What I've Been Listening To: a year of learning new things

Naomi

April 26

Okay, folks. I am really behind on my audiobook write-ups, so I'm taking this opportunity to catch up. The following constitute almost a whole year's worth of listening.

Son of Elsewhere by Elamin Abdelmahmoud

A collection of essays about growing up in Canada after immigrating from Sudan at the age of 12 and exploring what it means to come to terms with blackness in a new country. There's a lot of humour in this memoir and some 90s and early 2000s pop culture and how some if it helped to shape him. An entertaining way to get a different perspective on the country. Elamin Abdelmahmoud is CBC radio host of Commotion.

Uncomfortable Conversations With A Black Boy by Emmanual Acho

This is a book aimed at children, inspired by Emmanual Acho's video series "Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man." "Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy creates a safe, judgment-free space for curious children to ask questions they've long been afraid to verbalize. How can I have white privilege if I'm not wealthy? Why do Black people protest against the police? If Black people can say the N-word, why can't I? And many, many more." I thought this book was well thought out and geared well to younger folks. It's great for any age, really. Emmanual Acho is a former NFL football player who started Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man as a result of the Riots in the wake of the death of George Floyd.

Nothing Will Be Different by Tara McGowan-Ross

A memoir about a young woman making poor decisions. Tara McGowan-Ross is clearly a smart, capable woman but she can't seem to stay away from trouble; much of it is trouble she makes for herself. When she finds a lump in her breast, she begins a "journey of self-questioning." The author is not always likable, but I'm sure she's relatable for many people out there.

Overdose by Benjamin Perrin

This is a thoughtful and urgent exploration of the opioid crisis in Canada. It examines what has already been tried in the hopes of reducing the death toll as well as the problems and challenges with current policies and procedures. There are clearly assumptions made--and dismissals of--individuals using opioids in this country, but there is also a better understanding of how to help going forward.

Bittersweet by Susan Cain

Bittersweet was a joy to listen to. In this book, Cain talks about things that have forever been a part of me but I have never really thought about before in quite this way. She talks about the personal but expands to the collective, making this a valuable read for everyone. It was one of my favourites this year - I would listen to it again.

Wintering by Katherine May

Wintering is another book that is part greater reflection of ideas and part memoir. As someone who looks forward to the thought of hibernation during the winter months, I appreciate her idea that retreating from the world can be a valuable time for reflection and growth.

Song of Rita Joe by Rita Joe

I have read many of Rita Joe's poems but had not yet read her memoir. Rita Joe has lived a remarkable life. Through all her hardship, she remains constant, kind, and hopeful. Her life could have taken the wrong turn in so many moments, but she persevered and has made a lasting and powerful impact on her community and the country.

Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson

A beautifully-told middle-grade story about a boy who loves his father. He's so proud of his dad's football career and the way all his friends adore him. But then his dad starts acting funny: forgetting things and getting angry all the time. ZJ has to navigate this new reality.

Declassified by Arianna Warsaw-Fan Rauch

This is a fun way to learn more about classical music, which, according to Warsaw-Fan Rauch, was just 'ordinary' music for people back then. It's only now that we think of it as "classical." The author wants to try to make this music accessible to everyone; for everyone to know that there are hundreds of years worth of "classical" music - that it is not all created equal, that just because you hate Mozart doesn't mean you'll hate Brahms. She also goes into her own ups and downs with classical music and the violin. I found Declassified entertaining and wanted to look up the music as she discussed it in order to make up my own mind about it.

The Skin We're In Desmond Cole

I was always going to end up reading or listening to this book; it has been popular in Canada since it came out. Through his work as a journalist and an activist, Cole documents one year in the life of Canada--2017--his participation in it and observations of it. He focuses on Toronto, exposing the racist action of Toronto's police force, among other things. He also touches on injustices against Indigenous populations and new immigrants. The tone of the book feels urgent and angry; a wake-up call.

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Clear's idea of stacking habits is an interesting one, and his book is pleasant and easy to listen to, but I have to admit that I forget most of what's inside except for the idea of stacking one habit on top of another to make it stick more easily. Which makes me wonder if his idea really needed to be book-length? On the other hand, maybe there's more to it that I just can't remember. Feel free to remind me.

True Reconciliation by Jody Wilson-Raybould

We, in Canada, talk about reconciliation a lot, but taking action towards it is something much different and it's where we seem to be stuck. One question that Jody Wilson-Raybould has been asked more than any other is "What can I do to help advance reconciliation?" In this book, she attempts to answer this question. But, before she does, she recounts the political history of Indigenous peoples in Canada and the importance of understanding what reconciliation actually means. I learned so much from this book and would listen to it again to help me remember.

This is the Story of A Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett

Ann Patchett is such a beautiful writer, and I have so enjoyed reading her essays in this book as well as in These Precious Days.

Dear Fahrenheit 451 by Annie Spence

A cute and entertaining book of letters from the author to many of her favourite (and not so favourite) books. This would make a nice bedside table book.

The Gene by Siddhartha Mukherjee

If you're looking for an in-depth scientific account of the gene, this is your book. From Mendel all the way to DNA mapping. Some of it went over my head, and some of it lost my interest, but much of it was just right for my biology-loving brain.

We Were Dreamers by Simu Liu

I am one of Simu's fans since reading his memoir. I haven't seen the Marvel movie that was his first big role beyond the Canadian borders, but I was excited to see him as the Other Ken in the Barbie movie. This memoir is not about his Marvel movie role at all, but about how he got there. The years and years of hard work, of immigrating to Canada as a child to live with parents he barely knew, of how his parents pressed him to follow a path he wasn't interested in, and of how he finally came to follow the one that he was. It's an incredible life story and one well told.

"I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge. That myth is more potent than history. That dreams are more powerful than facts. That hope always triumphs over experience."

Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell

A well-constructed book on the insight of how we interact with people we don't know, and how it can cause a lot of problems. There are many interesting examples, and in the audio version you can hear the voices of the people in the interviews as well as reenactments of court transcripts. The book is framed by the arrest of Sandra Bland on the side of the road in Texas. It is carefully deconstructed to show you exactly what happened and why everything went wrong.

One Story, One Song by Richard Wagamese

This is a collection of essays that are about story-telling and connection. The tales are grouped according to the four Ojibway storytelling principles: balance, harmony, knowledge and intuition. By way of his stories, we learn about Wagamese's life growing up as an Indigenous foster child in a white person's system. The stories flow, making them a joy to listen to, and they give you a sense of Wagamese's kind and generous nature.

"Our stories don't have to be elaborate or highly dramatic to be powerful—they just have to be about us."

In Order to Live by Yeonmi Park

Park's childhood in North Korea is hard to fathom: how they lived, the way they thought, and what they knew or didn't know about the rest of the world. And her harrowing escape is just as unfathomable. I don't know how some people live through the things they do.

A House in the Sky by Amanda Lindhout

I went straight from one escape to another. Amanda Lindhout is a Canadian who loved to travel anywhere and everywhere. She traveled to many, many countries without any problem until she and her ex-boyfriend went to Somalia in 2008 and were abducted and held captive for 15 months. This is the story of Amanda's experience being held in dark rooms with nothing to do for hours and days at a time, not knowing when their time would be up, praying that the negotiations for money from their families was going well. Another "I don't know how some people live through the things they do."

What My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo

I wanted to know more about Complex PTSD and thought this memoir would be a good place to start. Complex PTSD is a condition that occurs when trauma happens continuously, over the course of years. Foo had a rough childhood that she thought she had conquered but it turned out there was still a lot of work to do. Foo interviews doctors and scientists, and tries different methods of therapy to get to the bottom of this condition, and to finally be able to move on. Eye-opening.

Hot and Bothered by Jancee Dunn

A funny, entertaining book about menopause. And if you have to read about menopause, it might as well make you laugh.

Good Morning, Monster by Catherine Gildiner

Catherine Gildiner tells us the recovery stories of five of her "most heroic and memorable patients." These aren't your ordinary therapy-seeking patients, these people have been through it. How are they even coping? Well, I guess not very well. Some of these patients spend years in therapy with Gildiner. Gildiner's work is kind of investigative as she gets to know her patients little by little, until she has a full picture. Fascinating to listen to, but also a bit depressing. You might want to spread out the 5 cases.

You: The Story by Ruta Sepetys

This was a nice, light break after the previous group of books. In a bright and cheerful voice, Sepetys convinces us that we have within our own memories the power to write good stories. She gives many examples using stories from her own life and how she can use them to write something new. Helpful and motivating for new writers.

Under the Banner of Heaven by John Krakauer

At the core of this book is the true crime story of Ron and Dan Lafferty. How did they come to believe they were doing the work of God by killing two people? The rest of the book answers this question by exploring the history of Mormonism, including the divide between the Mormons and the Fundamentalists. I learned a lot from this book, but I'm not sure it's information I enjoy knowing. I had no idea the history of Mormonism was so violent.

Invisible Boy by Harrison Mooney

Not only was Harrison Mooney a black boy adopted into a white family, but this family was also evangelical. While I read, I kept trying to tease out the impact of being black in a white family versus being black in an ultra-religious family/community. Then you have to remember to throw in the beliefs, values, and personalities of the family members. Mooney grew up trying to please his mother, but he always seemed to come up short. "This powerful memoir considers the controversial practice of transracial adoption from the perspective of families that are torn apart and children who are stripped of their culture, all in order to fill evangelical communities' demand for babies." This memoir is hard to read at times, but totally worth it.

Permanent Astonishment by Thomson Highway

This book astonished me. Cheesy, but true. Despite the hardships in his life, Highway is so positive and full of joy. And, despite the bad stuff, there was also so much love: for his family, his neighbours, his community, the land he grew up on, and even some of the teachers and students at the school he attended. This man's life experiences are so different from my own that his stories fascinated me from beginning to end.