As The Page Turns: November Edition

Are we really into the month of November? Almost a full year of book reviews! 🙂 Here is what has piqued my interest in books lately…

A World Without Email by Cal Newport

I have read Digital Minimalism which is another book that Newport wrote and I found it interesting so I decided to give this latest book of his a try. I will preface this by saying this book had a lot of information and at times I wondered if I picked the right book but it really was very interesting.

At the heart of the matter is that email is basically driving everyone batty. Whether you work in a corporate office or work from home or keep getting emails several times a day from your child’s school (ahem), the constant interruption of notifications of emails is making us twitch a bit. Couple that with emails where you are cc’d or bcc’d on that don’t actually pertain to you, and you are ready to just chuck your phone (or laptop) out the window.

The irony of all this is that email wasn’t created to be this disruptive yet that is what it has become. Newport doesn’t state to just chuck the concept of email out the door, but he does offer alternatives for companies to use instead of email which is a known productivity disruptor. In some cases, especially if you work in an office, it is sometimes easier to just get up and go talk to the person you need to question face-to-face instead of spending 10 or 15 minutes typing out an email.

If you are unable to completely disentangle yourself from the disruptive nature of emails, Newport suggests unsubscribing from whatever is not relevant and to set parameters around checking your email. Maybe for your peace of mind, you only check email once in the morning and once at night. Or maybe you take email off your phone and only check it when you turn on your laptop. Setting boundaries when it comes to email seems to be the best option and that is what Newport is basically advocating for.

I found the book to be an interesting and timely read especially in this technological age that we are in.

The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin

I enjoy fiction that takes place across the pond especially novels that take place between 1900 and the 1940’s. This novel takes place during WWII in Britain. The novel follows a woman named Grace who moves to London and works in a bookshop. She deals with air raids, blackouts, and the Blitz, all the while transforming the dusty old bookshop that she works at, into an inviting space where people can come get a book and forget their war troubles for a bit.

I know this is a fiction book, but the London Blitz was a real thing and what they had to to endure with endless night after night bombings from the German army was terrifying and really sapped morale even though the British were told to “Keep Calm and Carry On”. I thought the author did an excellent job of showing how residents dealt with the aftermath of having street after street just annihilated and losing neighbors and friends to nightly bombs.

I liked the book and it passed the time just fine.

Simple Matters by Erin Boyle and An Edited Life by Anna Newton

These two books are books that I have read before. They are about simplifying your life, your home, etc… This past year and a half with the pandemic and all of its stressors, has brought a lot of stuff into my home and it is driving me bonkers. Re-reading these gave me some extra motivation. I wrote more in depth about it all here.

Did any of these books catch your attention? Let me know in the comments!