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“Man should beware of Experience as he should beware of all women, for with her or without her he will be miserable, but without her he will not be dangerous.”
The story of a man in search of the woman of his dreams. Traveling with Pain and Hunger, his companions, he sets himself on a series of adventures: meeting an old hermit fascinated by the notion of time, watching a soon-to-be-married woman as she bathe on a river, killing her guards on the way, meeting an inviting woman in a forest, and then a goddess who carries him in her mystical chariot into the sky to teach him about love. All of this is as sexist, ridiculous or infuriating as it sounds.
At the end of the fable, confronted with the woman of his dreams, he will have to make a choice that will change his life forever: to follow her into the darkness of the river to forget everything (death) or to keep traveling on the river of pain of suffering.
Well. He wrote this fable as a gift to the woman he loved and who rejected him. Not sure it helped...
Playing with FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early): How Far Would You Go for Financial Freedom?
I have been reading about Financial Independence for a few years now, and I really feel that this book helped me grasp some concepts in a deeper way. We follow the transformation of S and K, moving from a high-spending lifestyle in San Diego to a more conscious and deliberate life in Oregon.
I really liked that they shared all the ups and downs of the journey, especially after the excitement of becoming FIRE melts down to anguish, doubts, and frustration. They also share the downsize of the FIRE philosophy, for example missing the highest earning years of your life, not being able to extend your budget in case of a family emergency, the hard reality of budgeting for Christmas gifts, and the estrangement you can feel from people outside of the FIRE movement.
They did not decide to go towards the extreme of frugality, but still managed to considerably lower their expenses and increase their net worth. They reminded us that FIRE is about bringing more happiness and fulfillment into your life, not about bringing more stress and tension in your life.
I also enjoyed the inserted interviews from other FIRE enthusiasts on their journey, and the exercises to help us discover what we want most out of this life.
I would recommend this book :)
Read and reviewed: 2020-06-04
At first, I was skeptical of her blind desire to set a world record, even as she was facing death by dehydration, but then she explored her childhood and I understood why she needed to prove to herself and to the world that she could do it. I'm only at 16% of the book so we'll see. So far, it's 3 stars.
Update: I just finished the book and wow, what an epic ending and epilogue! I bumped the rating from 3 to 4 stars.
Read and reviewed: 2020-01-30
4.5 stars
On my top 3 memoirs, with Alex and Me, and Walking with Peety, is now Leaving the Witness. What an emotional journey, what a roller-coaster, what a unique and unforgettable book.
Quotes from the book:
For the preacher, uncertainty can not exist. It is the preacher whose job it is to proclaim, to make known a thing that she knows without doubt. The preacher, unlike the teacher, asks no question of herself, as she already has the answers. There is no human so bold as the preacher, or so blind, for they do all the talking, and none of the asking.
I wanted to believe, had always wanted to believe, that the truth was simple. I was starting to understand that truth is ambiguous, and subjective.
I could not live with the idea that there were no answers, that everything was not going to be okay, that someone was not going to kill off the bad ones. I could not tolerate the idea that one day, I would die, like everyone else.
I have been taught by my faith that to stand out from the crowd was to be lacking humility, that display of any kind of intellect was proudful, and to pursue one's interests or talents was wrong, especially as a woman.
We as human seem to work the hardest to avoid our biggest gift: freedom of choice. We want to be told what to think, what to do, how to talk, what to believe, how to believe, how to help, how to write.
Read and reviewed: 2020-01-29
What a terrible book! This is one of the worst picture books I've read, and I've read more than 400. The author wanted to shed light on the tardigrade, a microscopic animal similar to a bear, and I loved this original idea. But oh my, the entire book went so wrong after this initial idea.
We follow a couple and their young girl as they live in a gigantic house populated with dozens of animals: octopus, raccoons, cats, dogs, turtles, birds... You name it. One day, the parents decide to downsize and to move in a small cabin in the woods. So just like that, they get rid of all their pets. Settled in their new house covered with the posters of their previous animals, the girl asks to have at least one pet at home, but her parents refuse.
One day, the girl finds the perfect solution in the name of a tardigrade, and the parents agree. The book becomes even more terrible in the way the girl convinces the parents, claiming that if they forget to feed it or give it water, it's fine, it can still live up to 10 years! So yeah, it's fine if this new pet suffers, is starving or is dehydrated, it will still painfully survive! OMG!
I wish that instead, the family would have had no pets to start with, so no need to ““discard”” unwanted pets, and they would have naturally transitioned to their tiny home, adopted the tardigrade and voilà, healthy story!
PS: the animals in the original house were abused in terms of living conditions (octopus lived in a bocal barely larger than him), were eating each other (the snake and the octopus ate other pets) and lived in a complete mess.
Read and reviewed: 2020-01-03
The book portrays 42 breeds of pigs, separated in 3 categories: historic breeds, champion breeds, and exotic breeds. Each portray is paired with a description explaining their features, use, related breed, size, origin and distribution. Unlike [b:Beautiful Sheep: Portraits of champion breeds 48614662 Beautiful Sheep Portraits of champion breeds (Beautiful Animals) Kathryn Dun https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1582790316l/48614662.SX50.jpg 73950968] from the same collection, the pigs do not look as healthy and well taken care of, especially the “exotic” breeds. The Blonde Mangalista has some horrible matted hair around her face all the way to her ear, which must be so painful to live with. The Red Mangalista has some ingrown tooth coming from her mouth that have not been shorten, and her coat look dry and skin unhealthy. The White Vietnamese Potbellied looks even more miserable, with short and sparse air, dry skin and a very long ingrown tooth. Poor pigs!I don't understand how those pigs with obvious sign of lack of care from their owner where photographed and showed in this book without anyone blinking an eye. The first part of the book includes a history of pigs, the development of breeds, how to best prepare for a show and how to care for pigs. The last part of the book is supposed to be a reportage, but it was just a low-quality collage in sepia and black and white of photos from a pig show. I was expecting some description, some interview or some funny anecdote. In this form, it didn't seem necessary or useful.Overall, I was very disappointed in this book and would not recommend it. Thank you NetGalley and Ivy Press for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.Read and reviewed: 2019-12-30
What a unique book! It portrays stunning photographs of 42 breeds of sheep, explaining their features, use, related breed, size, origin and distribution. The sheep look very healthy and it's quite funny to try to imagine their personality! :)
The first part of the book includes a history of the sheep, the development of breeds and how to best prepare for a show.
The last part of the book is supposed to be a reportage, but it was just a low-quality collage in sepia and black and white of photos from a sheep show. I was expecting some description, some interview or some funny anecdote. In this form, it didn't seem necessary or useful.
Overall, I really enjoyed seeing all those beautiful breeds of sheep and I would recommend this book to any sheep-lover :)
Thank you NetGalley and Ivy Press for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Read and reviewed: 2019-12-30
What a stunning and captivating collection of poetry! The opening poem “Hills” left me in such a dreamy and colorful state, I was completely transported. It is the kind of synesthesia that simply makes you happy :)
And the art... throughout the book... splendid, captivating, raw, so well defined, so well constructed, just beyond words... Ah! It's been years since I bought a books, but if I were, it could be for this book, just for the pleasure of flipping its pages, rediscovering with joy its beautiful paintings, and for the experience of reading out loud its poems.
Thank you NetGalley and Yale University Press for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Read and reviewed: 2019-12-30
When I finished this book, I mourned the characters and the fact that I would not get to read more about them. I even delayed finishing the book because I knew it would be the end of it. I know I will remember Evelyn and all the other characters for a long time. The book is a great page-turner. The characters are complex, torn between difficult choices and the life-changing consequences of them. The plot keeps you on your toes. The historical-setting of the 50's thought 2017 felt believable and immersive. Every time I would enter the book, I was sucked right into it. What a read!
Read and reviewed: 2019-12-25
What is even this book? A small kid hides a witch in his wardrobe and cannot wait to show her to everyone in his school. The kid is demanding, moving the silent and obedient witch here and there, and she is completely objectified.
At school, the witch is bullied “I don't want to sit next to her, she's too ugly”, and the witch answers with a completely placid and smiley face, and no one says anything. She then starts taking revenge by creating many mischievous tricks, and there's not much more to the story. The story made me feel really awkward and I was anxious to turn the next page and see how bad this whole situation would become. This book definitely didn't age well, wow!
PS: The witch does talk in the end, and when she does something on her own that is not revenge, she paints her nails green or asks for a brush to comb her hair... The book is that deep!
Read and reviewed: 2019-12-22
This book summarizes the life lessons of gardening: be patient, never give up, learn about people/plants' needs to give them the appropriate care, keep learning and don't hesitate to ask for help, and finally remember to celebrate your successes with all the people who helped you along the way.... while keeping on eye on some new difficulties coming ahead of you, maybe in the name of a goat ;)
Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Read and reviewed: 2019-12-14
Cette bande-dessinée est une mine d'informations pour ceux qui veulent en savoir plus sur l'écologie, l'agriculture verte, diversifiée et sans pesticide, et plus généralement sur le cycle de vie des plantes et organismes vivants.
Les explications sont denses mais s'efforcent d'être claires et compréhensibles.
Malheureusement, les textes et illustrations sont vulgaires, potaches, et mêmes racistes. L'unique champignon noir qui appairait dans la BD est représenté avec une grosse chaîne en or et frappant au visage un intrus en lui disant “dégage !”.
Le contenu de cette BD s'inspire librement de l'ouvrage “Le Bio grow book”, si vous voulez en savoir plus sur ce sujet.
Thank you NetGalley and Mama Éditions for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Read and reviewed: 2019-12-14
“Quelle explication donnée à la tragédie qui vous endeuille ? Aucun mot pour vous secourir. Il n'est pas le diable. Il est un homme. Juste un homme.” - Roger Merle
Corinne Tanay raconte les faits qui ont suivi le meurtre de sa fille de 9 ans, empoisonnée au cyanure en 1994.
Le livre se présente comme un journal suivant le courant de sa conscience (her stream of consciousness), racontant la chronologie de l'enquête, les méandres et les injustices du système judiciaire français, sa très belle amitié avec l'avocat Roger Merle, et son désir de se reconstruire au-delà de toute haine et de toute revenge.
Malheureusement, le recit est extrêmement décousu et difficile à suivre, passant d'une année à une autre, rebondissant au grès des souvenirs, revenant sur des faits déjà expliqués auparavant. Au milieu du livre, l'auteur change complètement de sujet et traite d'un documentaire qu'elle a realisé sur une autre famille ayant souffert un drame familial. Durant ce passage, l'écriture est dynamique, structurée et les faits sont bien introduits. Puis, le livre reprend, mélangeant anecdotes de temps heureux et nouveaux elements de l'enquête. La dernière partie du livre est une transcription des rencontres entre Corinne Tanay et l'accusé/condamné.
Au final, je pense que le livre aurait bénéficié d'une restructuration pour clarifier la chronologie, éviter les multiples allers et retours narratifs, supprimer les répétitions, et introduire plus clairement les faits et les personnes. La structure et le style d'écriture ont rendu la lecture de ce livre difficile et parfois labyrinthique.
J'ai commencé a regarder mon père avec les yeux d'un fils aimant trop tard. De toute façon, les parents ne répondent jamais aux attentes de leurs enfants. Mon père m'impressionnait pour ce qu'il était. Je l'ai toujours vu travailler, lire, écrire. Sa soif de travail était insatiable. Il s'ennuyait en famille, il s'ennuyait en vacances. Les gens l'ennuyaient en general. Ce qui le rendait heureux, c'était le travail, la lecture, l'écriture”
- Thierry Merle, fils de Roger Merle
Thank you NetGalley and Grasset for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Read and reviewed: 2019-12-14
Ce recueil de poèmes parle d'amour, d'espoirs déchus et de perte d'innocence. La première partie retrace des poèmes écrits durant les annees 1980 et 1990 et transpercent l'innocence d'une jeune poète. La seconde partie, après “A l'ombre de Paris en fleurs”, sonne comme un melange de ska/electro swing, et la qualité des poèmes se détériore rapidement.
De mon point de vue, les meilleurs poèmes sont : “Vois ce soleil...”, “Au bord de l'eau...”, “Petite...”, “Couronne”.
Thank you NetGalley and Librinova for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Read and reviewed: 2019-12-14
The short stories are just so good and I absolutely want to re-read them at some point in my life. Unfortunately, the plot of the kidnapping is an unnecessary and badly written frame around those little gems. I would recommend skipping the first and the last chapter, and diving directly into the 8 stand-alone short stories.
Read and reviewed: 2019-12-08
I haven't read a YA novel since I was myself a teenager... and it didn't convinced me to read more sci-fi ya books.
We follow the story a young boy alone in a mansion, surrounded by a full team of servants and teachers, all ready to serve him and enrich his life. When he's not studying or stealing chocolate cakes from the kitchen, he loves writing poetry and offering his arts to any passing by. But life is not that simple, and the world might not be as it seems, especially when things start disappearing around him...
The novel has a satisfying ending that answered all of my questions (rare enough). I feel like the middle of the book was long and repetitive, and could have been shortened.
I disagree with the use of animal suffering to help the main characters escape.
I disagree with the use of the term “exotic” to describe the skin color of the female main character.
I didn't like that one character was once called “the blind person”, even after having been well introduced in the story.
I feel like the pacing and the dialogue were just okay, that some of the character's development was not deep enough, but that the plot itself was quite interesting.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
We follow the letters addressed between two women: Xanthie, a woman in Paris, and her friend (no name) who is traveling to the Island of Fuerteventura. Their letters are part travel guide, part exploration of the nature of love. We sense love, admiration and a deep sense of trust in their letters, and one may wonder what might spark from there...
No Name has been traveling to the island for years, and considers it her secret paradise, the place that makes her feel the most at home. In comparison, Xanthie is solidly rooted in Paris, and enjoys traveling through the eyes of her friend.
Then, the structure of the book takes a radical turn. No Name sends to Xanthie a love letter about her ex-girlfriend, and starts rambling for 30 pages about all the great things she loved about her ex, all that she offered her, how obsessive she was about her, and if only her ex would have let her love her in a certain way... There is no introspection on what No Name did wrong or could have done better, no sense that she is actually writing to Xanthie, no feeling of an actual conversation. And the book ends after this long monologue, with no output or answer from Xanthie.
To me, the pain point of the book is the writing. The sentences are full of ‘science facts' and quotes from classic authors, and they break the flow of the narration. We start with a sensual description and end up with science facts about elephants according to Aristotle. It happens so often throughout the book that it takes from the experience of reading the book.
“Je la regarde chaque soir avant de m'endormir m'extasiant inlassablement sur sa beaute et je pense a elle, qui aime tant cet animal dont la structure sociale matriarcale represente la sagesse et dont l'intelligence et l'esprit depassent ceux de tous les autres animaux selon Aristote.”
In the end, I think that the book would have benefited from a serious cut to remove the ‘extra scientific facts', a clear decision to make it a monologue or an epistolary book, and an extra pair of eyes concerning the grammar and the overall flow of the book.
Thank you NetGalley and l'Editions for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Read and reviewed: 2019-12-03
This is a fantastic book about growing up and seeing your sibling leave the house, and all the emotions that a young kid can feel in this transitional time. The text and the illustrations were well executed, and I really liked how heart-warming the story ends :)
Thank you NetGalley and Editions Chouette for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Read and reviewed: 2019-12-03
This is a sweet book about Simon's Birthday, the ups and downs of his special day, and all the ways he has fun with his friends. I really liked the rhythms of the sentences and the very colorful illustrations :)
Thank you NetGalley and Editions Chouette for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Read and reviewed: 2019-12-03
It is not hard to be drawn by the beautiful illustrations of Genevieve Godbout. For those alone, I would give the book 5 stars. But then there is the text, focusing on the relationship between a 3-4 year old boy and his mom. And that didn't go as well as expected. There is a lot of neglect, emotional confusion, and very difficult conversations for a boy this age. In general, it shows what bad parenting can be: not consoling a child when he cries, threatening to no longer be his mom, being angry and scaring the boy so much that he is afraid to show his emotions: “My eyes begin to fill with tears. I hope Mommy doesn't notice”, letting the boy run away instead of sorting through emotions together... I would not recommend this book.
Read and reviewed: 2019-12-01
2.25 stars
The first story is simple and cute. The second story is sad because one of the animals is left behind and no one asks him for his opinions or his emotions, even if it ends on a heartwarming note. And the third story is quite strange, as friends don't trust or listen to what each other says. 2 stars for the stories, 2.5 stars for the illustrations.
Read and reviewed: 2019-12-01
This graphic novel was very uneven. Some pages were so soft, so well drawn, with a very inspiring message ; and many other pages were very low quality, both in terms of graphics and writing. The structure was also very off and hard to follow. I understand that the author wanted to be authentic and to include her full journal, but I feel like if only half of the best extracts would have been chosen, it would have made the overall experience of reading this book way more pleasant, bumping the rating from 2 stars to 3.5 stars.
Thank you NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Read and reviewed: 2019-11-30