A well read woman is a dangerous creature

A well read woman is a dangerous creature. 

I love this quote. I don’t think dangerous is the word but definitely more knowledgable and you know what they say, knowledge is power and ignorance is bliss. I love to read. It’s one of my favorite things to do. I think it’s because when I was younger and still now, I was enthralled in books and reading. English was my favorite class and I could zip through a good book in a day. I’d read during other classes when I should have been paying attention. I’ve written a few short stories and novels. I still have everything I’ve ever written and I love going back and reading through it. It makes me smile to see how wide my imagination was when I was in middle and high school. The more you read, even if it’s fiction, the more your mind grows. You learn something, whether you want to or not and it stays with you.

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I’ve been going pretty crazy buying books and magazines, but here’s what I’m reading as well as some of my favorite books.

Nefertiti by Michelle Moran
One of my favorite books of all time. I read it once a year. It’s historical fiction but I still learned a ton about early Egyptian life and the story of Nefertiti Queen of Egypt. It’s an empowering story and the imagery is consuming. My imagination when reading this book could top any movie I’ve ever seen.

The 100 year old man who climbed out the window and disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
I read this back when I was doing home care as a physical therapist and most of my patients were 80 and older. I wanted to know more about how the elderly think being so close to death. This book is completely hilarious. Sometimes we forget that the elderly know so much more about life than we do.

The Book of Night Women by Marlon James
This book will infuriate you and also make you feel the strength of black women. It’s a historical fiction book about slavery in Jamaica. I’ve passed this book on to so many friends and they all love it. We’ve sat for hours discussing it. Marlon James is a beautiful writer but this book will evoke some strong emotions form you.

Death a Life by George Pendle
I have a morbid sense of humor and this book is pretty hilarious. It’s basically a memoir of the Grimm Reaper or Death. Talking about his life and and how it all started. It’s really one of the best books I’ve ever read and I still crack up thinking of lines from it.

Paris I love You But You’re Bringing Me Down by Rosecrans Baldwin
I am a full fledge francophile and wanted to know the experience of being an expat and moving to Paris. Mainly because I’ve strongly considered it for many years. I plan to live there for at least a year in the future, maybe more. But it was a wonderful story and I learned so much about being an American in Paris. It made me love Paris a little more too, if that’s even possible.

Weekends At Bellevue by Julie Holland MD
This book is so good I literally read it in a day. I ate with this book, a worked with this book, I rode the train and cooked with this book. It’s all about a doctor who worked in the psych unit here in New York City at Bellevue Hospital. I was immediately drawn to this book because I did a Physical Therapy rotation there when I was in school. Bellevue is known for being “The Crazy Hospital” where the homeless and mentally unstable are often sent. Not many people know there is also a jail unit there. Many of my patients came to therapy handcuffed to their wheelchairs with an armed police officer who stood over me the entire time I did their treatment. I have TONS of stories just working there for 3 months. The stories this doctor who worked the night shift in the Pysche ER at Bellevue put my stories to shame. It is WILD and you will LOVE it.

I Lucifer by Glen Duncan
I know I know another morbid tale. But it’s seriously the funniest book I’ve ever read in my life. It’s basically Lucifer’s memoir or his side of the story after being caste out of Heaven. This book had me laughing out loud on the train. It also got me serious stares being that the title and cover are a little strange.

Kinfolk Magazine
If you are a reader and into really interesting and thought provoking essays, interviews and articles this magazine is for you! The latest issue, The Relationship Issue was some of the best writing works I’ve read in a long time.

Also if you love a good short story here are three of my favorites that you can read in 5 minutes: The Story of an Hour, The Tell-Tale Heart, Lamb to the Slaughter

Happy Reading and don’t forget to check out The Best Labor Day Sales

xx
Monroe

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