When that video came out I thought it was genius and now that song gets stuck in my head regularly.  It’s true, though.  Especially as a working mother

, I rarely have time to read.  Read?  What’s that?  I found that setting a timer for 10 minutes before I go to bed, I actually got a lot more reading done than I expected

So, okay, blah blah blah Girl on the Train (you probably already have it in your Adorable Straw Beach Tote all ready for Spring – as well you should, it’s great).  To present you with some alternatives, since you’ll probably eat the former for breakfast, here is a nice selection from my personal library…

GOING CLEAR:

Scientology and the Prison of Belief

I’m absolutely fascinated by this!  I have been since I was a kid– wrote research papers on Scientology and everything,  And I’ll bet you didn’t know that Scientology inventor, L. Ron Hubbard lived with and was inspired (pre- religion inventing) by Aleister Crowley and John Parsons.  If you’re not sure who those guys are, they were community leaders in the Occult and both very twisted individuals.   So, you know… that’s something I guess.

I also love that the author’s picture is the first page of the book.  Like, “I’m not hiding from you, motherfuckers.  Come and get me”.   HBO produced a documentary about this which is airing soon, too.  Check it all out!  It’s cray-cray.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

So, basically every medicine that helps anyone exists because it was able to be tested on living cells.  The thing about cells is that, in a petrie dish, they die.  Everyone’s.  Without exception.  EXCEPT HENRIETTA LACKS’– the only known human to have cells that were capable fo being kept alive, and reproduced infinitely, starting in the 1940s…until now.  That’s right HER CELLS are still alive today. Whaaa!??  This is the craziest true story (above book aside) that will have you on the edge of your seat, bursting with outrage, and totally, completely become a science nerd.

Graziella

If you’re like me, sometimes you just love to have your heart built up, layer-by-layer, like cotton candy and then doused with a heaping dose of boiling water to just completely melt away any hope of recovery.  This is literally the most beautifully written story I’ve ever read.  It’s a total treasure, it’s devastating, but so godamned beautiful.  If you can take it, you gotta read it.

Of All the Gin Joints

Maybe you just want some short stories to entertain you and take your mind off your troubles.  Well, Honey, you’ve come to the right place.  This book is choc full of old hollywood stories, gossip, antecdotes and just plain jaw-dropping legends.  And, like most great stories, it all starts with liquor.

This is a fun and scandalous read.

The Country House

If you fancy reading a play, The Country House by Donald Margulies stood out to me for it’s excellent writing when I saw the play last season at The Geffen.  It’s running in New York right now with Blythe Danner (Gwynnie’s mum) and is a rare journey into art, family, ego, and longing and manages to grab ahold of everyone’s heart on some relatable level or other.  Gutwrenching, full of laughter and relief, and truly impactful.  I loved this play.  If you have the chance to see it, you should.  And you should read it either way.

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