Fiction has its own way of exploring the human condition and framing questions for reflection.
reclamation
Some of us have an uncanny way of losing ourselves without even knowing it.
This collection examines how people — women, really — reclaimed their true selves.
In this memoir, author Courtney Maum issues her "call to arms to women to stop telling people they're fine."
the end
In reading history or fiction, if you sometimes have wondered, “how would I act in a similar situation?” consider this: the way you have acted in the last 18 months should give you a big clue.
This set of books shows us characters as they face various pre- and post-apocalyptic scenarios. See if you can spot yourself in them. Consider the questions they beg.
who would you trust?
where would you feel safe?
how would you decide differently?
the journey
Before I joined my beloved San Francisco book club, I realized that I was reading similar books over and over: stories of journeys.
As I try to cobble together a book club here in Lisbon — virtual or otherwise — I notice I have returned to the same theme. That should be some kind of clue.
belonging
What is “home,” really, if not where you feel like you belong? Most of us experience being an outsider at some point in our lives.
These books explore the question of belonging, and what it feels to be an outsider.
what is real
Two of my favorite genres are historical fiction and magical realism. I like the intersection of what is real and what is not.
But really, all fiction is real even if it’s not factual. That’s because stories and myths reveal a truth about each of us.