Re-Sparking with a Challenge
I’ve been away all summer! I have been teaching a course that has taken a lot of my time and focus. As the course comes to a close I am intending to get back to writing here.
And I am in luck! With great timing for me, Laura Tremaine started a new social media challenge. This is a 10 day book challenge, a perfect way for me to get re-inspired. From August 22 - August 31 I posted on Instagram following her prompts. This was a simple way to get engaged and connected and I am excited to be back here! I did miss one day but I let myself off the hook.
Day 1: Favourite Book from Childhood
Not so much a favourite book but a favourite series. I adored The Babysitters Club. I so fondly remember scouring yard sales to add to my collection. I remember always identifying Claudia as my favourite event though I don’t have a creative bone in my body and was/am nothing like her - I am a total Kristy, Type A to the core. These books are a huge part of the foundation of my love for reading and hold a special place in my heart.
Day 2: Best Book I Had to Read for Class
I can’t quite remember what course I ad to read this for, possibly Sociology of Death and Dying but it always stuck with me. I’ve recently read Albom’s “The Five People You Meet in Heaven” as well and love how he is able to approach writing about death with such nuance and care.
Day 3: Interesting Book Club Pick
I was already familiar with this book as a therapist, so when it was introduced for a bookclub I was part of, I got a chance to read it through a different lens. It was interesting to take something I often recommend to clients and read it with fresh eyes and a different intention.
Day 4: Shaped My Worldview
This book was outstanding. It is historical fiction and does a tremendous job of reflecting the long standing impact of residential schools. I have to admit that my knowledge of residential schools has been lacking and I am striving to educate myself further a an adult.
Day 5: Great Cover
These are two of the most adorable books I own. I had the first of the duo on my “to read” list and then when I saw them in a local bookshop I fell in love. They are a wonderful little size to carry around and the cross-stitch with skull and crossbones is so simple but fantastic.
Day 6: In My Favourite Genre
For me, my favourite genre is a tossup between Historical Fiction and Dystopian novels. Both genres have been at the forefront for me in the past few years and a number of my favourite books have come from these categories. I loved Kazuo Ishiguro’s “Never Let Me Go” so when “Klara and the Sun” was released in 2021 I immediately jumped on it. Ishiguro is masterful at creating a story that is eerie yet beautiful. His talent is in developing an understanding that there is something more going on than meets the eye, maybe a little dystopian or sci-fi, without smacking you in the face with it.
Day 7: About My Home
I read this book after seeing “Come From Away” in NYC and had my mind blown. Before I even get to the book, I have to say that this show is phenomenal. I am from Newfoundland and was vaguely aware of the planes and people in Gander but I was far enough removed from it and young enough that I didn’t realize the degree to which the town stepped up at the time. Tuerff was one of the passengers who was portrayed in the show and his retelling of his time in Newfoundland was emotional and charming.
Day 9: Made Me Feel Less Alone
I think more than this was a “made me feel less alone” and more of a “created a sense of nostalgia and homey-ness”. There are some books that just feel like home and comfort. Little Women is that for me. I was obsessed with the movie as a young girl and when I finally read the book I adored that too. I recently purchased a beautiful copy and re-read the story of the March Sisters, it was as amazing as ever.
Day 10: I Really Want You to Read
This continues to be one of my favourite books. It is stunning ot me that this was Gyasi’s debut novel. It was a gorgeously written historical fiction that completed captivated me.