112 PSYCHOLOGIES MAGAZINE APRIL 2020Spring may almost have sprung, but it’s always the season to
relax with a great book! Here’s our selection of stirring literary
picks to get you thinking about the meaning of lifeThe Words
EDITED BY ALI ROFF FARRAR. MAIN REVIEWS: EITHNE FARRY. PHOTOGRAPH: GETTY IMAGESRECOLLECTIONS OF
MY NON-EXISTENCE
By Rebecca Solnit
(Granta, £16.99)
This beautifully written memoir tells
the story of a young woman fi nding her
voice in a society that is determined
to keep her and other women silent.
Rebecca Solnit leaves home as a
teenager, fl eeing family violence, and
fi nds herself in San Francisco, where
just a walk down the street subjects her
to harassment and hassle. She fi nds
refuge in a light-fi lled apartment,
furnished with treasures from thrift
shops, where she lives for 25 years.
Books, fellow artists and the gay
community help her source the
vocabulary to express the vulnerability
she feels on a personal and societal level
and rail against both with a fearlessness
that makes her an ardent activist and
inspiring feminist. Brilliant.Faamiti(n)
Language: Samoan
You know the cute
squeaking noise you make
by sucking air through
your puckered lips and
teeth to get the attention
of your pet? That!THIS AIN’T NO
ORDINARY JOY
Could it be that our mental
wellbeing is better supported
by ‘ordinary’ experiences,
versus the ups and inevitable
downs that follow ‘extraordinary’
experiences in life?
Catherine Gray is back to
share compelling evidence
that ordinary and average
can actually result in greater
happiness and even success,
and explains how to bring more
contentment into our lives.Discover
“
“
I nw nhing
i h wrl h
h
s
s mu pwer
s wr.
omtimes I wr
on,
n I lo
, ut
begins to shin
● The Unexpected Joy Of The Ordinary:
In Celebration Of Being Average by
Catherine Gray (Octopus, £14.99)EMILY DICKINSON♥
Book of the
monthLOST IN TRANSLATION