Joining the Peace Corps I knew I would have more time during my days since we are able to create our own schedules to accommodate the demands of our jobs. I did not realize, however, that it truly is a lot more free time. But I have loved the new found freedom because it has given me the chance to rekindle my love of reading. I have always enjoyed it, but I think I lost a bit of that fire after reading countless pages during my undergraduate Bachelor's degree. Reading has taken up a lot of my free time here in the Dominican Republic and I wouldn't have it any other way. It also helps transport me into another world on those days where service seems a little more difficult than usual.
I have decided to write up short thoughts and "reviews" with occasional quotes that spoke to me to share what I have read and also keep track of what I will read during my 27 months of service.
I hope this list can give someone else new insight on possible books they would like to read as well.
Enjoy!
Wonder by R.J Palacio
The movie brought me to tears, and so did the book. The book is a fast read but I was engulfed in every word. Palacio wrote the novel beautifully and truly brought Auggie’s and his family’s struggles to life. By separating the book into different sections for the characters gave it layers of perspectives on the impact of family difficulties. I highly recommend reading this touching story about some of the realities people face in life and how they overcome them.
“Greatness lies not in being strong, but in the right using of strength… He is the greatest whose strength carries up the most hearts…” (p.93)
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
This novel was also almost impossible to put down. It did not take me long to finish such a gripping novel. Flipping between the perspective of the husband and the wife adds a very interesting aspect into the disappearance of the wife, Amy. Flynn developed her characters so intricately it was hard not to become involved in the mystery.
The Naturalist by Andrew Mayne
Before reading this book, I thought it would be a novel about the environment. I was completely wrong, but still pleased to find it was a murder mystery. However, instead of the police focusing on the investigation, it is an ordinary professor with diverse knowledge in many subjects. Mayne included enough interesting scientific explanations that I felt like I was even learning along the way as well. He also includes interesting anthropological thoughts on human behavior. I will definitely continue reading the series in the future.
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
Gladwell once again impressed me with the various connections he made between human interactions in this novel The Tipping Point. He explores the different factors that go into spreading epidemics. Gladwell delves into how certain people are better at meeting other people to make them connectors while there is other people that make ideas stick for a certain audience. Personally, my favorite chapter brought up the idea of the stickiness factor by using the example of Sesame Street and Blue’s Clues. Both were favorites of mine and although I cannot recall learning what the book says I apparently learned by watching these two TV shows, it was so interesting reading about what my experience must have been and why one was “stickier” than the other. I highly recommend this fascinating book if you are in need of something to put your brain to work.
Euphoria by Lily King
This thrilling novel follows the lives of three anthropologists as they live with various tribes in New Guinea in the late 1930’s. King used the successes of Margaret Mead for the inspiration of the book. The book incorporates some interesting aspects of the different tribes living in the territory while also including some romance among the three anthropologists. I couldn’t help but find some parallels to my own life as a Peace Corps Volunteer and finished the book in one day. A few of my favorite quotes:
“It’s that moment about two months in, when you think you’ve finally got a handle on the place. Suddenly it feels within your grasp. It’s a delusion—you’ve only been there eight weeks—and it’s followed by the complete despair of ever understanding anything. But at that moment the place feels entirely yours. It’s the briefest, purest euphoria”
This moment spoke to me, especially since I am about to complete two months in my site. Although I may not have found that understanding or euphoria yet, it’s an interesting thought and I will be looking out for that moment of complete happiness.
“The key is to disengage yourself from all your ideas about what is “natural.”
I could not have said it better myself. Learning about other cultures, especially among the people of that culture, is separating yourself from what you have been raised knowing. There is no one right way to live and it’s so much easier to understand another culture by throwing yourself into it without your biases.
“You don’t realize how language actually interferes with communication until you don’t have it, how it gets in the way like an over dominant sense.”
Although I have an advanced level of Spanish, there are still a lot of Dominicanisms that I am learning and I am adapting to the accent day by day. There is such value in listening and really understanding the meaning of the language.
Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
Kaur wrote a beautiful book of poetry that hits on a lot of different emotions pulling from her own experiences. If you need a good cry or a feeling of empowerment, there are plenty of poems here to satisfy those desires. I believe we could all benefit from owning a copy of this book to help us put our own experiences into perspective over the years.
The Color of Water by James McBride
I was pleasantly surprised by McBride’s novel as he recounted his life growing up as a bi-racial man with a white mother while he also tells his mother’s story as she had told him. In the end he discovers his identity and his mother comes to terms with her struggles as a girl and what she left behind. It is a beautiful story about race in America and the importance of family throughout one’s life.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
A classic and it has been years since I have read the first book in the series. I was definitely transported into another world and it did not take me long to come to the end. I will not be surprised if I read the series once more during my two years of service.
The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman
Although I am not married or even remotely close to being in a committed relationship, I found it very interesting to read Chapman’s book outlining the 5 different love languages he has discovered in his work counseling couples. He helped me reflect on friendships that have fallen apart and gave me more insight on who I am as a person and what I value most in any types of relationships. I recommend learning these 5 love languages, whether or not you have issues in your marriage or relationship. It will strengthen your bond either way.
Ever After by Jude Deveraux
Roaming what we call the “Pack Shack” at our Peace Corps office, I was looking for another physical book to read and came across this novel in a trilogy by Deveraux. Once I started I was instantly drawn in. I happily finished this novel in a day and was transported onto the island of Nantucket where the novel was set. It was a gripping love story, very similar to Cinderella, but with enough twists that you are frequently surprised at what she throws at you.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
I find it so interesting to read these books again after having seen all of the movies many times and comparing what the directors took out and changed while making the film. Not my favorite in the series of books, but still a good read nonetheless.
The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant
My wonderful site mate found this novel in the pack shack and lent it to me and she has a good eye for books. Although I normally would not have picked a book like this to read, I did quite enjoy it. It is set in Florence in the late 1400’s and focuses on the life of the youngest daughter in a prominent family as she recounts the story of her life. The inclusion of religion was lost on me a bit, but I found it interesting and even reminiscent of Game of Thrones at times. I did enjoy the talk of culture and art throughout the novel and kept me going until the end.
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
A truly touching memoir written by Kalanithi himself as he reflects on his life while struggling with lung cancer. He writes the memoir in two parts, looking at how he got to be a very talented neurosurgeon leading up to his diagnosis at the end of his residency. His bravery and resiliency is reflected throughout the book and will definitely make you cry at the end.
“Human knowledge is never contained in one person. It grows from the relationships we create between each other and the world, and still it is never complete.”
“You can’t ever reach perfection, but you can believe in an asymptote toward which you are ceaselessly striving”
“When you come to one of the many moments in life where you must give an account of yourself, provide a ledger of what you have been, and done, and meant to the world. Do not, I pray, discount that you filled a dying man’s days with a sated joy, a joy unknown to me in all my prior years, a joy that does not hunger for more and more but rests, satisfied. In this time, right now, that is an enormous thing”
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
It took me a little longer to get into this novel, but it was very reminiscent of Euphoria. It was sent mostly in the Amazon and part of Brazil where a few scientists from Minnesota live conducting research. There was some drama, and I’m not sure how much was fiction, but it definitely did pull me in by the end. I felt as though I was missing something, but I cannot quite put my finger on what exactly it is. Some cliffhangers at the end I would have wanted resolved. But overall, it was a decent read.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
Another classic by the wonderful J.K. Rowling, but I must say, rereading this one I was not as into it as I was in the first two. I truly love the third movie, but I think I found this one to be dragging on a bit in some areas. I am very excited to move on to the next one. Hoping to finish the series by the New Year?
This is how you lose Her by Junot Díaz
Díaz wrote this novel beautifully and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about his perspective on the different relationships he depicts in each chapter. He made me at least reflect upon the people in my life and compare his stories to mine. I also loved reading the Dominicanisms and actually understanding them this time reading the novel. It is such an easy and quick read, but so worth it. I would definitely read this again during my service.
Rise and Shine by Anna Quindlen
This was a random novel I grabbed from our pack shack because I liked the butterfly on the cover of the book sleeve. I found Quindlen’s prose at times to be confusing, the way she jumped between memories all of a sudden and would be back in the present without much indication. But I did enjoy the story she told about the various hardships the characters faced and how the main family found ways to push through together. A decent read that I would recommend to a friend.
Learning to Die in the Anthropocene by Roy Scranton
My wonderful best friend, Samantha Martin, sent me this book along with another for my birthday this summer. She knows me so well because they both involve different aspects of the environment, in this case Climate Change and what can be done at this point, if anything. I enjoyed reading his opinion based on the facts and history of climate history. However, I find his position a little too pessimistic. Maybe it’s because I would love to work in climate change policy in the near future, or maybe it’s because I am too big of an environmentalist to accept a fact that we have damaged our Earth to a point of no return. But with my previous studies on the environment, albeit small at this point in my education, I still believe there is something to be done. I think it is a good read because Scranton opens our eyes to the wide range of dangers facing humanity across the globe and his pessimism may even push us to start improving upon the damage we have already made.
A Life Inspired: Tales of Peace Corps Service by Various Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs)
I loved reading this book of short stories from RPCVs. Now that I am a serving volunteer it is so nice to hear about previous volunteer experiences. I also enjoyed being able to find comfort in some of the stories of hardship because there were some I could relate to. It is a great book for anyone that is thinking about joining the PC or interested in hearing more stories on life as a PCV.
The Pact by Jodi Picoult
This was an interesting love story focusing on the premise of a suicide pact between high school sweethearts. However the boyfriend lives and goes on trial for the murder of his girlfriend. It was not my favorite love story but Picoult’s writing style kept me reading until the end. I enjoy how she flips between the present day and the history of the relationship between the two kids.