In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts

A look at addiction from the perspective of a medical doctor who works in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside,  Dr. Gabor Maté examines the many factors that contribute to addiction. He shares personal stories, talks about the neurological, psychological, sociological, public policy and emotional challenges that go into forming addiction. 

What is it similar to? I would say that it reminds me of reading books by Oliver Sacks, in that it has a lot of interesting information from medical science couched in accessible personal anecdotes.

Am I in the mood? If you are ready to think about your brain, your childhood and how people are impacted by society's treatment of addicts, read away. Don't read it while you eat lunch- if you have a weak stomach- medical doctors do not spare medical details. 

Find the book? Picked up a hard copy at Book City in Toronto. Already lent it to a friend. It is one of those pass-it-around types. May be worth requesting if they don't already have it at your local library. 

Watch the author speak at TEDX Rio 

Listen to an NPR interview with the author. 

Read a ton of related articles linked from the author's website.

Can't get enough? Dr. Maté is also the author of books on parenting, stress and ADD. You can find links to these on his website. 

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Definitely. This was a moving, inspiring and fascinating read. I kind of want to become a neurologist or psychiatrist after reading it. 

Divergent Trilogy

This trilogy by American author Veronica Roth (who happens to be a best-selling author with a creative writing degree- yes, it is possible!) is a post-apocalyptic dystopian series written for a YA audience. The story is set in a futuristic Chicago in which people have all been divided into 'factions' according to personality traits. The central character is Tris, a sixteen-year-old girl, who narrates the first two books. The author adds a second narrator to the third book, a young man named Tobias. 

What is it similar to? There is quite a bit of this type of fiction out there right now. Recent books this trilogy is similar to would include the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld and the Hunger Games trilogy. Older books it reminds me of include Lois Lowry's The Giver and it has elements of Ender's Game as well.

Am I in the mood? If you are looking for occasionally slightly didactic, but mostly action-packed writing that you can read quickly and just go along for the ride, these are a good choice. There is social commentary, but it is not overwhelming and certainly these books can just be read as fun action-adventures. There is reasonable depth to the characters and the writing is solid.

Find the book? Hard not to find- every bookstore will have them. Libraries- anticipate a waiting list, the teen girls are all over these. There is kissing.

Listen to an interview with the author about the trilogy. 
Read a detailed review.

Can't get enough? Divergent is already a movie. Watch the trailer. I think it comes out in March.

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Sure, but probably not to everyone's taste. Best if you like sci-fi and don't mind reading fiction aimed at a young audience. 

Daring Greatly

This non-fiction work by shame and vulnerability researcher Brené Brown looks at the courage it takes to be vulnerable, look at our own shame and face it head on. She says, "Daring greatly is not about winning or losing. It's about courage. In a world where scarcity and shame dominate and feeling afraid has become second nature, vulnerability is subversive." 

What is it similar to? The author has a detailed list of work she feels is related to this book on her website. I'll let you take a look. She has also written a more prescriptive book called The Gifts of Imperfection on a similar thread. 

Am I in the mood? If you feel like doing some soul searching, laughing, crying and thinking about life, go right ahead. If you feel like you are stuck and need some advice for moving forward in relationships, work, or self-confidence, stop what you're doing and go grab this book. 

Find the book? I read it on my tablet using the Kobo app.

Watch the author speak at TEDx Houston 

Watch the author speak at TED 

Read a ton of related articles on Huffington Post

Can't get enough? There are tons of links, book suggestions, videos and related content on the author's website: http://brenebrown.com

Would you recommend this book to a friend? I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever felt ashamed, vulnerable or not good enough: aka the whole human race. If you don't read the book, at least watch one of her TED talks.