Sarah
NEWS FLASH THIS BOOK WILL NOT CAUSE YOUR TEENAGER OR YOUNG ADULT TO SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUST OR, I DON'T KNOW, WHAT DO THEY THINK IS GOING TO HAPPEN IF WE DON'T STOP THEM READING THINGS?? But seriously, let's stop with that nonsense. I appreciated this memoir a ton, but I did feel like there were some jarring jumps in the storyline and an abrupt ending that made the narrative feel wonky. And I don't at all agree with book banning, but I do think this book was targeted to adults and not teens, so I can see that some of the sex stuff like the part with the strap on could make parents be like “what?” THAT BEING SAID no, don't ban it!!!! Have! Conversations! About! It!
This book has been my latest entertainment during my commutes to and from school. I wanted something funny after the depressing and violent Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. For the most part, this book was hilarious. Amy's commentary on everything from creepy old stuffed animals of hers to her love life to her crazy family had me laughing out loud to myself in the car constantly.
What I hadn't expected were the serious and sad parts mixed in. Amy talked about her Dad's struggle with MS, her relationship with her Mom, her sexual assault in her teenage years, and, very movingly, gun violence. I didn't expect the chapter dedicated to gun violence and the two girls killed at a screening of her film, but it was very moving and made me cry while on the expressway, which, for the record, I don't recommend trying.
I loved the chapter on being an Introvert as well, it was so wonderful to see such a prominent celebrity admit that they aren't super extroverted and social like celebs are “supposed to” be. I related so much to that chapter and it was so cool to know that even some celebrities are just as introverted as you are.
Overall, Amy's book was amazing. It was hilarious throughout, with some truly heartbreaking and devastating moments here and there. Amy always managed to bring a little humor into the sad parts, even when discussing her rape and her parents. I'm really really glad I read this and got to listen to Amy read it herself because it was such an insightful and humorous read despite the heavier moments throughout.
It was interesting as an introduction to modern witchcraft and seeing what that looked like. Unfortunately Covid put a damper on a lot of Diana's plans and thus what we would end up seeing. I am curious what this book would have looked like in 2019 or now as we get further post-covid. I did find myself getting annoyed with the author at times when she seemed indecisive. I also thought that for all her attempts at cultural sensitivity at some points, at others she seemed to ignore that.
Okay, so this wasn't the most amazingly written book or anything, but it was so, so good. I adore the two main characters and there were many points throughout where I laughed out loud at their interactions. They made an amazing and wonderfully entertaining couple, and the whole story was incredibly entertaining. This is definitely one of my favorite books now. The characters were so fun and so likeable, and the various settings throughout were amazing. This isn't a masterpiece work of classic literature, but it's so good and so entertaining in its own right that I had to give it 5 stars because of how much fun I had reading it. Can't wait to read the next one!
I found it really difficult to get into this book. I disliked the beginning and didn't really care for the set up of the story. It felt too cliche and stupid, to be honest. It felt like everything was just happening too easily, like Tamlin just took Feyre away too easily and no one really fought back. I was rolling my eyes throughout the first few chapters. But then it got much better and I couldn't put the book down. I didn't think it was that great overall, but I enjoyed reading it. It was fun and entertaining and a quick read. I'm giving it three starts because I did like the book, and I liked reading it, I just didn't think it was as great as it was hyped up to be. It was a decent Beauty and the Beast retelling, and I liked it better than some of the ones that I've read in the past.
I never thought about how resting could be a form of resisting capitalism and “grind culture” and this just makes so much sense. Especially for those who say they don't have time to rest, to take breaks, to take care of themselves. Giving yourself even just a minute's rest is taking a step to push back and say that you are not a machine.
The organization was a little wonky and it felt repetitive at times, but I loved the overall message.
My library puts a paper in the front of every book for people to leave reviews/comments for other readers to see. The review in this one hurt my heart and made me pick up the book to read it.
It said: “I saw myself and I got help.” ❤️
I loved someone with severe OCD and wish I read this while we were together. OCD is a tough mental illness to understand from the outside and this really did a good job of illustrating how the intrusive thoughts and compulsions work. It can be hard to know how to be there for someone experiencing OCD sometimes. But I think the graphic format here lends itself well to fostering a better understanding of the OCD experience.
Soooo many thoughts about this book. I recently watched Harry & Meghan's docuseries on Netflix and was floored by how much it changed my mind about them. I had already planned on reading Spare, but now I went into it even more open-minded than I might have before. And now, I'm a total convert. Listening to Harry read the book was a game changer - just reading it wouldn't have felt quite the same. He sounded so raw and genuine and earnest in getting his story out there.
I liked the beginning and the end, but part II about his military career was a bit too long and drawn out. I appreciate how much the military shaped him and such but I got the point after a while.
Clearly, a huge takeaway that you could get within the first few pages is the profound effect two things had on him - his mother's death and the paps. This is heavily repeated throughout to the point where I was like yes, okay, I get it Harry. But, this book is clearly therapeutic for him and who am I to judge that? As someone who grew up with loads of exposure to the royals from my British side of the family, I am invested in Harry and his happiness and am so happy to see him finally figuring things out and getting to a place where he can be happy.
