I‘ve had this book so long I don‘t even remember where it came from … but finally decided to read it.

Definitely an interesting pick. Reminded me a lot of Heart of Darkness … a thriller while also a commentary on the terrors of colonialism, racism, and privilege.

Empty cafe in Paris is perfect for reading a little Camus …

« Mourir pour une idée, c‘est la seule façon d‘être à la hauteur de l‘idée. C‘est la justification. »

This play is a short but intense commentary on whether or not violence is justified in order to bring justice to a community and an end to tyranny, something Camus wrote about several times. Several contrasting viewpoints are expressed here, through the different characters.

Fully unable to fathom why this only has a 50% rating. One of the best poetry collections I have ever read. To think that he was only 20 when he wrote it 😩 The mastery of language and inert understanding of being in love AND losing love somehow translate into English incredibly well and for that I‘m convinced that Neruda was a genius.

“I want to do with you / what spring does to the cherry blossoms.” 🌸🥺

This book covered so much in such an incredibly short space. James Baldwin was an absolute talent, a fierce warrior of a writer. What a pleasure to read.

There is important content about systemic racism in this book, and a lot about the dangers of religion too. I particularly liked the quote above because it so perfectly says something I‘ve been trying to articulate to my peers and friends for years.

This is one of the best books I‘ve read this year—unique, poignant, layered. I am a SUCKER for good alliteration and historical references. Anne Carson is a master at that.

This novella/poem is simultaneously a mediation on our relationship with the world… “We would think ourselves continuous with the world if we did not have moods. It is state-of-mind that discloses to us . . . that we are beings who have been thrown into something else.”

4/5… important book, excellently supported, and a good read. The only reason I took a star off was because I had hoped it would go a little bit deeper… maybe I‘m expecting too much. This book was groundbreaking when it was published, but less-so now because so much other amazing work on race theory and institutionalized racism has followed it.

Also, she was incorrect about anthrax—it‘s a bacteria, not a virus 😊 otherwise, well-written!!

Just a little resemblance :,)

Enjoyed this one… it‘s more of an image of a changing Tokyo, a transition period in the life of a young couple, and a meditation on loss and remembrance than a heart-warming pet story (you‘ve been warned!) Very soothing and relaxing; I felt like I was in the light greenery of Japan with the author and his wife. Reminded me of past memories with other cats my family has loved. A nostalgic and thoughtful book!

“It is the privilege and the curse of midnight‘s children to be both masters and victims of their times…”

Holy moly, THIS BOOK. One of my all-time favorites. It felt like Rushdie took a John Irving family saga plus mysticism and raised the bar. He intwined the protagonist‘s life and complicated relationships with the history of India, Pakistan, & Bangladesh in the 20th cen and added dense prose and powerful irony. *chef‘s kiss* 🤌🏼

“… He defined philosophy as the finding of bad reason for what one believes by instinct—as if one believed ANYTHING by instinct! One believes things because one has been conditioned to believe them! . . . People believe in god because they‘ve been conditioned to believe in god.”

What a book. This one will stick with me for a while.

Loved this book! It‘s an easy read, and I recommend it for anyone who likes learning about science with a side of history. It‘s also a fun read for anyone in medicine … I‘m in my cardiopulmonary unit at the moment and this book provided great context for the pathophysiology and treatments I‘m current studying. 🫁 🧫 🧬

“There is luxury in self-reproach. When we blame ourselves, we feel that no one else has a right to blame us. It is the confession, not the priest, that gives us absolution.”

I loved this book!!! Stirred up many interesting thoughts, was very provoking, and also entertaining—even funny at times. Oscar Wilde was such a talent.

“You work so that you may keep pace with the earth and the soul of the earth. For to be idle is to become a stranger unto the seasons, and to step out of life‘s procession that marches in majesty and proud submission towards the infinite.”

Absolutely obsessed with this little book!! I see why it is a classic. The passage on death is particularly moving.

This was a fun mystery read— set in New Zealand and following the forensic and police investigation of two murders in a small, fishing community on a remote island. Forgot how much I love a good ~who dunnit!~ The characters were relatable and the plot was great, even if I wish the mystery hadn‘t moved so quickly in the last 20 pages.

Finished in less than 24 hours… couldn‘t put it down. Taylor Jenkins Reid does not disappoint!! (Although I still think Daisy Jones is my favorite by her.) Excellent summer read! 🙏🏻🌞🏄🏻‍♀️

Enjoyed this listen! Lots of great tips in here. I‘m not sure any of the ideas were particularly ground-breaking, but he explains them all very well and includes a lot of practical applications and ideas.

Definitely not my usual genre, nor my favorite … but still enjoyable enough! I checked it out mainly because I wanted to read it before watching the Netflix series. Reminded me a LOT of Gone Girl and Verity—a psychological thriller driven mainly by feelings of “I have to know what happens!” and plot twists rather than character development, themes, or poignant language. Quick and easy summer read that was exactly what I expected it to be.

Overall, this book was surprisingly more enjoyable than I expected, combining tones of a new American age, restlessness, friendship, & rejection of traditional domesticity in a stream of consciousness. I‘m still mulling over certain quotes and trying to piece together what I think the main theme is (maybe meaninglessness?) and whether Kerouac actually accomplished anything profound or if he just stumbled upon something that resonated with readers.

Plenty of interesting psychology in this book— helped me understand my own decision processes more. I think I‘ll come back to this book in a few years when I‘m making my next big round of life decisions.

“Autonomy” is SUCH a buzzword in medicine right now—Schwartz offered a different take, that more autonomy does not lead to more happiness.

Also enjoyed his explanations of satisfizers vs. maximizes, of sunk cost fallacy, and opportunity cost.

UM WOW! Obsessed! I haven‘t read a piece of fiction this good in ages. I originally was astounded by what I thought was a TON of creativity... but which turned out to be a fair amount of fact, instead!! She just took these facts and crafted them into incredibly entertaining and enchanting fiction. Leigh Bardugo still deserves an A+ for this — makes me wish I went to Yale 😂🐍

Also, what??? She was in Wolf‘s Head and not Aurelian?? 😱

Listened to this while on a road trip of my own ... and wow. So many interesting ideas! It was definitely not easy to get through since I don‘t know much about philosophy in the first place, but it provided me with some new lenses through which to view my own life and work.

Many interesting and helpful nuggets to take away from this book— it‘s not the cure-all, I don‘t think, but definitely a useful tool. I particularly liked the section about combating perfectionism as a defense mechanism through 1. self kindness 2. common humanity and 3. mindfulness.

The parts on parenting didn‘t apply so much to my life, but were still kind of fun to read about. Probably a good read for many parents out there!!

I could not put this book down. Lucy Grealy tells her story of cancer, disfigurement, and coming to terms with self with extraordinary candor and thoughtfulness. Her emotional reasoning throughout her illness about her appearance and her morality is interesting, sometimes flawed, but so absolutely human. Probably the best memoir of illness I have ever read.

This book was not what I expected, but it delivered an argument I didn‘t know I needed to hear 👏🏼 Will be recommending this to all of my friends. The authors, who have experience in sex work, make a point NOT to argue about what sex work ~means~, but to instead argue how best to protect the rights of sex workers and where mainstream feminism has failed to protect or empower. Powerful, well-organized work.

Excellently written memoir. The experience of individuals with bipolar disorder is so varied and complicated, and even though her experience might not apply to all patients, I do think Dr. Redfield Jamison‘s insight given her career in psychology is particularly touching. I‘m proud of her for living as her true self despite the fears of her career being affected. What a strong human!

This one was a struggle to get through at times— none of the characters spoke to me at all, and some I actively disliked. (I will say that it‘s important to read books whose characters don‘t vibe with us though— how else can we explore another‘s perspective?) I did think the plot was ingeniously crafted and I look forward to whatever Kiley Reid puts out next. Excellent and interesting commentary on what race conflict can mean in suburban America.

Enjoyed this a lot. I didn‘t know much about his story or background before. Though he‘s certainly not perfect, his goals for his companies are admirable and his creativity and persistence are impressive. I think he‘s an interesting intersection between personal ambition and a desire to help humanity succeed.

The writing style was succinct and clear, but nothing too inspired or creative. It‘s Musk‘s story that keeps it moving.

I‘m no physicist, so I moved really slowly through this one, but it‘s definitely understandable if you take the time to digest the concepts, since they build on each other. I feel like I‘m coming away from this book with a new appreciation for physics and the universe around us 🪐

Enjoyed listening to this one, though sometimes I did wish I had a physical copy for the times when I was struggling to understand a concept.

These women do a wonderful job of explaining the difficult situations they have been put in by racism, sexism, and Islamophobia. I am moved by their courage to live fully at the intersections of their identities and to fight for other women to do the same. I learned a lot about Islamic religious teachings and the associated cultural practices.

My only disagreement stems from my atheism. No religion of ANY kind deserves applause for existing.

Can‘t put it down! The writing isn‘t particularly interesting, but the characters and the plot are great, and I‘m invested.

Absolutely obsessed with this book. Best history book I have ever read. The writing style & insight into revolution-era American politics are so inspired that they put this book onto my short list of all-time favorites.

The way Ellis explains nascent America is so... moving, especially given the current political crisis we are in. In a strange way it gives me hope, to know where America has been and the legacy of debate in our identity.

This was a great book to listen to (~15 hrs) during a 20 hr road trip back home after the holidays 🚗 Fast moving plot that made the miles pass by. This book seems to have garnered a lot of hype, and though it‘s not my usual book of choice, I can see why— its a great story, with a plot twist I somehow didn‘t see coming, and about characters whose behavior was so realistic. I laughed and gasped and exclaimed aloud!

TW: domestic abuse

A mythical, creative novella on generational trauma and the toll it takes, both on an individual and on a community. The themes are powerfully honed and I‘ll be reflecting on this book for a while. I do think the writing style could have been refined a bit—parts of it were highly repetitive—but that‘s a personal preference.

“Both would remain, my memories set down alongside his. There was a boldness in not editing for consistency. To admit uncertainty is to admit to weaknessness, powerlessness, and to believe in yourself despite both.”

So much pain and joy, ambition and uncertainty, love and hate in this book. An incredible piece. I love the quote above because I feel like all stories exist alongside different versions of themselves, and it‘s bold to embrace that.

I rarely listen to books on tape, but I had a road trip to do and this turned out to be an excellent choice. Interesting commentary on sociocultural structures and how we players in them see ourselves... how we delude ourselves. At one point I even pulled my car over to write down something Tolentino said 😂 So much to consider and reflect on here. I‘m very impressed with the author‘s insight and self-awareness— I wish I were more like her!

Toni Morrison really worked some magic with this one. I am so astounded by her genius! Just finished this book and I can‘t stop obsessively reading interviews Morrison gave and interpretations on Google... just wow. 10/10 for me.

The way she writes about generational trauma, systemic racism, possessiveness and jealousy, masculinity and femininity, the black experience, and identity are so skillful and moving. Can‘t wait to read her other books.

I have a week off from classes and I am so excited about all of the reading I‘m going to get done. Tonight I‘m back into Empire of the Summer Moon, and though I‘m finding it very interesting, for a Pulitzer finalist I expected it to be a little more sensitive when talking about indigenous peoples.

Yes, my Christmas tree is lopsided 😂 I love natural trees though because they‘re all unique🎄🤍

Lots of great takeaways in this book on racism and, as the title describes, white fragility. This section was one of my favorites since I so often find myself facing off with white people who want to celebrate whiteness, not understanding that whiteness is a social construct that was established only to keep black people and other minorities down.

Read this book for school and it was a relatively easy but informative piece.

Reads well, moves a little slowly in some sections, but otherwise a great review of late 1800s/early 1900s racist policies and govt in the Midwest. My heart goes out to the black men and women that have fought so hard for their rights. Dr. Ossian Sweet is a name we need to know, and his story reminds us of the dark side of the Jazz age. Wish I‘d been exposed to books like these much earlier!!

I feel like I picked this up at the right time— as the next election nears, I‘ve been needing a “sense of progress . . . Watching the unsung and invisible find some light.” A reminder of what was accomplished under Obama and a hope that something similar will come again.

As always, Michelle never fails to impress me with her courage, intelligence, and adaptability. I enjoyed learning more about her early years.

Portrait by Ashley Longshore

“We aren‘t trained to see our patients. We are trained to see pathology. We are taught to forage with scalpels and forceps for an elusive diagnosis buried within obfuscating tissues. . . The true relationship is forged between the doctor and the disease.”

I feel lucky to have such a powerful, readable novel be assigned as part of our reading in medical school. Dr. Awdish uncovers a fatal flaw in medicine and challenges us to be better doctors.

⬆️ from Layla Saad‘s Instagram.

What 👏🏼 a 👏🏼 book👏🏼!!! I am so grateful for the work Ms. Saad has done/does in creating this workbook. This is one to revisit, and often. Her Instagram is also an excellent resource to follow for continued discourse and reminders to check in with the antiracist work we all need to keep doing.

My Own Words is not easy to work through given that I have little understanding of law, but it is certainly a worthwhile read. It is a compilation of speeches, articles, and briefs from RBG‘s early years and varied career. It covers the landmark cases she defended and opinions she‘s penned as a Justice, punctuated by her memories of and thoughts on the judicial branch.

Love the pop-art portraits of her done by my fav artist, Ashley Longshore ⬆️

I wanted to like this book, but there was too much sexism and racism in this for me. This was published in 2018, and though I understand that Hernandez‘s experiences took place in a “different time”, I think this was a missed opportunity to explore why racism and sexism has had a home in baseball for so long— at the very least, to admit that it wasn‘t right. He just glosses over this and continues with his list of accomplishments and memories.

This book is about so many things— hardship, tragedy, regret, mortality, freedom, expectations, self-love, acceptance... I feel like I need to book mark this to recommend to anyone who is going through something or anyone who wants to feel more in touch with the human experience. We are all working through our own hangups, and in the process we all need to be kinder to ourselves ❤️

I was underwhelmed by this one. It‘s definitely an interesting read— as most imaginings of the afterlife are— and there is something compelling in the quick pace and format of the book, but I thought the ultimate themes of life, love, and redemption were lacking and seemed recycled. Still, I‘m glad I read it, and would still recommend, but it just was not as profound as I‘d expected it to be.

Best thing about quarantine is that you can do it from a remote island AND you can finish tons of books 😋 Really enjoying this dive into medical history and pharmacology 💊 Well written and easy to understand while also explaining the science succinctly, clearly, and correctly 👍🏻

There is a lot of emphasis on opiates and opioids, but I suppose that‘s understandable given their global impact.

DEVOURED THIS BOOK. What a profound story of a woman as she learns to navigate life and love in the Jim Crowe South. This is a masterpiece of a personal experience, of intersectional feminism, of grit— can‘t wait to read more of Hurston‘s works and other pieces from the Harlem Renaissance.

I‘m sure there are other books about medicine and animals out there, but this is the best one I‘ve read. The author, a geriatrician, leads us through his career helping his elderly patients and their families navigate the last years of their lives and their deaths— no easy task for anyone, even physicians. Dr. Dosa has a feline companion, Oscar, who can sense when someone is going to pass and who provides comfort. SUCH a sweet yet serious book! 😽

“As a group, black teachers never submitted to white supremacist ideology. Their dogged pursuit of better schools reflected a conviction of their own worth and the worth of their pupils.”

3/5 ⭐️. Presents a detailed history of black educators in America from slavery up to integration. Since it was written in 2007, I thought it should have included black educators post-integration too. Otherwise, still pretty well-written and comprehensive.

Audiobook is free on Spotify, not sure how much longer it‘s available, but if I were y‘all I‘d listen while you can 🙂

This is a gripping timeline of the various racist ideologies and activists that shaped our nation. While it‘s interesting to “relearn” American history though, this is the easy part of the battle. Donate! Speak out! Racism is not behind us, it‘s still in us— our laws, our dialogues, everywhere. #blm 👊🏿