Unraveled Wednesday

I'm joining Kat and the Unravelers for Unraveled Wednesday, with the same old Hitchhiker in progress. We're heading to MD today for what I hope is the last trip, and this will be the perfect car knitting to mark that momentous occasion. I'm at 52 teeth and am just going to keep going until my yarn runs out. 

I've been listening to audiobooks as I clean out the areas cluttered with too much crap in NJ (kitchen cupboards, linen closets, my clothes, bookshelves, etc...) I've made three trips to Salvation Army and given away things to lots of people, but there is much more to do. This is going to be an ongoing project, and audiobooks make great companions during the process.

The Power of Regret was a four-star book for me. I think the subtitle says a lot: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward. I try to make the best decisions I can at the time I'm making them, but in hindsight, there are several that I regret. Daniel Pink advises that looking back at our regrets can bring clarity and help us to make even better decisions and choices in the future (or basically learn from your mistakes).

The Power of Fun was anything but fun to read, and I only gave it two stars. I'm not a big fan of self-help books, but my library has been grouping them under Mental Health Resources. They seem to be much more attractive to me that way, and I think I could use more fun in my life. The author defines fun as playfulness, connection, and flow, and I agree, but I don't think that keeping a fun journal is going to help. Reading this clinical, repetitive book that smacks of privilege and is filled with too many anecdotes is not the way to find fun. 

The Maid features a neurodivergent main character, Molly, who takes pride in being a maid at the Regency Grand Hotel. I won't divulge any more about the story as it is a mystery of sorts, but I was disappointed because Molly was written as a caricature and I expect authors to take more care and have more respect for characters on the spectrum. Your mileage may vary, but for me, The Maid was only 1.5 stars.

I didn't even consider reading What Happened to You? initially, because I had the distinct advantage of growing up with two parents that did their best, treated me well, and loved me. And then one day it dawned on me (when I was wondering what might be wrong with someone) that maybe I did need to read this book, to better understand people who may have suffered trauma, abuse, and the effects these might have had upon brain development. This four-star book has changed my thinking so I won't wonder what is wrong with someone but will reframe the question to ask what might have happened to them instead. 

Jane recommended The Lost Garden last week and it sounded just like the type of book I wanted to read. I couldn't find it at any of my libraries, so I bought it for my Kindle and I'm glad I did. It's written by Canadian poet Helen Humphreys and the prose reads like poetry. The story about gardener Gwen Davis leaving London to escape the bombing in 1941 to train girls in Devon how to grow potatoes for the war effort is a lovely one. 

What are you making and reading this week?