"Circe"

Can be pronounced with a C or K,
but definitely not just one syllable

Madeline Miller's "Circe" is a reworking of Greek mythology from a new point of view. Circe, daughter of Helios, is mainly known for her role in "The Odyssey" – first turning Odysseus's crew into swine, then turning them back, and finally telling Odysseus what to expect on his journey home. Miller weaves together familiar myths into a story of the goddess's entire life, giving her an epic of her own.

"Uneasy Street"

A.k.a. an author analyses assorted
anxieties of an affluent elite

"Uneasy Street" was my first book group read in several years. Rachel Sherman, a sociologist, conducted a series of interviews with affluent New Yorkers to understand how they think about their wealth and relate to the rest of society.

The book advances several interesting theories, but I do have some issues with the methodology and ultimately found it to be more more psychology than sociology, as it looks at how (very!) specific individuals respond to their circumstances rather than the circumstances themselves.

More below, but fair warning: I have a lot to say about this one!

Hobbies: an endangered species?

Their hobby might be practicing poses for a Le Penseur group photo.
#GreatRodinMoments

I read a couple interesting articles¹ today and learned that hobbies are apparently on their last legs! One begins:

Too many kids let screen time and homework crowd out real pursuits. If you ask most young people today if they have any hobbies, you will receive one of four answers:

1. "No."

2. "What do you mean?"

3. "Yeah. I play video games/watch TV/watch movies."

4. "Yeah..." and then they may actually cite a hobby.

The fourth is the least common.

But where exactly is the line between an activity and a hobby?

"The Martian"

Andy Weir is actually the author,
not the eponymous Martian.

"The Martian" is a feel-good book about human perseverance, ingenuity, and coming together to overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges. It's also a Matt Damon movie I haven't seen, but I liked the book enough that I may just give it a shot!

A few minor details below.

2019 in review

As today is the last day of 2019, I'd like to take the opportunity to commemorate some of my favorite new¹ things this year!

Books

Favorite fiction: "Station Eleven" for its captivating portrayal of the people and relationships surviving a global pandemic.

Favorite nonfiction: "The Second Mountain" for painting a picture of a meaningful life outside of the usual meritocratic/self-improvement lens.

Runner-up: "Cat's Cradle" for teaching me about granfalloons.

"Fallen Leaves"

Not to be confused with
"Autumn Leaves" (Prévert)

I actually learned about "Fallen Leaves" from a 2015 NYT obituary about the owner of a Pakistani bookstore. It begins as follows:

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — After his father died, Ahmad Saeed took over the office on the ground floor of the family's storied bookstore here, Saeed Book Bank. Then the elderly men started visiting, seeking to settle old debts.

"They all apologized and said they had tried to see my father while he was alive but his office was always too crowded and they were embarrassed," Mr. Saeed said.

Five times such men arrived, hat in hand, not just to pay their respects to the son and family, but also to say they wanted to pay for books they had shoplifted as children. Mr. Saeed said his father, Saeed Jan Qureshi, who died of heart failure in September, would have been amused: He had always regarded book theft by children as an investment in a future where people still read, and thus become his customers.

In the article, it becomes apparent that "Fallen Leaves" was one of Saeed's favorite works. Since a recommendation from such a wise-seeming person carries extra weight, I put the book on my list and finally read it earlier this year.