A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

from goodreads

4.5 stars

In life I think most of us try to be our genuine self. But there are times when we just plaster the smile on our face and fake it until we make it. That is not necessarily bad, but we need to have a safe place where we can be our genuine self. Whether that self is grumpy or sad or annoyingly happy it is important to have a time to express that.

In books it is exciting because you get to see the characters' genuine selves. If there is a faker we know it, and we usually know what their true self is as well. I think that is why some of the most beloved characters in literature, such as Jane Eyre and Elizabeth Bennet, and now Ove, are so well liked and treasured. They act as their true selves always. They act as they would always act no matter who is around or what is going on. They stay true to themselves.

What is one of your favourite characters that stay true to themselves?

Synopsis

Ove is a man who is set in his ways and some would say was grumpy and obstinate. Through the antics of crazy neighbours we learn of the love and loss of Ove and how one person can truly touch countless others.

My Thoughts

I could sum up this book in one word: delightful. Who knew that a tale of a man trying to end it all could be so lighthearted and fun.

This is a story that shows the magic of letting people enter your life, whether you let this happen willingly or not. It shows that love and pain that is in all relationships, new and old. This book shows that sometimes it is necessary to break out of our shell and sometimes we need to cling to what makes us us and not compromise our values.

The characters is this book were beautifully created and orchestrated. Ove, though thorny, is so lovable. You want so much good for him. And while some times you are like "It doesn't matter Ove, just let it go" you love him even more for being cantankerous. I love the hospital stuff. Hilarious! The rest of the cast of supporting characters are vastly different from each other but when put together works so well to support a funny and moving story.

I loved this story. There were times I was reading it and thought "Oh my gosh, Ove is my husband". That made reading it even more fun. It was like I was getting a glimpse into the future.

I highly recommend this book. If you are looking for a book that will make you laugh and cry, a book that will make you feel happy and fulfilled at the end, A Man Called Ove is your book.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

from goodreads

3 stars

Yesterday my husband and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary. It is crazy to think that I have been married for a decade. I feel like I can't be old enough to have come up to that milestone.

Looking back over that time I would probably do the same things all over again. It had been a pretty good 10 years, even if my husband does infuriate me sometimes. The thing is when you are together with someone for that long and you throw kids into the mix you can get caught into a rut and just go through the motions. So, it is important to try to keep things fresh and make time for each other. Easier said than done, but worth it.

Synopsis

It is Nick Dunne and his wife Amy's fifth year wedding anniversary. Things are a bit rocky in their marriage. But when Nick comes home and finds signs of  trouble and Amy gone his life gets turned upside down.

My Thoughts

Going into this book I had no idea what it was really about or anything other than I assumed  a girl would be gone. I know it seems hard not to hear or know anything about the book, but, I seemed to manage it. So I really didn't know what I was getting myself into.

On the whole I liked it. It did keep me reading and I wanted to know where this crazy roller coaster was going next. I was not over the moon with it as others were, I don't know if that was because there was a lot of hype about it or if it just wasn't for me.

I found the characters to be fairly unlikable. I am trying to think of one character I liked and can't think of any. But, I don't think the point was to like them. I think the point was to show that we are all human and have craziness in us or flaws that do not shed us in the best light.

This book was sort of like a cautionary tale of what happens if you do not have open communication with your partner, when you stop putting their happiness on your list of priorities and when one or both of you are just crazy sociopaths. It shows that we all have the ability to be cruel and vindictive and what can happen if we let those feelings of cruelty and vindictiveness rule our head. Sometimes I wish there could be books about normal relationships where people are genuinely concerned about each other and work together as a team and show us what a truly healthy relationship looks like. I know it wouldn't be the most interesting read, but I think if we saw that demonstrated more we wouldn't have as many messed up relationships as we see in this book.

So all in all, it was an interesting read with some interesting plot elements, I just wasn't a huge fan.

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain

from goodreads

4 stars

I would consider myself to be an introvert. I like being able to have quiet so I can focus on the task at hand. At the end of the day I am glad when the kids are in bed so I know I have my physical space to myself. I can be by myself and be quite content in my own company. Small talk sucks, and I like to observe and analyze before jumping into things. I can be shy on occasion but also outgoing when the occasion calls for it. But, I do value my quiet time.

It can be hard sometimes navigating in a world that likes people who are always bright, bubbly, and almost exhibitionist. I like keeping private things private and don't often need the whole world to see every single detail of my life.

What I think we all are trying to do or at least should be doing, whether we are an introvert or an extrovert is to be striking some sort of balance. We need to find ways to bring the strengths of being an introvert and being an extrovert together in some way. Both personality types have beautiful qualities and it is finding those qualities and using them to reach our full potential that is so important. I think that might take some time, but, it would be worth the effort.

Synopsis

Susan Cain take an in-depth look into the world of the introvert. She looks at how workplace configurations, the extrovert ideal and selling ourselves can affect the introvert. She also quietly suggests that the world may need re-evaluate the way they view those people of a more quiet nature.

My Thoughts

What an interesting read. While she goes a bit more in-depth then what I would about what is an introvert, and people being more sensitive etc. this was really enlightening. The amount of research she did was shown in the details.

What I found interesting was the perception of trust and expertise in the workplace. If you are not loud and overbearing it seems that people aren't going to take your word for it. While it is necessary to present your findings, I find it quite crazy that just because you aren't loud and brazen your thoughts would not be as valued, even though they may be more correct.

I liked how she compared western culture and eastern culture. The different values each culture places on personality. It was quite interesting. I also thought the analysis of open plan work places was interesting. I had never thought about open plan work places and how it might not work for all people before. The more I read, the more I realized I wouldn't like the open plan concept as much, it is nice to have a private place to just knuckle down and get to work.

I love how she doesn't say introversion is the best and extroversion is bad. She shows that both are necessary and that each personality type can learn from each other. I think this book is just the beginning of a very interesting conversation about what we value in our life. I also think this should be a must read for all business school instructors. Perhaps wall street blunders could have been avoided if the introverts (who were trying to warn their bosses) were paid the respect and attention that they warranted (though perhaps that is a bit simplistic).

While some parts of the book were a bit dry and hard to get through, on the whole this book was engaging and very thought provoking. It was a fairly easy read without being overly simplistic. It is a definite must read for introverts and extroverts alike.