Spring is here and so are the first rays of sunshine, which attract us outside! We don't know about you, but it gives us such a boost of vitamin D and serotonin that the need to sit down in the park or on the balcony with a book grows. 😉 So: time to get out of hibernation, put away the blankets again and squeeze some fresh lemonade — here are our five book recommendations for this spring. 🌻🌼🌷
Especially when you think the one from Uncultured (Tara Westover) The triggered autobiographical trend is slowly losing its appeal, says Nicole Chung In her memoir, a story so affectionate yet heartbreaking that it's easy to grab it once again.
Chung is the adopted child of two American parents, in a childhood that is difficult to describe. During her schooling in Oregon, she is confronted with the differences between standard American students and, on top of that, with her parents because of her Korean background. Chung is watching the disappearance of the middle class up close and the pressure that money creates is not there for now. The death of her father, which could have been avoided with more stability and better access to healthcare, is particularly dramatic. Not a year later, her mother also falls ill — and perhaps the last few weeks no longer take place together at the bedside, but remotely in zoom call.
A Living Remedy But it is not only about the difficult navigation through given, systemic injustices, loss and illness — it is above all a will to Chung's parents, family as a cornerstone and the fleeting and importance of our interpersonal relationships. Not an easy book but worth it.
How do you become really, really good at something? Not at the level of a professional, but a specialist; the difference between a good and perfect Omelet as soon as you've cracked a few eggs. Only a few can actually claim to have achieved such a level of expertise in... well, actually anything. But why actually? It was precisely this question that became an obsession Adam Gopniksto answer: What does it take truly to a masterpiece? A question he asked in The Real Work Get to the bottom of it.
But where do you start such a journey? Certainly not in the hustle and bustle of self-help and half-hearted advice; as simple as “believe in yourself and work hard! “After all, it can't be, otherwise there would be so many more masters — right? That is why Gopnik consulted various exceptional experts in their field and was instructed in them. It goes into the boxing ring with gloves, with a brush on the canvas, with shoes to dance and with a driver's license to the driving school, with Gopnik not only learning about the respective disciplines of his choice, but above all one thing: there are certainly similarities in terms of qualities and methods. Above all, the real work would lie in the details. But much more important: It's true that masterpieces can be found everywhere if you know where to look.
In his latest textbook, Gopnik also demonstrates his own expertise and not only investigates how we achieve top performance — it also answers why we are pursuing the need to constantly improve in the first place. It should be said, however, that this book could be a bit boring for some people. 😉
Juniper Song is a sensational author. An Asian-American bestseller, featured on the New York Times lists and blessed with a writing talent that is second to none. But none of this is true. Her name is June Hayward, her origin is simply American — and the script is by her deceased girlfriend Athena Liu. But doesn't this story still belong published, regardless of which narrator, because what does a pseudonym do? 🖊
Of course, all of this is not a real story and only comes from the pen of R.F. Kuang, yet there is fiction so close to reality that you have to blink twice to make sure that nothing has been taken from real life. Tells just such a story Yellowface, because the opportunity for real action is all too tangible here.
Kuang not only opens a story about plagiarization and the consequences of false facts, Yellowface focuses on topics that are terribly topical, particularly in current discourse, whether it is racism, the muting of PoC voices in various industries, diversity or even the thin line between cultural appropriation and appreciation. As a satire, Yellowface deals bitingly yet concisely with topics of our zeitgeist.
The introverts and quiet among us certainly know the question: “Why don't you talk a bit more? ”, followed by the unspoken counter question: “Why don't you talk a bit less? Then maybe I could say something too! ” 🗯🗨 In fact, science has already dealt quite extensively with silent people, but never really with the chatter strings, snipper geese and chat bags of our world. 🗣
Dan Lyons Describes itself as Talkaholic and says very clearly: You can also talk too much, because if you babble too much, you also say things that you don't say wants; Inadequate things that can lead to professional and private setbacks by both sides. In a world where social media is a mouthpiece that can trumpet any unfounded opinion into the loudspeaker of our universe, Lyons finds at least some peace in one statement: I'm not the only one who says more than I should.
Dan Lyons tries with The Power of Keeping Your Mouth Shut to make an argument for thoughtful silence, as a person who consistently fails because of this. With regard to people such as Tim Cook, Ruth Bader Ginsburg or even Barack Obama, Lyons provides empirical advice on occasionally shutting up, which helps to gain more from talking less, in line with the credo: You don't have to be loud to be heard.
Last but not least, the personal recommendation for the season! 🌻 Who now thinks: “Isn't that a children's book? “, we say that there aren't really any children's books, but only books that are suitable for children. 😉 Because how do you Katherine Rundell in her book “Why You Should Read Children's Books, Even Though You Are So Old and Wise” said: The best children's books help us find things that we don't even know we've lost! So why The Big Book of Frog and Toad of Arnold Lobel? 🐸
Frog and Toad tells of the adventures of this very contrasting team in lovely short stories — and to be honest, they're not really that adventurous at all. 😅 It's about lost buttons that you look for everywhere together, even though they just fell off at home. It's about showing each other how brave you are (not too much) and being happy about how brave you were together (still not too much!) , after you've run away from something scary, because at least you've confronted it. It's about to-do lists that are being processed and the panic because something that wasn't on the list is added.
It may all seem quite commode until you inevitably realize how you can continue to find yourself in these simple anecdotes even in adult life — and in all the stress and chaos that we are confronted with every day, you can breathe a sigh of relief, because above all it is about one thing: peace and the people of the heart or amphibians with whom you prefer to surround yourself. Preferably outside too. 😉
There is certainly a reason why this anthology is currently celebrating its small renaissance and is still so approachable after more than 50 years — perhaps because the need to get away from the screen to sit on a rock, a meadow, by the water or anywhere else with friends, iced tea and a few sandwiches, is still there many years later, no matter how old. For good reason, this is also the last adventure that Frogs and Toads have. If all this isn't spring, then we don't know what to do — there's definitely something very meditative about it. 🌤 A relaxed little spring book and great for escaping the wintery Reading Slump — maybe somewhere out there too. 😉
We hope you enjoy reading and hope you can enjoy the good weather!
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