Mimi
For the Read Harder Challenge, #10: Read a political thriller by a marginalized author (BIPOC, or LGBTQIA+). Intense. I hope there's a #2 coming.
A memoir, not really about birds or art per se, but how the study and observation of small things can enrich your life. Exactly the kind of calm book I felt like reading right now.
Just re-read and got all teared up at the end. When I first read this book in elementary school, I loved the details of how they survived on their own. Now I wonder why their grandfather had never seen them before. What happened in this family?!
Also, this was originally published in 1942, so counts as “a book published between 1900 and 1950” for the Read Harder Challenge.
Clever story, but oddly paced. The hidden ticking clock is meant to portend some imminent evil, and as the story builds, it seems that young Lewis is going to be in the thick of it. But then suddenly it's all over. What? Also, unfortunately, there's a lot of outdated name-calling–too many “fatso” and “fatty, fatty two-by-four” taunts.
I imagine these shortcomings will be corrected in the upcoming movie, and I definitely can see Jack Black as Uncle Jonathan. So, despite the two stars, not a waste of my reading time.
Pleasant. I enjoyed reading about the Disney/Parent Trap years, and the overall weirdness of growing up in a showbiz family. The book ends abruptly in the 1970s, though. Where'd she go after that?
Loved this book, even though I've never seen any of her TV shows. I wanted her year of yes to go on and on!
For Read Harder Challenge category “A book published posthumously.” These short stories were written in the 1960s, but the language and characters and issues feel so contemporary. Great writing is like that, I suppose. I listened to the audio version, which was very well done.
A terrific book. I knew nothing about Wonder Woman, really–never read the comics or watched the TV series–but the story behind her creation and creator is fascinating. It involves Margaret Sanger, early feminist endeavors, polyamory, and much more. Sobering to read that in the late 1930s, there was a firm belief among feminists that there would be a female president with 10-15 years. Then the 1950s happened, and it has taken us much longer to get there.
Surprisingly comfy sci-fi. I enjoyed the self-sufficiency elements, kind of like the Boxcar Children in Space.
For Read Harder challenge #22: Read a history about a period you know little about. Technically, this book covers a few periods I know little about, such as the horrible dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo in the Dominican Republic and the reign of Leopold II in the Congo. Dictators, tyrants, slave holders—they all loved their statues. I just happened to finish this book in the same week the last public Confederate monument in Richmond, VA, was removed. Progress.
For the Read Harder Challenge, #17: Read a memoir written by someone who is trans or nonbinary. A little hard to rate this. It's one of the earliest memoirs about transsexuality, I believe, written in the 1970s, so there's value in that. But the author comes across as classist and sexist, even for the times.
One could take issue with the many inconsistencies and superficial characters, but honestly–I couldn't put this down. I had to find out what happens to Molly.
For the 2018 Read Harder Challenge: A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries (Russia). I loved this book, with its unique story and characters who are affected by, but set apart from, the turmoil of Russia from 1922 to 1954. Well done.
DNF. Too many vague conversations, wandering plot lines, and random mythical characters. I made it until a crocodile attacked one of the villains–in northern England.
Great book, which I keep thinking about days after I finished. It's not only about the author's 76-year-old father and his decision to transition to being a woman, but also manages to be an absorbing history of WWII, Jews, and rampant anti-semitism in Hungary, which continues today. Oh, and feminism and abusive relationships and broader identity issues.
Very smart book reviews and essays. I enjoyed them all, even the ones about topics that were too British for me to understand.
A life reviewed through exercise trends. Ha—I recognized those Iyengar yoga poses immediately.
Had potential, but despite the quirky characters and unusual plot, it dragged after a while. Fulfills my Read Harder Challenge category of a debut novel.
For Read Harder Challenge #13, Read an adventure story by a BIPOC author. This is a book intended for young readers, but I loved it, and loved Amari. Clever and fun.