Katie

Strange, but I liked it. Anti-climactic ending.

I checked out all the rafting books at the library and this was by far the best. Very thorough and made me feel much more prepared for my first every multi-day rafting trip.

This reminded me so much of other “artsy” books. Incomprehensible characters and dialog, lots of inside art jokes (a few I got and appreciated, and certainly many others that went over my head). The dystopian elements were interesting and sometimes funny, and made this a slightly different book from others that it reminds me of.

I was pretty confused by the whole premise of this book. There's lots to say about women and their position in society these days, so why impose the seven deadly sins framework on top of what is already a full and important topic? I guess I gave up before I found the answer to that question. As another reviewer says there are plenty of better books that cover the same ground.

I almost stopped at the preface of this book because I couldn't make much sense of it, but I'm so glad I pushed on. It was a lovely book, full of interesting, wonderful characters. I was sad for it to end.

After reading this I'm wondering why I've never read Anna Quindlen before. This is just the kind of writing I like–straightforward, good storytelling, likable characters. I'm really glad to have a new author I like who has written lots of books I can put on my to-read shelf.

This is a really remarkable book. I've read Random Family, Evicted, Poverty by America, Invisible Child, and this ranks up there with the best of them. What really stuck with me was the difference that a caring, respectful school environment can make. This is so clear and so obvious–why are we not making this possible for all kids?

This was so cliched. I finally gave up when a chapter ended with the sentence, “He couldn't stop now, even if he wanted to.” Barf.

I wasn't sure about this book at the beginning, but it really grew on me, and by the end I was wishing Phuc had gone to St. John's instead of Bard so we could have hung out. I liked how he related his experiences as an outsider and immigrant to great works of literature–this was an unusual spin for a memoir of this kind.

This is like a 3.5? I enjoyed reading it, with some caveats. The multiple points of view didn't really seem to serve a purpose. Why was the sailor narrating part of the book? What did that add? The historical and war parts were pretty confusing–though you could more or less figure out what was going on, it felt like a lot of background knowledge would have helped. And the ending came fast and almost out of nowhere, wrapping things up in a way that made it feel like the author just got tired of the story.

This is an excellent, well-written resource for those suffering through a loss from suicide. It's easy to read but provides tons of helpful information. Plus, they provide a free download on their website. Highly recommended.

I liked this book. The characters were nuanced–not 100% lovable, not even 100% understandable, but interesting and thought-provoking. The situation was certainly thought-provoking, as well, and I learned a bit about what it's like to be a trans woman.

This was a strange book. I'm not even sure what to say about it. Sections of pure boredom, contrasted with sections of misogyny, combined with graphic sections I wish I hadn't read. Why did I finish this? I don't really know.

This was an interesting read and I wonder how much of a glimpse into Saudi culture it provides. It seems to show a lot, but as the author is an American woman who married in to a Saudi family, who knows how authentic it really is. Still, raised some interesting questions about religion and culture, and I liked the characters.

This might be a 3.5. The ideas were interesting, but I didn't feel like they were all that relevant to how people actually live their lives–or, at least how I live my life. The chapter on laws and justice was the exception to this and brought up some good points. I was a little weirded out by the author constantly using her daughter as an example. And I don't care too much about feuding theories of emotions–I just wanted to hear about this one.

I loved the discussions of feminism in this book. In fact, it really felt like the whole story was just a vehicle for those discussions, rather than a story with some feminist ideas thrown in. I'm not sure what I concluded after those discussions, however. I think I'd have to read it again to fully absorb all the ideas.

I guess I'm not sure what to think about this book. I didn't find it as hilarious as everyone else seems to have. The jokes and stereotypes were tired enough that I didn't feel like I was gaining insights at all from them.

I loved the perspective, and really enjoyed the beginning. It just got a little long.

Imagine someone sucking in a big breath and then shouting at you as quickly as she/he can form words “andthatshowyoucanfixityoujustneedsocialjusticeactiviststoadvocateforthis” And you'll basically have gotten the idea of this book. Great ideas. Will any of them ever happen? How about a book of great and actually possible to implement ideas?

Well, Ed hated this but I really enjoyed it. Yes, it was heavy handed but it was also very hilarious. Lots of bad things were threatened, but knowing Jasper Ford I knew everyone would get exactly what they deserved in the end. There were lots of fun characters and moments where I literally laughed out loud. Especially a certain shampoo comment.

I wouldn't say this is a fascinating or well-written book for someone with no interest in the topics covered, but as I had just been to SAR and recognized many of the places pictured in the book, I was super interested in learning more about Elizabeth White's life. The book has lots of fascinating info about early Santa Fe, the development of the fine art market for Indian art, and, of course, the pet cemetery. I learned a lot and am even more interested in Elizabeth White!

I didn't like this as much as I liked the Friend (no dogs!) but I like her writing style and being inside of her brain. It gave me a lot to think about. I wished there was more of the narrator in it–it reminded me a little of Rachel Cusk's books where you learn almost nothing about the narrator.

I really liked how this didn't try to give any easy answers. It was very sad to read, though.

Aw, this is so awesome. I love Alice Oseman.

Well, of course this was great because Jemisin! I love her characters so much. I'm sorry for all the trouble they go through in the course of her books, but it's great to hang out with them. I'm glad I'll get to hang out with these five more in the next book. And I finally understand New York a little better now!