MORGAN'S January 2023 Book Review!

I managed to start my January 2023 Book Journey on the right start! For me, I enjoy reading hardcover books before going to bed. There is something physically satisfying in holding the book in your hand, crouched under the covers while your husband is sleeping, and flipping trough the pages. I usually have two books by my bed: the book I'm currently reading, and the book about to be read. I also like switching from fiction to non-fiction books.

The first book I finished so far is "The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic--and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World" by Steven Johnson. Although this book was written in 2007, it is still timely today. It's about the cholera outbreak in London, England and the advent of the sewer system that we know of today! It's a great book if you want to go on a detective hunt with the author about diseases and outbreaks in the 1840s. It also speaks about people's false beliefs on how diseases are spread and how those false beliefs harmed those living in the 1840s.

The second book I read is by Emily St. John Mandel, and it's "Sea of Tranquility. " This is the second book I read by her with the first being "Station 11." "Sea of Tranquility" is about time-travel, survival, outbreaks, and survival. It was a quick and delightful read. It did not give me the resolution that I was desiring at the end, and I had to learn to be comfortable with being uncomfortable about it. I am looking forward in reading more books by her!

The third book I read in January 2023 is "The Shame Machine -Who Profits in the New Age of Humiliation" by Cathy O'Neil. When I first picked up this book, I was skeptical in how a PHD in Mathematics knows about shame. I could not stop talking about this book. The author spoke about how statistics are incorrectly used to show why diet programs work and do not show the full picture of them. She also spoke about how individuals are suckered into purchasing certain products because marketing makes them feel less than - i.e. shameful. She also spoke about shame on social media and how innocent people are harmed by likes, shares, and comments. I fully enjoyed this book, and I recommend it to others.

Although January's book reading is complete for me, look forward to the next post in February on what I've read next!