A Million Little Ways: Uncover the Art You Were Made to Live by Emily P. Freeman (4.5 stars)
Emily Freeman's second book for adults, about expressing your vocation or "art" in your everyday life, was right on time for me as usual. She encourages paying attention to our own unique design and what moves us, promotes the value of the everyday, and looks at the different things that hold us back from our art and creativity. I've been studying these topics all year, but still found many revelations here. A good companion to this book would be Edith Schaeffer's The Hidden Art of Homemaking, which I also loved and which is really about bringing beauty to ordinary life.
Mo' Meta Blues: The World According to Questlove by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson (4 stars)
Questlove, the drummer for the Roots (Jimmy Fallon's house band), has written not only a unique and fascinating memoir, but also a sort of Hip-Hop History 101 for the casual observer. Stories about his upbringing in Philadelphia and the early days of the Roots are interspersed with lists of the albums that shaped his life. His editor, co-writer, and manager also contribute (that would be the "Meta" part). I learned a lot from this intelligent, riveting book!
Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell (4 stars)
Eleanor is an outcast with a terrible home life. Park is a thoughtful music-obsessive who's always been sort of on the fringes of popular. One morning he takes pity on her and offers her a seat on the school bus. What follows is the story of their first love and its serious complications... very sweet, but also raw and real. I don't understand how this book hasn't won a national award. To me it has all the markings of a new classic. Loved it.
Roomies by Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando (4 stars)
I reviewed this here.
Books for October: 4
2013 year to date: 60
Ah! I loved Eleanor & Park so so so so much!
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