What I've been reading (poetry, nonfiction, sandworms oh my!)

Two different collections of poetry from Nikita Gill "Fierce Fairytales Poems and Stories to Stir Your Soul" and "Where Hope Comes From: Poems of Resilience, Healing and Light".  Hope Comes From was a book of poems that were written during the pandemic, so all of those poems felt very timely which is nice. The Fierce Fairytales collection were retellings of fairytales and fairytale inspired poems. The pandemic collection was my more favorite of the two, though I liked them both!

"You're Not Listening: What You're Missing and Why it Matters" by Kate Murphy. When someone is talking to you are you actually listening and taking in what they say or are you listening to form a response? Are you paying attention to their emotion and inflection or are you strictly listening to their words? Are you inserting your own opinions when it is not asked for or when it's unwelcome? Do you try to domineer conversations because that's how you show that you are in charge? All things to be watching for when you are listening. 

Dune by Frank Herbert. Maybe you have heard of this book and/or movie? One of my friends is real passionate about this book and was very excited about the movie so I said that I would read the book before I saw the movie and then we could be on the same page to discuss them together. I love a weighty sci-fi novel but this one was a little dense for me. I think it's the lots of families, lots of political intrigue that I got a little bored with. But I am glad that I read it!

The Power of Ritual: How to Create Meaning and Ritual in Everything That You Do by Casper ter Kuile. So I like the idea of this book more than I like the actual book. It was a little more woo woo than I was hoping it would be. What it really boils down to is: take time to disconnect from technology, be grateful (like truly practice gratitude), get into nature, don't be afraid to look deep into yourself, be vulnerable.

(I don't know why this last one is formatting weird and I'm too lazy to try and fix it, lo siento) 

The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova.  This was a fun read! A far flung family is reunited by the impending death of their matriarch. Told in current time and in flashbacks you learn this families history as their mysterious, homebound grandmother finally reveals some of their family secrets and gives them an unusual gift. A wonderful south american, magical realism read.