WRAP UP AUGUST

 Hello, everybody. Here I am, back after the summer hiatus. How did your holidays go? Mine quite reading off to be honest, so expect kind of different posts from now on until I can feel like reading more often again.

I did not have the best start of the month, actually, but somehow, it kind of reflects on the books I read last month somehow. A few days ago, I learned about the passing of a dear professor of mine, of my whole class actually, and of all my Faculty. The oddest thing was that it struck me so hard because he was young and literally, such news was unexpected for everybody. He was such a good teacher, but an even better person, that his sudden departure has left us shocked. Has left me shocked. Up until now, All the deaths I have been mourning were caused by old age or cancer, so even though I had a hard time with those, they were something to be expected and, sooner or later, one ends up finding some comfort in knowing that the other person is not suffering anymore. But I think this is my first encounter with sudden death in a relatively young person I have been working with. A person that I knew, respected and I was truly fond of. 

Precisely, the two books I have read last month were a book concerning a bit the topic of death and a biography full of kindness, fun tips and teachings about the fact that you can always try to improve your life even when you are going through hell. And my professor was one of the kindest souls one can be fortunate enough to have met. So, to him, I dedicate this TBR.

For you, Juande. I truly believe you are in The Good Place. Say hi to Jane Austen for me.

This Is Me - Chrisy Metz

I admit that if I was not such a hardcore fan of the show This Is Us maybe I would not have even bothered to read this book and, by the way, I have made the conscious decision not to rate memoirs unless they are written for comedy purposes since that way you know it is not truly a memoir, but a fun ride to a probably half-fictionalised story. This was not the case.

Through this book, I have found out that much of the Kate Pearson storyline is founded in Metz's life experiences, which made me feel a bit disappointed because if you are an actor, why would you want to perform pieces actually based on your life? I don't know. It was not much, thank God, but enough for me for her character to lose the magic. Anyway, I did like it, but did not love it, even though as a fan of her father figure on the show I appreciate her nice words to Milo Ventimiglia, but it was also sad to know he kind of was the most stable father figure she ever had because her real father ignored her until she was famous then asked her for money and her step-father... Well, I prefer not to talk about bullies, I don't care how well their relationship is now doing.

That was another thing that put me off: Her ability to forgive the unforgivable. The whole book gives you zen vibes and at some points, that's not my cup of tea. I know you need to be the better person, but in my book that doesn't mean you have to forgive. Simply, forget and move on. Get some distance, live your life.

What I liked was how much she believes in manifesting and attracting good things into her life. I do that too, although I also admit that sometimes I lack consistency, but I try to live my life that way and her tips are very useful. She is a very, very positive person and I truly like her optimism and how her dreams came true because she believed she could and worked on them.

The Dazzle - Richard Greenberg

Originally from 2003, this play is based on the real-life story of the Collyer brothers, who were actually hoarders and that ultimately led them to their deaths. Nevertheless, here, so much more happens. One of the brothers meets a woman and she falls in love with one of them and both plan a beautiful wedding... Until the situation becomes a lot for the three of them.

This play has an amazing plot twist and it's very rich linguistically speaking, something that increases the more unsustainable the situation becomes. It's a very well-written play and my favourite read out of these two books. I would like to thank my friend Amy for sending me a copy.

And that's all. I wish I could have read more, but from there, my stand-by period started. 

See you next Friday, hopefully.