Tuesday, December 23, 2014

My Best Reading from 2014

Most of you know that I love reading. What person pursues this much schooling studying literature and the written word if not out of love? Since this was a crazy year in terms of my reading load, studying for my qualifying exams and all, I decided to review the books I read this year to see which ones inspired me most. Surprisingly, only one of the books I selected was part of my exam preparation! All of the books listed below were either recommended by a friend or from one of my spiritual mentors or a professor. In short, here is a list of books I read in 2014 that changed my life in some profound way, and so I will advocate on their behalf in hopes that you will consider making them part of your reading for 2015. Enjoy!

This book is at the top because it had the greatest impact on my life. Having gone through a divorce this year, I became even more obsessed with trying to understand the key to making romantic relationships work…I don’t want to fail again and/or hurt another person in the process. So though I’ve read over the years many many many books on creating a healthy relationship and healing wounds from the past, this one is special because it links the two—our past determines how we select a partner in the present. My friend Jacque recommended it to me, and once I began reading, I was completely fascinated. The book begins by explaining how a person’s idea of love was formed from the first years of life, and this idea of love creates an imago (or image) of what love is and looks like based on the behaviors given by the early caretakers. Basically, a person goes through life looking for a partner who exhibits this same familiar love as based on the imago in hopes of healing old wounds. Sounds great at first, but because both partners tend to be unaware of this process, the cycle designed to heal actually becomes a cycle to sabotage the partnership, and instead of healing one another, the couple enters the “power struggle,” as Hendrix terms it. The book explains all of this through anecdotes and psychology and then provides a series of exercises for the partners to do together in order to help the relationship transcend the power struggle and move toward permanent healing for both, which of course leads to “getting the love you want,” as promised by the title.

A Brief History of Time 
by Stephen Hawking

A few weeks ago, I saw the film "The Theory of Everything," which was completely inspiring. In fact, a song that is very meaningful to me plays at the end, and hearing it in theatre was the perfect accompaniment to what was an already heightened emotional state due to the powerful message of this film, of this incredible man’s life. So first, go see it on the big screen. Then, pick up A Brief History of Time, Hawking’s book for the non-specialist, which would certainly be me! He discusses theories of the universe dating back to the Greeks and offers a great survey of quantum mechanics… again, suited for the non-specialist. My big takeaway is that physics supports the paradigm by which I live life: it is all one beautiful mystery.

In this book, Dr. Myss explores the spirit in the same way a person studying the physical body would think about anatomy. Her findings were fascinating to me because I previously thought of the spirit as an intangible entity that was shrouded in mystery. However, by synthesizing beliefs from four major world religions, Myss uncovers the anatomy of spirit, which ultimately presents the seven stages a person goes through to reach spiritual maturity. As someone who finds value in all spiritual walks of life, I was absolutely delighted to learn about Myss’s discovery and how these congruous stages in the religions offer a more holistic truth about spirit.

My nutrition and general well-being guru has just this year (as in a few months ago) published his life-changing book on holistic health. Glidden uses the acronym FARMERS to systematically go through all areas of life where being and living can be improved, can be made more healthy. The organization of this book makes it very user-friendly; he uses the AED Model (Awareness, Education, Discipline), to structure each chapter, and this helps readers implement their new knowledge into daily life. It is a practical and easy-to-do guide for changing your life… mind, body, and spirit.

I have to give a warning with this one. If you are exceedingly happy believing in monogamy, then don’t read this book! I recommend it only for the open-minded and perhaps not-so-hard-and-fast monogamists out there. The authors tell their tale with an abundance of wit and humor, which makes it fun to join them in their exploration. I also got a kick out of their creative presentations of anthropology and their thorough study of the sexual habits of apes. Not only is this book wildly entertaining, it also offers an important insight to keep in mind about our animal selves. If nothing else, it helped me think much more scientifically about the sexual behaviors and urges of humans, which is a good thing for any reader… the more we understand, the more compassion, forgiveness, and humor we can have about all things concerning sex. And I think that’s a good thing!

This book appeared on the required reading for my qualifying examination in nineteenth-century US literature, and it stood out from the others because it presents one of the most obvious yet shocking lenses through which to study our nation’s history. I had no idea how deeply and profoundly Puritan ideology infused itself into the identity-shaping of the Americas, specifically what is now the United States. Understanding where we began and where we have been as a nation provides much perspective on where we are now and where we might be heading. It also helps explain why and how we are still so puritanical in some of our more traditionally held beliefs. Again, gaining a true understanding is the place to begin, and compassion stems from there.

Citizen: An American Lyric 
by Claudia Rankine

When the journal I work for, Foothill: a journal of poetry, was preparing questions to interview Claudia Rankine for our latest issue, I decided to add to my collection of her works her most recent publication of prose poems, Citizen: An American Lyric, which focuses on racism in the US by discussing media, sports, academia, and the poet’s personal experiences. Since I have read this year more than I have ever read in years past, that this book stands out from the others is kind of a big deal. And it stands out because it haunts me still. It helped me see some truths, unpleasant truths, about humanity, but more specifically, about people living in the United States. At a time when and in a place where injustice after injustice after injustice occurs, this book’s depictions of racism hit the core of the problem plaguing our nation. The poet’s masterful prose left me in a state of disbelief, where I was simultaneously riveted and horrified at the thought of reading on. It is powerful, to say the very least; a book you don’t easily shake off.

In Search of Lost Time 
by Marcel Proust


This approximately 3300-page novel is a feat for even the most literary loving among us! I read this behemoth of a book for a sixteen-week course I audited in the spring, and it makes my list here for two reasons. The first is obvious: to finish it at all is a huge accomplishment, one a large percentage of the population will never have the satisfaction of completing or even attempting. The second is simple: its themes are universally relevant, dealing with desire, unrequited love, the meaning of life, our obsession with the past, the futile task of trying to regain lost time, and what it means to reflect on one’s life. If the thought of reading 3300 pages is too daunting, then I would say to just pick up the first part of the novel, Swann’s Way.

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