Katie
I gave this book 5 stars because I think the world would be a better place if everyone read it and tried to put it into practice. That said, I definitely have my issues with it. First, it's more of a workbook than a book you just sit down and read. I'd guess at least half, if not more, of the text is exercises, guided meditations, etc. There are so many of these that it's a little overwhelming. If you plan to really use this book, it's not really worth getting it on Kindle or from the library since there's no way you could keep track of all the different things to do without a paper copy to mark up and bookmark. Second, the writing is a little repetitious (her mother's death and her way of coping with it is mentioned multiple times in every chapter, and the six methods she describes seem to have a lot of overlap too–basically, take a step back and do some meta thinking!), and a little too poetical for my taste (which makes sense, since the author likes to write poetry). Plus, the repeated reference to her massive backyard, pool, etc., seemed a little tone-deaf. Finally, the many references to IFS/parts therapy, without actually being a book about how to do that therapy, was a little weird to me. Either she thinks people should go through that process or she thinks they should just do her stuff. Or maybe both, but she doesn't say that. She does say how much she benefited from IFS, and lots of the exercises mention something like talking to your parts, but this book and her methods are definitely not full-on IFS. And IFS seems to think it's the only thing you need to fix your issues, which leaves me wondering how the methods in this book fit in. Anyway, despite all of that this book has lots of good ideas, practices, and lessons.
I can't say I fully read this because I had to skip most of the book-within-a-book. But the parts I read were full of Percival Everett's humor, wordplay, and general fun. Also full of his tons and tons of references that I'm not well-read enough to fully get, but that's okay–it doesn't detract from the book, though I always feel like it would definitely add to the book if only I understood them!
This was a quick, fun read. The Barkley has so much humor built in to it that it's always fun to read about. I enjoyed reading about the author's obsession with ultras and all the different races he's done, none of which I would ever want to do!
Merged review:
This was a quick, fun read. The Barkley has so much humor built in to it that it's always fun to read about. I enjoyed reading about the author's obsession with ultras and all the different races he's done, none of which I would ever want to do!
This was disturbing, sad, and really gruesome in parts (I had to skip some pages). Even before ISIS got involved, I was really sad about the lives of these young women and their friends. There are so many forgotten people in our country. I wasn't sure about the author's perspective on the two sisters–I'm not sure why, but once in a while it seemed like she had a bone to pick.
Okay, fine, I'm a sucker for Jane Eyre and P&P adaptations (good ones, at least!). But this one was really lovely. A bit less retribution, and bit more HEA than the original, and definitely with a smaller scope. But it was a lot of fun, and great to be back with some of my favorite characters, even if they were slightly altered
This was maybe a 3.75 for me? I listened to it, read by the author. She definitely sounded like she was acting a part. I really liked the descriptions of what acting means to her, how she works as an actor, and what it's like to inhabit a character. She was certainly brave to write (? authorize the writing of) this book.
Okay, you can have your quibbles with this book. It meanders through its arguments a bit. It never really takes on the patriarchy the way it promises to. It relies a lot on anecdote as proof. But pushing all that aside, I laugh so hard and so loudly at so many points in this book–laughter of surprise, of, recognition, and and just really really funny bits. And, above all that, the book contains some really important truths that we should all take into our hearts.
I could tell right away why this book made the NYTimes top 10 books of 2023 list. The writing is so clear, the analogies and metaphors so enlightening, and the narrative is so engrossing, whether he's discussing the tar sands industry, the fire itself, or climate change. A truly excellent example of all that a nonfiction book can be.
This was compelling and page turning. It was stressful, but not so stressful that I had to put it down–having part of the book being told from the future let you know that at least some things were going to work out okay. Super twisty, even though you have a feeling you know what's happening as you read–you don't know everything!
This was a real page turner, and heartbreaking. It was also super interesting. I've heard forever about the cartels and their impact on Mexico, but this book made it very clear what that impact was and how devastating it was–without feeling like a history lesson. I am in awe of Miriam and glad that I know her story.
I know I said no more white men authors (O'Brien is grandfathered in) and no more middle aged men making a mess of their lives books. This one felt different from that typical narrative–maybe because it started at what felt like the lowest point, and the rest of the book was possibly a climb back up–or at least an attempt to climb at some points. It was also a cathartic and funny look at the Trump era and the pandemic, with some complicated characters.
