Jessica

Like pretty much all general non-fiction books, I just feel it could have been shorter. I wish non-fiction wasn't afraid of being 100 great pages rather than 300 mediocre ones.

It is also very, very much a product of its publication date. COVID and racial tension in the US form the framework for understanding the myth of closure, whereas I would argue that just a few years later, the wholesale destruction of the American experiment and climate grief would be better frameworks today.

All that said, this has a lot to say about grief and I think it is a valuable read for pretty much anyone. The sister book here is absolutely Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning. They are almost two sides of the same coin.

Pleasure :: 1 Purpose :: 3 Plot :: 3 Prose :: 4 Personal :: 1

Avg → ⭐️⭐️ ½ rounding down

This won the Pulitzer in 2022 for autobiography/memoir. It was fine. It did some things well -- speaking to the Asian immigrant experience (though not as well as *How Far the Light Reaches*) and recalling the solipsism of college students.

But it steps all over itself with the relentless pretension-ness of that same self-centered college student. It feels like the author is still in that space. Perhaps he is.

I def would have def'd it had it been any longer... It was well-written though -- had very high hopes at the outset, for sure. I guess that Harvard PhD was worth it.

This is what Stay True wanted to be.

3.5. a fun high-fantasy read. very very heavy political intrigue, but ultimately a very satisfying story. Don't feel compelled to read on, but who knows, maybe some day.

Nice little thought exercise on what we want from the past.

Part Metamorphosis, part Tender is the Flesh, part Speak. Allegorically powerful, but the story on its face is heartbreaking.

The trilogy is very satisfying. Lots to say about empire/colonialism, religion/free will, intergenerational trauma/war. Complex protagonists and excellent world-building. Def recommend for fun, easy-to-engage read for fantasy/sci-fi lovers.

A little too contemporary. Too. Many. Characters. and character digressions. The web was just a little too large and scattered to keep up with. But does kind of hit the nail on the head for Gen X loneliness in this world on fire.

A lot to like here. Really liked the commentary on religion. The mystery around which the plot was structured was kind of weak though. It did not especially grip or propel me. But the world-building was strong enough that I will def read the next one.

An interesting premise, but no revelatory ideas. Some essays clearly better than others. Depressingly validating.

Sweet. Exactly what I expect from Lawson. Lots of lovely little gems and an overall affirming message.

Have a lot of conflicted feelings about this book. On one hand, I believe deeply in the humanistic message of the value of meaning in life -- whether it is small or large. On the other hand, the entire second section where logotherapy is basically a panacea really bothered me.

Sweet. A little unclear who the audience is here. Could easily be a bedtime story for a child if not for the orgy.

I think a lot of people found this book hopeful. I did not. I just found it relentlessly sad. Except for Jean. This book needed a lot more Jean.

128 pages. Made of lead.

A little too wacky for my tastes generally. And I will never not be mad when I see violence perpetrated by schizophrenics at the direction of their voices (also just completely unnecessary in this story). But generally a sweet story with a hopeful message.

Fun.

It is a time travel story, so I have yet to read a plot that can really hold up with time travel, but this one does pretty well. It is a love story more than anything else. But also really interrogates the concepts of cowardice and heroism. Colonialism and the nature of history and the value of shared mythology. Which feels surprising for something written in such a breezy style.

Pleasure :: 4 - Can't really call this a 'pleasurable' read in any traditional sense of the word, but read it in essentially one sitting. Accessible, frank, engaging.

Purpose :: 4 - Does not hold back, but is not salacious in any way. Interrogates assumptions and interweaves art and literary analysis in a way I haven't seen.

Plot :: 4

Prose :: 3

Personal :: 3

Avg → ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ½

Fine. DIdn't really add anything to the genre.

Powerful, but could have been much shorter. The rape and pillage of the Congo has been relentless since white men first step foot in this incredibly resource-rich land. It is so easy to look the other way. We shouldn't.

Highly readable. Excellent humor. I have high hopes for this series. If the next book were available, I would read it immediately.

Atlanta. Civil Rights. Complex Black Society. LGBTQ stories. Abortion. This story shares a lot of DNA with These Heathens. Both are outstanding.

I am not sure even how to classify the genre here. Thriller? True crime? Retelling? Whatever it was, it was very good. It isn't a thriller because the story is so well known, so no thrills. Not true crime because it is fully fictionalized. I guess it is a retelling. And like all *good* retellings, it tells you something new. 10/10 would recommend.

Pleasure? 5 Purpose? 5 Plot? 5 Prose? 4 Personal? 4

Avg 4.6 → ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I mean... this should be much more well known. The only reason I can think that it is not is that it is *dense* and *very* literate. I will be thinking about this one for a long time.