Chandler
Definitely not much of a comparison between the book and the show–I like what another Goodreads user wrote saying that the book and the tv show are more like distant cousins.
As for a review on the book, I think it does accomplish what it attempts. The author seems to focus more on the interpersonal, human element, especially focusing on the individual relationships between a few key characters. There were some sweet moments between the characters and I loved imagining the safety that one felt with their beloved. I don't think the book alone captivated me to keep reading. If I did keep reading, it would only be to see what is different between the book and the tv show. All in all, not a terrible read in and of itself, however, not necessarily for me.
A fascinating read supporting claims that I have heard from TikTokers and others. Linda Villarosa provides both statistical and anecdotal evidence to support the claim that the underlying racism (and the surrounding cultural and psychological impacts) are to blame for the medical disparity between those of different races in the United States. The book is well researched and well written. This is an interesting read for anyone looking to go into any medical field and for those looking for ways to combat/recognize racism in today's world.
Quotes:
“1. You are treated with less courtesy than other people are.
2. You are treated with less respect than other people are.
3. You receive poorer service than other people at restaurants or stores.
4. People act if as if they think you are not smart.
5. People act as if they are afraid of you.
6. People act as if they think you are dishonest.
7. People act as if they're better than you are.
8. You are called names or insulted.
9. You are threatened or harassed.”
“The United States has the highest rate of infant mortality and the lowest life expectancy in comparison with other wealthy countries. An American woman is more likely to die as a result of pregnancy and childbirth than women in other countries of comparable wealth. That rate is higher now than it was in the 1990s, even though most of these deaths of mothers are avoidable.”
“in recent years I have come to understand that much of what I believed about health disparities and inequality in the United States was wrong. The something that is making Black Americans sicker is not race per se, or the lack of money, education, information, and access to health services that can be tied to being Black in America. It is also not genes or something inherently wrong or inferior about the Black body. The something is racism.”
“To put it in the plainest terms, from birth to death the impact on the bodies of Black Americans of living in communities that have been harmed by long-standing racial discrimination, of a deeply rooted and dangerous racial bias in our health-care system, and of the insidious consequences of present-day racism affects who lives and who dies.”
“These factors create physical vulnerability and systemic disadvantages that education, income, and access to health care cannot erase. This inequality, born more than four hundred years ago and embedded in every structure and institution of American society, including the health-care system, is driving our country's poor national health outcomes relative to the rest of the developed world. It has taken me three decades of reporting on the health of African Americans and several disturbing personal medical crises to understand the ways discrimination and bias contribute to poor health outcomes primarily in African Americans, but in reality in all oppressed people.”
“If you really care about these issues and want to make a difference, you must not use race as a proxy for poverty or poverty as a proxy for race. They intersect and overlap, but to really understand the health of this country, you have to be more sophisticated than assuming that only poor Blacks are affected by this crisis. Look deeper, think differently.”
An interesting view into the life and experiences of a man who lost the ability to speak or move through an unknown sickness. Sitting in facilities for years with no one knowing that he was there, locked away in his body, unable to communicate or to do anything besides think.
The author focused a lot on hope, faith, and love. I liked the observations that he made about goals and about life, that communication is what makes us human, and that love has multiple forms–romantic, sexual, innocent, and platonic.
I do wish he would have covered more of his time as he lay in beds only able to sit, listen, and think. It would have been interesting to hear how his mind coped for those long 9 years. He does cover it a little with him just counting time, but I assume he did more than that.
A well-written memoir.
I think I've read maybe one or two graphic novels before... but this one was gay and cuuuute! It definitely reads with a juvenile tone and isn't always the most realistic way of speaking–at least I don't think I talked like the kids do in this story, although maybe I did. Some cute, soft queer boys who just love and flirt with each other.
Great art. I love and dream of stargazing and cooking with a cute boy with the obvious flirting and making out. I think we all deserve that.
Read for Salt Lake City Gay Men's Book Club
3.5/5 stars
I just finished a chemistry class and it was really interesting to read this as it details scientific information that detail the fields of chemistry and physics. Stephen Hawking does a great job making the concepts of such a large, complicated field seem approachable and easier to understand. I loved comparing what I learned in my chemistry class with what the book discussed, as almost everything was the same, except for the advances in sciences, so it was fun to see those differences.
I also found in incredibly interesting how Hawking was interested (at least in this book, I know nothing of his life or beliefs) in how science and God mix.
Very interesting read.
Beautiful word choice and paints the black community as taking very small wins (celebrating a birthday on different days—perhaps not even a real birthday, but just a reason to have a small celebration and break) and forging their community while suffering through the evils of slavery. I enjoyed seeing a fictional representation of the underground railroad and the potential historical situations that black individuals most likely faced. I did not enjoy how removed I was from the characters–I agree with other reviews that said that switching it to first-person-pov would have helped immensely. Additionally, it was jarring to switch in between the individuals and their stories.
This book is a great look into slavery, the south, and the hopes and realities of many black individuals. Not always the best writing overall, but beautiful words convey the harsh realities of history.
Quote:
“A reminder that she is only a human being for a tiny moment across the eternity of her servitude.”
“He wrung out every possible dollar. When black blood was money, the savvy business man knew to open every vein.”
“What a world, Cora thought, that makes a living prison into your only haven. Was she out of bondage or in its web: how to describe the status of a runaway? Freedom was a thing that shifted as you looked at it, the way a forest is dense with trees up close, but from outside, from the empty meadow, you see its true limits. Being free had nothing to do with chains or how much space you had. On the plantation she was not free, but she moved unrestricted on its acres, tasting the air and tracing the summer stars. The place was big in its smallness. Here, she was free of her master but slunk around a warren so tiny she couldn't stand.”
What an interesting book. While there is a story of some sort, Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle is just dripping in satire and a dry humor about the end of the world, religion, and the silliness of people. I don't think I even caught everything of what the author wanted to say about the world around him.
Is this book for everyone? Definitely not. It is strange, humorous but not in an overtly humorous fashion. I found myself agreeing with many of the points that Vonnegut buries in his text. Definitely worth another look at and to see what others have said about such an iconic read.
Quotes:
“Sometimes I wonder if he wasn't born dead. I never met a man who was less interested in the living. Sometimes I think that's the trouble with the world: too many people in high places who are stone-cold dead.”
“There is love enough in this world for everybody, if people will just look.”
“Live by the harmless untruths that make you brave and kind and healthy and happy.”
“Science is magic that works”
A truly shocking and abhorrent account of Jeffrey Epstein and the power that accompanies wealth in this world. This book is the account of the reporter that further exposed Jeffrey Epstein through her articles and video documentary in the Daily Herald. She gives an entertaining account of her life and experiences in those moments and the hard work that she did to find sources and evidence against Epstein. Julie K. Brown doesn't hold back and tells multiple stories of the victims of Epstein. Brown tells these stories with respect toward those involved.
This was a great book to read in order to understand the important role of journalism/journalists and the checks and balances that their work provide. It is so important to support this type of journalism and to regain trust in our news sources, for they provide an important service to the people of the world.
Great book, difficult subject matter.
I am new to the food world and this book was interesting to me as I expected it to be a letter to a young chef-beginner-like-me. I didn't know the name of Daniel Boulud, so I picked up the book. It definitely is not geared toward complete beginners or even home-cooks. Rather, it is a series of letters written to those interested in or aspiring to be in the actual restaurant world. Even so, this was an interesting look into food and into cooking. I loved the way that Boulud spoke about flavor and about each part of the cooking process—speaking with such passion, beauty, and love for the craft. Although not exactly what I wanted or related to, the information in this book was great to read.
10 Commandments of a Chef
1. Keep your knives sharp and take care of your tools
2. Work with the best people.
3. Keep your station orderly
4. Waste not!
5. Season with Precision
6. Master the heat
7. Learn the world of food
8. Know the classics
9. Accept criticism and push yourself
10. Keep a journal of your recipes
3.5/5 stars
Mostly enjoyable. Nothing really new here, but enjoyable. Probably the most important thing I learned and enjoyed was the section about self-confidence and how it should be more self-compassion than just delusional pride.
Main takeaways:
-Set goals
-Know yourself and what you want
- Connect with people and help each other out. Be friends.
- Volunteer two hours a week for more happiness
- Follow up and reach out to people
- Bad behavior works in the short term, but good behavior works in the long term.
- It's not a zero-sum game. All of us can succeed.
- Self-confidence should be self-compassion.
- WOOP: (Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan) Write down your wish, the outcome, any obstacles you may face, and how you'll overcome them
What is success? 1. Happiness 2. Achievement 3. Significance 4. Legacy
Quotes:
“Here's the problem: We love having choices. We hate making choices. Having choices means having possibilities. Making choices means losing possibilities. And having so many choices increases the chance of regret.”
“When you choose your pond wisely, you can best leverage your type, your signature strengths, and your context to create tremendous value. This is what makes for a great career, but such self-knowledge can create value wherever your choose.”
3.5/5 stars.
I thoroughly enjoyed the subject matter—obsession with orgasmic sex, being on the pill, beauty standards, and virginity. Great topics, but lacked some depth in parts. I enjoyed the author's take on society and standards between sexual partners and men & women. I do think there are better books out there that speak on the matter, but this is a quick, conversational take on some great topics.
Quotes:
“We lie because it makes our day-to-day lives easier; we lie to keep ourselves safe; we lie because no one believes us when we tell the truth. But most of all, we lie because the world expects us to live up to an impossible standard – and frequently, lying is the only way to get through life with our sanity intact. The question isn't whether women are trustworthy. The question is why women lie – and what those lies are trying to tell us.”
“Women lie because they're told, over and over again, that their truths are an impossibility. And – perhaps paradoxically – the best way to combat these everpresent falsehoods, the best way to get women to stop lying in the first place, is with trust, respect, and, above all, belief.“
Robin DiAngelo writes about White Fragility, a term coined by her. DiAngelo is a diversity and racism consultant for businesses and individuals. The book is largely told through her experiences and what she has learned through her work. Wonderfully written and a great place to start recognizing racist behaviors and the reality of living in a racist system.
Quotes:
“If we block out other realities by not discussing them, we can pretend that they don't exist.”
“Stopping our racist patterns must be more important than working to convince others that we don't have them. We do have them.”
Much like other self-help/business books, this book is replete with repetition and self aggrandizement. It is bloated and about 250+ pages too long.
Essentially the book tells the story of OKRs (which stands for Objectives and Key Results) and how one can use them to prioritize tasks, promote teamwork, keep accountability, and stretch for new amazing goals and successes.
Teach me the ways of how to make OKRs, don't just tell me cool stories about different companies. This genre is not the right one for me.
Kekla Magoon presents a beautifully crafted, well-researched piece of historical text that details the origins, history, and legacy of the Black Panther Party. I didn't know much about the BPP, but I really enjoyed reading about the creation of such a special social movement and moment in history.
Starting from the earliest moment in black history through the human rights movements and the FBI's involvement with the introduction of drugs and violence, to the Black Lives Matter movement, the Black Panther Party was a powerful group and such a wonderful organization to learn about. I can't believe how young members of the BPP were with the average age of members being 19. Absolutely amazing.
Would love to keep learning about black history and historical
Enjoyed finishing one book filled with recommendations of other books. While this is not a story of any kind and is actually just a list of book recommendations, Michiko Kakutani, now-retired literary critic for The New York Times, delivers a wonderful spread of books, old and new, that are especially pertinent in today's world to either read or be reread either for the magic of reading or to learn/create a better world for tomorrow. Kakutani delivers a succinct review of each book, each filled with beautiful language and interesting connections to both historical and contemporary events.
I love reading books about books and reading. Kakutani's prologue was a love letter to books and reading from a literary critic and is one that every one–reader and non-reader alike–should read to understand what reading is and why it is so beloved and important in our world.
Quotes:
“The pleasure of reading,' Virginia Woolf wrote, “is so great that one cannot doubt that without it the world would be a far different and far inferior place from what it is. Reading has changed the world and continues to change it.' In fact, she argued, the reason we have grown from apes to men and left our caves and dropped our bows and arrows and sat round the fire and talked, and given to the poor and helped the sick, the reason why we have made shelter and society out of the wastes of the desert and the tangle of the jungle is simply this: we have loved reading.”
“Today in our contentious and fragmented world, reading matters more than ever. For one thing, books offer the sort of in-depth experience that's increasingly rare in our distracted, ADD age. Be it the sense of magical immersion offered by a compelling novel or the deep meditative thinking triggered by a wise or provocative work of non-fiction. Books can open a startling window on history. They can give us an all-access pass to knowledge both old and new
Most of all, books can catalyze empathy. Something more and more precious in our increasingly polarized and tribal world. ‘Reading,' Gene Reeves once wrote, ‘makes immigrants of us all. It takes away from home, but more important, it finds homes for us everywhere.'“
[Reading] does what education and travel do. It exposes us to a multiplicity of voices and viewpoints. Literature, as the David Foster Wallace has pointed out, gives the reader, marooned in her own skull, imaginative access to other selves.”
Like other reviewers mentioned, not what I was expecting from the book. I suppose the title should have tipped me off in regard to the cheat sheets. The cheat sheets were over a variety of topics and had interesting tidbits, but as the author mentions in the first couple pages, this book is not one that you read cover to cover, but rather dip into when you need a cheat sheet about a given topic.
I would much rather just read books about those topics and learn more information. The book was written in a witty, humorous way, which could be entertaining to some. I found it annoying and it made me trust the author's credibility as much.
Fun for some, interesting tidbits, not one I would ever pick up again.
More fit for the tv screen for me. I didn't super enjoy the multiple POVs as it made it difficult to remember who people were or why I cared to be reading the chapter. I mostly liked the chapters told from Sophie's perspective and the husbands.
It was fine. It didn't do much for me but I can see why it would be turned into a Netflix show. I would still like to see the show.
Listened to audiobook read by the author.
Shonda Rhimes describes her Year of Yes and the lessons that came of it. I really enjoyed the audiobook. I saw other reviews that described the annoying writing style. The audiobook is much better as it came across as a conversation with the author, which is what she mentions in the book. This isn't a fancy, polished work of art, but rather an honest, straightforward look into Rhimes' life. A brilliant woman who has achieved much. I loved the audiobook as they incorporated actual recordings from the speeches that she gave at a variety of events.
Not perfect, but it achieves what it aimed to do
Quotes
“There is no list of rules. There is one rule. The rule is: there are no rules. Happiness comes from living as you need to, as you want to. As your inner voice tells you to. Happiness comes from being who you actually are instead of who you think you are supposed to be. Being traditional is not traditional anymore. It's funny that we still think of it that way. Normalize your lives, people. You don't want a baby? Don't have one. I don't want to get married? I won't. You want to live alone? Enjoy it. You want to love someone? Love someone. Don't apologize. Don't explain. Don't ever feel less than. When you feel the need to apologize or explain who you are, it means the voice in your head is telling you the wrong story. Wipe the slate clean. And rewrite it. No fairy tales. Be your own narrator. And go for a happy ending. One foot in front of the other. You will make it.”
While I love some of the music and themes and moral questions brought up in the play and in this book, I think there are much better ways to talk about mental health, sexuality, and suicide. It's a fine starting point and was for me when I was dealing with suicidal thoughts, but now analyzing the work from a different point of view, it could be better.
An intriguing look into the semi-anonymous data that came from the internet. This book was written in 2010 and has some outdated concepts and data. The conclusions to which the researchers arrive are somewhat speculative and lack foundation in some parts. However, for the most part, an interesting read. I would love an updated version of this book.
Enlightening and enjoyable.
Fantastic work on Asexuality and the Ace community. Enjoyed the new views that this book shared and its commentary on sexuality, compulsory sexuality, and the world.
“Liberated sexuality–that is, sexuality free from social shaming–can look like promiscuity or it can look like celibacy.” (p. 59)
“It seems that the message is ‘we have liberated our sexuality, therefore we must now celebrate it and have as much sex as we want,'” says Jo, an ace policy worker in Australia. “Except ‘as much sex as we want' is always lots of sex and not no sex, because then we are oppressed, or possibly repressed, and we're either not being our true authentic selves, or we haven't discovered this crucial side of ourselves that is our sexuality in relation to other people, or we haven't grown up properly or awakened yet.” (p. 54)
“Sexual attraction, then, is horniness toward or caused by a specific person [or gender]. It is the desire to be sexual with that partner–libido with a target. To use a food metaphor: a person can feel physiological hunger, which would be like the sex drive, without craving a specific dish, which would be more like sexual attraction. And just as people have different sex drives, they also experience different levels of sexual attraction.” (p. 21)
“If aces make a big deal out of being ace and demand to be recognized, if we have created groups of our own, it is because we want a place away from sexual pressure. If we fight for visibility and change, it is because we want that pressure to be lifted for others too.” (p. 45)
I know I am not the target audience for this book. I am a bit too old for it. However, the book lost itself about halfway through. Very little actual plot. Perhaps it was to drive home the “clues within clues” bit, but because we don't see the main antagonists until the very end, the actual tension doesn't increase. I was bored of watching the kids go from place to place, have a near escape, and then get together and try again. Some of the characters are forgettable and flat, so I cared even less to read their individual adventure, especially since it really didn't amount to much. Finn, Philby, Charlene, Amanda, and Jess are great. Willa is forgettable and Maybeck is a token black character, that the author doesn't know what to do with–bringing up real struggles of being black and addressing racial issues, but then just lets the issue fizzle out and not go anywhere and the other characters kind of laugh it off. I get that this was written in 2010 and is a kid's story and the characters are children, however, it seems more could have been done with Willa and Maybeck. Overall, the narrative could have been streamlined and had more buildup to the actual confrontation. I skimmed the last 150 pages and honestly, they weren't really needed.
Overall the weakest of the Kingdom Keepers books so far. I'm intrigued by the premise, so I will continue to read the books. I also don't think the author does a good job describing or clueing in the readers that have never been to Disney World. He names a ride and then just proceeds to describe very specific details of the ride without actually describing the ride and the setting.