Clearly I Didn't Think This Through by Anna Goldfarb

Clearly I Didn't Think This Through by Anna Goldfarb is the worst book I have read all year. Granted it is only April, it will probably be my least favorite book of the entire year.  Goldfarb tries to be amusing with her sarcasm and metaphors, but it makes her seem like she is trying too hard to be like Chelsea Handler.  Unfortunately, she is nothing like Chelsea Handler, which makes her seem more pathetic than anything.

Goldfarb's memoir testifies how she cannot mature into adulthood.  She describes the various failed dates she goes on, how she cannot acquire a job, and in the end, she ends up living with her parents. Did I mention
she is in her thirties?

Some people may find her memoir witty and entertaining, but I found it annoying and a waste of time. I never laughed out loud at anything she described. She makes herself seem childish and irresponsible, which is probably why she hasn't acquired a TV show or  become successful like Chelsea Handler. The best part is that I just received a free copy of I Can Barely Take Care of Myself: Tales from a Happy Life Without Kids by Jen Kirkman, who is a writer for Chelsea Lately. Go Figure. 

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn entails a thick and twisted plot that cannot be reveal in too much detail because it will spoil the story for future readers.

Nick and Amy Dunne are celebrating their five year wedding anniversary.  However, when Nick arrives home from work that evening, Amy is missing.  Was she murdered or kidnapped? Did she runaway? I cannot say (unintentional rhyme). Flynn provides so many twists and reveals many secrets, which prevents me from summarizing the plot in depth and requires you to read the book yourself! And I do recommend this book because it is very suspenseful and quite addicting, but I also believe Gone Girl is quite overrated.

Although Gone Girl is a brilliant book, there are almost too many surprises and changes within the plot to keep up with. The first two-thirds of the book are great. The plot was rolling and I couldn't put the book down. However, I was very disappointed with the end. Without revealing too much, I wanted one of the characters to take vengeance and the other character to be punished, but neither of those things happened.  I was also  unable to relate to any of the characters. Even if I was beginning to like a character, Flynn interrupts the story with another twist, causing me to despise that person. By the end of the book, I didn't like anyone...

Even though I have several adverse opinions about the book, it is still, overall, a very thrilling book, which I do recommend.  Even if I disagree with the conclusion, at least the story line to the end was exhilarating.

Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan

“No great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness”-Aristotle

It all started with bed bugs.  Susannah Cahalan swore there were bed bugs in her apartment.  She urged an exterminator to unnecessarily spray her apartment to rid of the non-existent bugs.  Her paranoia only worsened in the next few weeks.  Was her boyfriend cheating on her? Why was everyone talking about her behind her back? Her entire left side went numb. Was she going crazy? She thought she had mono, then diagnosed herself with Bipolar disorder. But the final straw was her seizure...her boyfriend was terrified at what he saw; she looked like the possessed girl from the Exorcist.  He rushed her to the ER...

Anti-NMDA-receptor encephalitis is a rare and often misdiagnosed disease which is mostly found in women and young people.  Symptoms are similar to what Susannah was experiencing above: psychiatric symptoms, memory issues, speech disorders, seizures, involuntary movements, to decreased levels of consciousness and breathing.  While Susannah was lucky enough to recover from the disease, her experience was anything but favorable. 

Brain on Fire is Susannah Cahalan's account of her horrific journey with Anti-NMDA-receptor encephalitis.  This disease can often mimic schizophrenia or psychosis, which is exactly what her first few doctors had diagnosed her with.  One doctor even believed that Susannah was experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms.  Fortunately, Dr. Souhel Najjar and Dr. Josep Dalmau were able to crack this rare case after several tests and a lot of research. 

The story itself is absolutely astonishing. If Susannah and her family had not sought help, she would most likely not ever be herself again.  The disease must be treated in the first month in order to fully recover.  However, 13% of patients still experience relapse.  It is a very complicated and unique disease.  This story also deepens the flaws of medicine. What if Susannah had just believed her diagnosis of psychosis. She may have lost her speech and memory forever if Dr. Najjar and Dr. Dalmau did not step in.  It is frightening that many people are being misdiagnosed, not only of NMDA, but of any disease. This book is not only a fantastic read because you truly feel like you are experiencing Susannah's "month of madness" but it has also been a lifesaver for people who have been misdiagnosed. It will really cause you to be more mindful of your health. 

The Defining Decade by Meg Jay

So many people believe that being in your twenties is the time to let loose and party. Being 20 means you have your whole life ahead of you, so why not live it up, right?

Wrong. In Meg Jay's very informative book, The Defining Decade: Why You Twenties Matter-and How to Make the Most of Them Now, she gives ample reasoning as to why every twentysomething should be making decisions for their life NOW and that thirty is NOT the new twenty.  This is not a typical research book that only discusses studies, analysis, and numbers.  Instead she gives real life examples from her patients that present reasons as to why twentysomethings should get to work, pick their families, and make their own certainty. 

The book is divided into three sections: work, love, and the brain and the body. The work section was especially insightful to me personally.  I do not want to start at the bottom (as an assistant or lower-level position) in my career; I want to be successful and I want to do it now.  However, Dr. Jay explains that reaching your potential does not usually happen until your thirties, forties, or even fifties.  It is great that I have tangible goals, but my brain is still developing and just like everyone else, I have to work from the bottom and gain some identity capital. Her words really gave me confidence and made me believe I am on the right path.  Even though I am eager to work my way to the top, I need to stop worrying about how to make it to the next level and just focus on the job at hand. 

People constantly compare themselves to their friends or to what they see people doing on Facebook.  They constantly feel bad about themselves and wonder...why am I not traveling through Europe, or why do I not have as a great a job as that guy? Dr. Jay explain that life is built not out of eating, praying, and loving (like the book Eat Pray Love), but out of person, place, and thing: who we are with, where we live, and what we do for a living.  So many twentysomethings are not making valuable decisions in their lives because they believe they should be wild and free since they are young. But Jay gives her most important lesson--that you can be somewhat free and explore your options, but those who actually have the nerve to make commitments along the way construct stronger identities. They also have higher self-esteem and are more persevering and realistic.  We then have more positive outcomes. 

There are so many more valuable lessons in this book that have motivated me and made me excited, not only for my career, but for my relationships and life in general.  Dr. Jay's book also assured me that I am already on the right path to a successful thirties. I hope everyone in their twenties, especially anyone going through a "quarter-life crisis", reads this VERY enlightening book, so they steer themselves in the right path too.  I will definitely be recommending this book to all my twentysomething friends. 

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

I always enjoy a good classic to read.  However, I rarely found Catcher in the Rye to be enjoyable.  Many people relate to Holden Caulfield, but I could not find many similarities between us.  It is supposed to be one of the best "coming of age" tales, but I actually enjoyed Perks of Being a Wallflower much more.  One of the main reasons I did not like Catcher in the Rye is because Holden is so negative and too cynical. He believes every person who acts conventional is a "phony". While I appreciate his attempts of not playing by the rules, he always feels victimized, as if the world is against him.  He constantly criticizes everyone he knows and meets.  And while many of these scenarios are amusing, they only confirm that Holden cannot connect with other human beings:

After a night of heavy drinking, Holden enters a telephone booth to call one of his love interests, Sally Hayes.

"Sally? That you?"
"Yes-stop screaming. Are you drunk?
"Yeah. Listen. Listen, hey.  I'll come over Christmas Eve. Ok? Trimma goddam tree for ya. OK? Okay, hey Sally?"
"Yes. You're drunk. Go to bed now. Where are you? Who's with you?"
"Nobody. Me, myself, and I." Boy was I drunk! I as even still holding onto my guts. "They got me. Rocky's mob got me. You know that? Sally you know that?"
"I can't hear you. Go to bed now I have to go. Call me tomorrow."
"Hey, Sally You want me trimma tree for ya? Ya want me to ? Huh?"
"Yes. Good night. Go home and go to bed."

Holden has no control over himself and his depression just deepens.  Catcher in the Rye is just too negative and depressing for my taste.  I was also disappointed when the ending was unclear; I prefer a book that has an unambiguous conclusion.