Books To Read When Your Brain is Fried
While we at the Riot take some time off to rest and catch up on our reading, we’re re-running some of our favorite posts from the last several months. Enjoy our highlight reel, and we’ll be back with new stuff on Monday, July 11th.
This post originally ran May 6, 2016.
Heat and Light by Ellen Van Neerven— An up-and-coming young Indigenous Aussie writer from Brisbane. Ellen writes three separate stories of the tumultuous journey with families and the importance of identity. I particularly found this to be a great read because I find reading someone else’s journey to self-discovery leads me to be more reflective about where I’m at and what I need to do differently. Sensual, earthy in imagery, and a lovely smooth read.
On Writing by Stephen King— (Particularly for writers.) If you’re getting bunked down in having to read a lot of dry/serious/depressing stuff for work or you’re knee-deep in trudgy brain content, getting into a writing headspace can be a little tricky. King provides not only some great tips for getting into a more creative state of mind, but he has some surprisingly funny stories to tell, which will have you feeling a little less morose about the world.
Yes Please by Amy Poehler— Poehler’s book, although mostly autobiographical, is also great for tips on how to feel a little better about things. For those of you who follow Amy’s Smart Girls, you’ll have a bit of an idea what to expect; a safe, nurturing, but realistic environment to just breathe for a second. Amy’s a sneaky one, and manages to weave through wonderful anecdotal pieces that make you love her more (if possible), and also helps you realise that life isn’t all that important, and we really do have all the time in the world to get our shit together (and who can’t hear that enough?).
Lucky Man by Michael J Fox — Ok, I know what you’re thinking… “but I love Michael J and he’s sick. This is going to rip my heart out.” You’ll be relieved to know that it’s actually a really sweet book. Michael J. Fox has a great (although sometimes wicked) sense of humour. There are wonderful stories about how he met his wife by being a smartass, the funny moments in his early acting career (great for Back to the Future and Family Ties fans), and the bittersweet journey of his time with Parkinson’s Disease. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by how he can turn some potentially sad content into a warm and funny life-so-far story.
Hogfather by Terry Pratchett — To be perfectly honest, reading just about anything by Terry Pratchett will probably bring a bit of a chuckle into your day, but for me, Hogfather is a favourite. Whether it’s Christmas time or not, Hogfather is a lovely stand-alone read, an easy fantasy for those of you not usually magically-inclined in your reading choices. It’s the story of the hooded figure of Death saving Christmas. He makes an adorably awkward Santa, I must say. There’s a kickass lead lady who battles bogeymen, and your favourite character might end up being Death, because he’s surprisingly witty.
I hope this is helpful. Please be kind with your poor brain, sometimes we get so caught up in what we’re meant to be reading, as opposed to what we love to.
Enjoy.
