My bookshelf

Before the Coffee Gets Cold: A Novel (Before the Coffee Gets Cold Series, 1)

Toshikazu Kawaguchi • 2020

The Handmaids Tale

Margaret Atwood • 2017

Sharp Objects

Gillian Flynn • 2007

Some scars never heal . . . An addictive thriller from the author of the mega bestseller gone girl. When two girls are abducted and killed in missouri, journalist camille preaker is sent back to her home town to report on the crimes. Long-haunted by a childhood tragedy and estranged from her mother for years, camille suddenly finds herself installed once again in her family's mansion, reacquainting herself with her distant mother and the half-sister she barely knows - a precocious 13-year-old who holds a disquieting grip on the town. As camille works to uncover the truth about these violent crimes, she finds herself identifying with the young victims - a bit too strongly. Clues keep leading to dead ends, forcing camille to unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past to get at the story. Dogged by her own demons, camille will have to confront what happened to her years before if she wants to survive this homecoming.

The Bell Jar (Modern Classics)

Sylvia Plath • 2005

<p><i>The Bell Jar</i> chronicles the crack-up of Esther Greenwood: brilliant, beautiful, enormously talented, and successful, but slowly going under -- maybe for the last time. Sylvia Plath masterfully draws the reader into Esther's breakdown with such intensity that Esther's insanity becomes completely real and even rational, as probable and accessible an experience as going to the movies. Such deep penetration into the dark and harrowing corners of the psyche is an extraordinary accomplishment and has made <i>The Bell Jar</i> a haunting American classic.</p> <p>This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.</p>

Breasts and Eggs

Mieko Kawakami • 2020

So amazing it took my breath away' Haruki Murakami, international bestselling author of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles Breasts and Eggs explores the inner conflicts of an adolescent girl who refuses to communicate with her mother except through writing. Through the story of these women, Kawakami paints a portrait of womanhood in contemporary Japan, probing questions of gender and beauty norms and how time works on the female body. Breast and Eggs is a thrilling English language debut from Japan's brightest young talent, Mieko Kawakami.

Lessons in Chemistry: A Novel

Bonnie Garmus • 2022

Educated

Tara Westover • 2018

Dead Poets Society

N.H. Kleinbaum • 2012

Todd Anderson and his friends at Welton Academy can hardly believe how different life is since their new English professor, the flamboyant John Keating, has challenged them to "make your lives extraordinary! Inspired by Keating, the boys resurrect the Dead Poets Society--a secret club where, free from the constraints and expectations of school and parents, they let their passions run wild. As Keating turns the boys on to the great words of Byron, Shelley, and Keats, they discover not only the beauty of language, but the importance of making each moment count. Can the club and the individuality it inspires survive the pressure from authorities determined to destroy their dreams? But the Dead Poets pledges soon realize that their newfound freedom can have tragic consequences. Can the club and the individuality it inspires survive the pressure from authorities determined to destroy their dreams?

Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism

Amanda Montell • 2021

“One of those life-changing reads that makes you see— or, in this case, hear—the whole world differently.” —Megan Angelo, author of Followers<br/>The author of the widely praised Wordslut analyzes the social science of cult influence: how cultish groups from Jonestown and Scientology to SoulCycle and social media gurus use language as the ultimate form of power.<br/>What makes “cults” so intriguing and frightening? What makes them powerful? The reason why so many of us binge Manson documentaries by the dozen and fall down rabbit holes researching suburban moms gone QAnon is because we’re looking for a satisfying explanation for what causes people to join—and more importantly, stay in—extreme groups. We secretly want to know: could it happen to me? Amanda Montell’s argument is that, on some level, it already has . . .<br/>Our culture tends to provide pretty flimsy answers to questions of cult influence, mostly having to do with vague talk of “brainwashing.” But the true answer has nothing to do with freaky mind-control wizardry or Kool-Aid. In Cultish, Montell argues that the key to manufacturing intense ideology, community, and us/them attitudes all comes down to language. In both positive ways and shadowy ones, cultish language is something we hear—and are influenced by—every single day.<br/>Through juicy storytelling and cutting original research, Montell exposes the verbal elements that make a wide spectrum of communities “cultish,” revealing how they affect followers of groups as notorious as Heaven’s Gate, but also how they pervade our modern start-ups, Peloton leaderboards, and Instagram feeds. Incisive and darkly funny, this enrapturing take on the curious social science of power and belief will make you hear the fanatical language of “cultish” everywhere.

A Certain Hunger

Chelsea G. Summers • 2021

In The Miso Soup

Ryu Murakami • 2005

The Follow Up To In The Miso Soup, Piercing Confirms Ryu Murakami As The Master Of The Psycho-Thriller Every Night, Kawashima Masayuki Creeps From His Bed And Watches Over His Baby Girl S Crib While His Wife Sleeps. But This Is No Ordinary Domestic Scene. He Has An Ice Pick In His Hand, And A Barely Controllable Desire To Use It. Deciding To Confront His Demons, Kawashima Sets Into Motion A Chain Of Events Seeming To Lead Inexorably To Murder&

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

James Clear • 2018

The #1 New York Times bestseller. Over 20 million copies sold!<br/><br/>Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results<br/><br/>No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving--every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.<br/><br/>If you're having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn't you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don't want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Here, you'll get a proven system that can take you to new heights.<br/><br/>Clear is known for his ability to distill complex topics into simple behaviors that can be easily applied to daily life and work. Here, he draws on the most proven ideas from biology, psychology, and neuroscience to create an easy-to-understand guide for making good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible. Along the way, readers will be inspired and entertained with true stories from Olympic gold medalists, award-winning artists, business leaders, life-saving physicians, and star comedians who have used the science of small habits to master their craft and vault to the top of their field.<br/><br/>Learn how to:<br/><br/>make time for new habits (even when life gets crazy);<br/>overcome a lack of motivation and willpower; design your environment to make success easier; get back on track when you fall off course; ...and much more.<br/><br/>Atomic Habits will reshape the way you think about progress and success, and give you the tools and strategies you need to transform your habits--whether you are a team looking to win a championship, an organization hoping to redefine an industry, or simply an individual who wishes to quit smoking, lose weight, reduce stress, or achieve any other goal.