Best Books - As of Late
Best books I've read "as of late" has double meaning: I read these books recently, and also way too late at night. Reading in bed is my jam, and it's an essential part of my “wind down” routine. I used to be a bit of an insomniac, so now I do everything in my power to fall asleep without struggle, and without the go-to sleep aid of my mid-twenties, Klonopin. Of course I end up getting hooked on my books, so I lose sleep anyway… C’est la vie.
I didn't intentionally choose all memoirs, but memoir is my favorite genre. Below are four I read lately and loved. I also recently read a couple of novels which I liked and am including as runners up:
1. Small Fry (Memoir)
I had heard of Steve Jobs' daughter's book and had no interest, but when I picked it up at Newark airport (en route to Chicago to visit my best friends in the Windy City) the blurb piqued my interest with talk of California in the 70's. I went for it and fell in love with author Lisa Brennan-Jobs and her writing. Her childhood and personal insights into her father are fascinating, heartbreaking and beautiful. I didn't want her story to end.
2. Shoe Dog (Memoir)
This book is clearly marketed to men and I do judge books by their covers. I never would have picked it up had my husband not told me it was supposed to be fantastic. It also didn’t hurt that I was a little buzzed as we were browsing in a bookshop after dinner in the Hamptons this past summer. Sag Harbor Books was playing Grateful Dead and open until midnight. It was one of my more euphoric moments: date night with my hubs, on vacation, at a bookstore... I went for it. I loved it. Author Phil Knight founded Nike and he is a gifted storyteller. Shoe Dog reads like a novel and its content is greatly inspiring.
3. Inside Out (Memoir)
What a ride. Demi Moore had a dysfunctional, traumatic childhood and clearly not only survived, she thrived. She spills juicy details of her time in Hollywood and also shares the wisdom she's gleaned over the years. A devastating and ultimately optimistic page-turner.
4. Maybe You Should Talk To Someone (Memoir)
A therapist reveals her own experience in therapy and delves into the lives (and her treatment) of a few of her patients. I loved getting the therapist's perspective and it's another non-fiction book that is truly engrossing. It didn't hurt that I'm a self-help junkie and fan of therapy.
Also worth losing shut-eye for:
5. Ask Again, Yes (Novel)
6. Fleishman Is In Trouble (Novel)
AES