it very recently; Invisible women by Caroline Criado Perez has stuck with me. It's about data biases in the world that is designed by/for men. As a woman I always thought I was aware of the biases I face in the world but there is so much we accept as "that is just how things are". It made me think of how from the very beginning the world has been designed to create obstacles in a woman's path. I notice it everywhere now.
Hi everyone and thank you for this call, Fiza! I finished reading Forbidden City, new historical fiction by Bay Area-based author and journalist Vanessa Hua. The book's protagonist is Mei, a teenage girl from the China's hinterland. Mei is one among many other young women like her who are recruited by Beijing's Forbidden City during the Cultural Revolution to serve and work with Mao Zedong and his officers. What does service and work entail for these young teenagers motivated by the opportunity to escape an environment they were born into? This buried lede takes centerstage in Hua's exploration. Consider Forbidden City highly recommended by me. A recently published dialogue between Vanessa Hua and me in Catapult literary magazine dives into Hua's 14 year old process of birthing this novel and bringing it to the world.
I'm currently reading "Healing: Our Path from Mental Illness to Mental Health" by Dr. Thomas Insel, former NIMH director who's pretty much discussing how we're gotta our "mental healthcare system" wrong with a crisis response model like the rest of our healthcare system is set up as instead of a preventative care system which would be founded on the social determinants of health.
Wildland: The Making of America's Fury by Evan Osnos. Puts the Trump era in perspective He goes from hedge fund to coal mining to 9/11 to MAGA. Really nice storytelling style.
Literally have this book packed in my carry on right now :)
I'm about to head away for a week without internet, but saving this for next week! :)