6 minute read
Scuppernong Bookshelf
Make It New
Januar y releases to inspire change, sweet change
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CoMPiled
By Br i an
l
aMPk in
January
in the book world is no different than Januar y in all the other worlds. The promise of rebirth, new growth and new selves is met by the equal forces of self-doubt, resistance and inertia. Here we’ll tr y to break through the standoff and offer you plausible, possible and even pleasurable ways to enact change. And we all need plenty of change after the traumas of 2020.
Jan. 5: W hat Matters Most: T he Get Your Shit Together Guide to Wills, Money, Insurance, and Life’s “W hat-ifs,” by Chanel Reynolds (Har per Wave, PB: $17.99). On July 17, 20 09, Chanel Reynolds’ husband, José, was str uck by a van while cycling near their home in Seattle and died one week later. Just hours af ter the accident, Reynolds realized that she was completely unprepared for what came next: W hat was the password to her husband ’s phone? Were their wills legally binding? How much insurance did they have? Could she af ford the house? A nd what the hell was probate any way? Simply put, she didn’t have her shit together. A s it t ur ns out, neither do most of us. We’re too busy and too over whelmed, or we don’t k now where to star t. But here’s the thing: You can’t half-ass the impor tant st uf f, and hoping for the best is not a plan. Reynolds lear ned that lesson the hard way so you don’t have to.
Jan. 5: Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any A ge, by Sanjay Gupta (Simon & Schuster, $28). T he long time CNN medical hear tthrob continues to help us through the pandemic, per for ms brain surgeries routinely and wr ites book s? Keep Sharp debunk s common my ths about ag ing and cog nitive decline, explores whether there’s a “best” diet or exercise reg imen for the brain, and explains whether it’s healthier to play video games that test memor y and processing speed, or to engage in more social interaction. Discover what we can lear n f rom “super-brained ” people who are in their 80s and 90s with no sig ns of slowing dow n — and whether there are tr uly any benefits to dr ugs, supplements and vitamins. Dr. Gupta also addresses brain disease, par ticularly A lzheimer’s, answers all your questions about the sig ns and symptoms and shows how to ward against it and stay healthy while car ing for a par tner in cog nitive decline. He likewise of fers a personalized 12-week prog ram feat ur ing practical strateg ies to streng then your brain ever y day.
Jan. 5: Ever y Body: An Honest and Open L ook at Sex from Ever y Angle, by Julia Rothman & Shaina Feinberg ( Voracious, $28). Have you ever had a question about sex — whether out of cur iosit y, desire or the sneak ing suspicion that you’re, somehow, dif ferent? Ever y
Body
will help you feel less alone. It’s a huge collection of anonymous stor ies, essays, ar t work and exper t tell-alls on myr iad subjects, all rolled into one. Really, they’re the conversations most of us are too scared to star t. Framed by dozens of ar tists’ illustrations, deeply personal inter views and exper t essays that address stig mas and clichés, this book is an infor mative, welcoming and inclusive user’s g uide to your body, no matter its shape, size or preferences.
Jan. 12: Niksen: Embracing the Dutch Ar t of Doing Nothing, by Olga Meck ing (Houghton Mif flin, $19.99). Don’t just do something, sit there. Backed with advice f rom the world ’s leading exper ts on hap piness and productivit y, this book examines the underlying science behind nik sen (that’s Dutch for “doing nothing”) and how doing less can of ten yield so much more. Per fect for anyone who feels overwhelmed, bur nt out or exhausted, Niksen does not tell you to work harder. Instead, it shows you how to take a break f rom all the busyness while g iving you sincere, hear tfelt per mission to do nothing.
Jan 12: A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In W hich Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life, by George Saunders (R andom House, $28). Saunders g uides the reader through seven classic Russian shor t stor ies he’s been teaching for 20 years as a professor in the prestig ious Syracuse Universit y MFA creative wr iting prog ram. Paired with stor ies by Chek hov, Turgenev, Tolstoy and Gogol, these essays are intended for anyone interested in how fiction work s and why it’s more relevant than ever in these t urbulent times. Saunders approaches each of these stor ies technically yet accessibly, and through them explains how nar rative f unctions; why we stay immersed in a stor y and why we resist it; and the bedrock vir t ues a wr iter must foster. T he process of wr iting, Saunders reminds us, is as much a craf t as it is a qualit y of openness and a willing ness to see the world through new eyes. Funny, f rank and r igorous, A Swim in a Pond in the Rain ultimately shows how g reat fiction can change a person’s life and become a benchmark of one’s moral and ethical beliefs.
Jan. 26: The Dance Cure: The Surprising Science to Being Smarter, Stronger, Happier, by Peter L ovatt (HarperOne, $22.99). Dancing isn’t just good exercise. Surrendering yourself to the beat can have a far-reaching impact on all areas of your life — it can help you communicate better, think more creatively, and can be a powerf ul catalyst for change. L osing yourself in the moment to a song or piece of music can also alleviate anxiet y, depression and feelings of isolation, Dr. Peter L ovatt has found. Drawing on great stories f rom dance histor y as well as fascinating case studies f rom his Dance Psycholog y L ab and his own life, Dr. L ovatt shares his best steps and routines, as well as top dance anthems to inspire ever yone — even those who believe they “can’t dance” — to turn the music on, stand up and dance themselves happy.
T here you have it: Da nc ing, re ad ing, t h in k ing, sex a nd a he a lt hy dose of not hing. I c a n l ive w it h t hese cha nges in my l ife. Perhaps 2021 m ig ht b e b e ar able a f ter a l l. OH
Brian L ampkin is one of the proprietors of Scup
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