Minimalism, live a meaningful life (Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicoderm)

What are you holding on to? I asked myself this as I read Minimalism: Live a meaningful life. I also asked myself what the heck minimalism was since in my head I was thinking something along the lines of Thoreau and deliberately throwing everything I own away because I want to find meaning on the inside. Thank God that's not what it was all about. Maybe a tiny bit, but it's bigger and deeper than that, and definitely worthy of a book. Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodermus: two friends who knew each other since they were kids reconnect again in their twenties and end working together at a big company where they're super successful (where success=money) yet they aren't happy.They have big houses, big paychecks, nice cars, women and status but no deep meaningful purpose. They each looked for happiness in various ways (marriage, more work, more possessions, religion, food etc.) Then Joshua's mother died and things started to slide into perspective, that we have a finite time in this life and do we really want to keep working and spending running ourselves ragged or do we want to live a meaningful life. The book is an overview of how to do this. Simple on paper, hard to put in action but the authors break it down and go through 5 dimensions that you should ask yourself about when making decisions or taking inventory of your life. The first is Health: Their point is that if you're not healthy you can't live happily so to take care of yourself you should make lifestyle choices such as cutting out sugar, gluten, breads, pastas and experiment with cutting out meat, dairy and any drink that isn't water. It's no-nonsense advice that personally, I'm not excited about since there aren't many carbs I don't like but that's me. They also talk about exercise and have some tips on how to maximize workouts to keep it fun and to the point (no time-waisting). The second dimension is Relationships. The duo have a way to evaluate your relationships where you figure out who is primary, secondary or on the periphery. Are they positive relationships? Do they add to or detract from your life? And they talk about making new relationships, what do you want and what must not occur in the relationship and how to make passionate relationships work.They remind you how to nourish, support and be present in the relationship so you are valuable to the other person and vice versa. The third is Passions: It's so easy to get mucked down in our routines. We are anchored down by our daily lives and they suggest four anchors that inhibit us from finding our passions. Identity, status, certainty and money. You are more than your job. Remember that the next time a person asks, What do you do? They ask the reader what he would do with his life if money weren't an object. They ask what excites you? How can you turn your passion into your mission in life? It's a little, The Passion Test, but worth the repetition. The fourth is Growth: The point is to always be growing and changing and to make decisions based on this change allowing time for fluctuations and standards to rise and keep it consistent. The fifth dimension is Contribution: This is going beyond yourself and helping others. Helping others adds value to your own life. It's always meaningful and the authors say a life without contribution is a life without meaning. Overall this his a great guide to refer to when your itching for a little piece of mental substance to snack on. I had never heard of the guys or their website, www.theminimalists.com, but am so glad that I was able to read and review this book. I don't think enough can be said for clearing the clutter whether it's a bunch of clothes you haven't worn in a year or emotions that have stuck around keeping your stagnant fearful of pursuing your dreams. What they set out to do is spread the word that minimalism is a tool to help you achieve freedom from fear, guilt, depression, enslavement and all the other figurative shackles that keep us from meaningful long lasting happiness.It isn't about if you have an expensive car or a hybrid car or any car at all but more about finding out if a vehicle is essential to you. Is where you are working essential to you. Does it make you feel valuable and valued. It's about less as opposed to more because it boils down to stripping away the unnecessary things in your life so you can focus on what's important. After reading it I can't say that I'm a minimalist but I'm on the path to paying attention to what is essential to me. It might take a while, what's important to me today may not be next week but it's growth and all growth takes time and some nourishment and of course, patience. So even if you don't want to get the book check out the website. They have tons of essays to read if you're looking for a little inspiration on how to clear the junk out of the trunk.

Skippy Dies (Paul Murray)

Did I miss something with Father Green??? Anyway I adored this huge brick of a book. Took me a solid 5 days to get through it. I loved the conversations between the boys and the side story about Howard and the slowly illuminating push behind it all. It's basically about boys in a boarding school who are each trying to make his way through life. They deal with parents and grades thugs and drugs and of course, parallel universes. I've always been attracted to nerds and this book bore it all-a little bit relationships, playing the song of a favorite band 100 times over, the need to fit in, the need to obliterate your mind when you're overwhelmed with everything and video games! I loved this book but was a little confused at the end. I think I missed something having to do with the priest and it didn't get 5 stars only because some parts of the story went on a bit long (the halloween hop and the dream drugged interludes) but I loved the humor as well as the darker parts. Can't wait to read Murray's other book, Evening of Long goodbyes cuz I'm a huge fan of Wooster and Confederacy as it's been compared to. I recommend this book but be prepared, it's a dense sprawling read but worth it if you like coming of age tales.

The Middlesteins (Jami Attenberg)

This book turned out to be just okay for me. I really liked the review of it when I first heard of it but have to say I was a little disappointed. I guess the story wasn't full enough (no pun intended). It was cute in some parts the whole Jew-Personality (think: Linda Richman character on SNL) but that was about it. I didn't really like any of the characters and was even a little bored. There was something there, I kept reading it was just that interesting, but only just. The Middlesteins area Jewish family breaking apart because Edie, the mother, keeps eating and eating and gaining weight and then her husband leaves her during the time she has surgeries and pre-diabetes etc. and it all just doesn't come together. I'm not even sure what the main plot was. I guess it culminated during the twins b'na mitzvah but I just felt there was so much missing. The ending was kind of off too. The more I think about it the more I thought the author could have done so much more. I can tell she's capable but perhaps the story lost it's steam or something. Maybe she gave up or maybe the deadline was too short. Anyway, it's an okay book but could have been a lot better.

How To Be A Woman (Caitlin Moran)

Ms. Moran is fabulous. I didn't know her before I saw someone else's review on goodreads but after the summary I thought, this book is for me and it mostly was. She's from Britain and there are a lot of British references that went over my head but the humor was there and after I got past the whole pubic hair bit I was on board with her. Actually she had me at the pubic hair bit but I have to say she might have went on just a little bit long (no pun intended). She's crass and a little vulgar and sassy as hell. I love her message and her chapter on bodies. I will admit I skimmed some sections as not every single thing was calling out to me but i read at least 90% of the book and do recommend it to females galore and some very secure in their sexuality males as well.

Inside (Alix Ohlin)

Gush gush gush... swoon swoon swoon. I have a readers crush. I read Ohlin's Signs and Wonders, a superb book of short stories (and i'm usually not one for shorts) so I thought I would give her full novel a try and am soooooo glad I did. It follows 4 characters someone connected throughout a ten year period. The stories are great but the writing sucks you in. It's not pretentious or oversimplified, just good. We witness what it's like to love, hide, runaway, accept, ignore, feel or not feel and it's so achingly beautifully written I dare call it poetry. (i hate poetry but hear that when people use this word it's normally a good thing). Ohlin is a keen observer of the world and transfers what humans experience perfectly on the page. It's about men and women, jobs, kids, losing someone, gaining someone and everything in between. Wish I took more time with it but could not put it down. I highly recommend it.

Tales of The City (Armistead Maupin)

Guilty pleasure. Heavy on dialogue and explanation for things done or thought or anything substantial. What it will do is keep you turning the page. It's 1970's San Francisco and everyone wants to be in love or hook up or both. We are introduced to a case of quirky colorful characters in this 1st in a 6 book series of Pre-Friends/Sex and the City type people.I know it wasn't anything "literature-like" because I can't even remember anything significant about the book ie, no heavy philosophy or morals etc. But it was a book I carried around for 2 days while I read it every time I got a chance cuz it was like a soap opera.

A Surrey State of Affairs (Ceri Radford)

A slightly Sorry State, indeed!! It was cute. I liked the British girl who is just clueless and slightly dim-witted take on a year in the life of a housewife. I thought it was a Wodehouse meets Adrian Mole meets Fawlty Towers all mashed up. Meet Constance Harding, upperclass wife to lawyer Jeffrey who is only known to the reader through her descriptions of him. He seems slightly boring and mechanical and typical. They have 2 children, Sophie and Rupert and they are either going through the general angst of early adulthood (taking off with middle aged Russian thugs or coming out of the closet respectively) Constant starts a blog and chats about her life for a year. The reader is privy to what she knows, which isn't much, and through her stumbles and slightly snobby perceptions of life we can laugh along with her and at her and if you have nothing better to read perhaps become immersed in her thoughts about life and her children and her constant efforts at matchmaking. She has a few friends and has a heart despite her preoccupations with the luxuries of life and people's manners etc. It was sort of predictable but something kept me reading despite having like ten other books going at the same time. I think because I enjoyed Jeeves and Adrian Moles adventures and likened them to be more original I was a little annoyed at this, but not even to DNF it. If you like brit humour this is for you!