sneha
the ending was super predictable, a few chapters could have been trimmed to maintain the pace.
it's a fun chill laid back book. feels very contemporary and real characters. Alicia is clearly a serial killer connoisseur :P
I started this book because I liked FRIENDS and Chandler was a fun character. Just a few years ago I found out that Matthew Perry had a long hard battle with his disease of addiction. So when I heard about his book, I wanted to learn more about his journey, his struggles and (if) how they overcame the disease.
But right from the snippets I read about his memoir, I was a bit worried. The unnecessary attack on Keanue Reeves (how dare you) and the way he talked about Jen Aniston, has be a bit worried. But then again, I thought maybe its the media taking things out of context to create sensational news.
Nope.
The first few pages of the book are really solid. 50 pages in, I was hoping this book to go quite well. The back and forth about his surgery and his childhood seemed to intertwine well. His fears of abandonment and retrospective look at his folks felt vulnerable and raw. I was genuinely enjoying it. But somewhere near the 30% mark shit went south and it only got worse.
I see a lot of reviews mention that the book needed much better editing but that's only the start of the problem. The redundancy in the stories, repetition of the same instances, heck even the same sentences was truly exhausting.
Then there is his words and takes and thoughts. Maybe its just me but the way he talked about every single women in the book was so off putting and borderline concerning. It's hard to summarise here but it left a bad taste. It seemed that the only good parts of this book were when he was pretending to be Chandler Bing telling his story but it lacked the vulnerability, honestly and humour.
[ I consumed the audible series for the book so reviews are based on that ]
the amount of unnecessary misogyny and sexists BS really annoyed the fck out of me. i understand it's a “product of its time” but it was really unnecessary and so forced? I wanted to like it but just couldn't. also the narration for audible original was all over the place and not a pleasant experience. what could have been a lovely series was tainted.
the prettiest and coziest book of 2022. it's truly a labour of love. the art, the story, the writing. I'm so excited to read more of Christy's work ^_^
the voices for both the characters with so well written. star child feels like a blanket of empathy
this was a much better reflection on relationships, families and how they change over time. what a lovely little story. audible original :)
beautiful images leaving me with mixed emotions.
will write a long piece on favourite images (and not so fav pieces) soon.
A man with no job, gambling habit, brusied ego and violent tendancies kills his wife. Genuinely upset for the wife who had to live with this shitty dude for so many years and never really got the peace she deserved. Glad he rots in jail.
If you ask me about what this book is about, I wouldn't be able to answer but it is worth all your time and effort so read it please?
The book is quite nice. A celebration of Goa, its history and culture. I didn't enjoy it much – that's it.
actual rating 3.5/5
I loved the setting, the characters, the back and forth. very fun holiday cozy book. after reading beartown, this is a very different small town experience.
tell me why - these writers give up in last two chapters. this isn't even the first time i am dealing with this. you spend (and make me spend) all this time to deliver a lack luster ending insulting both our effort, why?!
sometimes you have an opinion on someone, you think it's your own original thought. but dig a little, and you can see your internal misogyny rearing that nasty head. I think that was me with Em Rata.
I liked her essay on “Buying Myself Back” but still penned it as a “one-time thing” that worked because of how personal and vulnerable her voice felt.
My fear about going into My Body was that it would feel semi “woe is me”, and the rest would be unrelatable problems of womanhood.
Emily's essays ARE personal, and the nuance she brings to the topics of body, sexuality, capitalism, patriarchy, and self-hate feel universal. I was reading this book while also listening to the audiobook and I could feel her words processing the world around her and inside of her. It wasn't a stream of conscious “I had a mildly interesting life” narrative.
I enjoyed some essays more than others but overall, this book is very much worth the hype.
rounded off from 3.5
This book Knive's Outs at 50% mark, and I lowkey enjoyed it. Compared to the other two in this trilogy, the plot struggled for the first 30%. Pip's character felt too unbearable in parts, and the story felt all over the place. The whole “full-circle” theme started piecing together 60% onwards and ended in a satisfactory way. I am glad I pushed through and finished what i started a very long long time ago. I still don't think Pip's action and personality align in this whole book. The person she was last two books and this one just doesn't make sense. And her “penance” did not match the crime iykyk.
This collection of Anton Chekhov stories cover a lot of themes and give a glimpse into the people in his time; their lives, behaviour and thought processes.
While most stories revolve around relationship of man and woman; either blooming love or sour marriage or cheating spouse, there is always a very real human thought process that is explored.
Stories of young adults and their thirst for adventures are also covered well.
for all hype around this book, I found this to be ... lacklustre. and incredibly self-indulgent.
A very typical Andre Aciman piece of work. You can quite literally hear him typing each word out. It felt like a rambling of a heartbroken art student in the best way possible. The performance made this a good one to listen to. Riding that free audible book wave until I get my new credits.
Ah, this was really refreshing.
A self-bettering book that does not drag the info forever but tells you exactly why it is beneficial and how you can do it right now. When Bailey says this is a “meditation retreat” he meant it. Chris really uses the audio format to puncture the narration with short meditation sessions to get you acquainted with the subject matter. his science-backed claims coupled with real-life anecdotes drills the argument. I found myself rewinding and jotting down notes on my app which was a first for any audiobook. worth your time and effort, plus it's a free book with an audible subscription. <3 Makes me want to pick and read more Chris Bailey!