There‘s some great interesting nuggets of peasant lives and interesting stories. It just felt like I had to find them in some longer winded set ups. I think a different organization might have helped it for me; I liked it, but it came at a price.
There‘s some great interesting nuggets of peasant lives and interesting stories. It just felt like I had to find them in some longer winded set ups. I think a different organization might have helped it for me; I liked it, but it came at a price.
Two 4 year old girls start the book, and one tells the story throughout the rest. However, since the girl is remembering, living, avoiding and processing her grief, stories are repeated, but different. Excellent.
This is a short book that contains essays about influential woman and their relationship with the outdoors. I‘m not sure what I expected, but this was very well written and had interesting information about the freedom the outdoors provided them. It‘s good, just short.
This memoir processing the death of her parents is more than that. So glad I read this- her writing is exquisite and I didn‘t want to put it down. Best book I‘ve read in awhile.
Part memoir about her running career, and part manifesto about the issues in women‘s sports- the bias, body image, etc. the best parts were her telling her story- athletes can identify with so much, but the salary portion didn‘t sit well- she wanted to be an influencer and get paid by Nike, which is more important than running fast, yes, but that‘s not how professional sport work. She‘s honest and tries to make the sports better than she lived it.
I‘m fairly certain that I probably wouldn‘t like/respect Bunny in real life, but in this novel, I did. Following her meandering through her life and her proximity to oil yet not understanding it completely was mesmerizing. This worked for me and liked the quick pace of time.
Fun mystery following a journalist and her investigation. Love the switching of mediums- texts, plays, interviews and prose. Easy reading, good pace of plot.
This took a minute for me to get into, but one I did (1/3 of the way into it), I loved the storytelling method, topic, and pace. From a variety of perspectives, the story of the person who dreamed of building a “thinking” computer and ramifications of this from multiple people. Creative and packs a punch without being sanctimonious.
Part history, part science, part political, part innovation, Chip War walks the reader through the innovative of the “chip”, it‘s fabrication, ramifications, and its uses. How we got to the Asian dominance of chip production was interesting and where we go from here is complex and well explained.
Five families are followed throughout their experiences in the suburbs. Really interesting but I felt that it was more about schools than suburbs. That being said. I think the author should have included teachers‘ point of views of the suburb evolution, city managers and mayors to round out the challenges. I also believed every word of the parents‘ perspectives of what happens in schools. It‘s a wild world out there in public education.
Quick novel about a mixed race community. Written well, and the plot moves quickly. Characters were interesting and I wanted a bit more- great sign.
Excellent, page turning description of the development, physics, chemistry, weather, evacuation and defending the city from the Canadian fire in 2016. The explanation of how hot the fire was, how it moved, and the citizens‘ reactions was so good. For me, the last 1/4 of the book lost a little momentum, but that could be because the first 3/4 was so good.
Readable and informative look at the anatomy of the ocean, its movement and why, biodiversity in all the layers, and complexities. Portions of the book will find its way in my Honors Science class- interesting without being dry, informative not too technical, and a perfect explanation to listen to climate news with more understanding. Excellent.
This 642 page book spanning different POVs of an immediate family throughout events and flashbacks sometimes meanders. However, the ending is on point and pulls together seemingly loose ends to make the final 1/4 a wonderful page turner. Developed and flawed characters, a slow burn, and worth the time!
This informative book presented aspects of roads and infrastructure that impact an area‘s ecology in ways I never even considered. Readable and organized, it changed what I noticed on my drive to mountains on I70 in Colorado. Not the usual ecology book- which made it so enjoyable.
I agree with a lot of his points, the information is readable and motivating, and connects many aspects of improving your healthspan. It‘s heavy on the author‘s personal experiences and anecdotes, which started to get off putting. Spoiler alert: exercise- cardio, strength, stability is the best strategy of staving off effects of aging.
This is like a bunch of connected short stories that all use the same setting-a house. I think it was creative and some characters/ stories were great, others….meh. This one is mixed for me.
Following a couple throughout their beginning, childhood and mid-life stories, this book switches perspectives and timelines frequently. There‘s some background information that makes this a long read, but it added justification and explanation to what and why the main character did everything in their relationship. It‘s not perfect, but neither are the characters- which makes this book so enjoyable.
There is so much of this I loved- the structure of explaining each system, the evolution of the system, how each system is different from a male, and society issues of each system. It was fascinating and so funny. I learned so much- and makes me think that, perhaps, my kids need to deliver a bigger Mother‘s Day gift each year🤣.
If you are mildly interested or adore owls, this book is wonderful. A lot of interesting topics are presented: how different species hunt, roost, mate, hoot, migrate, take care of their young, and hear. Good anecdotes about researchers that show their love for their work and owls. Good read for my 100th book of the year!
This memoir reads like a dystopia, but chronicles the Philippines drug war. It‘s graphic, and the title warns you that there will be indiscriminate killing. Though it‘s heartbreaking, it‘s believable. I can absolutely believe/imagine voters supporting a candidate who promises to clean up the streets witb an iron fist and kill addicts, drug pushers and thieves. Added bonus of the book: quick synopsis of Phillipine history.
f you liked Educated, you‘ll like this. Sinclair is a poet- and you know it as you read her memoir. Excellent memoir depicting her dysfunctional family, education and intelligence as an escape hatch, and page turning events. I have a few minor complaints, but overall, this is deserving to get the press it‘s getting.
This is a great anthology of Ms. magazine. Covering reproductive rights, equal rights, Nancy Pelosi, USWNT, fashion, rape, women rappers, prison, balancing work and housework, letters to the editor, and fiction, this book hits the high points over 50 years of reporting. I read this magazine in my early 20s and loved its independent streak- giving me more agency to chart my path that was quite different than I ever thought it would be.
A bus of Palestinian kindergartens flips, and what ensues is a tragedy. Thrall expertly recounts this event through the generations of families, history, locations, maps, and policies. Well written, informative and heart breaking, this was an excellent “How did we get here?” book. It doesn‘t explain everything, but it added layers to a deeply complex situation.
It‘s clear from the writing that Britney wrote this book. She‘s not perfect (and admits her faults and mistakes). However, her family and those around her who took advantage of her age, her acumen, and her body were constant and manipulative. Just like in Spare, the loss of freedom, fame, and public scrutiny on every action take a mental toll that is difficult for a teenager/ young adult to process.
Great writing. Good turn of storytelling in the last 1/4 of the book. Vietnam is the setting, but really how the rich, well to do, make a difference, is the focus. However, after reading A Man with Two Faces, the absence and/or Vietnam story in here could have made this more than what it is.
I love foreign journalists‘ memoirs and this one is fantastic. Readable, vulnerable, intense and informative, Ferguson showcases her life‘s work in Yemen, Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq- the beauty, the people and the tragedy. She has more courage than I could muster, and it makes me be reminded of how much to appreciate those who tell the stories of civilians in war.
On one hand this story is really engaging and exciting. On the other hand, this story includes some inconsistencies and/or extra details that brings down the pace of the plot. I‘d love to read snippets of her information that she relayed to elevate what intel she found. Mixed review on this one.
This is very readable, good anecdotes, and preaches succinctly to the choir. Reminds me a lot of the books looking at the electoral college, gerrymandering, and threats to our democracy. This one will most likely verify your views or you‘ll abandon it (or never choose it). I agree with the points, so I liked it.
‘m going to disagree with the Times best books of the year in this one. It‘s good enough, and reminds me of the older style of writing. I scanned a good portion of this book, good premise but long.
Not only is the writing beautiful, raw and brilliant, the structure and use of the page was creative and thoughtful. So much in this memoir/ history/ memorial that I‘m lacking for an accurate critique other than that this was my 90th book of 2023 and it was the best book I‘ve read in 2023.
Pleasant, meandering first person account of the craziness that was the beginning of the pandemic- but through a daily, humorous take that spun it in a enjoyable way. Writing about writing was great, literary connections and just a very enjoyable book.
A servant girl flees a colonial settlement and is forced to attempt to survive weather, beasts, navigation, and her memories. This book, for me, was when I truly saw what everyone already said about the genius of Groff as a writer. I loved this book and devoured it.
Adam Grant writes an inspirational book about character and provides some great motivational zingers. Lots of great anecdotes and the first half is excellent. The second half lost a little steam for me- there‘s a lot of athletic stories, and the education aspects were weaker than other chapters. Even still, it‘s an inspiring, quick book to lift spirits.
The Shakurs (Afeni,Zayd, Mutulu, Tupac) influence on American society through Black Panther groups, prison breaks, free breakfasts for children, robberies, prison breaks, hospitals using acupuncture for drug rehabilitation speaking up for civil rights, music, and media presence made this book highly entertaining. It‘s worth a read- interesting, entertaining and provocative.
Collection of short stories about black Muslims. Ad with any collection, some are great and others okay. The ones I liked stopped too soon, and the others meandered a bit too much.
Novel chronicles two women‘s investigation of who killed their friends (Ted Bundy). I loved his name was never used and the focus was on the women, their backgrounds, and their friends. Good read.
I stopped reading King years ago after needing to read the ending of one of his books in the middle of the night so I could sleep. As it turns out, his ability to write an obsessively suspenseful novel hasn‘t diminished during my sabbatical. Even when you know the killers in the first 25 pages, it‘s still suspenseful. Some parts could have been shorter, but it‘s truly superb.
This started strong, weird and funny. It‘s good, and some stories are fantastic and others were just ok. It needed 3 more really goods to get a 4/5 stars😜
Interesting book about the people, history, technology, nonprofits and companies trying to map the ocean floor. Some parts are really interesting and other parts less so. It‘s weird to read a book about mapping with no figures, pictures, graphics or maps. I think visuals would have elevated this book for me.
4.5 stars rounded up to 5.
There‘s some leaps in believability. This doesn‘t make you think deeply of societal issues, but it does make you turn the page quickly. Creative way of telling this story that adds to the crescendo of the excellent last few chapters.
Last year, I started using a 5 year journal, and noticed how it did make me happier. This is somewhat like that, and the essays are informal and loose. There‘s a lot to like in the book, and I think I liked the idea of a book of delights more than the essays. Good book, nonetheless.
This is an exceptional book of traveling the west and trying to be good in crazy situations. In a weird way, it reminded me of how I felt while/ after reading Life of Pi.
All encompassing investigation about waste in every form. That doesn‘t sound really interesting, but it is. Told from a variety of locations on Earth, personal stories and impacts on Earth, it‘s informative and engaging. Highly recommend!
A gripping WWII story that chronicles one family‘s experience in France and various countries. The postcard storyline felt forced to me, but the rest of the story was well done. Good historical fiction novel.
As with many short story collections, I felt as though some were superb and others ok. The average fell a little off for me- but the ones that hit on, definitely did. Some stories I wanted longer whereas some I had difficulty connecting. Good collection.
Thriller set in Boston during the desegregation of 1974 in South Boston. Mary Pat is a bad ass and though her methods are morally questionable, it didn‘t make me like her any less. “Broken but unbreakable” might be one of my favorite quotes of the book.
This was mostly about a black mother‘s garden in Fort Collins, CO. However, it was also about being a mother during remote learning and COVID, being black and living in Fort Collins/US, environmental practices, and neighbors told eloquently by a poet.