WWW Wednesdays #47

Mark Joseph Jochim

May 1

WWW Wednesdays is a bookish meme that was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived by "fledgling writer" Sam A. Stevens on Taking on a World of Words. To participate, you just answer the Three W's:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you'll read next?

Currently Reading:

^{On The Plain Of Snakes: A Mexican Journey by Paul Theroux (published October 8, 2019)}

The eBook version of this is 1,077 pages long which seemed a bit intimidating but I started reading it last night and have already flown thrown more than a hundred pages. Pronouncing the many Spanish words and phrases slows me down a bit, particularly the few times Theroux doesn't offer a translation into English as my Spanish is very rusty after almost twenty years living in Thailand! It's extremely interesting and is bringing back a few (mostly fond) memories of my own experiences along the southern borders of Texas and New Mexico.

^{The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living}^{by Ryan Holiday (published October 18, 2016)}

Recently Finished:

^{These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant (published November 16, 2021)}

This was so good!!! In years past, it was rare for me to rate books higher than four stars but These Silent Woods gripped me throughout, earning five stars in a month full of excellent books. It will be extremely difficult for me to choose my favorite book of April. One of my criteria for a great book is the degree to which my emotions are charged by reading it. I cried at the ending of the last three novels (maybe four!) that I have read. This one has a slight leg up as it has brought back vague memories of my sister and I staying at a similar remote cabin with our parents when we were around eight or nine years old. My memories on this are so vague that I just sent a text to my sister for confirmation but I do remember our dad chopping firewood and the snow on the ground.

^{Positivity: Confidence, Resilience, Motivation}^{by Paul McKenna (published January 6, 2022)}

This was pretty bad and I didn't get much out of it at all. The only passages that I even highlighted were a few about "Resilience" towards the back of the book. I believe I already read similar pieces of guidance in The Daily Stoic. What really bugged me the most about this book was the endless backslapping and name-checks of celebrities by Mr. McKenna. When I read a book like this, I want to know the methods I can use towards helping out my own life. I don't care how it helped some actor or CEO who has a completely different lifestyle (and bank account) than I do.

Reading Next:

For the first time in quite a while, I DO NOT KNOW which book that I want to read next. There are currently eight books on my May TBR (I will put my list into blog form on Wednesday) and I have already started reading one (see above). I even have tentative lists through August! Those change quite a bit as I discover books (new and old) that I want to read more than others already listed.

I will state here that my next book will be a work of fiction. In fact, I am trying to decide which among two or three titles will grip me enough (an "unputdownable" book) so that I can finish it and perhaps another before I return to work on May 9. After that, my reading time will be much more limited most days.

Happy Reading!