Jennifer

Though this book is compared to When Breath Becomes Air a lot, Nina's voice is so different than Paul's. It is fascinating to me that John is dating Lucy now because their late significant others were so different.

I LOVE that Nina and John met while teaching at CTY! That is amazing and it made me love this book more.

I gotta be honest though, a lot of the imagery and metaphors and fancy writing goes right over my head. I don't get a lot of it. I need to read the complete works of Montaigne and Emerson to fully appreciate this book.

I didn't relate to this as much as When Breath Becomes Air, but my favorite chapters are 16, 18, and the last two chapters.

I like HRC more in writing than I do watching her. She seems more human and relatable. She addresses all of the things people criticize her for in this book. Which makes me wonder...how much of this book did she actually write? I find it so hard to believe she's this funny in real life. If she really is this witty and funny, why not show it more in real life? Especially now that she's not running for president or any other position. Of course I agree with a lot of her positions on things. My favorite chapter is “On Being a Woman in Politics”.

There's an acceptable amount of Bernie shade but all it does it make me want to read his book more. I'm not sold on everything she says. She's not perfect and I'm skeptical but omg I would vote for her again in a heartbeat.

Being someone who lived through what she's talking about, I found this tome painful. I would recommend this book to future generations as a way to explain to them what the world in 2015-2018 was like.

I assume this will be a movie someday thanks to Oprah. Maybe a made-for-tv movie but will be one. I wonder who they will cast??

Love the use of slang. It's like people I actually talk to and know! It takes a couple of chapters to get used to.

I've seen a lot of reviews where people said this story is “too gradual”. What did people expect? An action thriller? Eyeroll.

The doll imagery freaks me out a bit. Never got used to that. I also never got used to her name being “Celestial”. Give me a break.

Liked the ending. I'm glad it didn't go the cliche way. I would've rated it lower had it done so.

The Girl in the Train meets Murder on the Orient Express on a boat. With some Rebecca thrown in for good measure. I predicted some of the story but not all of it. It definitely kept my interest. I wanted to see how Lo got out of her situation. The ending was good, mostly satisfying. Nothing revolutionary or groundbreaking or particularly thought provoking. It was kind of a chore to get through at times. I would recommend it to readers who want more Girl on the Train.

This book is Neil DeGrasse Tyson casually explaining astrophysics to you. I understood most of the words he was saying, I think. Because I borrowed this book from the library, I had a time crunch to get through it, so I tried to quickly pick up some facts that might be useful when I try out for Jeopardy one day. I'm literally someone trying to learn astrophysics in a hurry. If I had more time with it, I would try to understand the concepts more deeply. Otherwise, it's surprisingly a quick read and NDT makes some funny jokes at the end of each chapter. All the lolz. The last chapter is deep and thought provoking. If you were to read any of this book, read Ch. 12.

Painful. Heavy. Devastating. Deeeeeeepresssinggg.

This book should be called American Rural Poverty. Or Roadtrip From Hell.

Set in the deep, rural south where they still talk like it's the Civil War. I had no idea it was supposed to be current day until Jojo talked about his Jordans.

Parts of this book are like a fever dream and remind me of Jacqueline Woodson's Another Brooklyn.

Deeply scarring and disturbing. Family and generational karma is so real. Things left unsaid and secrets buried deep within each person carry forward to the next generation until there is finally peace and closure. It's so messed up.

Before reading this, I had never heard of the Ravensbrück Rabbits. (I had also never heard of the Hiroshima Maidens, wtf). This is a heartbreaking WWII story (what WWII story isn't?). After Wikipedia-ing the rabbits, I learned that there was actually a guard named Binz?!? And the note section at the end is based off of a true story?!? Scary stuff. The unsung hero of this story is Zuzanna.

My least favorite part of the story was the Caroline/Paul love story. This book could've gone without it. I'm not really sure what it added.

Wholesome and weird. Great for religious people. I can't really envision Reese, Mindy, and Oprah as these characters so I am curious to see the movie. Not really a fan of the book but can see why people love it. Never read it as a kid so I missed the boat on those feelings. Nice message though.

Roxane Gay sums it all up in her Goodreads review of this book calling it “aggressively bland”. I tried to come up with a better way to describe it and I couldn't. I jotted down notes on each chapter mostly as reminder to myself so I never have to reread this book. There might be spoilers. Is it really a spoiler if you're bored to tears?

1. Three Exhausting Weeks
Energetic, controlling woman dates normal guy. She is irritating and weird. I literally said “uhhh ok” after the chapter was done.
2. Christmas Eve 1953
Well this escalated quickly. A feel good family story turned war story. Yikes.
3. A Junket in the City of Lights
A peek into Hollywood life. I wonder who the inspiration for Willa Sax is in real life. I wonder if press junkets and the people and experiences in this story are based on real life.
4. Our Town Today with Hank Fiset
I didn't understand this at all. There's literally a page of nonsense. idk.
5. Welcome to Mars
Father and son story. Mars is a beach. Surfing accident escalated quickly + family dysfunction. This chapter piqued my interest way more than the others. Remind me to never surf or paddleboard. If I had to pick a favorite chapter from the book, it would be this one.
6. A Month on Greene Street
Divorcée just moved on to this street. She starts to learn more about her neighbors. Learns about her dopey, single man next door neighbor who she finds out used to be a druggie and now looks at the stars. Mkay.
7. Alan Beans Plus Four
Revisits characters from Ch. 1. They work on a spacecraft called Alan Bean, named after an astronaut. Uhh ok.
8. Our Town Today with Hank Fiset
We're doing more of this guy?? Why??? He's a reporter going around NYC. He is corny. He was not impressed with the MoMa. Mkay. Can we never revisit this guy?
9. Who's Who?
Sue Gliebe moves to NYC to become an actress. Has a hard time. Gay man Bob Roy helps her with her resume and stage name. She becomes successful. Shoot me in the face.
10. A Special Weekend
A boy hangs out with his mom and her boyfriend. Boring and uneventful.
11. These Are the Meditations of My Heart
Lonely woman buys a fancy typewriter.
12. Our Town Today with Hank Fiset
So mindnumbingly boring I can't even tell you what the point of this was.
13. The Past is Important to Us
I did not read this. I looked at the words on the pages and wanted it to be over. I contemplated never finishing this book while sort of skimming past it.
14. Stay With Us
Nope. Yawn.
15. Go See Costas
Kind of interesting story about a Bulgarian-Greek immigrant making his way around NYC. Mkay.
16. Our Town Today with Hank Fiset
About a woman named Esperanza who uses a typewriter.
17. Steve Wong is Perfect
A dude from previous chapters bowled perfect games. No hijinks ensue. No shenanigans take place.

Quick, easy read. That five years of French I took in school came in handy. I said “WTF” aloud multiple times during the last 15% of the book. I suppose the ending was satisfying. Ridiculous story.

I read this book mostly as a challenge to myself to read a book with a cover that intimidated me. I don't know anything about Russian history or politics. I also did not read any news articles related to this while reading this book. It would've been too much, way too overwhelming.

I'd say read this if you too are overwhelmed with the news everyday and just get one sitting of background info with this book.

The pictures at the end helped.

It was kind of annoying that a lot of her story was “ugh what happened to me was horrible I was so sad and it was the worst, but let me make myself sound less terrible and tell you some stats about people who have it wayyyyy worse than I do. This is such a big problem for poor people and our companies should do more to accommodate this worker at their job with policy change.” Give me a freaking break. EYE ROLL. She does this every chapter, with every lesson. I liked her lessons and found them helpful but Jesus, should she transition any less gracefully?

I guess it's good she's realizing change needs to occur but also: DUHHHHHHHHHH

I would have liked this book more if the sources were linked by footnotes or end notes. Not with the source lists at the end of the book. Not helpful.

Overall, I enjoyed her stories about other people and other people's struggles-turned-triumphs. There needs to be a list out there of all the nonprofits she mentioned. Who knew?

I enjoyed her story about her struggle too but she kept negating it or Idk...minimizing it(?) by talking about other people who had it worse. Idk how she could have done this better but I found it irritating. Style aside, she had some good gems in there about resilience and joy. I could put them on a banner around my office or something for inspiration.

Major irritation point: Sandberg glosses over some crucial details, usually as it relates to things not working out or people not being supportive. What happens when no one is there for you?? A simple explanation of “they didn't want to fall too deep with you” or whatever Sandberg says is not good enough. It's so easy to brush off the negative. Not. Helpful.

What a crazy book about a nut job! Oh wait, that nut job is our president?! We're f**ked!!

This book is so hastily put together. There were several major typos. Everything seems mashed together as it is clear that Wolff just wanted to get this out ASAP at any cost.

I wonder how much of this book is true. I also noticed the author's vocabulary is at Level 3000 so I wonder how much of it is dramatized with his dramatic vocab.

The subtitle for this book should be Jared and Ivanka vs. Bannon. What a mess. It feels like I'm watching a telenovela except with rich, white Americans and it's all real and horrifying.

The X-Ray of the kindle book has the biggest spoiler in one of the character's descriptions. Wtf. Also, VC Andrews is effed up. I can't think of a more messed up family than this one. What happened to good old fashioned therapy?????????? Also, how much does VC hate men??? Jesus!

Vera is the effing worst. Papa is too.

This book was intriguing but not necessarily good. I can see why they made this into a Lifetime movie and I have no desire to watch it.

It also got repetitive at times and I was like, WE GET IT YOU'RE CONFUSED. ME TOO.

I literally yelled out “Stupid!” when I read the last page. UGH AUDRINA GET YO LIFE GIRL

(I got into it though so I should probably rate this higher but I CANNOT deal right now)

Liberals should read this. Of course Conservatives should read it too but we all know they're not going to.

I liked this book fine. It is not even close to being as gripping and engaging as Between the World and Me. I actually was close to falling asleep at some monotonous parts of the book.

In regards to the early Obama years (the first few chapters), I understand the need for someone to work through their feelings about the current administration vs. feelings from the previous administration. It didn't inspire me, however. It's quite a downer. I guess I empathize with the nostalgic aspects of how different life was during those 8 years. Life is different now, though. Perhaps I'll read these chapters 10, 20 years from now and hopefully feel different, more smug about things eventually turned out okay.

Reading this in Jan. 2018 just keeps me frustrated with current politics and angsty. I didn't agree with these perspectives as much as I did with Between the World and Me. I often felt that some nuance and further explanation was needed. I couldn't follow some arguments, so I got kind of bored.

For example, in chapter 7, he focuses on mass incarceration. I appreciated the history lessons but The New Jim Crow does it better. The most interesting parts of this chapter and the others were quotes taken from other books. So if anything, I got some good book recommendations.

This book is 3 stars because it is important to read during our ridiculous times. I acknowledge and appreciate that a perspective that's usually overlooked and ignored made it to the bestselling mainstream and is a worthwhile read. I just think it could be better.

This is my favorite Roxane Gay book by far. Fast paced. I loved the parts of the book where she is open and vulnerable and speaking her entire truth, like in the first 30% and last 10% of the book. Very powerful, heartbreaking, and moving. (And I likes the part where she is struggling with Blue Apron...amen.)

I dislike when she starts making observations about pop culture. It's not that I completely disagree with what she's saying but it takes me out of the mood of understanding and empathy into something more snarky and how I felt when I read Bad Feminist. Which made me feel bitter and judgmental.

Random observation: In this memoir and in other memoirs (most recently Anna Faris's), I notice that the writer praises the people in their life, namely their family, in their times of trouble. While that's commendable and sweet, I wonder if the people they're praising are not the same people who have enabled and/or contributed to the person's current mental struggles. Maybe it's those people who have supported you who have also caused you anguish? I'd want to hear more about someone's reflection on that.

Fascinating. So glad I read this. I learned so much and the psych major part of me loved every second of this.

Definitely more helpful to watch this show on Netflix and then read this. I think the show prepares you for the detail of the book. Compared to the show, John is much more human and realistic compared to Holden/Jonathan Groff.

I think I would've been much more traumatized and wouldn't had a harder time getting through this if it weren't for the show.

Gabourey is witty and sarcastic and I want to be her friend. I chuckled out loud during this book (this is worth noting because I rarely LOL while reading at all.) My favorite chapter was the one where she details how she got her phone sex operator job, but her whole story is fascinating and unique. I kind of want to give this five stars but it was easy to put down (but also really easy to get back into!). I wish there was a 4.5 stars option.

I didn't know what to expect and now all I want to do is watch the Hitchcock film. Wtfffffff

I couldn't give this five stars because I still can't get my head around the main characters and their weaknesses.

Edit: Watched the Hitchcock film. Hated it. The book was much better.

Quick, easy read. A few poems almost make this five star worthy. Most were regular sentences broken up into breathy fragments and I would've much preferred to just read a paragraph of her thoughts. Very elegantly and simply put for such complex feelings. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I know I certainly felt this way in my teens and early 20s, so I feel her pain for the most part. Pretty angsty. I would've given this five stars when I was 19.

I felt the sketches were more distracting and took away from the power of the words.

This would be best read during an unhealthy relationship and/or during a breakup.

I see Rupi Kaur post poems on Instagram from her most recent book and I think I'll relate to/like those more.

Should be required reading in all U.S. history classes in high school and/or college. This book is very educational about the expansion and statehood of Oklahoma and is another example of how terrible the US government was(is) to the Native Americans.

Plus there are pictures so I very much appreciated those.

Note to self: Never drink moonshine ever again.

Also, is the plot of this already a movie? If not, it should be. Tragic, messed up story, which has had traumatizing effects on generations of the Osage people. The American government did nothing to protect these people and the injustice is upsetting. Nothing has changed since this time. American Indians are still marginalized and kept down by systemic racism.

Random note: after reading this and The Devil in the White City, I've learned (even more so) that life insurance is not a game and I'm glad there are better laws(?) to prevent this kind of fraud. At least I hope there are?

I couldn't give this five stars because I rolled my eyes at how pretentious these teens are and how rushed the ending felt. Also, the end felt so...cliché. I enjoyed an inside look at OCD and liked the therapist. I can totally envision this as a movie.

Easy read. It's like a longer, more focused version of Anna's podcast. I occasionally listen to her podcast and, like the show, some parts are better than others. Sometimes she's sarcastic and witty and I feel like we're getting somewhere. Other times, she's saying really saccharine sweet things about people and I can't tell if she really means it or not. Sometimes I feel like she's about to touch upon a real, relevant issue (i.e. rape culture, feminism, deep-seated soul issues, etc.), but never quite gets there. Perhaps the insecurity she speaks of isn't actually “solved” or it hasn't actually improved as much as she thinks it has because every time I think she's about to commit to a feeling or a point-of-view, she ends the story instead. It's her memoir so she can do as she pleases, but her writing style reveals more about her than the content of what she's saying.

That said, her chapter about wedding hoopla is spot on and very timely for me. Thank you, Anna.

Her chapters about dating Chris and her baby were good. I felt like she was being more real. And honestly, why else would anyone initially pick up this book if you weren't a little curious about how she and Chris talk about each other? There's a chapter where they're both giving their perspectives on fame and relationships and Chris sounds really intelligent and thoughtful. So now I'm hoping he comes out with a memoir soon!

But also, obviously I get why she focuses on the positive in her life, but it makes me question everything. Like, if she and Chris can't make it, who can???????? I NEED MORE DETAIL, ANNA! Obviously you left out some major issues. You can't talk about how much you like other people's problems and not divulge your own. You're killin us. (She admits this about herself in the book but holy crap is it true.)

Required reading for all (not just Americans)

I'd like to start off by saying, if anyone has a book with as well-researched, well-documented counterarguments by psychiatrists, I'd love to check it out. (I sincerely doubt that there is, but I have to ask.)

I also acknowledge the criticisms that this book is repetitive. It can be, but I think each essay adds nuance and no argument is exactly alike.

That being said, I believe in the purpose of publishing this book, which is sharing information (or warning the masses) based off professional insights on publicly available information. AKA everyone has been exposed to 45's antics, so let's not pretend we can't see and hear the things he says. And hey, while we're at it, let's ask people who work with human behavior patterns for a living.

There are a lot of labels thrown around by each writer, but they back up their arguments, so you be the judge.

I appreciate that some writers acknowledged the difference between what this book is and how is relates/differs from the Goldwater rule. For all one-star raters out there, I have a feeling you didn't get to Part 2 of this book. And if you did, I'm sure you were triggered by Part 3, where it relates trauma and this presidency.

As a psychology major and public health professional, I fully support healthcare professionals providing their best professional judgment to the public. If the people who do this for a living sense danger, I'm glad they're letting me know. (Not that I didn't already feel and see the danger myself but I guess I'm feeling the confirmation bias seep in. Again, if anyone has EVIDENCE-BASED counterarguments, I'm all ears.)

My favorite chapters were by Harper West, Nanette Gartrell, and Tony Schwartz.

No idea why Oprah loves this book so much. Is it because of the three really well-written sex scenes? This was easy to put down. Fermina should be singing “why you so obsessed with me” to Florentino. His whole obsession with her since problematic and unacceptable by today's standards (and law). At a certain point I felt like I was reading Lolita all over again. This man is ridiculous. Is Oprah kidding me with this “best love story” crap??

It gets good again when you're 45% through then loses me. Then there's a plot twist at 67% but then I got bored again. The last 10% of the book was actually romantic in a geriatric way but then it ended and I rolled my eyes.

The main characters all kind of suck in their own way but the author makes it sound good with his exquisite writing. Other reviews sum it up perfectly but overall...mehhhhhh.