Run Towards the Danger by Sarah Polley Many Canadians around my age first knew Sarah Polley as the "Story Girl" in CBC's Road to Avonlea. More recently, she's known for her work directing Alias Grace and Women Talking, movies based on books by Margaret Atwood and Miriam Toews. Sarah Polley's memoir touches on major events … Continue reading What I’ve Been Listening To: child actors, brushes with death, food additives, reconciliation, family histories, and climate change
As different as these stories seem, they have one thing in common: the people who populate them want to improve the world. One reno, one joke, and one chocolate at a time. The Blue Collar CEO by Mandy Rennehan (HarperCollins Canada) Before I knew about Mandy's book, my Dad told me about her show on … Continue reading Maritime Memoirs Audio Edition: hard work, comedy, and chocolate
Okay, folks. I am really behind on my audiobook write-ups, so I'm taking this opportunity to catch up. The following constitute almost a whole year's worth of listening. Son of Elsewhere by Elamin Abdelmahmoud A collection of essays about growing up in Canada after immigrating from Sudan at the age of 12 and exploring what … Continue reading What I’ve Been Listening To: a year of learning new things
Disability Visibility, edited by Alice Wong This book is made up of a variety of essays written by members of the disabled community. Not only is there a wide range of disabilities represented in these essays, there are also contributors of different races, genders, sexualities, religions, and vocations. There are personal stories as well as … Continue reading What I’ve Been Listening To: dwindling attention spans, the horrors of processed foods, cults, OCD, and a gorilla
My scattered thoughts on this fabulous bunch of books... science, memoir, history, essays, and adventure. The Invention of Nature This is a long audiobook, but I was riveted. There's history, science, politics, nature, travel, letters (so many letters!). I was amazed by how much Humboldt accomplished in his lifetime, and wonder why he's not as … Continue reading What I’ve Been Listening To: an enthusiasm for measuring, an enthusiasm for endorphins, our quest for a soul mate, how to breathe, amazing life stories, and the terrifying beauty of nature
This was an exceptional batch of audio books. These Precious Days by Ann Patchett I loved these essays. Ann had me crying several times, and it would be no hardship to listen to them all again. This book would make a lovely gift. At the heart of Patchett's essays is her friendship with Sooki, a … Continue reading What I’ve Been Listening To: Life is short so ignore your email, fight for yourself and others, and be still
I'm excited to tell you about this excellent batch of books. Just look at them. This is Your Mind on Plants by Michael Pollan Michael Pollan dives deep into three plant drugs--opium, caffeine, and mescaline--and throws the fundamental strangeness, and arbitrariness, of our thinking about them into sharp relief. I always like Michael Pollan and … Continue reading What I’ve Been Listening To: mind-altering plants, mind-altering essays, and some tips for a better life
If I Knew Then by Jann Arden "Being the age I am--that so many women are--is just the best time of my life." Jann Arden talks about aging, but she also talks about growing up, life with her parents, and her struggle with alcohol. She makes aging sound appealing, which is never a bad thing. … Continue reading What I’ve Been Listening To: aging, food, fairy tales, monkeys, comedians, and poets
After a series of memoirs about illness--then my octopus palette cleanser--I went back to social justice. So You Want to Talk About Race Ilejeomo Oluo I loved this book. I was invested in, not only what she was saying about racism and micro-aggressions, but about how it has affected her own life as a black … Continue reading What I’ve Been Listening To: three that made me think and three that made me laugh
After my rocky start to audio books, I am on a roll. I would recommend all of these, except maybe don't listen to the two cancer memoirs and depression memoir back to back to back like I did. Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson This book is as good as everyone says it is. Even now, … Continue reading What I’ve Been Listening To: justice, cancer, depression, and octopuses
Consumed by Ink 