My Inner Shakti

finding strength in everyday things

Judy Blume's In the Unlikely Event

Judy Blume’s ‘In the Unlikely Event’

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I was a huge Judy Blume fan growing up.  Whenever I saw one of her books at the school library, it was a given that it would end up in my final stack.

When I read that her newest book was released recently, I turned into a 12 year old girl again!  But this time there was no library (and no wait!).  I went on my Kindle and bought a copy of In the Unlikely Event, and within days, I was engrossed!.

In the Unlikely Event

The story is based on actual events from Blume’s childhood.  When she was in the eighth grade, the town of Elizabeth, New Jersey was hit with three tragic plane crashes.  She used those events and everything that happened before and after as the foundation of In the Unlikely Event.   

The book itself follows the point of view of multiple characters as they deal with the aftermath of these crashes.  Miri, the main protagonist, is connected to all the other characters in one way or another.  Miri’s teenage character is beautifully developed, and as you read the story from her perspective, you see Blume’s talent shine through.

Blume also does an amazing job of describing life in the early 50’s – from the way people talked and behaved, to the clothing, to the stress of living in the shadow of a war.  As a reader, you get a real sense of what the characters experienced in a time that is so different from our own.

As my friend Ankita said, the book does a good job of making you realize that everyone has a story to tell and that life is really precious.

While I enjoyed the book overall, there were a two aspects that didn’t jive with me.   One, there were too many characters and POVs.  I see how she used that technique to give readers a holistic perspective, but with all the back and forth, it didn’t leave much room for meaningful character development.  And two, I didn’t like the ending at all.  I must have said “WTF” 15 times while reading the last third of the book.  While you do get closure with all of the characters, I felt like the ending was rushed and off balance.

My expectations for this book were sky high, and while I’m glad I read it, it was an average/very slightly above average read in my opinion.

Are you a Judy Blume fan?
What are you currently reading?  I finally started The Poisonwood Bible!

Book Review: The Happiness Project

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I absolutely love the topic of happiness – reading articles and blog posts about it, discussing it in person with others, practicing tips and techniques I pick up along the way, etc.  So when I read an article about The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, I knew I had to read this book.  I mean it does have the word happiness in the title!

I started with no expectations at all and came out with a whole lot.  In fact, I took notes along the way, so that I could share my lessons learned versus just a synopsis of the book.

But first a very short description…

With humor and humility, Gretchen Rubin set out to create a year long happiness project for herself.  But not because she was unhappy.  She wanted to see if she could improve her already pretty great life by applying the sage wisdom of philosophers from the past and the modern day research of today.

The book is organized with that year long timeframe in mind, with every chapter being about a particular month and her resolutions for that month.  For example, one month (chapter) is dedicated to the relationship between money and happiness, while another is about relationships and marriage.

Before I get into specifics, I want to say that I loved the little experiments she set up for herself every month.  They reinforced the fact that little changes/updates can have a huge impact on an individual’s quality of life and his/her happiness factor.  And with every experiment, she would reinforce the fact that in order to feel true happiness she had to “be Gretchen.”  In other words, in order for the changes to have a real impact on her happiness, she had to be herself at all times.  

So here are the things that really stood out to me as I was reading…

  • The very simple 1 minute rule.  If you can do a particular task in 1 minute, don’t postpone it.  Get it out of the way.  For example, when I get home from work and change out of my work clothes, my instinct is to throw them on the bed.  Now, I literally pause and think about how putting them away or throwing them in the hamper takes about 30 seconds, and then I do just that.  This was one of my favorite tips – it’s made a huge difference!
  • A paradox of happiness – “We seek to control ourselves but the unfamiliar and unexpected are important sources of happiness.”  Basically, sometimes you just have to let go and take a deep dive into the unknown.  This is something I’m getting better at because I’ve realized (in retrospect) that some of the happiest moments in my life have been the ones I never saw coming.
  • A secret of adulthood – fun for one person does not equal fun for the next.  While it’s great to learn from others and take part in new experiences every now and then, do what makes you happy and don’t feel bad about it.
  • “Be Gretchen” –> “Be Parita” Smile
  • “The days are long, but the years are shorter.”  So so true!  And I think many people, including myself, take this for granted.  If you want to make a change in your life (any change), the time to do it is now.  What are you waiting for!?
  • It’s easy to be heavy and hard to be light.  It’s easy to pick out the negative aspects of a situation, but it’s actually really hard to take a tough situation and put a positive spin on it.  It’s easy to be a pessimist and hard to be an optimist.  It’s easy to give up but really hard to keep moving forward (sometimes against the odds).  Creating happiness for oneself actually takes effort.  It requires a certain degree of selflessness, a whole lot of patience, and an enormous amount of inner strength.

And these are just some of the things I jotted down.  While everyone’s happiness journey is unique to them, I do think this book has a little something for everyone.

Let me know if you decide to check it out!  And Happy Monday!

Have you read The Happiness Project? Thoughts?  Any other books I should add to my list?

Book Review: Nineteen Minutes

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I absolutely love books that force me to look at  situations in ways that I would normally never consider.  Nineteen Minutes is definitely one of those books.  The storyline is one we are all too familiar with.  And because of that, we may have already made up our minds about what to believe and who to blame.  I know I did.  But after reading this book, I look at a lot of things differently.

Book description taken from Amazon:

Sterling is an ordinary New Hampshire town where nothing ever happens–until the day its complacency is shattered by an act of violence. Josie Cormier, the daughter of the judge sitting on the case, should be the state’s best witness, but she can’t remember what happened before her very own eyes–or can she? As the trial progresses, fault lines between the high school and the adult community begin to show–destroying the closest of friendships and families. Nineteen Minutes asks what it means to be different in our society, who has the right to judge someone else, and whether anyone is ever really who they seem to be.

Parita’s Thoughts:

After spending 13 years in the American public school system, I can honestly say that bullying was never an issue for me.  While never popular, I always had a handful of close friends and many acquaintances.  My high school  experience was nothing like what they show in the movies.  I didn’t attend house parties, I didn’t drink, I never once snuck out of my house, etc.  But those things never really crossed my mind at the time.  I was having my own kind of fun and that was ok with me. 

Looking back, I can see that there were cliques – the popular kids, the jocks, the drama kids, the nerds, and those of us who didn’t fit into a box (the majority).  This was even more evident in the cafeteria during lunchtime.  Like attracted like.  What I don’t remember is kids being picked on, pushed into lockers, punched in the face (except for an occasional fight in the hallway), or forced to do things they didn’t want to.  After reading this book, I feel like I lived in a different world. 

Jodi Picoult does an amazing job painting a picture of a small town where being different meant being judged.  A town where if you didn’t blend in it would be made known.  Basically, if you tried to create your own space, the rest of your life would be hell.  I never thought I would feel sympathy for the main character, but by the end, I really wished things could’ve been different for him….and everyone else. 

Like I said before, the plot is something we are all too familiar with.  But how many of us have lived through the kind of pain that comes with not being accepted, not feeling loved, not feeling safe.  Bullying is a very serious issue that affects 1 in every 6 kids.  I honestly had no idea.  And while I will never condone revenge, I do think that schools need to have very strict anti-bullying policies, kids need to be able to trust teachers and approach them with any issues, and something needs to be done before it’s too late.

Nineteen Minutes is one of those books that stays with you long after you finish reading.  It’s heartbreaking, it’s emotional, it’s raw.  But most importantly, it forces the reader to look at a devastating situation from a different perspective.   And maybe even be part of the solution.  A must read in my opinion. 

Any must read book recommendations?  I’m taking names!

Written on Related:Book, Life

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