Y'all, it's hard to come up with creative titles for all of these posts. Good News - These books are better than the subject indicates.
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline was a re-read for me. I listened to the audiobook a few years back and just adored it. My book club is reading it this month, so it was an excuse to dive back into The Oasis. Once again, I loved this one. I love the infusion of 80s culture. I love the drama. I love the dystopian future spin. I'll be interested to see how the movie version stacks up to the book. Without question, I know the book will be better for me. However, I'm interested to see how Spielberg visually spins this one into (virtual) reality. #wordplay #amirite #sorrynotsorry
Read this book if - You love the 80s and/or you love sci-fi and/or you want a new spin on dystopia in the not so distant future. You are going to see the movie, and this is one you should absolutely read before the movie. Also, if you're looking for a foray into audiobooks, this is one of my favorites. Wil Wheaton is an outstanding narrator.
A Framework for Understanding Poverty: A Cognitive Approach was a book I read for work. It was interesting. There are some gaps in this approach, but from the cognitive lens it was informative. It focused on unwritten rules and behavior patterns to examine systems. Coupled with some other pieces I'm checking out on the topic, it'll be a helpful piece to reference.
Read this book if - You want to understand how poverty might manifest in a classroom environment. This one does have an educational spin, and it's definitely written for teachers. However, I still found applicable pieces for the work I do. You also should plan on reading more than just this book to get a good understanding of the topic.
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond was another read I picked up for work. This one is heartbreaking as it examines the state of housing in Milwaukee. I learned a great deal on housing issues by reading this one. It was also an interesting read given that when Dustin and I were in Branson for the week many of the motels on the strip had moved to weekly rates with move-in waivers or specials which made me actually see and process the issue further. This was a hard read, but a necessary one on this crisis issue.
Read this book if - You want to get a better understanding of the challenges affordable housing - or lack thereof presents. You want to understand the reality of what is happening in many of our cities around housing.
The Woman In Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware was a book I was excited to find at the most recent mini JoCo Book Sale. Y'all, it was only $1! Only exciting to me? Oh well. This is one of the thrillers of the moment in that Girl/Woman who Something Something trend. I do love a good thriller, and this one hit the spot. It had some unexpected twists and was high on the drama which is the basic recipe for me to enjoy one of these. I'd recommend other thrillers to y'all before this one, but if you happen to see it on a shelf, it's worth checking out.
Read this book if - You have loved literally any other book with a title GIrl Something or The Woman Who Something. You tend to like the thriller of the moment. You like a book that reads like a Lifetime movie.
