Reading on the road #4

I read a lot in Cuba. With no internet and a 10-hour flight without movies (!!), I read more than I have since my childhood bookworm days. These were a few of my favourites:

Home is Burning

25-year-old Dan is living a carefree life in LA when he gets the call – both his parents are dying. So he moves back to his family home in Salt Lake City, Utah, to become a full time carer. This memoir could be so bleak, but the humour the family use to deal with this awful situation makes it equal parts sad and hilarious.

Garlic and Sapphires

This is a much lighter memoir by Ruth Reichl about her time as the head restaurant critic for the New York Times. When restaurants start putting her picture up in their kitchens, Ruth dons elaborate disguises to avoid being recognised. It's funny and interesting, with plenty of great food writing and recipes thrown in.

Wired for Story

This is one for the writers, or anyone interested in how to craft a good story. Wired for Story looks at the way the brain experiences stories, what keeps us interested and how to apply it in your writing. There are practical tips as well as a discussion of recent breakthroughs in neuroscience, all told in an entertaining way.

So You've Been Publicly Shamed

Through interviews with people who have been publicly humiliated on social media in recent years, Jon Ronson considers the increasing trend of public shaming and its effects. I love his writing, and this book is just as funny and thought-provoking as his others.

For more book recommendations, have a look at my other reading on the road posts.