Little Thoughts About Books and Stuff

Currently Reading: Title:  Awkward: The Science of Why We're Socially Awkward and Why That's Awesome Author:  Ty Tashiro Date Started:  June 18 Goodreads Summary:  In the vein of Quiet and The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth comes this illuminating look at what it means to be awkward—and how the same traits that make us socially anxious and cause embarrassing faux pas also provide the seeds for extraordinary success. As humans, we all need to belong. While modern social life can make even the best of us feel gawky, for roughly one in five of us, navigating its challenges is consistently overwhelming—an ongoing maze without an exit. Often unable to grasp social cues or master the skills and grace necessary for smooth interaction, we feel out of sync with those around us. Though individuals may recognize their awkward disposition, they rarely understand why they are like this—which makes it hard for them to know how to adjust their behavior. Psychologist an...

Book Beginnings on Friday from  Rose City Reader   The Friday 56 with  Freda's Voice . This week I'm reading: Awkward:  The Science of Why We're Socially Awkward  and Why That's Awesome   by Ty Tashiro, PhD It Begins:   Preface I can feel everyone staring. The sharply dressed guests, all sipping their cocktails a safe distance from the pool, are surely wondering what I plan to do about the frail six-year-old struggling to stay afloat in front of me. I'm wondering the same thing.  On Page 56: They found that awkward participants performed just as well as non-awkward participants on the emotion recognition task, but imaging results showed that during these tasks, awkward participants had reduced activity in areas typically recruited for emotion recognition and they showed hyperactivity in regions usually associated with nonsocial problem solving.  Verdict: A friend gave me this book earlier this year for...

Still reading this one.  If it wasn't for a book club discussion, I probably wouldn't be trying to finish this novel.  I don't know if it's me or the book, but I'm just not feeling the story. I did read a few graphic novels over the weekend.  Those were really good. Check out my goodreads challenge page to see them! Have a good week!! Currently Reading: Title:   The Golem and the Jinni Author:  Helene Wecker Date Started:  June 10 Goodreads Summary:  In The Golem and the Jinni, a chance meeting between mythical beings takes readers on a dazzling journey through cultures in turn-of-the-century New York. Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life by a disgraced rabbi who dabbles in dark Kabbalistic magic and dies at sea on the voyage from Poland. Chava is unmoored and adrift as the ship arrives in New York harbor in 1899. Ahmad is a jinni, a being of fire born in the ancient Syrian desert, trapped in an old copper flask,...

As of this morning I am 2 books behind schedule in my GoodReads Reaching Challenge. I knocked out some romance books on my list this weekend, but needed to get going on this month's library book club selection The Golem and the Jinni.   I remember when this book came out, it was pretty popular at the library, but it never struck me as something I'd want to read.  I'm only a few chapters into the book, but I like the writing style and so far I'm enjoying the story. Currently Reading: Title:   The Golem and the Jinni Author:  Helene Wecker Date Started:  June 10 Goodreads Summary:  In The Golem and the Jinni, a chance meeting between mythical beings takes readers on a dazzling journey through cultures in turn-of-the-century New York. Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life by a disgraced rabbi who dabbles in dark Kabbalistic magic and dies at sea on the voyage from Poland. Chava is unmoored and adrift as the ship arrives in N...

Book Beginnings on Friday from  Rose City Reader   The Friday 56 with  Freda's Voice . This week I'm reading: Matthew (Jaded Gentlemen, #2)   by Grace Burrowes It Begins:   In Matthew Belmont's world, a damsel in distress took precedence over an early morning inspection of the pear orchard, particularly when the damsel weighed close to a ton and had a foal at her side.  On Page 56: Jamie clamped the cold pipe between his teeth. "Our Mr. Belmont is a gentleman, and they had the child with them. Won't be any mischief with a child underfoot." Beck reached the end of the aisle and leaned on his rake. "How many brothers and sister do you have, Jamie?" "Thirteen, that I know of. Some of the publican's boys looked an awful lot like my younger brothers, when they had hair." "And you were raised in a three-room cottage. Children underfoot are no guarantee of propriety, thought I agree, Matthew Belmont is ...