Notable books 2007

The Globe and Mail published their 'notables share their best reads' list today, inspiring me to publish mine. At least to scratch my head and try and remember....

I read Saturday by Ian McEwan this year. I love his tight focus on his subject - there never seems to be an extraneous word. It's almost hyper-realistic. As a bonus, the story he tells is exciting and full of plot.

Ann Patchett's Truth and Beauty stood out as an extended meditation on the meaning of friendship, artistry, and beauty. Sad but beautiful.

I just finished another Ian McEwan opus, On Chesil Beach. This one I didn't like as much as Saturday, though it did hold my attention. About sexuality in the fifties, but also about forgiveness, tolerance and not paniking, which are all topics I am interested in. I thought the ending was tacked on and MacEwan hits over the head a little with his moral.

Also read The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. Now this totally held my attention. Didion's meditation on love and loss is raw and powerful. Very dark though. I feel I'm not old enough to benefit from this yet, knock wood.

Tomorrow more on some classics I read in 2007 and why you might like them too.

The inner judge

So I'm pondering on what to focus on in this blog. Perhaps my journeys in self improvement. Perhaps my journeys in photography. Perhaps my journeys in finding a career that fits.

On the self improvement front, I've been reading Soul without Shame: A guide to liberating yourself from the judge within by Byron Brown. The title actually explains a lot. I believe in the central premise, that we keep ourselves down and let others keep us down with constant judgements. Brown says both positive and negative judgements actually keep us from our innate aliveness.

I am on the chapter explaining how to start to 'tune in' to our judgements. It can be just a feeling of depression, hollowness, or other negative state. Once we notice the feelings, we may be able to start hearing the judgements that cause them.

Of course I must motivate myself somehow, but beating myself about the head with a huge stick probably isn't the best way. Have to continue to read to find out how this can actually work.

Storm

The worst storm in decades. I don't dare go out, but took this out of my front window. Shivers and shakes! Quakes and queries...