June 2021 Reads

In June of 2021, I read three books. Most months in 2021 I am falling behind pace, and on a good month I keep pace. I don’t foresee a month where I do major catchup. Alas. Two of these books were nonfiction, and one was fiction.

Real Life, by Brandon Taylor:
I saw this book at our favorite DC book store, and had big hopes for it. I was stopping by to buy a book for a present, but ended up picking one each for Nicole and I, based on not much. This wasn’t what I had hoped. It was fairly brutal, in a way I couldn’t really identify with. I also think there are some books which gain depth by writing down these thoughts and feelings that people think are internal to only them, but once you learn that not much exists in only you, that flattens a little. This aspect reminded me of The Most Fun We Ever Had, and sure enough when I went to see what I had written, it was pretty similar. 45/100

Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Kimmerer:
I was excited when I learned about this book a few years ago, but during the pandemic I read a few pages and it didn’t click. I enjoyed it much more this time, when I read it for book club. She weaves professional ecology, indigenous history, and personal memoir into a story of her relationship with the land. I found it compelling, and inspiring. In book club, however, someone questioned why a connection to the land was important, which none of the rest of us were prepared for; we just all accepted it as a “good.” It is a question I think I could effectively respond to now, but a good reminder that our internal values aren’t shared by all. This book isn’t for everyone, but if it’s for you, I think you will really like it. 77/100

Range, by David Epstein:
I think I found this on a Bill Gates list, from the past few years. I wished I liked it more, but I didn’t. It started strong, but by the end seemed to be full of too many stories and not enough lessons, with the few lessons being too kitsch-y. That’s not even the right word, but I don’t know what is. I think part of why I wanted to like the book more is because I generally agree with the premise, that generalism is better than specialism. I am just not sure that this book enhanced that in me, much. 51/100

A shorter reading month, I will continue returning to old quotes from books, with some commentary.

The next quote is from Slouching Toward Bethlehem, which was my least favorite of three Didion books I read in 2019.

Whenever I hear about the women’s trip, which is often, I think a lot about nothin’-says-lovin’-like-something-from-the-oven and the Feminine Mystique and how it is possible for people to be the unconscious instruments of values they would strenuously reject on a conscious level, but I do not mention this to Barbara.

I don’t remember the context of the quote at all, what women’s trip is being referred to, or how it embodies being an unconscious instrument of values. But I identify so strongly with that. There are so many things I believe that I am sure wouldn’t hold up to scrutiny if poked and prodded by my actions. I wish that weren’t true, but would be lying if I said otherwise.

Just the one quote for this month. I am halfway through and have only read one book, so maybe you will get another quote next month.