by Glenice Lilje

Books You Can Cry To

 Sure, I like a good cry every now and then.  I once read somewhere that one of the benefits of crying is a feeling of letting go.  The letting go of tension and anxieties, but also a literal release of oxytocin and endorphins: the feel-good chemicals! Society has brought me up to believe that crying is a sign of weakness, but I believe the contrary and that not all tears are created equal.  I don’t think I have ever ugly cried while reading a story but My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult changed all that.  The last pages were so tear-stained that I was too embarrassed to return the book back to its owner.

Although I have avoided reading other books from that author, I still remember the feeling that stayed with me.  I know I can never revisit that story again, but I always enjoy thought-provoking stories that leave me emotionally invested.

Here are some titles that will tug at your heartstrings and have you thinking about the characters long after the book has finished…….maybe have some tissues ready.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, 2020

The Midnight Library tells the story of Nora, a thirty-something woman who has many regrets about her life and is left feeling unneeded.  At the lowest point of her life, she comes across The Midnight Library whose collection represents portals into different variations of her life.  The Library exists between life and death, allowing Nora to experience these alternate realities for as long as she desires.  A story of regret, acceptance, redemption and the choices that go into a life well lived.

 

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah, 2021

Picture this: a 25-year old unmarried woman, raising two children on her own and working on a Texas farm during the Great Depression.  She had dreamt of going to college, instead she struggles to make a living while watching their land and crops dry out around them. Do they stay and hope to keep the land they worked hard for, or do they go West and start over with hopes of a better life?  The Four Winds is a book about resilience, determination, survival and the American Dream.

 

Malibu Rising: A Novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid, 2021.

Every year in Malibu, four famous siblings throw an epic bash that attracts a lot of famous people.  One year, the party gets out of control ending with a fire that ultimately ends up burning their house down.  Broken down into four parts, Malibu Rising shares each sibling’s perspective as they navigate through familial struggles, heartbreak and a party for the ages.

 

 

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro, 2021.

Brought to you by the author of Never Let Me go, Klara and the Sun is a beautiful story of an Artificial Friend that carefully watches the behaviors of shoppers and passerby’s from the store where she hopes that someday a customer will bring her home. Follow Klara’s journey as she observes and learns about the societal pressures humans are subjected to and the artificial way people divide themselves.  This novel from Kazuo Ishiguro also allows the reader to reflect on our rapidly changing modern world and the meaning of love.

by Glenice Lilje

A Series of Unfortunate Events

From the first sparks of fire to the billionaire space race of today, there is no denying that we humans have come a long way. I am always in awe when I think about all the conveniences and advances that I have experienced during my time on this planet.  I can still recall getting our first family computer, playing games on an 8-inch floppy disk and learning to type with Mavis Beacon. Today, I can order groceries on my smartphone and have them delivered to my doorstep by the end of the day.  Amazing!

With all of our advancements, there have been many, many failures along the way (Think: The Titanic).  Here a few books from our collection that highlight some of the hits and misses throughout the years.

Dopesick:  Dealers, Doctors and the Drug Company that Addicted America by Beth Macy, 2018.

Beth Macy walks us through the last two decades of America’s struggle with opioid addiction and its heartbreaking trajectory.  The author investigates the dominant forces that led the medical industry to embrace overtreatment with painkillers and the powerful hold OxyContin has had since its debut in 1996.  Macy takes experiences from families, communities and first responders that have been affected by this national crisis and interlaces their stories with the dark histories of corporate greed and regulatory indifference.

 

The Great Pretender: The Undercover Mission That Changed our Understanding of Madness by Susannah Calahan, 2019.

Mental illness has always been tricky to define, diagnose and treat. In the 1970’s, a Stanford psychologist and seven sane, well-adjusted people went undercover into asylums around America to test the legitimacy of psychiatric diagnoses and treatment.  Forced to remain inside until they can prove that they are “sane”, each member emerged with shocking diagnoses and disturbing stories of their treatment resulting in the shutting down of some institutions and changing mental health diagnosis moving forward.  Susannah Calahan provides a well-crafted real-life detective story that proves that very little is what it seems and makes us wonder what else may be going on behind closed doors?

Humans: a Brief History of How We F*cked it All Up by Tom Phillilps, 2018.

Since the dawn of man, humans have certainly come a long way.  Advancements in art, technology, culture, science.  On paper, we are at the top of the food chain. But if you take a look at the fine print, it wasn’t always the smoothest ride to get to where we were today.  Let’s just say that with every trailblazer, there is a long list of “f*ck ups” along the way.  From Chairman Mao’s Four Pests Campaign, to the American Dustbowl and the Austrian army attacking itself one drunken evening.  As a species, humans has not appeared to have grown wiser with age.  Next time you are feeling down for screwing something up, pick up this book as a reminder that things could be A LOT worse.