Terri
I read this when I was just beginning my ancient Egypt studies, as I found it in the public domain due to its age. I know now that Budge is not the most reputable or reliable source of information on ancient Egypt, but as a beginner's introduction I found this enjoyable.
A very brief read, comprised mainly of what are now very well-known quotes. “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise”, etc.
I received a free digital ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
“Keys To An Empty House” tells the story of Elihu Goulding, a 60 year old ex-author who believes that he peaked in his 20s with his two bestsellers. Living off the royalties of his success, Eli spends his years hopping between homes in the country and city, with nothing to do but read and wander. However, he soon receives a wake up call when the son he never met shows up at his doorstep wanting to learn more.
My opinion on this book flip-flopped with each chapter. First, I found the writing style off-putting and frustrating to get into. I was eventually able to find my flow, but the abrupt sentences and the strange 3rd person stream of consciousness narration distracted from the story.
The parts that I found most enjoyable were descriptions of the characters' routines, but in all honesty I found that there was too much unnecessary detail elsewhere. One example is the multi-page description of Eli's relationship with Bart, which is never made relevant throughout the story other than a brief “scare” when they almost run into each other. Several pages were spent on this, and in describing Eli's masturbatory and sexual habits when it was simply irrelevant to the plot.
There is little dialogue in this novel until the end, which honestly works in its favor. When the dialogue does begin, it's unnatural and unnerving. No one uses contractions, they speak as though they were working on a theater piece, and there's an abundance of 50-cent words (vicissitudes, bivouac, erstwhile, peripatetic - just to name a few).
All in all, this was intriguing enough for me to commit to reading it fully, but not something I would seek out or recommend.
Read this completely by chance from a library ebook recommendation and very glad I did. The writing style is playful, easy to become immersed in - which I was, from the beginning - and every character is vibrant and well defined.
My only qualm was that I found Fanny more interesting than Linda, and wished that the story centered more around her.
Would recommend, and would re-read.
An excellent selection of short stories from around the world. Some were familiar (The Yellow Wallpaper, The Garden-Party, The Lady With The Toy Dog), others were new to me and a pleasant surprise. My favorites were: The Grasshopper and the Bell Cricket, The Prussian Officer, Bartleby the Scrivener, The Necklace, The Garden-Party and The Yellow Wallpaper.
The stories included in this collection are:
- Bartleby the Scrivener - Herman Melville
- The Necklace - Guy de Maupassant
- The Death of Ivan Ilych - Leo Tolstoy
- The Man Who Would Be King - Rudyard Kipling
- The Yellow Wallpaper - Charlotte Perkins Gilman
- The Fortune-Teller - Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis
- The Lady With The Toy Dog - Anton Chekhov
- How Old Timofei Died With A Song - Rainer Maria Rilke
- The Path To The Cemetery - Thomas Mann
- The Prussian Officer - DH Lawrence
- Araby - James Joyce
- Mrs Frola and Mr Ponza - Luigi Pirandello
- The Mark On The Wall - Virginia Woolf
- A Hunger Artist - Franz Kafka
- The Garden-Party - Katherine Mansfield
- The Grasshopper and the Bell Cricket - Yasunari Kawabata
- A Clean, Well-Lighted Place - Ernest Hemingway
- The Sacrificial Egg - Chinua Achebe
- A & P - John Updike
- Borges And I - Jorge Luis Borges
Likely the definitive source of information on the Barometz, aka the Vegetable Lamb of Tartary. The first half of the book dives into the origins of the legend, along with possible explanations for it and various mentions of it throughout history.
The second half of the book covers the history of cotton - the origin of the myth - and I found it to be less relevant to the research I'm doing, so I wasn't as interested.
There is also a detailed Appendix containing quotes, sources, and brief biographies.
This is now one of my favorite books. I could re-read it, much in the same way I could re-read The Picture of Dorian Gray. It was wonderfully descriptive, and oddly motivational in the way it described Olivia's studies and love of learning. Her self-discovery was also relatable, and I was touched by her growth as a character.
As someone who intends to live a long and full life, I relate to this book far too deeply. I've read it at least four times since I was fifteen, and always in times of great depression. Somehow knowing that I'm not alone in my thoughts serves to break me out of the fog.
I'm sure I'll turn to it again in the future, though I hope the stretches of time between reads grow further apart.
I adored this book and I'm not sure how I hadn't read it sooner. Where Wuthering Heights left me frustrated and disappointed, Jane Eyre soothed my soul. Not only was Jane a likable and oftentimes relatable character, but the romance was genuine.
I know many people fail to see the romance between Jane and Rochester, and that's their prerogative. I personally did not see any romance in Wuthering Heights despite the universal claim. But something about the rapport between Jane and Rochester reminded me of my boyfriend and myself. Two independent, stubborn people who respect each other enough to enjoy a conversational back-and-forth. They share little inside joke insults but share a tenderness for each other that is rare for them.
Something about this book exudes womanhood, and I loved it.
Better than the second book, but my three-star rating is more because the series was over and I feel a sense of accomplishment at having finished it rather than any love for the story itself. Once again, I just cannot feel any sort of connection to Lyra. I'd rather have read three books about the daemons and panserbjørn without Lyra involved.
The pacing of this just felt off, and I felt no connection with any of the characters. It was enjoyable as an easy thriller read, but if I knew now what the story was like, I wouldn't have bothered.
I absolutely loved this book, and I can honestly say that it changed me in some small way. I finished reading it and felt a sense of emotional clarity and motivation that I haven't felt in a while. Nora's character is deeply relatable, and I saw myself reflected in her desire to craft a perfect life at the expense of herself.
I enjoyed this, though I probably shouldn't have read it when I did because it set my heartrate off. It wasn't as good as World War Z, but it was better than I expected. Brooks really knows how to write convincing dialogue, it didn't feel forced or hokey at any point, and he accurately captured the misplaced confidence of city dwellers in the face of emergency.
A likeable protagonist, a genuine plot twist (that I didn't see coming), and a little bit of romance sprinkled in. Overall, an enjoyable read.
The first two chapters of dense biographical information that I didn't care about just put me off. By the time I got to the letters themselves, I had lost interest. Might come back to this later after familiarizing myself more with Nabokov's works.
Torn between 3 and 4 stars, but going with 4 because I did binge-read this and would recommend it to someone else in search of a juicy binge-read.
My main qualm with this book is that it's just one of many recent thrillers that hinges on the (female) protagonist being an alcoholic. I feel like there are more creative ways to create an unreliable narrator/lead, and frankly, it makes the twists frustratingly predictable.
One of the best self-improvement books I've read in a long time. Not only was Kwik's writing style friendly and approachable, but all of the methods he outlines are realistic and actually work. Just the first few chapters changed the way I viewed my daily routine for the better.
As a perpetual self-directed learner, I was excited about this book and hoping that it wouldn't just rehash Young's blog content into a more long-winded form. Thankfully, it delivers!
In short, Ultralearning is well-written. For a lifestyle/productivity book surprisingly un-preachy, self-aware, and engaging. In fact, I'm unsure what to label this book as because while it does fit in with productivity and self-help, Ultralearning celebrates the process of learning rather than mindless productivity.
I am a speed reader, but I found myself slowing down to take in every chapter of this book. This was definitely a refreshing change from the writing style of other lifestyle and productivity gurus who tout “hustle” culture with a disturbing lack of self-awareness. Young acknowledges that not everyone may have the time or resources to commit to certain levels of learning, then provides alternatives and a framework that allows anyone to adapt his methods to their own situation.
In my opinion, Ultralearning provides a similar level of value as Fluent Forever.
I spent a year of my life reading this book (yeah, you read that correctly).
Do I regret it? No.
Will I ever be able to leave the house without the words “Sun-disk” permeating my brain? Also no.
Gripping, well written, and heartbreaking. I genuinely did not see the twist coming because I was so enthralled in the story.
Binge-read this in just a couple hours, found myself tearing up at the end. The concept was well-executed and as a self-proclaimed music history nerd I found myself wondering at several points throughout the book whether or not The Six WAS a real band that I had just never heard of.
Didn't expect to like this one as much as I did!
All I really have to say about this book is that it was captivating. I felt invested in the characters, and while it does require suspension of disbelief (who allows their child to wander NYC alone in the aftermath of 9/11?) it is still enjoyable, and heartbreaking in the best way.
A dark academia mystery/thriller filled with unique characters - some likeable, others...not so much. And a genuine twist. Definitely would recommend.
