What are you reading? WLRN wants to know — and we'll share what we, and other people in the South Florida community, are reading every week in this space.
Tell us what you're reading by replying in the comments, or tweet us @WLRN with the hashtag #FridayReads
Lydia Martin, Miami journalist and fiction writer
Currently riveted by Vaddey Ratner’s devastating but gorgeous novel, In the Shadow of the Banyan. Based on the author’s own life, the story is told from the perspective of a young girl who, along with her family, is yanked from a privileged life in Phnom Penh and forced to endure the atrocities of Cambodia’s killing fields under the Khmer Rouge regime. As horrifying as the details are, this lyrical novel insists on reminding that even in the worst of times, there can be beauty, and hope. It also reminds that the story of people forced to flee an inhumane regime at whatever cost remains much too relevant today.
Stratton Pollitzer, deputy director of Equality Florida
I am currently reading The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness, by Sy Montgomery.
Social justice work is hard. You spend years pushing towards a hopeful breakthrough often unsure how much the needle is moving. Sometimes I need to take a break from the twenty-four-hour news cycle, and for me escaping into nature restores my wonder in the world and helps me maintain perspective. If my "to-do" list is overwhelming me, exploring something as everlasting as a mountain or swimming on a coral reef can remind me that there are more important things than an empty in-box. Also, I love octopuses. They are boneless, have blue blood, can change color and texture in a fraction of a second, have thousands of suction cups each of which operates independently, and they are crazy smart!
