AudiobookReview

Diana: Her True Story - In Her Own Words: 25th Anniversary Edition | Andrew Morton

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I read Diana's biography5 years ago (slovenian edition) and now I listened an audiobook. She was an amazing woman. A strong, powerful and beautiful on the outside, but deep inside her she suffer. She is one of the most powerful and iconic women from history. I liked this audiobook even if I already know the story.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

#diana #andrewmorton #biography #audiobook #princessdiana #audiobookreview #review

maich #ReadingChallenge
- #ReadingWithMaja #BeremsKnjigoljubko #abooksetineurope
- Bookmantics @annabdoe a book with only a woman on the cover
- #LitsyAtoZ Letter D #AbecedarianTBR @BookishMarginalia
- @MonthlyBookClub Nonfiction
- #mmdchallenge #mmdreading A re-read @annebogel
- #ReadingEurope United Kingdom 4y

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Rayleigh_LitAp

The Secret Life of Anna Blanc | Jennifer Kincheloe

Stay tuned for Literature Approved's first Audio Book review! The Secret Life of Anna Blanc! Going on tour and scheduled for March 11!

#thesecretlifeofannablanc #jenniferkincheloe #audiobook #audiobookreview #booktour #march11 #literatureapproved

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BookishFeminist

Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging | Sebastian Junger

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🎧 #AudiobookReview | Listened to this 3hr book in one sitting. Junger draws insightful connections b/w modern society, mental health, & our yearning for solidarity & social connection. Taking evolutionary anthropology, psychology & sociology, he posits that our society causes isolation & increases risk of anxiety, depression, & chronic PTSD. He examines our political structure & how catastrophe & war can lead to fewer mental health issues. 👇🏼

OSChamberlain Seems like da bomb! Gotta check it out. 8y

BookishFeminist CONT. | He also makes crucial connections with how military veterans are very susceptible to PTSD without regard to whether they've been in combat or "soft" wars, & how the solidarity among companies during deployment often leads to feeling alienated upon return. He takes a look at our current treatment programs for PTSD & provides constructive ways these programs can be improved to prevent chronic PTSD, like jobs & usefulness, not heroism. ?? 8y

BookishFeminist CONT. | My one complaint is that this book could have benefited from more research about women and how they react to trauma. He touches on it briefly but not in a very helpful way as someone who experiences chronic PTSD. He draws on fascinating research on tribal cultures in history, including many American Indian tribes & how catastrophes like the London blitz brought people together & positively impacted society. Interested in reading more. 8y

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BookishFeminist 🔗 ARTICLE | For those interested, here is an article that is related to this book that Junger published in Vanity Fair. http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2015/05/ptsd-war-home-sebastian-junger 8y

Louise Sounds really interesting! Thanks for the tip! 8y

BookishFeminist @Louise No problem! Best thing about it is that it's really fascinating but short! Under 3hrs/200pgs is very doable for a nonfiction book about a topic like this & whets my appetite to read more later. 8y

Louise @bookishfeminist So true! Will definitely check it out! 👍 8y

CharlotteK All true! Reminds me of some of the arguments Emile Durkheim made. 😊👍 8y

BookishFeminist @CharlotteK Yea! It reminds me of his arguments too, but obviously much more up to date & with implications on modernization in the past 50 years. 8y

Kathrin This sounds interesting! 8y

WanderingBookaneer I am reading The Affinities and have been telling @BookishMarginalia about it. Yesterday she told me I should follow it up with this one. 8y

Laura317 This sounds fascinating. I will try yo find it AND the Affinities. 8y

Mcoun Sounds like my kind of book! 8y

BookBrenda Wonderful graduation present book!!!! 8y

BookishFeminist @JaimitaPR Oo good call on The Affinities! This does sound like this would be a great follow-up book. At the very least, it's a thought-provoking short read. 8y

BookishFeminist @Laura317 @Kathrin @Mcoun It's fascinating indeed! He seems to have done a lot of research to draw all these parallels. 8y

BookishFeminist @BookBrenda Now there's an idea- very thoughtful present & not cliché like so many other grad present book choices. 8y

BarbaraTheBibliophage This was an #impulsebuy for me in June. Great review @BookishFeminist! I found it very thought provoking as well. 8y

BookishFeminist @BarbaraTheBibliophage thanks! I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Wasn't even expecting the PTSD stuff at first but that was a nice surprise! 8y

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BookishFeminist

Listen to Me | Hannah Pittard

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🎧 #AudiobookReview | Beautiful, astute novel about marriage. Maggie & Mark's marriage is strained after she is mugged & now deals w/daily trauma & fear. On a roadtrip, they hit a terrible storm that tests their abilities to understand & trust each other. Pittard's lush prose sings w/Xe Sands' voice. She makes acute, insightful observations about individual tics, trauma, & how we make relationships work despite hardship. 🌧

TRIGGER WARNINGS👇🏼

BookishFeminist 🚫 CAUTION | Problematic re: treatment of mental illness. If you struggle w/mental illness, esp. anxiety or trauma, this book may be invalidating. I found it insightful yet stigmatizing w/how Maggie's trauma is presented. It's a very realistic depiction of what it's like to live w/trauma, but it's casually treated as if she's crazy & irrational for feeling paranoid all the time after she's mugged. Invalidating for those who experience this. 👇🏼 8y

BookishFeminist Note re the dog in this book in a spoiler below. 👇🏼 8y

Soubhiville Thanks for adding the trigger warning. 8y

See All 36 Comments

BookishFeminist The dog dies. As an animal & dog person I didn't find this too troubling since the dog was not the main focus of the book. But it is essential to the plot. Let me know if you have questions & I can tell you if it would be triggering or not. 8y

BookishFeminist @Soubhiville No problem- I had issues with it so I figured someone else might too. Or at least would encourage folks to think critically about it. 8y

BookishFeminist #ReadWomen 8y

Notafraidofwords @BookishFeminist that's disappointing re: the invalidating part. 8y

Hazel0303 Thank you so much @BookishFeminist for your amazing and helpful review. I'm going to skip this one now - I am sure the dog dying isn't a huge plot point, but not something I feel like reading 8y

jessberk13 I just finished this one last night, and I didn't enjoy it at all 8y

BookishFeminist @jessica I can see why it's not for everybody since it's not plot based and more contemplative about relationships. I enjoyed it because it has great insight & the audiobook narrator was perfect & entrancing. I also went into this book blind so I didn't have any expectations. 8y

BookishFeminist @Notafraidofwords Disappointing, agreed. At the same time it's also not NOT validating, know what I mean? It has multiple perspectives & really does have a realistic portrayal of trauma. The narrator doesn't place any judgment on mental illness at all, but the characters themselves do, so it could hit a sensitive spot. I think it's really important for folks w/o MH issues to read this critically & realize the characters are v flawed in this way. 8y

BookishFeminist @Hazel0303 No problem! The dog thing is at the tail end- it took me off guard but it turned out to be bitter sweet & touching since the focus was on the relationship. Very empathetically dealt with, not like Marley & Me or something, lol. If you do read it, go the audio route- I wouldn't have liked this book as much in print & it's less than 5 hrs long! 8y

LitHousewife I started reading this while shopping with my daughters, which is a trauma all of its own. 😁 I picked up on the invalidation during that short dive in. I've loved Pittard's other books, so I will go back to reading it. BTW, Xe Sands is my friend and I'll let her know that you enjoyed her work. We roomed together for one BEA. She's beautiful inside and out. 😍😝 8y

Reviewsbylola I love stories about the intricacies of marriage so I definitely want to read this one. 8y

BookishFeminist @LitHousewife How cool! Do tell her a stranger on the Internet says hi & that she has a mesmerizing voice! 😂 I love how small a world it is. & yea, it's pretty evident but I didn't mind terribly bc the characters are meant to be flawed. Glad I wasn't the only one to see it! (Side note- please be careful w/what you call a trauma. No offense taken or apologies needed- just an FYI for the future. It's a common joke that accidentally adds to stigma.) 8y

BookishFeminist @Reviewsbylola You'd probably really enjoy this then. Lots of nitty gritty and inside looks at the characters' minds. The audio is amazing! And less than 5 hours. 😊 8y

LitHousewife @BookishFeminist You're right. I hadn't thought about it that way. Definitely intended tongue in cheek. You've got to think about those things, too. 8y

BookishFeminist @LitHousewife Tongue in cheek stuff is so hard to unlearn, but I appreciate your willingness to listen & understand. 👍🏼 8y

mauveandrosysky @BookishFeminist it didn't bother me that the depiction of trauma was problematic since it wasn't actually Pittard's perspective, but the perspective of a character who is clearly kind of an asshole. In other words, it was in character for him to be that way, and I think most people reading it would realize that he's being a dick about it and he's actually misreading her the entire time, ya know? 8y

BookishFeminist @mauveandrosysky Yep I feel the same way & said basically the same thing in a few comments above. However even if most people realize he's being a dick about it, they may not specifically think of him as being a trauma-stigmatizing dick, and as someone with PTSD I found that unsettling. Also the ending was problematic for me where she all of a sudden "snaps out of it." That doesn't happen often in my experience & it can send the wrong message. 8y

mauveandrosysky And then at the end when she is the one who takes control after he experiences trauma. I found that really empowering: just because Maggie is struggling doesn't mean she's weak AT ALL, and he finally realizes that. And it's also validating for Maggie, in a way. Like ANYone can experience trauma at ANY time, and it's likely that Mark will be dealing with the effects of that afterward, just like Maggie had to deal with her trauma. 8y

mauveandrosysky @BookishFeminist wrote my second comment before seeing yours. ? Interesting...I definitely see what you mean re: her "snapping out of it." I didn't really read it that way (but maybe I just need to re-read that part!) 8y

BookishFeminist @mauveandrosysky Yep I agree, but on the flip side I think it can also be seen as disempowering to someone with trauma and couldn't simply take control like she did in the end. The narrator is observational & doesn't make judgment calls so we just get the characters' perspectives. To someone who hasn't dealt with trauma before, this could add to the idea that it's all in someone's head if not read critically, hence my disclaimer. 8y

BookishFeminist @mauveandrosysky Yep! It's all a matter of perspective, really. Not saying it's inherently problematic just that it can be perceived that way & it's definitely something that should be critically thought of to avoid generating stigmatizing thoughts/behaviors. I see your side too though & that's a legit interpretation I think, & I did enjoy it! I love psychological novels. I hope that makes sense- I'm tired. 😳 8y

mauveandrosysky Makes sense! Definitely agree that it's a book that needs to be read critically — there's a lot to unpack, in regards to Maggie's trauma and just...everything. I'm glad you liked it overall! 8y

BookishFeminist @mauveandrosysky Yep! I wonder what my thoughts would have been had I read the print instead of listened to audio- the narrator sucked me in & gave the novel more drive than I think I might have given it if read to myself. Did you do print or audio? 8y

mauveandrosysky I did print. Confession: I've never listened to an audiobook! 😳 I've been meaning to try though. I know a lot of readers found it boring and anticlimactic, but even in the print version I found the distinct opposite. I was straight up SCARED during some of those scenes and as a horror fan I appreciated that at times it almost felt like a horror story. Plus the tension was RIDICULOUS. It's just a book that really worked for me! 8y

BookishFeminist @mauveandrosysky !! I'm a new audiobook listener for fiction- I only did nonfiction before. It's all about the narrator for me & how well they dramatize the story. I totally get you about the scary stuff! I fell asleep listening to this one night & had a nightmare! 😳 So much tension. I can def see why people would find it boring & anticlimactic but I love novels that aren't plot driven & glad I've found that you do too! 8y

BookishFeminist @mauveandrosysky Some of the moments when you're just *in their head* during something that's terrifying for them- that stuff was so tense. Like the truck thing? Yikes! I was pleasantly surprised by how much this appealed to the horror fan in me. 💀👀 8y

mauveandrosysky Yeah and when they're in the creepy hotel! Or just like, the thought of being lost in rural West Virginia at night, honestly even that creeped me out. 😱 And yeah, I'm totally with you re: novels that aren't plot driven. Give me a good character-driven novel and I'll be a happy camper! 😀 Have you read

I'm Thinking of Ending Things

BookishFeminist @mauveandrosysky Right?! I have totally stayed in a creepy fucking hotel like that before too and it was ridiculous. This gave me so many reminders of that. Character-driven novels for the win. 🤘🏼 I haven't read that yet, but it's sitting on my shelf! Have you read it yet? 8y

mauveandrosysky @BookishFeminist I read it and loved it! It's super dialogue-driven and the dialogue is so good. And it's CREEPY. AS. HELL. Like, a quiet dread/terror that grabs onto you and just doesn't let up. As a fan of horror and character-driven novels, I think you would like it. So far it's been pretty divisive — people either love or hate it. I'm firmly in the "love" camp. 8y

Megabooks Thanks for the warning about the dog dying. I'm getting over my compassion fatigue, so now that I know, I'm going to try and soldier through, but I may take breaks with

The Beautiful Bureaucrat: A Novel

BookishFeminist @Ebooksandcooks No problem. The dog part is at end and dealt with empathetically. You may appreciate it from a vet perspective, but it's hard to handle regardless sometimes. I found out about the dog ahead of time & I'm glad I did so I could mentally prepare! 8y

Megabooks @bookishfeminist I think I'm going to plow ahead even though I'm dealing with some serious depression today. For some reason, I think I want to be more sad. I know that's a little weird. Thanks for giving me more details. ❤️ 8y

BookishFeminist @Ebooksandcooks ❤️❤️ that's not weird at all. My go-tos are Sylvia Plath & Poe when I'm depressed. Something about experiencing someone else's hurt that's therapeutic & makes you feel like you're not alone. Feel better! 8y

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BookishFeminist

How to Set a Fire and Why: A Novel | Jesse Ball

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Wow. Phenomenal. Lucia's dad is dead, her mom is in a mental ward, & she lives with her aunt in a garage. Lucia can only be described as an anarchistic, optimistic nihilist. She wants to join a secret Arson Club to set fires to say "fuck the system." Lucia's narration is powerful, intense, & philosophical while exploring the big questions like the human condition, family bond, society, existentialism, & what it means to live and lose.??

BookishFeminist 🎧 For those curious, the audiobook is everything. It's narrated by Emma Gavin, who makes a perfect young, sparky Lucia. #YoungAdult #YA #Audiobooks 8y

Laalaleighh Unrelated. @bookishfeminist I just want to start like, a group me where we can all commiserate over male f*ckery be sure you would believe the conversation that just went down on my Fb page between the smartest girls I know and a couple arrogant dbags. 8y

BookishFeminist @Laalaleighh Oh no! What the heck happened? I don't go on Facebook much anymore and this is why. It's just better I not know the bs that people get up to when I know them. 8y

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Laalaleighh Because you wouldn't believe* 8y

Laalaleighh @bookishfeminist it can't be explained without screenshots. It's ridiculous. 8y

BookishFeminist @Laalaleighh Do you have Twitter or Instagram? We can DM there. I'm @ thebookfeminist on both 8y

Laalaleighh @BookishFeminist Insta. Be prepared for an avalanche of screenshots. 8y

BookishFeminist @Laalaleighh Oh lord lol. Prepared. I'll get my scotch. 🍸 8y

maximoffs This is YA? I'm intrigued! 8y

BookishFeminist @steverogers You know, I'm not sure how to classify it. The narrator is high school and the themes aren't too adult for it to necessarily be straight-up adult. I've seen it in both YA & adult sections. You'd probably like this! It's saucy. 8y

maximoffs @BookishFeminist but is it as saucy as Hardin and Tess 8y

BookishFeminist @steverogers OH hahaha no where CLOSE. Not that kind of saucy. I think I meant sassy. And angsty. I'm tired. Lol 8y

LitHousewife I could use a few of her tips! 🤗 8y

BookishFeminist @LitHousewife Hahaha right? I always need some of those 💅🏼 8y

BookishFeminist #AudiobookReview 8y

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