Feeling like crap? Bored out of your big, beautiful brain? Run so ragged you can't remember what it feels like to just do something you enjoy?
Me too.
As we get used to the new corona reality, I'm vacillating between emotions. Sometimes it's mind-numbing boredom in the face of yet another round of hide-and-seek with the kiddo. (I mean, c'mon, he's in the closet every damn time. Can't he switch it up?)
Other times, I'm buzzing with ideas that could help people feel more in control of their story in this wildly uncontrolled time.
And then sometimes I'm overwhelmed with trying to look after myself, continue to help clients, tidy all the toys, and keep the house looking remotely civilized. (The house looks more like a scene from Lord of the Flies right now.)
You know what's helping?
A good book is really helping me stay sane.
Not one of mine. I've written 14 books, but when I'm feeling such a need for escape, I turn to a fresh perspective.
Right now, that's Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. It's a beautiful story of death, destruction, physical torture, and hubris on an expedition to Mount Everest.
Not exactly a cozy beach read.
But reading about other people's devastating fight for life puts my own situation in perspective. I'm sitting comfortably on my couch with plenty of oxygen and zero storms trying to kill me. It reminds me that I can handle this.
Some memoir recommendations
In case you're in need of a recommended read to give you an escape, some perspective, or excitement, I thought I'd share some of my other favorite memoir books.
Note: As I've done a fair bit of ghostwriting in my time, I want to clarify that I was NOT involved in writing or publishing any of these books, nor am I affiliated in any way. I just think they're great!
1. Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise by Ruth Reichl
Ruth Reichl knows that as the most important food critic in the country, you need to be anonymous when reviewing some of the most high-profile establishments in the biggest restaurant town in the world—a charge she took very seriously, taking on the guise of a series of eccentric personalities.
2. An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield
Colonel Chris Hadfield takes readers deep into his years of training and space exploration to show how to make the impossible possible. Through eye-opening, entertaining stories filled with the adrenaline of launch, the mesmerizing wonder of spacewalks, and the measured, calm responses mandated by crises, he explains how conventional wisdom can get in the way of achievement—and happiness.
3. Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir by Jenny Lawson
A hilarious journey recalling Lawson's bizarre upbringing in rural Texas, her devastatingly awkward high school years, and her relationship with her long-suffering husband, Victor. Chapters include: “Stanley the Magical, Talking Squirrel” and “A Series of Angry Post-It Notes to My Husband."
Check out these bad boys, and email me if you have any recommendations for me. I'd love to hear.
Thanks,
Liz "Me Love Memoir" Green
Book Coach, Green Goose Writing