Phoebe LaMountain
This book was utterly depressing and invigorating at the same time, which I didn't really think was possible. I love how emotionally intelligent the characters were, but how unsure they were of their actions, which I thought was pretty on par with how peoples lives go in a realistic manner, that being said, I did not like the ending, because I wanted more satisfaction I know it's not a romcom, but I wanted it to end differently.
3.8
I did like this book. It was very entertaining to listen to, especially with the production value and the different voices and background sounds. I do think that the conclusion is not as shocking as it was intended to be at least for me I kind of saw the twist coming, which ruins the unreliable narrator trope. I wouldn't read it again, but if you're looking for a twisty, not so gruesome, psychological thriller, pick us up.
Also- I didn't like the idea that just because she was evil the grooming didn't matter? Like Walter was attracted to a 13-year-old girl, and when he had 10-year-old sons??? like I don't really feel like that has a redemption arc for me it doesn't mean he deserve to get killed, but I don't know it was really strange for him to be like a good guy in the end? Even if Alex said that line about him being a β bad manβ. Weird .....
3.0
One of the most interesting books I've read in a while.Foo takes such an analytical perspective in her own life and trauma, which I think is par for her diagnosis. I love the connections of intergenerational trauma, and the way history ties its way into the memoir. Getting to hear her internal dialogue, and the way that she changed over the course of her healing felt so personal and beautiful. I seriously recommend this book for anyone working through complex trauma while also giving a huge trigger warning for abuse of all kinds.
4.0
This was the first book I read about addiction from the perspective of family. Most of my reading about addiction is trying to understand the life of the addict because that's not something I've ever been privy to. This book was all too familiar and exactly what my life was like for so long. I really loved that this book was able to reach audiences to share that the life of people around addict is completely changed in the exact exact same way. Makes me wish that there were more stories like this, and especially stories of siblings of addiction.
I enjoyed rereading this book as I hadn't since childhood. As well as that I don't normally read science fiction or fantasy one of the things I appreciate so much about this book is how connected the children are to their emotions, which I think powers children when they read the book. Meg is able to save Charles only because she was able to figure out what she had inside of her already, which was her love, though this may seem simple, I think it is a really good story for young children to hear.
I only started reading this book because of how popular it was on kindle unlimited. When I started reading I already knew this wasn't necessarily the kind of book I traditionally read. That being said the book was enjoyable, I liked the ups and downs and drama. But honestly I thought the writing was sub par, and I constantly found myself cringing at the dialogue. I have personal connection with the thematic storyline, and I still didn't connect to the story. I don't know, I didn't really believe in the βloveβ that blossomed so quickly that they didn't really explain. It just all felt very superficial.
I loved this book. I think that the use of Gilad to describe the snowball effect of the united states patriarchy and deep-rooted misogyny was perfectly executed. In this world, women have lost all individuality, and license to choose. I think the use of offered voice, story, and experiences lent itself to the novel greatly. The book doesn't sensationalize or romanticize violence and shows the deep-rooted breakdown of a person because of the system they are kept in. The moment that kept me thinking the most is the last moment Offred had with Ofglen. When Ofglen kept pushing offred to find more and don't she want to fight. But at that point offred is too tired to fight, she is no one's hero. I think this is a really realistic way to look at the oppression of women. For most of history, not every woman was a hero or the main character of a story. Offred represents all women in her recollection and experience of Giliad.
This book is an amazing read for anyone who is considering science as a career. Wilson's ability to connect his career and life together to formulate advice greatly impacted me. He connects to the reader through entomology, but the ideas and concepts are broad enough to relate to any field. It took me a while to finish, but I was really happy I did.
βIf I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.β β Isaac Newton
Clifton is one of my favorite poets and my dad gifted me this memoir because it was her only standalone book. After reading this, I want to read all of her poetry again. It connects back to so many of the themes she writes about and connects the story of her life to her work. The way the story moves back and forth through time, connecting back to the baseline story of her father's funeral, felt like poetry when read continuously. It was the best book I read in 2021 and deeply moved me.
This book was my first of Didion and introduced me to her work. This book is one of the best I have read about grief, loss, and the mental and physical toll it takes on you. Didion is raw, and real in this book, and uses beautiful metaphors and analogies to describe this year of her life, and subsequently the impact on the rest of her life.
