May Book Stack

We've had a month of rain, so I've spent a lot of extra time reading.

• The book that surprised me most this month was Aflame by Pico Iyer. I expected it to be one in the pile of books I never complete. Definitely not the case. Iyer writes from the notes and thoughts he gathered during his various retreats at a small Benedictine hermitage in Big Sur, California; it's a book about the beauty of clarity and silence. Mixed between his experiences spent in silence are those spent in deep community with the monks. I enjoyed reading how his silent moments helped redirect his gaze and strengthen the relationships in his life, including those back home away from the monastery. Iyer's recollections remind readers that people matter (also see my essay, "Community Matters"). The nature of my work over the years has led me to spend a significant amount of time in solitude; I'm comfortable in silence. Aflame helped me rethink the influence my own quiet times can have on building stronger relationships.
• I pretty much always enjoy Gretchen Rubin's writing. I've read several of her books, and every time I think to myself, She and I would be good friends if we knew each other in real life. (No, I'm not stalking her!) Secrets of Adulthood is a collection of aphorisms from her explorations on the subject of human nature. I'm a sucker for expansive ideas distilled into concise statements. A few good ones from this book: "Accept yourself, and expect more from yourself" (page 30). "One of the worst uses of time is to do something well that need not be done at all" (page 103). "Much of the appeal of an ice-cream truck comes from the fact that we're never sure when it will appear"🍦(page 46).
• Reading Kitchen Hymns is a work in progress. I've forever had a mental block when it comes to understanding poetry. Pádraig Ó Tuama makes it slightly more accessible.
• Towles and See are repeat authors for me. I enjoyed Table for Two and Lady Tan's Circle of Women, and they're both worth reading. Pretty often I love one of an author's novels so much it sends me down the rabbit hole of reading his or her other books. It seems like the subsequent reads usually aren't as entertaining as the first. I liked Towles's A Gentleman in Moscow so much that his others, including Table for Two, haven't seemed quite as good.

When I'm reading, I keep a pen and paper nearby and scribble lots of notes and quotes. You can tell how much I enjoyed a book by how much space it holds in my notebook. Iyer's and Rubin's hold a lot.

I've enjoyed the extra reading time, but I'm hoping for more breaks in the rainy weather next month so I can get out and explore. As Iyer says, though, "It's never possibility that's not present; only me" (page 27). Redirecting my gaze is another work in progress.

Thanks for reading.

—Melody 💟