Few things make me happier than finding a book that I absolutely love. Once drawn into a book, it's not easy for me to put it down. This year there were many that kept my attention, but these are my ten favorites.
An artist escapes the city for bucolic country life and finds love with a much younger man. A lovely little story from the brilliant writer Anna Quindlen.
Society in post-World War 1 England is no place for a woman to fall for a woman. But fall she does - and disaster follows. Romance, crime, drama...it's all here.
What happened to the families that were part of the secret world of Los Alamos and the Manhattan Project? This novel tells the story of those husbands, wives, and children.
Our trip to Italy this year wouldn't have been nearly as enjoyable without this book. I am a Rick Steves convert!
A boy's family falls apart in a strange way. An L.A. story that conjures the atmosphere of the city in the way only Mona Simpson can.
An elderly, cantankerous feminist, New Yorker Florence Gordon comes up against the most exciting and most difficult experiences of her life.
A family in trouble in the 1930s and 1940s. From New York to California to Long Island, wonderful characters in need of each other.
Lila - Marilynne Robinson
You will be amazed by Lila. And by Marilynne Robinson's writing. The depression did terrible things to people, but Lila survived and thrived.
I'm so glad that this is the first in a trilogy, because I've kind of fallen in love with the Langdon family.
This was my favorite book of 2014. The story of a family of 3, the people they came from, and how their lives are deceptively simple. A character study of the best kind. Read this!
Previously published on Empty House Full Mind
5 Biggest Myths About Aging
1. Older People Are Miserable(01 of05)
Open Image Modal2. DNA Is Destiny(02 of05)
Open Image Modal3. Work Hard, Retire Harder(03 of05)
Open Image ModalWe work long and hard. Our mid-lives are often filled with the stress of parenting, trying to save for retirement, and juggling multiple jobs. Then we're supposed to retire and do nothing for the next 30 years. "There is something wrong with this picture," writes Carstensen. Carstensen calls for creating a new model where "work is less demanding and more satisfying throughout life." The operative word here is "throughout." Putting off pleasure and fulfillment until our much later years is not only folly; it's unhealthy. Writes Carstensen: "Time after retirement is the only stage in life that has been elongated. The problem isn't you, it's the model, which was built for short lives, not long ones. It makes no sense to cram all of the work into the beginning, and all of the relaxation into the end."Adds Carstensen: "The beauty of a longer but more moderately paced career cycle would be that we could have more leisure throughout life, more time with our children while they are young, and remain engaged in our communities as we age, giving back some of the expertise we've accumulated throughout our time in the work force." A new "menu of options" would include part-time work, volunteer work or taking on an entirely new career. (credit:Alamy)
4. Older People Drain Our Resources(04 of05)
Open Image ModalThe Scarcity Myth is precisely that: a myth. Longevity isn't feeding population growth. Booming youth populations in third world countries and other complex demographic shifts are the real problem. Writes Carstensen: "Bottom line: Population growth is an issue, but Grandpa living longer is not the problem. The true issue is that the gift of increased longevity is unevenly distributed around the globe. In some parts of the world where the youth population is booming, those children may never have the chance to grow old." Meanwhile, the aging workforce is a truly massive force to contend with. (credit:Alamy)
5. We Age Alone(05 of05)
Open Image ModalAccording to Carstensen: "Aging is inevitable. How you age is not. You will very likely spend about three decades of your life as an old person. Deal with it. Death is the only alternative. If you can put behind you the fantasy of eternal youth, you can begin to plan seriously for what comes next. You can begin to think hard about the type of old person you want to be..." Carstesen cites the burgeoning greying demographic as proof that that we will all, invariably, face old age together -- both in our local communities and as a global community. (credit:Alamy)
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