Jodi Picoult recommends a book

Yesteryear ~ by Caro Claire Burke, 2026, satirical novel, 400 pages

This book is about a popular "tradwife" influencer, Natalie Heller Mills, who wakes up in 1855, forced to confront the harsh reality of the pioneer life she romanticized online.  And this authentic 19th-century version of her homestead is brutal.  The book explores themes of tradition, fame, and the performance of womanhood through the eyes of Natalie, its narcissistic but compelling protagonist, as she navigates a world that is both a nightmarish reality and a potential hoax or reality show.  It's a critique of modern online culture.

This is considered a major book of 2026 and has been picked as a Good Morning America Book Club selection.  Jodi Picoult is my favorite novelist, so I plan to read this book, even though 400 pages is more than I like in a book.

Banned books

The number of nonfiction books banned in schools has doubled, according to a report I read, HERE.  This quote, in my opinion, is distressing:

“Of the 1,102 nonfiction titles banned, 52% were titles with themes of activism and social movements; the most commonly banned topic within nonfiction titles.”

Week in Review

• On Monday, I mused about a book I'm still reading, HERE, but I already consider it a 10/10 book.
• On TWOsday, I shared two quotes I like, HERE.

Hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz,

we bloggers gather at separate computers in different time

zones — to share what we have been doing during the week.

Today, I'm sharing two quotes I like

Henry David Thoreau said, "It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see."  That's something we need to think about to really understand.  Hundreds of people may look at exactly the same thing I am noticing today, but what we truly SEE makes a big difference.  Ponder that a bit, and tell me what you think.

I should type this one out, in case the photo ever disappears, shouldn't I?  You can also see what I wrote about Atul Gawande's Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End (published in 2014), HERE:

"We've been wrong about what our job is in medicine.  We think our job is to ensure health and survival.  But really it is larger than that.  It is to enable well-being.  And well-being is about the reasons one wishes to be alive."

Anne, who blogs at "My Head Is Full of Books" (HERE), gave me the idea for this post by quoting Erma Bombeck:  "My theory on housework is, if the item doesn't multiply, smell, catch fire, or block the refrigerator door, let it be."

I relate to this book, having lived through examples the author shares

You Just Don't Understand ~ by Deborah Tannen, 1990, interpersonal relations / social sciences, 330 pages

Women and men live in different worlds ... made of different words.  Spending nearly four years on the New York Times bestseller list, including eight months at number one, You Just Don't Understand is a true cultural and intellectual phenomenon.  This book points out gender differences in ways of speaking.  With a combination of humorous writing and scientific insight, Tannen shows why women and men can walk away from the same conversation with very different impressions of what was said.

Filled with entertaining examples of real conversations, this book gives us the tools to understand what went wrong — and to find a common language in which to strengthen relationships at work and at home.  A classic in the field of interpersonal relations, this book will change forever the way you approach conversations.  And I think both men and women ought to read it.

Let's play with words

On a Saturday evening years ago, a neighbor who lived on my floor sent me these 25 playful puns (HERE), which I want to share again:

1.  Dad, are we pyromaniacs?  Yes, we arson.

2.  What do you call a pig with laryngitis?  Disgruntled.

3.  Writing my name in cursive is my signature move.

4.  Why do bees stay in their hives during winter?  Swarm.

5.  If you're bad at haggling, you'll end up paying the price.

6.  Just so everyone's clear, I'm going to put my glasses on.

7.  A commander walks into a bar and orders everyone around.

8.  I lost my job as a stage designer.  I left without making a scene.

9.  Never buy flowers from a monk.  Only you can prevent florist friars.

10.  How much did the pirate pay to get his ears pierced?  A buccaneer.

11.  I once worked at a cheap pizza shop to get by.  I kneaded the dough.

12.  My friends and I have named our band "Duvet."  It's a cover band.

13.  I lost my girlfriend's audiobook, and now I'll never hear the end of it.

14.  Why is "dark" spelled with a k and not c?  Because you can't see in the dark.

15.  Why is it unwise to share your secrets with a clock?  Well, time will tell.

16.  When I told my contractor I didn't want carpeted steps, he gave me a blank stare.

17.  Bono and The Edge walk into a Dublin bar and the bartender says, "Oh no, not U2 again."

18.  Prison is just one word to you, but for some people, it's a whole sentence.

19.  Scientists got together to study the effects of alcohol on a person's walk, and the result was staggering.

20.  I'm trying to organize a hide and seek tournament, but good players are really hard to find.

21.  I got over my addiction to chocolate, marshmallows, and nuts.  I won't lie, it was a rocky road.

22.  What do you say to comfort a friend who's struggling with grammar?  There, their, they're.

23.  I went to the toy store and asked the assistant where the Schwarzenegger dolls are, and he replied, "Aisle B, back."

24.  What did the surgeon say to the patient who insisted on closing up their own incision?  Suture self.

25.  I've started telling everyone about the benefits of eating dried grapes.  It's all about raisin awareness.

Week in Review

• Two things were on my TWOsday agenda, HERE.
• My book beginning on Friday was about making the world a happier place, HERE.

Hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz,

we bloggers gather at separate computers in different time

zones — to share what we have been doing during the week.

Beginning ~ with something incredible

Beginning

Twenty years ago, I woke up, sprang out of bed, got dressed and — halfway through my morning coffee — realised something incredible:  I actually felt good.  Considering that just two months before a doctor had told me I was likely to be in a wheelchair before I turned 40, this first pain-free moment in years qualified as something of a miracle.

Make Life Happier: 23 Practical Ways to Feel Better, Find Meaning and Make a Difference ~ by Dr. Mark Williamson, 2026, meditation, 416 pages

We all want the people we love to be happy — and most of us long to feel more at peace with ourselves.  In this practical and encouraging guide, Dr Mark Williamson, CEO of Action for Happiness, shares 23 proven ways to make life happier for yourself, your loved ones and the wider world.

Drawing on fifteen years of working closely with leading experts in wellbeing — from psychology and neuroscience to timeless human wisdom — Mark offers simple, science-backed steps to help you feel better, strengthen your relationships and create positive ripples in the world around you. Mark isn't a guru; he's a 'happiness engineer' who has road-tested these ideas in real life with thousands of people — and in his own journey from burnout to purpose.

Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all formula, Make Life Happier shows you how to run your own 'happiness experiments' and discover what works best for you — whether that's quieting your inner critic, building healthier habits, becoming a better listener or contributing to your community.

This book is more than a guide to feeling better; it's an invitation to join a growing movement of people choosing to live differently. Because lasting happiness comes not just from caring for ourselves, but from caring for each other. Whatever your situation, you can do something — and you can start today.

(Click to enlarge this image.)

I haven't been posting these monthly calendars lately,

but it's the first day of May and the book above

was written by the Action for Happiness CEO.

Gilion at Rose City Reader hosts

Book Beginnings on Fridays.

Two things on my agenda today

I had only TWO things on my TWOsday agenda:  a discussion group and an appreciation program with singers and snacks:

1.  Short Story discussion in the early afternoon that met in the small art studio was to study a short story.

Two discussion leaders (Esther and Christie) took turns reading Guy de Maupassant's short story entitled "The Necklace."  A couple of us knew about the story, me and another participant.  It had been part of my English studies (in high school, I think, though it may have been in college for my first degree).  If you are not familiar with the story, you can read it HERE.  I am a visual person, so I would have preferred to have a copy of the story so I could read along.  I don't retain as much by simply listening, and that's why I came home, looked it up (for myself and also for you blog readers), and thought about it on my own after our discussion.

2.  Volunteer Appreciation program in our large community room in the evening.

People who volunteer to greet visitors at the Welcome Desk were included, as were the residents and non-residents who prepare meals to be delivered to the community and Crown Center residents.  I was invited because I volunteer to work in the library, reshelving books and magazines, and preparing donations to be shelved.  I also cull books that have been there long enough and make room for newer books to go on our shelves.  I've been doing it since I moved here in 2014, along with other residents, like my friends Donna and Risé.  Donna, who had a Master's degree in library science, set up our library as in this photo when she first moved here.  The room was recently renovated, but I will share those changes another time.