Nik Kroushl
Creepy! Probably not the easiest book to pick for reading before bed, especially if you are freaked out by pregnancy. I read it quickly -- it was a compelling read -- but probably would not pick it up again. Irene was interesting as a main character and the visions of Dr Bishop's past were some of the most interesting parts of the story, but I had a hard time seeing her as a real villain. (Maybe the real villain is the imposition on women that having a baby is the most important thing you can do.)
Creepy! Probably not the easiest book to pick for reading before bed, especially if you are freaked out by pregnancy. I read it quickly -- it was a compelling read -- but probably would not pick it up again. Irene was interesting as a main character and the visions of Dr Bishop's past were some of the most interesting parts of the story, but I had a hard time seeing her as a real villain. (Maybe the real villain is the imposition on women that having a baby is the most important thing you can do.)
Loved the zany stories but also how the memoir turned toward a more cohesive research and exploration of different types of group living. As someone newly interested in intentional community and its various forms, reading about the pitfalls of such communities from longtime practitioners was a valuable reminder. This book reminded me that building relationships and intimacy is always an act of community and effort, no matter whether you live in a group house, a cohousing community or a single family home with a spare room.
Also it's fun to read about how children of hippies grow up! My family was nothing like Lola's but I loved reading about hers.
Loved the zany stories but also how the memoir turned toward a more cohesive research and exploration of different types of group living. As someone newly interested in intentional community and its various forms, reading about the pitfalls of such communities from longtime practitioners was a valuable reminder. This book reminded me that building relationships and intimacy is always an act of community and effort, no matter whether you live in a group house, a cohousing community or a single family home with a spare room.
Also it's fun to read about how children of hippies grow up! My family was nothing like Lola's but I loved reading about hers.
I was expecting more cohesive / specific throughlines to money, but this novel kind of just felt like a sequel to Dykes with Alison subbed in for More. It was still fun, sweet, happily able to poke fun at every audience, and had me finishing in 48 hours.
I was expecting more cohesive / specific throughlines to money, but this novel kind of just felt like a sequel to Dykes with Alison subbed in for More. It was still fun, sweet, happily able to poke fun at every audience, and had me finishing in 48 hours.
Hard to really absorb on audiobook, but I know this is one I'll return to!
Hard to really absorb on audiobook, but I know this is one I'll return to!
Self help and productivity type books are usually a hit or miss for me but I generally enjoyed this one and found useful ways to reframe thinking around using time. I liked the combination of philosophy and ways of thinking about time and mortality, anecdotal contributions, and concrete suggestions and action items – it was a great balance that offered value across multiple axes. Considering purchasing a copy for periodic rereads and so I can annotate. It's almost worth it alone for the references to other texts to be adapted as a reading list!
Self help and productivity type books are usually a hit or miss for me but I generally enjoyed this one and found useful ways to reframe thinking around using time. I liked the combination of philosophy and ways of thinking about time and mortality, anecdotal contributions, and concrete suggestions and action items – it was a great balance that offered value across multiple axes. Considering purchasing a copy for periodic rereads and so I can annotate. It's almost worth it alone for the references to other texts to be adapted as a reading list!
Added to listOwnedwith 40 books.
I worried that Kelly Link's brilliance as a short story writer would make her debut novel too dense or hard to follow, but I was thankfully wrong. Yes it was weird and broke the literary rules, yes there are some plot points I'm unclear about, but it was deeply accessible to follow Laura, Susannah, Daniel, Mo, Thomas and the others through their stories. I did actually really love these characters, they were all so distinctly wrought and had depth and their own arcs, which I think is difficult to do with a medium sized cast like this where they also all have their own POVs.
I was worried the ending would be unhappy, but it held its weight as a bittersweet and narratively appropriate conclusion. (I should have known better, based on the romance novel throughline.) The pacing was occasionally rambunctious, but the abundance of deeply funny moments and sexy moments and sweet moments made up for it all. I had a hard time putting it down and going to sleep.
I worried that Kelly Link's brilliance as a short story writer would make her debut novel too dense or hard to follow, but I was thankfully wrong. Yes it was weird and broke the literary rules, yes there are some plot points I'm unclear about, but it was deeply accessible to follow Laura, Susannah, Daniel, Mo, Thomas and the others through their stories. I did actually really love these characters, they were all so distinctly wrought and had depth and their own arcs, which I think is difficult to do with a medium sized cast like this where they also all have their own POVs.
I was worried the ending would be unhappy, but it held its weight as a bittersweet and narratively appropriate conclusion. (I should have known better, based on the romance novel throughline.) The pacing was occasionally rambunctious, but the abundance of deeply funny moments and sexy moments and sweet moments made up for it all. I had a hard time putting it down and going to sleep.