Written by Mina Khan (Medicine, Class of 2023)
On pourrait faire des petites siestes (…) après le repas, lire des livres, toutes sortes de livres, et faire des Zoom. - Francois Legault, December 2020
Translation: We can take little naps after our meals, read books (all sorts of books), and do Zoom meetings
These were Quebec Premier Francois Legault’s suggestions on how we can celebrate a “quiet Christmas”, just after he had announced a ban on holiday gatherings for 2020. As a proud Quebec citizen (and self-professed introvert), I have been dutifully following our Premier’s advice – and you can too, with this Resonance holiday reading list.
Everyone is going through some tough times right now, but nobody has the same experience. The pandemic has affected us all in different ways, and we will all reflect on this year with a different point of view. Thus, I have put together a rather eclectic reading list, in an effort to offer an option to everyone based on how the pandemic has predominantly affected them. As a disclaimer, I am putting English books here, as I personally read more in English. There are some great selections from French and Quebecois literature though, which warrant their own separate article.
1. For a philosophical pick-me-up if you are going through major obstacles in life: Meditations, by Marcus Aurelius
If you are going through some struggles and feeling lost, delve into the personal diary of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, which he developed as a self-improvement guide. Throughout the pages, he reflects on overcoming various obstacles in life.
Although there are many self-help resources out there, what makes Meditations ideal for medical students is that, as an emperor and general, Aurelius was no stranger to personal stress and a high-pressure job. In managing various stressful obstacles (such as military battles, loss of loved ones and rude people), he applies principles of Stoicism to his life, which teaches us to embrace the hardships of life with tranquillity. Structured into short practical passages, this is a good book to have in your self-care arsenal, as you can constantly come back to it.
I would recommend getting an easy translation, rather than an academic one. Sir George William Crystal’s translation is pretty good (available on Amazon).
2. To consolidate what we learned about anti-racism this year: The Skin We’re In: A Year of Black Resistance and Power, by Desmond Cole
It is all our responsibility to make sure we are prepared & informed on fighting injustices and racism, particularly to better understand and care for our patients. Although the Black Lives Matter movement and criminal justice reform advocacy is often centred on the USA, many forget that Canadian police also have an abusive relationship with Black communities. The Skin We’re In provides an overview of the activities of BLM Toronto in 2017 – its author, Desmond Cole, is a former Toronto Star writer, who left his job when the newspaper requested that he remain more neutral and suppress his activism (available on Indigo).
The book is included on Indigo’s #OwnVoices reading list, which highlights books featuring stories about minorities and under-privileged groups, written by authors from these communities. If you’re interested in reading on this, #OwnVoices has some great selections.
3. If you want to build better study habits: Atomic Habits, by James Clear
Building on the framework laid by Charles Duhigg in The Power of Habit, James Clear provides a practical manual on achieving your goals by learning to form small (but monumental) habits. If you’re in medical school, you probably already have pretty good study habits. However, it’s no secret that, with COVID-19 restrictions, it has been much harder to develop a daily routine and avoid distractions. This book, highly praised by many students and business leaders, offers an easy-to-read and functional guide for understanding and crafting good habits (and breaking bad ones, too).
4. To reflect on death and what it means to live a good life: Being Mortal, by Atul Gawande
Atul Gawande’s books are pretty much quintessential reading for all medical students. In Being Mortal, Dr Gawande tackles how our medical profession understands death, and how this has impacted the structure of our nursing & elderly homes. With increased awareness on the conditions of CHSLDs, this book is highly relevant as we rethink how we approach geriatric and end-of-life care. Rather than just giving facts and statistics, the book is deeply emotional, as Dr Gawande recounts anecdotes from his own life and his practice as a general surgeon. In exploring how we can help patients find meaning as they near death, he analyses what makes life meaningful in the first place, and how we can use that knowledge to deal with the loss of our loved ones, as well as our own mortality.
5. For cheering up during times of loneliness and isolation: Hyperbole and a Half, by Allie Brosh & The Martian, by Andy Weir
I remember crying of laughter with a friend of mine in the Humor aisle of Indigo, as we flipped through Allie Brosh’ hilarious graphic novel Hyperbole and a Half. She chronicles various aspects of becoming an adult - such as banking, working out and eating healthier - with deliciously dark humor. For meme-lovers, it’s actually the original source of the “All the Things” meme. You can also check out some of Allie Brosh’s comics on her blog: Hyperbole and a Half.
Nerdier folks can check out Andy Weir’s The Martian. I read this book a long time ago, before the Matt Damon blockbuster came out. Even if you have seen the film, the best part about this book was the first-person narration – which cannot be properly captured in film. In the book, the main character is stranded on Mars in complete isolation, with only his own thoughts (and his home-grown plants) to keep him company. His loneliness is obvious as he describes, to no one in particular, the misadventures and problems that come his way. However, he remains light-hearted and constantly makes jokes, making this an extremely entertaining and uplifting read.
6. To read a beautiful pandemic novel for emotional catharsis: Station Eleven, by Emily St John Mandel
This novel is set after the collapse of civilization, following a deadly virus that has decimated the majority of human population – only those who were immune remain. However, it’s actually not that depressing – it follows a band of nomadic actors, called the Travelling Symphony, who travel between towns and perform Shakespeare plays. Funnily enough, much of the novel is set in nature or in airports, which feels like a nice escape from the quarantine life. Since it’s set after a pandemic, the novel covers various themes that many of us went through during this year – isolation, separation from loved ones, fear of losing loved ones, and political chaos. With the vaccine on the horizon, the novel might be a good way to reflect this unusual year.
7. To enjoy fast-paced mysteries if you are bored at home: Déjà Dead, by Kathy Reichs & The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Kathy Reichs’ murder mystery novels follow the crime from the perspective of a forensic anthropologist, who analyses corpses. Since the author herself works in forensics, her entertaining novels offer fascinating forensic details – so you’ll get to feel smart as you recognize familiar terms like “manubrium”. While being entertaining, you’ll understand anatomy in a new way as it’s applied to a different field.
If you don’t want to think about medicine at all, you can also go back to the classics and solve a grotesque crime with Sherlock Holmes with The Hound of the Baskervilles.
8. For an entertaining audiobooks while you cook or workout at home: Born a Crime, Trevor Noah
Trevor Noah is a South African comedian, known for his versatile accents and uncanny impressions. He has also lead a very unique life. At the time of his birth, the laws of apartheid forbade relationships between people of different races – as he was born to a Xhosa mother and Swiss father, he had to hide his identity throughout his childhood. He provides vivid descriptions of his childhood stories which help you travel to another place and understand a different culture. As he narrates with his signature wit, the audiobook of his memoir is both hilarious and interesting.
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