What I've Heard- Braving the Wilderness

I just finished listening to Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown. It is my first book by the author, though I've seen her TED talk and watched her Netflix special. This one came highly recommended and I loved it. I really enjoyed the discussions about belonging versus fitting in. She explains it this way: 

"True belonging doesn't require us to change who we are. It requires us to be who we are."

I listened to the audio version of this book and it was wonderful. Brene reads it herself and you get her full personality through her words. If you are offended by the word "bullsh*t", you might not enjoy it, but in my opinion it is used totally appropriately. The only problem with the audio, of course, is the inability to highlight or take notes or walk around with the print copy showing it to others and yelling "See!" with absolutely no context and only your crazy eyeballs warning them they should maybe take a step or two backwards. I mean, if you're the kind of person who does things like that.

I'm not. I'm totally not. 

Anyway... this book was great and I've already checked out three more Brene Brown audio books from the library and I'm on the list for another. The rest of my summer very well may be Brene Camp!

 

What I've Heard- Maybe You Should Talk to Someone

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb chronicles Lori's path to her career as a therapist and through her own therapy following a devastating breakup. We all need to talk to someone, sometimes. For many patients, Lori is that person, but she needs her own person, too. In this book, we get to hear about Lori's clients (names and identifying characteristics all changed, of course). They include a grumpy, middle-aged jerk who finds fault in everyone; an older woman who feels she has no purpose left in life; and a sweet young woman with terminal cancer. We watch as they grow, come to understand their feelings, and do better. And we see the bond that, though always professional, connects therapist and patient.

This book was a fascinating look into the world of therapy and what it can do to help people heal. It was also insightful and funny. I listened to the audio version and enjoyed it very much. I felt highly invested in each of the "characters" and enjoyed hearing Lori's story as well.