Lonely by Emily White

"Conversations with chronically lonely people reveal the paradox attached to the state. The longer it lasts, the less you’re supposed to mention it. The more closely it attaches to your life, the more you’re supposed to pretend it’s not anything you feel."

Lonely: Learning to Live with Solitude is a memoir in which author Emily White attempts to understand the chronic loneliness which has plagued her almost her entire life. Boldly stating that loneliness deserves the same attention as other mental illnesses such as depression, she intertwines her own personal story with scientific data and accounts offered by other lonely people on their experiences. 

Lonely is a 2011 release I'd been greatly looking forward to, but I was somehow under the impression that the main focus of the book was memoir. Although White's personal account plays a key role in her ability to understand the struggles of loneliness, as well as being the reason she pursued writing this book at all, it is only one part of what Lonely is about. The book itself has a significant amount of scientific information, and as non-fiction takes me significantly longer to read than memoirs or fiction this was certainly not a quick read. An interesting aspect of Lonely is the insight White offers into the idea that loneliness is actually becoming an increasing issue, as well as the possible reasons for that.
Discussing social media and the internet, she writes:

"Perhaps I was being insufficiently modern, but I never felt as though I could cure my loneliness through technology. My newspaper was just a part of my apartment, less comforting than my fridge, less familiar than my toaster, and I object to the idea that I should have somehow reached out in my loneliness and tried to turn it into a friend."

Continuing to delve into the topic, she states: 

"At a time when we’re being told that our needs are being met and that sociability is easy to achieve, we need to recognize a more complex truth. This truth involves us being alone more, confiding less, and getting caught up in the wheel of active socializing. Loneliness today is being egged on and aggravated by culture. It’s probably time we saw this, and stopped portraying the state as something that’s somehow the lonely person’s fault."

These excerpts clearly indicate the clear case that White makes for loneliness, and it is impossible to read Lonely and not understand how little is known about chronic loneliness, and also how little is being done to remedy that. The most powerful portion of Lonely though, is White's personal testament of her experiences and struggles with the disease, as she found herself increasingly shy and antisocial, even as her loneliness became worse. White's biggest strength lies not with her ability to gather and process information, which was clearly necessary for this book, but rather with her willingness to talk about a taboo subject, especially when it comes to sharing her personal experiences. At times however, I found Lonely too be clinical in a way that was less enjoyable for me to read, possibly because I already spend my days in the scientific field and prefer to use literature as an escape rather than an opportunity to learn detailed information about studies and statistics which were occasionally difficult to distinguish and blurred together.

Lonely is an important book because it discusses something which is too often considered a source of shame and silently swept under the rug or dismissed as depression. Unfortunately, the significant portion of Lonely which focuses on scientific studies failed to captivate me in the same way the story of White's personal journey did. I easily suggest this book for readers looking to learn more about loneliness, as a lot of research has gone into the book.  Lonely: Learning to Live with Solitude provides insight into a condition where a lot of information is still needed, luckily this book is a step in the right direction.

Release Date: January 18th, 2011
Pages: 352
Overall: 3/5
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This review was a part of TLC Book Tours. Click here to read what other tour hosts thought. For the purpose of this review I was provided with a copy of the book which did not require a positive review. The opinions expressed in this post are completely my own. 

Angry Young Man by Chris Lynch

I'd actually been meaning to pick up Inexcusable by Chris Lynch for the past few months, but when I had the opportunity to read Angry Young Man I decided to make that my introduction to Lynch instead. Angry Young Man is the story of two brothers, told from the perspective of the older brother Robert, who lives in a small apartment with his little brother Alexander and his mother. The boys have two different fathers and their mother has never married. Robert is taking classes at the local community college, working to help out his mom, and spending a lot of time with his girlfriend, while Alexander mostly just spends time in his room. When Alexander does the unthinkable Robert has to decide how far he'll really go for his little brother.

This book took me awhile to get into, which is kinda significant when you consider it's under 200 pages so taking 100 to catch my interest is over half the novel. The issue I had was that Angry Young Man only develops a plot in the last quarter of the book. I've repeatedly said that I don't mind novels without plots (hello literary fiction) but this is a young adult book with fairly basic characters and writing so it just doesn't work without any plot driving the reader to turn the pages. It was really difficult to even try to give a synopsis of the story without giving away spoilers, since the story doesn't even really start until three quarters into the book. I did find it nice to read a novel written in a masculine voice for a change as I seem to mostly pick up YA with female narrators.

My favourite thing about Angry Young Man is the relationship that Lynch portrays between Robert and Alexander. He shows that even when people love each other, they can still sometimes do heartless things, like ignore their younger brother when he is being bullied. The way the brothers interacted felt very believable. On the other hand, I couldn't care less about all the relationship drama the book contained including Alexander going out with a girl Robert once dated.

The major problem I had with Angry Young Man was not only that there wasn't a plot for most of the book, but that when it did occur I really didn't buy it. Of course, the book is written from Robert's perspective not Alexander's so it is impossible to really get inside his head, but Lynch made him become suddenly "angry" and it just felt odd. I never truly felt Alexander was even actually angry, he seemed more jaded and a bit of a loner, and his sudden transition to extremist felt awkward and unbelievable. Angry Young Man is a book which is definitely attempting to appeal to a specific audience- that of angry young men- but I think from a literary perspective it would mostly be appropriate for younger teens who might not notice the gaping flaws in character development.

Release Date: February 8th, 2011
Pages: 176
Overall: 1/5
Source: E-galley from publisher
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Waiting on Wednesday: Between Shades of Gray

 "Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases.

Between Shades of Gray is the debut young adult novel by Ruta Sepetys that easily caught my attention due to the strong female main character Lina. I also find the historical aspect really interesting, and I suspect that it will be extremely realistic due to the fact that Sepetys herself is a Lithuanian refugee. Considering my family is originally from Lithuania I am excited to read a novel set in a country that is often forgotten and Between Shades of Gray looks like a great first book from Sepetys who "wanted to give a voice to the hundreds of thousands of people who lost their lives during Stalin's cleansing of the Baltic region." The novel itself is based on Sepetys own family history.

In 1941, fifteen-year-old Lina is preparing for art school, first dates, and all that summer has to offer. But one night, the Soviet secret police barge violently into her home, deporting her along with her mother and younger brother. They are being sent to Siberia. Lina's father has been separated from the family and sentenced to death in a prison camp. All is lost.

Lina fights for her life, fearless, vowing that if she survives she will honor her family, and the thousands like hers, by documenting their experience in her art and writing. She risks everything to use her art as messages, hoping they will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive.

It is a long and harrowing journey, and it is only their incredible strength, love, and hope that pull Lina and her family through each day. But will love be enough to keep them alive?

Between Shades of Gray is a riveting novel that steals your breath, captures your heart, and reveals the miraculous nature of the human spirit.

Between Shades of Gray looks to be a powerful and heartbreaking debut from Sepetys which will be published March 22nd 2011 by Philomel Books.

Do you have any suggestions for books that take place in often ignored countries? What are you Waiting on this Wednesday?

Giveaway: Reality is Broken

In combination with the guest review I hosted of Reality is Broken I have the opportunity to give away a copy of this interesting sounding book.

The summary of the book from Goodreads is:

More than 174 million Americans are gamers, and the average young person in the United States will spend ten thousand hours gaming by the age of twenty-one. According to world-renowned game designer Jane McGonigal, the reason for this mass exodus to virtual worlds is that videogames are increasingly fulfilling genuine human needs. In this groundbreaking exploration of the power and future of gaming, McGonigal reveals how we can use the lessons of game design to fix what is wrong with the real world.

Drawing on positive psychology, cognitive science, and sociology, Reality Is Broken uncovers how game designers have hit on core truths about what makes us happy and utilized these discoveries to astonishing effect in virtual environments. Videogames consistently provide the exhilarating rewards, stimulating challenges, and epic victories that are so often lacking in the real world. But why, McGonigal asks, should we use the power of games for escapist entertainment alone? Her research suggests that gamers are expert problem solvers and collaborators because they regularly cooperate with other players to overcome daunting virtual challenges, and she helped pioneer a fast-growing genre of games that aims to turn gameplay to socially positive ends.

In Reality Is Broken, she reveals how these new alternate reality games are already improving the quality of our daily lives, fighting social problems such as depression and obesity, and addressing vital twenty-first-century challenges-and she forecasts the thrilling possibilities that lie ahead. She introduces us to games like World Without Oil, a simulation designed to brainstorm-and therefore avert- the challenges of a worldwide oil shortage, and Evoke, a game commissioned by the World Bank Institute that sends players on missions to address issues from poverty to climate change.

McGonigal persuasively argues that those who continue to dismiss games will be at a major disadvantage in the coming years. Gamers, on the other hand, will be able to leverage the collaborative and motivational power of games in their own lives, communities, and businesses. Written for gamers and nongamers alike, Reality Is Broken shows us that the future will belong to those who can understand, design, and play games.

In order to enter to win a copy of Reality is Broken leave a comment letting me know if you play video games or not- I am curious to see if there are many readers that do! Make sure to include your e-mail address so I can contact you if you win, after which you will have 48 hours to claim the prize. You can have a second entry for being a follower, just make sure you leave a second comment or it won't be counted. This giveaway will run until February 14th 2011 at 11:59 MST and is open to Canada and the US, no PO boxes. Enjoy!

Guest Review: Reality is Broken by Jane McGonigal

I would like to thank Patrick Murphy for taking the time to read and review Reality is Broken for In The Next Room.

On the one hand, Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World is a book about games. It talks about a lot of different games, in a lot of different contexts, and even gives some explanations on how to play a few that the author has created as well as some of the more popular games of our day. Video games, board games, even Mary Poppins-style “Let’s clean up the nursery” games, all are touched on within in the pages of this book.

On the other, stronger, better developed and generally more handy of hands, Reality is Broken is about happiness. Specifically, it is a book about the psychology of human happiness. What we want, what makes us happy, and we might go about setting ourselves up for happiness both personally and globally.

Broken into three parts (“Why games make us happy”, “Reinventing reality”, and “How very big games can change the world”), Jane McGonigal takes us through a brief history of how games have impacted upon human happiness throughout the ages and shows us how we can use games to make real improvements in the real world that we all live in. From small things like cleaning the house to huge collaboration efforts like the various wikis online, McGonigal shows us the power that games can have in the real world. Improve your life, and have fun doing it!

I really liked this book. The writing is quick and accessible. The tone is light-hearted, but it still takes its subject matter seriously. Reality is Broken takes on some big issues, and reassures us that not only are the problems soluble, but we have the tools for finding solutions right at our fingertips today, in the form of the people that we pass in the street every day.

I especially appreciated the style of writing. You don’t have to be a gamer to enjoy McGonigal’s enthusiasm for the power of games, and while she does use some terms that are common in gamer-speak like “pwn” or “epic win”, she takes the time to explain both the context and the meaning of those words and phrases. This affords the book a great deal of accessibility to gamers and non-gamers alike, and gives us a clearer picture of how gamers see themselves and the world.

The pacing is also really good. There are a variety of quotes from famous personalities about the importance of games sprinkled throughout the text, and there is never really a dull spot in the book. While the author deals with a lot of studies and research, she is careful to spice things up with anecdotes about how these things have played out in her own life and the lives of people she knows. Stories of dealing with illness or conferences with leading game designers help give us a glimpse into the author’s world and make it easy to identify with what she is saying and why it is important.

I must admit, however, that the unwavering optimism and enthusiasm itself can be a bit draining at times, particularly towards the end where Dr. McGonigal deals with the real potential impact that games can have on our future. Maybe it is the cynic in me, but I have some difficulty in staying bright and chipper in light of the magnitude of some of the problems that she addresses.

That said, I would still enthusiastically recommend Reality is Broken to any and everyone. It is an interesting read with some fun ideas for gamer and non-gamer alike.

Patrick Murphy is a graduate student at Acadia University in Canada. He mostly studies, with the odd video or poker game thrown in to keep life interesting in between readings.

Release Date: January 20th, 2011
Pages: 400
Buy the Book
Source:

This review was a part of TLC Book Tours. Click here to read what other tour hosts thought. For the purpose of this review I was provided with a copy of the book which did not require a positive review. The opinions expressed in this post are completely my own.