I’ve been rifling through the book shelves (and stacks) that feature prominently in almost every room in my house, taking stock of what I have and have not read. I noticed that there’s a lot of non fiction reading in the mix. That’s a little bit new for me. Historically, I was a fiction and especially classic lit reader. However, lately I’ve started to find a lot more pleasure in non fiction. If you’re considering branching out or just looking for some worthwhile reads, here are a few to consider:
Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan
As a twenty-four-year-old writer at the New York Post, Susannah Cahalan suddenly and mysteriously plunged into madness. Her journey there and back are the subject of this incredible story. It is a medical mystery, a powerful exploration of identity, a celebration of perseverance and a true story of survival. Most of all, it calls for some honest thought about the classification of illness as mental or medical and the harsh reality of how much we really don’t know. Frightening but ultimately empowering, I found this one totally fascinating page after page.
Quiet by Susan Cain
Quiet is all about introverts and the value they bring to a culture dominated by extroversion. For me, this book was a powerful portrait of the introvert life. It was intensely relevant to my personal experience, both personally and professionally. In fact, I saw myself in its pages from start to finish. For the record though, I think this is a worthwhile read for extroverts and introverts alike. It is a thought-provoking examination of the way we interpret and value personality, both in ourselves and others, and the real possibility that we’re missing out on a wealth of potential in the process.
Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher
I know, call me a band-wagoner for finally getting around to reading this memoir after Carrie Fisher’s untimely death. But the truth is the truth – and she spoke it fluently. This book is hilarious in that laugh-out-loud-but-omigosh-that’s-not-funny way that is Fisher’s signature brand. It’s brutally honest and brazen in a way that I can’t help but admire. It is so funny but also such a poignant commentary on a lifelong struggle with mental illness and addiction. Above all, it celebrates resilience.
Princess Masako by Ben Hills
This is a portrait of Japan’s Crown Princess Masako Owada, a Harvard- and Oxford-educated woman who gave up her successful career as a diplomat to marry the Crown Prince of Japan. As wife of the heir to the Chrysanthemum Throne, this modern woman became part of an ancient and somewhat mysterious regime. Compelled by duty and honor to comply with formidable imperial traditions, she also faced enormous and very public pressure to birth a male heir. Since her marriage in 1993, she’s remained largely hidden from public view, purportedly in an ongoing struggle to come to terms with and fulfill the weighty expectations of her title.
While there are readily apparent limitations to what is necessarily an arms-length account and a (maybe too) healthy dose of the author’s own cultural filter evident in his presentation of events, the overall execution is still interesting – though more as a conceptual examination of the institutions in question than an intimate personal story. Masako’s story raises all sorts of questions about gender roles as well as cultural and social institutions framed against the backdrop of the oldest continuous hereditary monarchy in the world – up to and including seemingly futile hopes that Masako’s only child, a daughter, might one day be allowed to ascend the throne. This one is timely as well. In December, the Japanese Cabinet set the date on which the current Emperor will relinquish the throne to his son. At that time, Masako will become Empress at her husband’s side.
