Why is this still relevant?

Bullet Journal II

After the last thing on bullet journals, I really wanted to include some other snippets from my bullet journal(s). I mentioned one of my favourite things from my last bullet journal was my 'Book Club' section. It's books I've read over the year of 2017. (14 in total!)

Book Club includes the following information: name of the book, author, date completed reading, notes on the book.

1. Hot Milk/ Deborah Levy/ 2-8-17/ Shortlisted for the Man Booker 2016, it tells the tale of a mother and daughter who travel to the Spanish coast to discover the mother's mysterious ailments. The daughter is lost; in a lost stage of life. The relationship between mother and daughter is precarious. Entirely codependent, questionably loving. For me, it reflected the lost I feel and the tensions of my own relationship with my mom. Am I fulfilling what I can, what she wants me to?
2. A Manual for Cleaning Women/ Lucia Berlin/ 2-18-17/ One of the 10 best books of the year according to the New York Times Book Review, this is a set of short stories of the author's life and struggles. A little out of order, it almost reads like a journal where she re-examines her own life from an outsiders point of view. She deals with her sister, her alcoholism and the love she finds and loses. It is a little sad and definitely lonely. 
3. Trigger Happy/ Hanna Yost/ 2-28-17/ I have nothing to say because there is too much to say. All that needs to happen though, is just to open the book and read it again.
4. The People in the Trees/ Hanya Yanagihara/ 3-15-17/ This is the author's debut novel, although I still enjoy A Little Life more. Still written to much acclaim, this book is so interesting in the way that it challenges our impressions of right and wrong. What we assume to be appropriate and acceptable behaviour. This is entirely grey space - in our social organization, social and global hierarchy, and sexual behaviour. It is constantly learning not to feel safe and comfortable in one's belief but to constantly challenge. 
5. The Course of Love/ Alain de Botton/ 3-31-17/ This is everything we need to and hope to learn about love and people and being with people in a book. It is not just how to make love stay but also what to do, what we can expect when love is tricky. I saved most of the entire book in a .doc file because it is so touching. 
6. Do Not Say We Have Nothing/ Madeleine Thien/ 5-26-17/ Another book shortlisted for the Man Booker 2016, this follows three generations of two interconnected families (although one more primarily) before, during and after Mao Zedong's peak. What happened before, the shock of some of the reforms, the pain of the reforms. It was heartbreaking to read. The politics is confusing. There are so many different opinions. People love their country, but at the same time, it was a scary, dangerous, limiting time. To be where I am, in the time period that I am, I am so lucky. But also to read and feel the power and heat of political involvement, it is exhilarating.
7. Bad Feminist/ Roxane Gay/ 6-4-17/ She starts with saying that she is a bad feminist. She likes and does the things that we're told we cannot as feminists. As women who respect themselves. Bad Feminist embodies the way that life is not simple and we cannot clearly distinguish the lines on how to live in the most appropriate, empowering and serving way. She includes a lot in her essays; all kinds of topics that would affect feminists. All include so many personal anecdotes, so many pop culture references. It's a lot to think about. I think I want to buy this book to reread.
8. The Vegetarian/ Han Kang/ 6-19-17/ Another one shortlisted for Man Booker 2016, it is a three-part, three-perspective look at a woman who suddenly becomes a vegetarian after she has a recurring dream. Her family breaks apart slowly as a result of her decision. The book is interesting in the way that it describes her motivations towards vegetarianism, and her desire to return to a simple kind of life. On a similar vein, when we look at her family members' motivations for how they choose to live is also interesting - when we live for selfish complacency, for a need of passion, for cowardly complacency. The book asks us to reassess why we choose to act the way we do. 
9. Difficult Women/ Roxane Gay/ 8-13-17/ It is a beautiful collection of short stories that are all over the place. Some of them are light-hearted and fun, some heartbreaking, some just love. I really enjoyed reading the collection. She is a beautiful writer. It's so easy to read and so personable. My favourite stories I typed onto the computer. North Country, Strange Gods, Requiem for a Glass Heart, but there were so many good ones. It both lifted and broke my heart.
10. The Power of Habit/ Charles Duhigg/ 8-16-17/ In a fairly long book with lots of extensive examples and anecdotes, Duhigg explains the science of habits and habit formation that basically control every aspect of our lives. It goes from what habits are, to how they are formed in our personal lives, in business and social movements. Habits are our key to change. 
11. Swing Time/ Zadie Smith/ 9-8-17/ Two young brown girls are friends until moments when they are not. They are kind to each other until they are not. There is so much about this book - the diaspora experience, the single mother, the woman seeking her own path in the world unapologetic about her choices, especially when the men involved feel threatened Not necessarily a likeable character, but I think it's an important story to be told. And heard. It's also on the long list for Man Booker 2017. 
12. Contagious/ Jonah Berger/ 11-5-17/ Originally a book for school but interesting nonetheless. It talks about the pillars or reasons for why and how content becomes viral. It is a short book that outlines fairly obvious points, but still interesting because it is not often that we see these facts laid out so nicely and succinctly. 
13. Double Cup Love/ Eddie Huang/ 11-17-17/ This book took two days to finish. I love Eddie as a voice - to hear and reflect on his upbringing, his culture and viewpoint. It's like hearing him speak. In the book at one point, he says he hates being the voice of a culture, of a race of people. It's foolish to think that his one voice can reflect an entire experience. But I think it's so important to me and maybe to a potential partner (if he isn't Asian) to read and try to understand the complexity of being right here - being a second generation Asian person, my family, and being here in Canada. How that all blends and makes up my beginning. I love Eddie for that. 
14. Hunger/ Roxane Gay/ 11-30-17/ Initially I am hesitant to read this book, afraid of how it force me to reassess my own fat-shaming tendencies, my own fat phobia. That is my own burden and boundary, one that I am so acutely aware of. It talks about her and her journey. A memoir of this aspect of her life - how the weight came, why, what it was for. I'm not sure what it does for or to me. It's insight although I'm not sure how it may change my perspective or opinion. It opens my perspective. It is reading to learn more kindness. 

Collage from 2015

January Favourites

The Group by Babaton alpaca sweater - This is the softest sweater I own. It is very big and almost shapeless and I love it.

Being back at a yoga studio - I renewed my yoga membership in hopes that paying for it will encourage me to go. It has been working but only to a degree. School has been so busy that it's hard to find time to make it to classes. When I'm there though, I'm happy. It feels good to stretch out my body. I think it's really helping with the stress of school and what the stress is doing to my body. I'm also happy that I can still move my body in all the ways I do.

Starbuck's new cheese croissant - Good and bad favourite here. Good because they're such a nice subtle flavour, so soft inside. Just a very good croissant for Starbucks in my humble opinion. Bad because I can't stop eating these and they're not good for me! A whopping 370 calories for something that is not that filling. In February, the goal is to stop eating these.

Blundstones - On January 2nd, I went with a couple girlfriends to see some frozen waterfalls in Hamilton. My Doc Martens completely failed me. There was no grip whatsoever on these shoes. I bought a pair of Blundstones immediately after. I was really surprised how comfortable these shoes are. They didn't need any breaking in. They do better with slippery surfaces (e.g., snow, ice, whatever the weather has been this year). They're warmer than I thought with no extra lining or furry stuff. I can see the appeal of these even if they're just hipster shoes.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck by Mark Manson - The hour-long (sometimes more) bus ride is excruciating. I've picked up on a habit of reading to help pass the time and so it feels less like wasted time. Currently, I'm reading Mark Manson's very popular book. I'm still not done with it but I appreciate the insight he provides. Full review pending.

Boy Smells' Coin candle - These are beautiful, fragrant candles. The packaging is so well thought out. A black glass jar with a 'millennial pink' label. The only one I own right now (because they're bloody expensive) is Coin. Its scent notes are copper, rust, moss, saffron, and plug tobacco. I'm not sure how that sounds to you but I assure you it smells amazing.

The National's Sleep Well Beast - I've listened to the National off and on throughout the years. This new album is a dream though. It is the nicest, sweetest, saddest piece of sorrow and cosy in these hectic, stressful and chilly times. Have some tea, a cuddle. Listen.