DNF @ 24%. Kamala, you know I love you and I'm definitely still gonna vote for you, but I just can't with this book right now. I have a short attentioDNF @ 24%. Kamala, you know I love you and I'm definitely still gonna vote for you, but I just can't with this book right now. I have a short attention span when it comes to listening to audiobooks and an even shorter attention span when it comes to non-fiction, and I'm beginning to think that the two just don't mix for me. I'll try again when I can get a copy of the ebook from the library – there are a bajillion holds on it right now. ...more
I have to admit that I haven't seen most of Seth Rogen's films (although my husband and I did watch Knocked Up on our very first date), but I came acrI have to admit that I haven't seen most of Seth Rogen's films (although my husband and I did watch Knocked Up on our very first date), but I came across a thread on Reddit where everyone was talking about how hilarious this book (and especially the audiobook) is and decided I had to read it. And, well, those anonymous Redditors were right – this book is tremendously funny, especially the second half.
I now have the urge to go watch all of Rogen's stuff, especially The Interview (take that, Kim Jong Un!). Seth, if you're ever in Michigan, shoot me a message – I'm pretty sure that we could be BFFs....more
So apparently I rate everything five stars now, but I've just read some really amazing books lately. White Robes and Broken Badges is definitely one oSo apparently I rate everything five stars now, but I've just read some really amazing books lately. White Robes and Broken Badges is definitely one of those five-star reads because it is absolutely riveting. I was slightly leery when I first requested it from NetGalley because sometimes these types of memoirs can be a little dry, but this one is completely captivating. I finished it in two sittings and in under 36 hours, and it only took me that long because my body betrayed me on the first night and insisted on getting some sleep. (I could read so much more if I didn't need to sleep!)
This memoir focuses on Joe Moore's two successful attempts at infiltrating KKK groups in Florida. And, well, the man has balls of steel, I'll give him that. I would have been scared to death, and I'm also pretty sure that I don't have the poker face needed to carry out such a mission. I'd make it about five minutes before I rolled my eyes at an Exalted Cyclops (or whatever dumb title the KKK uses, I don't remember) and got “disappeared.” Moore was much more successful at his infiltration, however, and you'll definitely know how good he was at it because he tells you over and over and over. Which, I mean, fair enough … I guess if you risk your life (and the lives of your family) in order to take down some really bad guys, you've earned the right to be a little braggy.
But, seriously, this book is riveting but it's also very, very concerning. Moore goes into some depth regarding the history of the KKK and also how they (and other far-right extremist groups) are mobilizing in the present day. If he's correct – and I have no reason to doubt him – Americans everywhere should be extremely concerned about their ultimate goals, and we should vote like our democracy depends on it because it very well could. Moore talks about the January 6th insurrection and what led to it (and who encouraged it), and how, if the far-right extremists have their way, it won't be the last event of its kind.
Also, while it really has nothing to do with reviewing this book, can I say how disappointed I am that Obama's 2008 election (and his subsequent reelection in 2012) apparently led to a tremendous uptick in requests to join the KKK? (As did the 2014 killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.) I've always thought of the KKK as an organization that had its heyday way in the past, but it turns out that's not really the case at all. It's more than a little depressing.
My overall rating: 4.7 stars, rounded up. White Robes and Broken Badges is fantastic and you should probably read it ASAP.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is August 13, 2024....more
DNF @ 11%. I wouldn't say that I'm a huge fan of Boy George and/or Culture Club, but (karma karma karma karma) “Karma Chameleon” was my very first favDNF @ 11%. I wouldn't say that I'm a huge fan of Boy George and/or Culture Club, but (karma karma karma karma) “Karma Chameleon” was my very first favorite song when I was, like, four, and Boy George has always seemed like an interesting character so I decided to give this audiobook a go.
And, well, I think maybe this book is meant for people who are much bigger fans than I am? Or maybe who were really into the 70s and 80s music scenes and might actually know who all these people he keeps mentioning are? There is near constant name-dropping, and with the exception of David Bowie and maybe a couple of others, I have no idea who any of them are.
It's also very stream of conscious-y, with Boy George seemingly just spouting off anecdotes and thoughts as they come to mind, which has never really been my preferred style of writing.
He is a fun narrator, though – it's adorable whenever he starts giggling about something he's just read. And the cover is gorgeous in an I'm-tripping-on-acid-while-Boy-George-stares-at-me-disapprovingly sort of way.
But, yeah, unfortunately this one just wasn't for me....more
So, first of all, the illustrations in this book are beautiful. Seriously fantastic. Magical. Colorful. Simply amazeballs. They're bright and colorfulSo, first of all, the illustrations in this book are beautiful. Seriously fantastic. Magical. Colorful. Simply amazeballs. They're bright and colorful and really well done.
I also appreciate what the author is trying to do here – I'd guess that very few young children know anything about 13th century poets (or poetry in general, really) so it's nice to have a book that exposes them to something new. Kheiriyeh's love for Rumi really shines through in the text and illustrations, and I think it's fantastic that he wants to expose a new generation to his favorite poet.
But …
I guess I'm just not sure how much this book is really going to appeal to the target audience (4-8 years old, according to Amazon)? There's no rhyming or entertaining situations or humor or really anything that's going to appeal to young children. I mean, the pictures are really pretty, but they show Rumi wandering around talking to people and writing things, and that's about it. I really think it's going to take more to get kids interested in long-dead Iranian poets, unfortunately.
Perhaps it'd be useful for elementary students who are just starting to study non-fiction literature at school? Or maybe it could be read as part of a cultural lesson? I can definitely see the educational value of this book, but I just can't imagine it being a favorite that children want to read over and over again.
Overall rating: three stars. It's a lovely book but I fear that it will have limited appeal to its intended readers.
Many thanks to NetGalley and NorthSouth Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review....more
The original Lies My Teacher Told Me is one of my favorite non-fiction books of all time (I own two copies – one 1995 first edition and one later reviThe original Lies My Teacher Told Me is one of my favorite non-fiction books of all time (I own two copies – one 1995 first edition and one later revision), so I was super excited to see a graphic novel adaptation pop up on NetGalley. I don't read a whole lot of graphic novels in general, so I'm a little surprised at how much I enjoyed this one. It stays true to Loewen's original text and manages to convey his message and ideas while using only a fraction of the words. That's not to say that this graphic novel is a replacement for the original – the traditional book format is obviously able to go into more detail than can be fit into some small text bubbles – but it's a fantastic summary of the original. I can also see it being much more accessible for someone who might be daunted at the thought of reading a more conventional non-fiction book.
And, like the original, this is such an important book. American history textbooks whitewash our history (and in some cases outright lie about it) and Lies My Teacher Told Me attempts to shed some light on these mistruths. Loewen studied various American history textbooks and addresses several important questions about their content in this book: What are the common failures of American history textbooks? Who are the textbook authors attempting to pacify? Why is this whitewashing of history bad? How does the teaching of history need to change? As a huge lover of history, it was absolutely eye-opening when I first read his book as a teenager, and it's slightly infuriating that nothing much has changed regarding American history textbooks since its publication almost thirty years ago.
The drawings themselves are well done and add a new dimension to the text. While some of the data in the text is a little outdated, the pictures often show more current events – Trump's “bone spurs” and Black Lives Matter protests both make an appearance, for example.
Which, I suppose, leads me to my one minor complaint about this book. While it's a great resource for individuals looking to learn more about the true history of the United States, some of the statistics really need to be updated. For example, it's mentioned at one point that a survey of “high school seniors in 1999 found that almost half believed that the 'best years of the United States are behind us.'” This is important to know, of course, but 1999 was twenty-five years ago (as someone who graduated in 1997, this pains me to think about!). It would be really nice to know how high school seniors today feel about the country's prospects, too. Since the original book was published in the mid-90s (and I think its last major revision was in 2007?) it's not surprising that the data reflects this, but I'd really love to see a completely updated edition someday.
But, still, this is a fantastic book for anyone who's interested in American history (and it's perhaps even more important for those who aren't, especially anyone who found it “boring” in school). 4.75 stars, rounded up.
Many thanks to NetGalley and The New Press for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review....more
So I still completely suck at meditating, but I rather enjoyed trying out the guided meditations in this book. There were a couple I found particularlSo I still completely suck at meditating, but I rather enjoyed trying out the guided meditations in this book. There were a couple I found particularly useful, although I'm not going to remember the terminology or details so please forgive me as I proceed to mangle both in this review.
But the meditation where you visualize Buddha (or Jesus or the Virgin Mary or Cthulhu or whoever) taking over your body to handle a difficult situation in an appropriate manner? That one was brilliant, and I can actually see using this technique while in the middle of a conflict. “Hang on, Mom, I understand that you think the 'War of Northern Aggression' was about 'states' rights,' but I need to go consult the Buddha on how to handle this one without losing my shit.” Or something like that.
And the last meditation? Where you focus on "seeing your mind" (or whatever he called it) and external sounds instead of your breathing? I actually might've almost, maybe, possibly meditated with this one?! I'm absolute rubbish at the whole “focus on your breathing” thing, but sounds I can do. For once my hound's ear flapping and sleep-whining isn't a detriment!
So, yeah, I think I'm going to go through this audiobook a couple more times and see where things go. (It's a library book, but let's face it – this is Western Michigan and meditation isn't exactly a beloved pastime. I can likely keep it for as long as I want.) Jack Kornfield-with-a-K has a last name that drives me to distraction, but he's really quite good at this whole meditation thing....more
I suppose I should start out by saying that, while I don't know the author personally, her husband cleans my greyhound's teeth. I don't feel that thisI suppose I should start out by saying that, while I don't know the author personally, her husband cleans my greyhound's teeth. I don't feel that this makes me a particularly biased reviewer (even if he is an excellent dog dentist), but do with that information what you will. I'd been seeing mentions of Patti's book on the vet clinic's Facebook page for a while and was super excited to see it pop up on NetGalley.
My tenuous connection to the author aside, however, I'm also an adoptive parent and so I was interested in reading about the experiences of an adoptee who grew up not all that far from where we currently live.
And, well, The Girl with Three Birthdays was an intriguing read. It's a quiet, meandering story, with stories of her childhood and parents' lives intertwined with the details of her adoption. Patti's story is both sweet and a little sad at the same time – it's obvious that she was loved dearly by both of her adoptive parents, but even happy adoption stories are unavoidably filled with some sense of loss.
I'm not really sure how you go about rating and reviewing a memoir as personal as this one, to be honest. I don't feel as if it's my place to judge someone else's personal experiences (except for you, Tucker Max – you totally deserved that one-star review). But I can say that it's well-written and the author and her family sound like wonderful people. Ted was a real jerk, though.
As a Michigander, I recognized lots of the places mentioned in this book, which was an interesting experience. There aren't a whole lot of books – memoirs, fiction, or otherwise – set in West and Mid-Michigan, so that was kind of fun. And, of course, seeing my hound's dentist repeatedly mentioned in a book was a new experience for me!
So, yeah. If you enjoy adoption memoirs, you'll likely enjoy this one. Definitely give it a read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and She Writes Press for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review....more
Fantastic, as always. I'm pretty sure that Jenny Lawson is my spirit animal. Fantastic, as always. I'm pretty sure that Jenny Lawson is my spirit animal. ...more
So I've finished this audiobook and I'm still not sure that my brain is capable of meditating. Me “meditating” always starts with an attempt to focus So I've finished this audiobook and I'm still not sure that my brain is capable of meditating. Me “meditating” always starts with an attempt to focus on my breathing, which quickly (within thirty seconds, maximum) devolves into my brain giving me a montage of every single embarrassing thing I've ever done. Or it reminds me of all the times that customers were mean to me when I worked retail 20+ years ago. Or it starts making a grocery list. Or, well … you get the picture. It also doesn't help that no matter how hard I try to get all of the living distractions (pets) out of the room, there's inevitably a cat that has hidden under the bed and will choose that exact moment to hop in my lap and paw at my face.
With that said, Mr. Kornfield (I so want to “korrect” that spelling every time I see it) has a really nice, soothing voice, and if there's anyone who could get me to the point of actually meditating, it's probably him. Now that I've mastered attempted the basics, I'm going to try his Guided Meditation audiobook and see how that one goes. I'm almost certainly a lost cause, though....more
As someone who was finally diagnosed with ADHD at the ripe ol' age of 43, there are parts of this book that are extremely … I dunno, validating? When As someone who was finally diagnosed with ADHD at the ripe ol' age of 43, there are parts of this book that are extremely … I dunno, validating? When the author mentioned having “a severe aversion to all fruit in its solid form” due to sensory issues, I decided she was probably my spirit animal.* And there are plenty of these essays that I can relate to in one way or another – I am quite familiar with the woes of serious executive dysfunction. But, at the same time, parts of this book slightly annoyed me.
So first, the good. As I've already mentioned, I can really relate to a lot of this book. After reading the chapter where the author is dumped by a boyfriend because she's “intense” (and because she makes casseroles), I asked my husband if he'd consider me intense and he replied with “Well, I wouldn't say intense because that has a negative connotation. But, yeah, for lack of a better word, I guess you're intense.” So there you have it. (And I also make casseroles.) I also get the whole hyper-focusing thing, and the executive dysfunction thing, and the I'd-rather-throw-myself-off-a-cliff-than-stand-in-a-line thing (this might be a slight exaggeration, but not by much). And, let me tell you, if I had a nickel for every time I was told that I wasn't “living up to my potential” as a child, I'd have, well, a whole lot of nickels.
But, seriously, an ADHD diagnosis is not a get out of jail free card when it comes to repeatedly making poor financial decisions that affect your entire family. I honestly feel kind of bad for her husband Kyle, and I feel like if you looked up the phrase “long-suffering” in a dictionary, you'd probably find his photo. Don't just take my word for it, though. “Kyle regularly tells me that I'm bad at presenting ideas to him, mostly because I skip the part where I acknowledge his wants and needs – or my own history of what he calls 'acting unilaterally' – before detailing my nonnegotiable plans for an often elaborate or expensive project.” (page 140)
Also, her essay on impulsively quitting her job and what “could have happened” on 9/11 is slightly cringeworthy. As someone who lived three blocks from the World Trade Center, come on now. No, you totally would not have died just because you got off the subway at the WTC station every morning. They were diverting trains from the area long before the towers fell. And even if you had already arrived at the office, Rector Street isn't that close to the WTC (I mean, it's close, but not “I'm going to be flattened by the falling towers” close). So just stop it.
And, so, yeah. This book was funny and relatable, right up until it wasn't. I both loved it and was annoyed by it. Should you read it? Sure, especially if you're someone who was diagnosed with ADHD later in life, or care about someone who was. Should you read it thinking that everyone with ADHD is running around maxing out their credit cards on decorative plants? Absolutely not.
Overall rating: 3.45 stars, rounded down.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Hatchette Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.
*With the exception of maybe three kinds of apple, the texture of fruit is totally gag-worthy if it's not mushed up into a smoothie. I sometimes force myself to eat it because I'm an adult and, you know, nutrition is a thing, but it takes pretty much my entire allotment of willpower for the day....more
Hilarious (the storytelling) and yet awful (the racism) at the same time. I really enjoyed Amber and Lacey's first book, You'll Never Believe What HapHilarious (the storytelling) and yet awful (the racism) at the same time. I really enjoyed Amber and Lacey's first book, You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories about Racism, and this was a solid sequel. The banter between the two sisters really makes the book shine....more
Everything James Herriot wrote is pure gold and this book is no exception. If you've read any of his previous works, you know what you'll find inside Everything James Herriot wrote is pure gold and this book is no exception. If you've read any of his previous works, you know what you'll find inside - lots of heartwarming (and often humorous) short stories about his work as a country vet in the Yorkshire Dales. Every Living Thing is the final book in his All Creatures Great and Small series, and while I think I enjoyed the earlier books ever so slightly more (his young and inexperienced days are simply the best), these stories set during his more established years are also cozy and delightful reads. James Herriot has been one of my favorite authors since I was a kid, and I highly recommend this book (or any of his other works) to any animal lovers out there....more
Wonderland Avenue was my favorite book as a teenager and I really, really wanted to be the Gen X version of Danny Sugerman, a goal I never came anywheWonderland Avenue was my favorite book as a teenager and I really, really wanted to be the Gen X version of Danny Sugerman, a goal I never came anywhere close to achieving because I was a geeky poor kid from Appalachian Ohio.
Present day me, having long since given up my quest to become The Lizard Queen, re-read this book for a “book you wish you could read for the first time again” reading challenge prompt. It'd been two decades since I'd last read Wonderland Avenue and I was really afraid that the magic of Sugerman's memoir wouldn't hold up for me now that I'm on the other side of 40. But … it kind of mostly did?
I mean, yeah, now that I'm a middle aged woman I can look back and see that idolizing Sugerman was kind of silly. After all, this memoir is pretty much a cautionary tale as to why you shouldn't idolize rebellious drug addicts. And I was absolutely horrified by all of the statutory rape that Sugerman committed. And I mostly skimmed over Morrison's philosophical ramblings. And I noticed all of the racist language for the first time. And I cringed every time someone drove while intoxicated. And, really, Sugerman was kind of just an ass to everyone he claimed to care about.
But still. This is a really good memoir, even if it's not exactly a happy one. Sugerman did a fantastic job of chronicling his descent into addiction. And if you're at all interested in The Doors and/or the rock n' roll lifestyle of the 60s and 70s, this is one of the best accounts out there.
And now for the end-of-review public service announcement:
"Shooting speed isn't that smart. Shooting speed kills geese. If you shoot a goose full of speed that goose is gonna swim in circles forever." - Jim Morrison (in No One Here Gets Out Alive, another great book by Sugerman)...more
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