A true story tragedy, a digital detox, links & more
Two 5 ⭐️ recent reads + what happens when authors kill the dog
Hello! I hope you’re enjoying your weekend. I spent yesterday shopping - actually shopping at the mall- something I haven’t done in so long. I’m not a huge shopper in general, and I often do the majority of my shopping online, but we have a really nice outdoor mall here in Columbus so I spent the afternoon there browsing shops with my mom. We found some great sales at Athleta - I bought a couple of my favorite workout tanks for 40% off! The one store we didn’t stop in was Barnes and Noble but that’s ok, I’m definitely not short on reading options:)
Speaking of reading, I had a fantastic reading week with two nonfiction books saving my reading week. I spoke a bit about the long book I DNF’d at 85% in Friday’s Weekend Reading Thread , so nonfiction was just what I needed to shift gears and feel excited about what I was reading.
Recent Reads
Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life In a Noisy World by Cal Newport (audio)
This book has been on my tbr forever, and has not called to me until now. In very simple terms, this book is about minimalism- the art of knowing how much is just enough. Digital minimalism applies this idea to our personal technology. And according to Newport, it's the key to living a focused life in an increasingly noisy world. I listened to this (it’s great on audio although the author himself doesn’t narrate), and I found myself slowing the audio speed down and constantly re-listening to facts, insightful commentary, etc because so much of what I was hearing applied to my thoughts and feelings recently. I’ve been very aware over the last few weeks that I’m spending too much time on screens and social media, specifically Instagram. For reasons specific to me but that I won’t bore you with here, I have been feeling that hopping on and off my phone “just to check” Instagram, Substack Notes, email, and other apps is taking up so much time and causing me to feel scattered and unfocused. And I know it’s impacting my reading. I don’t like it.
In this book, the author talks about how and why we’ve gotten to this place with our digital tech, especially our smart phone use, and he does so in very compelling ways. He shares stories, intersperses history, shines a light on the motivation and drives behind keeping us on apps and our phones as much as possible. It’s eye opening. I could write an entire essay just on what I learned from this book- and maybe I will- but first I’m going to figure out what a digital detox would look like for my life and then I’m going to implement it for 30 days. Cal Newport makes it clear- a digital detox is not about giving up our phones and all social media for 30 days - it’s about creating goals and boundaries around our usage that will minimize the time we spend looking at our phone and (hopefully) increasing the time we spend doing other things we enjoy.
When You Find My Body: The Disappearance of Geraldine Largay on the Appalachian Trail by D. Dauphinee
I had never heard of this book until fellow reader Rose shared it in a past Friday Thread. As I’ve mentioned, I love to walk in the woods but I’m not a hiker per se, I go out for an hour walk and that’s about it. But I’m interested in reading about people who choose to hike for days or months on trails like the Appalachian Trail. The majority of people will not have a story that makes news; Geraldine’s story is different. From the blurb….
This book tells the story of events preceding Geraldine Largay's vanishing in July 2013, while hiking the Appalachian Trail in Maine, what caused her to go astray, and the massive search and rescue operation that followed. Her disappearance sparked the largest lost-person search in Maine history. The author was one of the hundreds of volunteers who searched for her. Gerry's story is one of heartbreak, most assuredly, but is also one of perseverance, determination, and faith. There are lessons in the story, both large and small. Lessons that may well save lives in the future.
Once I started this audiobook, I couldn’t stop listening. The audio is excellent. The author introduces us to Geraldine “Gerry” and allows us to get to know her as she prepares for her hike. I really loved Gerry. We also meet her husband, her friends, and her fellow hikers along the way. We get fascinating info on the history of the Appalachian Trail. By the time Gerry took those steps off the trail, I was fully invested in her and her journey. I then became fully invested in hearing about the search for her. I can’t imagine being lost like she was and I can’t imagine being her family and the searchers who desperately tried to find her. Gerry wrote in a journal while hiking and continued writing when she got lost which is how so many details are known. I learned so much from this book, especially regarding lost person behavior and what to do if lost in the woods. I will never forget Geraldine’s story, it’s a haunting, tragic story but very much worth reading.
Links & More
Simply trashing a book isn’t helpful to other readers; how to criticize a book like a pro is a much better approach
We loved this Rigatoni alla Contadina from Trader Joe’s - I added grilled chicken and extra steamed peas. It’s delicious.
The 50 best movies on Netflix right now
30 books and 25 years later, Elin Hilderbrand is ready for a vacation
I have to say, I totally agree with this - Kill the Pet, Kill the Book’s Rating: The Perils of Writing Dogs in Fiction - I opted not to read 2 anticipated mysteries this past year because I found out there was abuse to dogs
Why taking vacation time could save your life
Celebrate Pride month with these 25 books
If you’ve never read Ken Follett, start with one of these books
The benefits of social reading
I need to listen to When You Find My Body asap!!
Have you read Colton Gentry's Third Act yet? I adore his footnotes regarding the dog immediately after it is introduced into the story :-) He addresses this in his Book Gang podcast episode as well! I too hold off on reading books that involve abuse of animals - no thank you!