Like everyone else, I hopped on the Bridgerton train this year and was so enraptured that I decided to read the book as soon as I had finished the TV Like everyone else, I hopped on the Bridgerton train this year and was so enraptured that I decided to read the book as soon as I had finished the TV series. This book was just what the series was: fun, lighthearted, and romantic. Perfect for a short escape and super accessible for those who are not traditional romance genre readers, I recommend it for anyone who enjoyed the show. ...more
I picked up this book because I love Gary's Instagram, and a lot of people seemed to post about how good it was. Unfortunately, I just did not enjoy tI picked up this book because I love Gary's Instagram, and a lot of people seemed to post about how good it was. Unfortunately, I just did not enjoy this short, short book. Again, it feels weird to rate a memoir, like I'm judging someone's life, but it was not as humorous as I thought it would be. Also, I have been keeping up with BradBucks during this quarantine, and Gary is just so impossible to please. Knowing how picky he is about how Brad stirs his espresso or pours his ice cubes kind of tainted my read because he also seems totally impossible to please in his book. This memoir was shallow and boring. I do not recommend. ...more
I love JVN, and I think his presence in the world makes it a better place. I hate reviewing memoirs and autobiographies because it feels like I'm ratiI love JVN, and I think his presence in the world makes it a better place. I hate reviewing memoirs and autobiographies because it feels like I'm rating someone's life rather than the book itself. I found Jonathan's book to be honest and compelling, and I loved how he kept his optimism through the many trials he's faced. He really found a way to instill his spirit into his writing. That being said, I can't say I really enjoyed my read. I think it could stem from the fact that I listened to the audiobook, which was narrated by Jonathan. Sometimes it felt like his relentlessly cheery voice made some parts of the story ring inauthentic, which is crazy because it's not like I found the book to be fabricated at all. Something about the book just didn't draw me in. That being said, I have a lot of respect and appreciation for him and how openly he shared his story. ...more
This fictional book gave me Glass Castle and Educated vibes. A young woman grows up in a poor, uneducated, dangerous home and ends up a success. The bThis fictional book gave me Glass Castle and Educated vibes. A young woman grows up in a poor, uneducated, dangerous home and ends up a success. The book was expertly written, and I genuinely enjoyed my read, but I wasn't a huge fan of the coastal marsh setting and enjoyed the story line more without the added mystery. ...more
I love Gilmore Girls, and this book basically was like reading Lorelai Gilmore talk about being Lorelai Gilmore, and it was a real pleasure to hear heI love Gilmore Girls, and this book basically was like reading Lorelai Gilmore talk about being Lorelai Gilmore, and it was a real pleasure to hear her narrate the book. That being said, this didn't really offer all that much to me. There were a few words of advice from a woman with maturity well beyond her years, a lot of praise and appreciation for the people she's worked with throughout her life, and a lot of Gilmore Girl memories. I enjoyed it, but it's not something that's going to stick with me at all, and I'm very glad I picked this up from the library instead of paying for it. ...more
I LOVE the TV show "Fresh Off the Boat," which is what inspired me to pick this text up. It was a mistake. Eddie Huang is an asshole. From bragging abI LOVE the TV show "Fresh Off the Boat," which is what inspired me to pick this text up. It was a mistake. Eddie Huang is an asshole. From bragging about what a shitty person he is to insulting Americans, Eddie's book does nothing to improve his image. I'd read some articles in which he discussed how much he hated the show that was based on his life, mostly because he wanted it to be 100% factual and didn't understand why Disney-owned ABC didn't include child abuse in their light-hearted family sitcom, so I already knew he was a bit of a prick, but this memoir was just bad. Eddie came off as unintelligent and a complete narcissist. It was also really hard to understand his writing at many points because he speaks/writes in ebonics randomly.
Really, every page I read annoyed and disappointed me, and I couldn't stomach it enough to even make it halfway through. ...more
There are a lot of opinions circulating around this script. On one hand, it's a return to the characters so many of us have loved. On the other, this There are a lot of opinions circulating around this script. On one hand, it's a return to the characters so many of us have loved. On the other, this isn't a novel, it isn't written by J. K. Rowling, and the enchantment of the original series just isn't there. It took me a long time to get to this book since its release because I wasn't sure if I wanted to read it and be disappointed; I still enjoyed my read, though, in a more mature way.
The basic plot is thus: Harry, Ron, and Hermione are grown up with children of their own attending Hogwarts. Harry is struggling to connect with his son as work pressures mount up, and his son feels more and more like he is a disappointment to the most famous wizard in the world. Albus feels just as out of place as Harry himself did at Hogwarts, and that leads to a lot of problems for everyone involved.
The characters themselves all seem to be lacking substance, but that's probably to be expected in a script. I'll agree with some other reviewers in saying the plot had some of its plateaus, as well, where I was more apt to put the book down than continue reading it, a problem I never had during my read of the original series. That being said, it did spark something in me; I went online to search for photos of how they brought the script to life on stage, and it genuinely had me feeling nostalgic for the original series.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child isn't great, but if you're a fan of the Harry Potter universe, you really can't help but read this text, can you? For those of us who have grown up with Hogwarts in our hearts, there will always be a pull to read anything more than we can get, and this script is no exception. ...more
The United States no longer exists. Women no longer have rights. Eyes, secret informants of the new regime, are everywhere and looking for any opportuThe United States no longer exists. Women no longer have rights. Eyes, secret informants of the new regime, are everywhere and looking for any opportunity to turn in those whose ideologies are not completely aligned with the government's. The corpses of traitors are displayed daily on the walls of the city as a warning to those who have independent thoughts. Offred, the daughter of a feminist who was once a young wife and mother herself, has been assigned the job of being a Handmaid to a high-ranking Commander in the new regime. Her only job is to produce a child for the Commander and his wife to raise, and to do so, she is subjected to awkward breeding sessions once a month with the couple. She is no longer allowed to have opinions. She is no longer allowed to read. Her only role in this new society is to be a vessel for a child, and if she cannot produce one, her fate is worse than death (a route many women take given their circumstances). The harrowing story told within The Handmaid's Tale is written as a sort of science fiction, but sometimes it feels like that fiction isn't so distant from truth.
This book was first published in 1985, and it's astonishing how many parallels there are between this novel and current events. It's positively spooky, to be honest. In The Handmaid's Tale, the huge societal change can be traced back to an Islamic terrorist attack and a nation-wide sense of fear that called for an immediate crackdown on individual rights (very Patriot Act-ish). Especially in the current debate about women's equality, this book couldn't have come into my life at a better time, and I really feel like the Hulu series is going to be wildly successful.
This is a classic for a reason: the writing and characters were superb, the premise was creative, and the story really strikes a chord with a lot of people. Atwood adds a lot of interesting elements to her writing, with flashbacks to when Offred was in handmaid training and when she was an independent worker. The world in which Atwood has created is both terrifying and all too real. This tomb really does belong on every required reading list as an example of what can happen when people's rights are slowly surrendered. I highly, highly recommend this book. ...more
Jane is new to the affluent area of Pirriwee Peninsula, having decided to move into an apartment in the coastal town with her son, Ziggy, in tow. BeinJane is new to the affluent area of Pirriwee Peninsula, having decided to move into an apartment in the coastal town with her son, Ziggy, in tow. Being unassuming and quiet, she hasn't had a real friend since before Ziggy was born, but she is quickly swept up in the tornado that is Madeline. Madeline's youngest child is starting school with Ziggy, and the two quickly bond over Jane's single motherhood, as headstrong Madeline had gone through the same challenges with her firstborn. Last in the trio is the gorgeous mother of twins Celeste, who always seems a bit distracted and nervous, never noticing how much attention she attracts. The three mothers find themselves in a tight-knit alliance when another mother in the primary school accuses Ziggy of being a bully, which starts a domino effect of mother-shaming throughout the community. Soon the women find themselves facing more challenges than just questioning mothers when the issues of domestic violence and sexual assault arise in their friendship. Throughout the book, a horrific event is alluded to; as Big Little Lies works its way from the start of their acquaintance to the big night and its aftermath, the reader is left wondering what lie in this intricately woven tale ultimately leads to death.
This is chick lit at its finest. The characters were well-developed, the story line was captivating, and the issues each of the women encounters were completely relatable and rang true to reality. I could totally believe Jane, Madeline, and Celeste were real Australian women grappling with problems in their personal lives among the watchful eyes of jealous moms in their primary school. I loved how Moriarty teased the big event at the start and then began working her way towards it from the point where the women met, and I liked that she continued the stories of the women until well after the event, so no loose ends were left straggling. I found the book intelligent and entertaining, and I'm very excited to see the TV series based on this book when it debuts on HBO.
Additionally, I think it would make a GREAT book club read, especially for groups with many mothers, as I think they could relate to a lot of the issues Big Little Lies brings up. ...more
I feel like I should start by saying that I was never a huge fan of Lena Dunham. I never really had a problem with her, and in fact admired her openneI feel like I should start by saying that I was never a huge fan of Lena Dunham. I never really had a problem with her, and in fact admired her openness and body-positive attitude, but I wasn't a huge fan of her work or had much interest in her life. However, as we are both feminists and contemporaries, I figured that reading her book was something I should just suck it up and do despite feeling rather ambivalent about her as a person. In short, I don't feel any differently about her than I did when I started the book.
She talks a lot about her life, as you would expect: her family, her time with therapists, her sexual awakening, her days at camp and college and getting her first job. Not being all that interested in her life, I was a bit underwhelmed. I was expecting humor or more of a feminist manifesto, but it was just kind of bland and uninteresting to me. It felt like I was reading about some wealthy Jewish classmate's childhood, and there really wasn't anything there to make me feel passionately about her life or experiences.
If you're a huge fan of Dunham and hang on her every word, I'm sure you've already read and loved this book, but if you're looking for anything other than a somewhat narcissistic 20-something's autobiography, Not That Kind of Girl has little to offer. ...more
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