Admittedly, because of my privilege of being of European descent I haven't had to put a lot of thought into how the Canadian indigenous people have been treated. I studied the War of 1812 in school, and the "Indians" helped in that so I never really thought about what the situation might have actually been like.
Recently, I've had the opportunity to see materials in an Aboriginal cultural safety training program and it's made me genuinely interested in the topic. Which is how I found this book.
Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand
I'm not quite sure what I expected from this book. I read about all of the events contained within it as they happened. Maybe I expected some hidden shocking secrets from within the palace or that there was something extremely horrible that happened to Meghan on the Palace's behalf.
None of that is illuminated here. It's still the story of a couple who fell in love, and had trouble with the media (extreme trouble) and didn't find a way to fit themselves into the Royal system. Nothing in the book makes me feel any more sympathetic to Harry and Meghan. Nor does it make me feel any less.
Emotional Detox: 7 Steps to Release Toxicity and Energize Joy by Sherianna Boyle
I picked this up on a whim, not because I thought I was carrying around some insane amount of emotional toxicity, or because I thought I needed to fix myself. Mainly, I just thought it was an interesting concept, and if I could pick up any tips to carry through life that would allow me to be more gentle in life, and to learn to let myself learn from a situation without it needing to reside in my brain constantly then it would be a win.
There's really nothing groundbreaking here - just ways to think differently about situations, react differently in situations, and teach yourself to breathe before reacting. Not everything needs to be monumental - in reading, or in life. This book is a perfect example of that.
#13-2021
George's Marvelous Medicine by Roald Dahl
I do enjoy a good Dahl story, but I'm certainly glad that I don't have children who might be influenced by this one. Most of the time the stories are so crazy, and far-fetched that no one would be able to follow along and replicate the story. This one, though it's impossible that the result would be replicated, could absolutely have a naive kid hatch an insane plan and end up poisoning someone.
It's still fun, but it's a little scarey to think some kids might not have enough background knowledge to know they should never attempt it. (I will give credit to the warning at the beginning that says not to create George's Marvelous Medicine, but still.) Overall a little cringey.
#12-2021
No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality by Michael J. Fox
If there was any doubt that Michael J. Fox should be considered a Canadian Icon (yes, that's Icon with a capital I) then this book should erase it. I know that he's not lived in Canada in well past more time than he lived here, but he still acknowledges and appreciates his Canadian identity, and I think that's important. The most important thing though, is that he's just good people - he acknowledges his faults, and he doesn't pretend to be perfect. He just lives, and then shares his experiences with us.
Canada by Mike Myers
A comedic biography wrapped up in a Canadian history textbook with a (non-) cultural manual sifted over top. I enjoyed reading Mike Myers perspective on Canada from the twenty years he spent here.
There were a lot of things I could relate to, but also a number that I couldn't agree with. Knowing how his experiences had shaped his comedy and his career was very interesting. How he reacted to history and incorporated it into his life gives a new edge to how I view his characters and the direction he's gone.
It's unfortunate that Canada loses many proud Canadians because there are bigger opportunities available to the South. But if everyone can keep their Canadian pride the way Mike Myers has, then maybe the Americans can start to better appreciate their neighbours to the North.
#10-2021
Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin
I don't really know what to say about this one. I've read Emily Giffin's Something Borrowed, and Something Blue and picked this one up when it was on sale somewhere because I knew I enjoyed her light style of writing, even when she was writing about heavy and realistic situations.
I enjoyed this book, but I'm also stuck on the thought that had one thing been different here - and I feel like it's a pretty logical thing - this entire book would have been a non-starter. I don't want to give away the plot in any way, so I won't share my thought but if this was a real-life situation, I definitely know what advice I would have given Tessa in the first few chapters. And it would probably have stopped the entire situation from becoming a situation.
