I saw this book at the library and instantly recognized the author as the winner of one season on America's Next Top Model. Nyle is deaf, yet he was sI saw this book at the library and instantly recognized the author as the winner of one season on America's Next Top Model. Nyle is deaf, yet he was so charming and friendly on that show that he made a friend and I want to learn sign language (this never panned out, although we did make inquiries about lessons!). I didn't realize he'd written a book, nor did I realize he'd been on Dancing with the Stars after ANTM, but I picked up this book and dove in, eager to read. It was great!
This is not just a memoir but really more of a love letter to the Deaf community and sharing ways in which the community is similar, and then ways in which it's different, from the hearing community. He talks about his childhood, his time on the two reality shows, and how his life has been shaped and affected by his deafness.
This was a surprisingly good read! I don't think you need to be familiar with him from a reality show to enjoy this book, although it certainly helped. He did a great job detailing both problems and benefits of being deaf, and I loved how positive he was overall about everything. The fact that he was able to figure out a way to dance for Dancing with the Stars despite not being able to hear musical cues is amazing, and I loved the little tidbits he included about benefits of being deaf and having to do everything by an internal rhythm instead of to music and how his timing was still spot on with the music off while hearing dancers sometimes got thrown off. There was also a tidbit in here about how he and his brother threw parties after his mom went to sleep, knowing she wouldn't be able to hear them.
There was so much in here about the Deaf community that I didn't realize before reading this. The whole history of how Deaf schools came to be, the attempts to phase out sign language and force everyone to talk regardless of whether they could hear, and how things are now changing. I also found it fascinating (and occasionally sad) to read about Deaf kids who grew up in a hearing family and weren't fluent in ASL from a young age, instead learning when they were older and how it's apparent to other Deaf people that their signing isn't at the same level of fluency because it's just not second nature! It was also interesting to hear how signing differs from regular spoken English and how you can technically sign "exact English" but that's not ASL.
I feel like I came away from this book with a better understanding and appreciation for this culture that exists both parallel and yet completely entangled with the hearing world. The author is still fairly young, so I'm looking forward to seeing what other projects are in his future and how he can continue to inspire! Great read!...more
This was a short book, obviously put out as a joke to capitalize on the "Dr. Rick" ads from Progressive where he teaches people how not to turn into tThis was a short book, obviously put out as a joke to capitalize on the "Dr. Rick" ads from Progressive where he teaches people how not to turn into their parents. The commercials are always entertaining, and when I saw this book advertised somewhere (likely on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ) and available for free on Kindle, I eagerly dove in.
This is not amazing 100% of the time, but it's entertaining throughout and made me laugh out loud enough that I decided it's worthy of 5 stars. The directions in here were absolutely hysterical at times, to the point where I had to read some of it out loud to share the humor! For example, there's a quiz at the very beginning of this book that asks, "When you pass a construction worker, what should you say?"One of the (wrong) answers is "Workin' hard or hardly workin'?" I started laughing at that point and didn't stop until the book ended.
The sections in here are hilarious, including photos of stances and postures that you should never imitate, how to properly socialize and tell stories, places where it's inappropriate to take naps, and how to fasten accessories to your body. There are "quick tips" in between the chapters with funny tips ("Just because it's free..."). Whoever put this book together did a great job. Nice quick read, absolutely ridiculous, but so funny! ...more
Frigg is a young female dwarf who dreams of more adventure than she'll ever be allowed, thanks to the rules for the roles of males and females in NadaFrigg is a young female dwarf who dreams of more adventure than she'll ever be allowed, thanks to the rules for the roles of males and females in Nadavir, her underground dwarf colony, which is rapidly expanding thanks to all the magical creatures seeking refuge there. After trolls attack the colony and capture all the males, Frigg narrowly escapes with a few friends and they set off on a journey to find a legendary dwarf colony called Anasgar in the hopes that the dwarfs there will help them defeat the trolls and recapture Nadavir.
This is such a fun book! It reminded me a lot of the Oz books, especially with the group of different magical creatures (a dwarf, an elf, a faery, and a unicorn) banding together to travel toward a place they've only heard of in myths, hoping it still exists and that its inhabitants will be helpful. I liked the friendships between the four main characters, who all sparkled with their own personalities, and I loved the way Frigg was searching for assistance while also recognizing the strength and ingenuity already inside herself.
The story moved forward at a nice pace, and I really enjoyed Frigg's journey. The characters she met along the way were fun, the world was entertainingly magical, and the dialogue between the characters was very engaging. This is definitely a book that will be enjoyed by middle grade readers! I enjoyed it as an adult, but I think reading it when younger would have been even more enjoyable. Looking forward to the next installment in this series!
I received a free copy of this book to review. ...more
I borrowed this book from someone who had really talked it up, and even though it didn't necessarily seem like something I might have read on my own, I borrowed this book from someone who had really talked it up, and even though it didn't necessarily seem like something I might have read on my own, I was curious about the story in here. This is a memoir by an author who grew up on Kauai as a "haole" (white person), at a time when the island had very few white people. Her parents were supposedly hippies but really just irresponsible people who wanted to spend their days surfing and getting high, had kids despite not actually wanting to take care of them, and didn't care how their wants impacted the kids. The author chronicled the difficulties of growing up as an outsider on Kauai and how life was made even more difficult by the constant moving, poverty, and additional responsibilities she was given in her family.
At the beginning, I wasn't sure if the writing style would resonate with me. The author opened each chapter with an age and location and then spent the chapter sharing stories from that age/place. It dropped me into the world immediately and I was at first confused about what was going on. As the book went on, however, I liked the writing more and found myself appreciating the style that she wrote this in and her ability to revisit and describe moments that was certainly not pleasant memories. I was definitely sucked into the story and could feel the draw of the island of Kauai but also the frustrations that came with growing up as she did.
While I did enjoy the writing in here and found the story quite interesting, this was also a frustrating book to read, mostly because of how much I really hated the author's parents. They had absolutely no interest in being real parents, which the author acknowledges later in the book, and often passed their own responsibilities off onto the author and her siblings. One egregious example was when her dad decided he didn't want to work full time so he cut his own hours down and then the author's mom, the author, and her younger sister were all expected to do "chores" that were basically picking up the slack for him and doing the rest of his actual work while he got drunk or surfed. It was infuriating to read this kind of situation time and time again.
One thing that I think is tough in memoirs is to actually tell a story that others are interested in reading, especially if the author is not already a well-known person. After all, everyone feels like they have a memoir inside of them, but not everyone is interested in the lives of everyone else. In this regard, I think the author succeeded in telling an interesting story, bringing Kauai of years ago to life and also shedding light on how poverty and race (which varies depending where you live) affects kids. Interesting read overall and nicely done by the author, albeit not the most happy of books. ...more
Sadie and Sam are childhood friends who reconnect when in college. They used to play video games together, and Sadie is now studying video game designSadie and Sam are childhood friends who reconnect when in college. They used to play video games together, and Sadie is now studying video game design. She gives Sam a disk with her current project on it, and soon the two of them are collaborating on games and releasing massively popular ones that make their mark on the world. As the years go on, their partnership and friendship struggles but they both care about the other and about the worlds they’ve built together.
I’d heard rave reviews of this book, so I must be in the minority when I say that it was good at times but really dragged overall. The author did write parts of this in new ways, clearly challenging herself to tell a story in a form that hasn’t been used before (changing narrators, describing life as played in a video game, etc.), which I thought was clever but didn’t always work for me. The main problem, I think, is that the book seemed to drag and felt incredibly long despite not actually being overly long. I did enjoy parts of this, but it overall didn’t resonate with me as much as I’d have liked, and I found the characters, as a whole, somewhat unlikable. At one point, the author notes that art (video games, in this case) isn’t made by happy people since they don’t have the singular focus to push these great projects out, and that made me smile since it did seem to acknowledge the personality traits I’d already noticed. However, it didn’t make me care about the characters any more!
The story in here was interesting, and I did like the descriptions of the different games that they created and why some seemed to take off while others fell flat. I enjoyed seeing how the ideas for the games were brainstormed and how they were brought into existence, as well as the behind the scenes arguments about how to tweak and market them. The author also did a nice job of showing the changing relationships between the characters (even if they were annoying at times) and how they all excelled in the roles they filled for the company.
I finished this a bit ambivalent about what I’d read; the fairly vague, open ending didn’t help much (I’ve read other books by this author and, if I remember correctly, this is fairly normal for her work). This was definitely more of a character-driven book, depicting their lives over the years while collaborating, and not a plot-driven novel. Clearly others got a lot more out of this than me, and I wish I’d been as captivated as those readers instead of just finding this decent but not amazing. ...more
Elizabeth Zott is a chemist, but in the 1950’s and 60s, women scientists aren’t respected or often even accepted in this role. She accepts a job from Elizabeth Zott is a chemist, but in the 1950’s and 60s, women scientists aren’t respected or often even accepted in this role. She accepts a job from the one place that extends an offer to her, and there she meets a fellow scientist who falls in love with her for her mind. Years later, she’s now a struggling single mom and accepts a job offer to teach cooking on TV, but she refuses to teach the audience in the expected “demure housewife� way and instead uses her slot to teach viewers about the chemistry behind food, in the process inspiring a number of women to push themselves to do more in life than what society has been telling them they’re capable of.
This book was so much more than the description above, but it’s hard to capture everything about this story in a brief summary. Also, it’s probably best to go into this book without knowing everything about it. But there was so much to enjoy! The author put this story together so well, starting in present day and then jumping back in time to show how things got to that point. She also wrote this in a way that was very pointed and blunt, which felt a little jarring at first but I ended up really enjoying the narrative and its dry wit.
Elizabeth was such a great main character. She was very focused, determined, and single-minded in a way that served her well in the social environment of that time, especially considering that being a female scientist, much less one who wasn’t looking to get married and instead dared to dream about more for herself in life, was shocking to many. All the characters in here were so well developed and believable. I loved how there were many different viewpoints and many levels of encouragement (and awfulness) radiating from the various characters.
The story kept me engrossed. Elizabeth’s journey was interesting and engaging, but the author occasionally jumped around to other perspectives, really giving me a sense of where everyone was coming from and what they were struggling with (sometimes struggling with “real� problems but other times just struggling to accept that life didn’t always go according to their view of “proper� and not being willing to accept it). It all felt so believable, and while I felt myself getting frustrated with characters and situations, I know it was likely completely in keeping with the times and definitely left me appreciating how far we’ve come since then - and of course how there’s still more progress to be made! I realize this is fiction, but there’s of course a ring of truth to everything experienced by Elizabeth and others in the path toward where we are now. I finished this feeling amazed by everything that women must have gone through in the 50’s and 60’s and impressed with those that had the drive to persevere and thrive, encouraging others to follow their footsteps and follow their dreams, no matter what others thought. Such a great message in here and such a great story!...more
This was such a fascinating book! I'd never heard of the author until reading a short blurb about her in a class, talking about how she'd learned RussThis was such a fascinating book! I'd never heard of the author until reading a short blurb about her in a class, talking about how she'd learned Russian specifically to read War and Peace in the original Russian. This book definitely gave a lot more about her life, with a short description of her childhood and early family life, then her adult life, and finally her introduction to Russian literature and subsequent time studying Russian.
I wasn't sure what to make of this book when it opened, as she writes beautifully but with a very deliberate and unique style. Her description of early years was rather sparse, and the reader is introduced to multiple people without fully understanding their importance. It also felt odd to me that she referred to her parents by their first names, leading me to confirm that she was indeed actually talking about her parents at times and not other people she knew. She also wrote with a very familiar tone, occasionally saying phrases like "One more story here" or "I told you I wouldn't go on about that". Once I got used to the style, I rather enjoyed it and felt she did an excellent job getting her points across!
By far my favorite parts of this book had to do with her descriptions of how she fell in love with Russian literature and how she began to study the language in her 50's, taking that on as a challenge. It was both inspiring and fascinating, especially considering her difficult personal life, even going through a breakdown after taking care of four kids mostly by herself after her husband had a brain injury. It seems like it was very therapeutic to her to write and study Russian and begin translating, and I enjoyed hearing her thoughts on the language and how devoted to her studies she became, even traveling to Moscow to study for a year right before the collapse of the USSR!
I don't think this book covered nearly everything in her life that would have been interesting to read about, but it was certainly a lovely tribute as she looked back over the years and pinpointed what seemed to be the most important to her. Definitely a worthwhile read, and I'm glad I had the chance to read this book! I'm now curious to pick up some of her translations!...more
I read this book in increments, which I think was needed to properly digest it all. It's arguably about her journey as a songwriter and how she uses hI read this book in increments, which I think was needed to properly digest it all. It's arguably about her journey as a songwriter and how she uses her music to give voice to stories and people who may otherwise feel silenced, but it feels like more of a compilation of stories that inspired certain songs without one central, cohesive narrative. I really enjoyed a lot in this book and found some of her insights really lovely, but other parts I think could have been improved with a bit more clarity or cohesiveness, as it jumps around and occasionally seems to be talking in circles or not giving enough explicit information to make me fully understand what is going on.
The book is broken up into short chapters, each featuring either a personal or political story of a moment or situation that resonated with her. After this, the lyrics for the song being discussed were included. I continually went to listen to the songs as their lyrics were listed, wanting to hear them now that I knew a bit more about how they came to be. The stories behind some of the songs were really fascinating, while others didn't resonate with me quite as much for whatever reason, but I definitely enjoyed hearing about them.
A few parts of this book delved into politics. It took me longer to get through this book than expected simply because she was giving voice to so many of my own frustrations, which was quite depressing - especially since she put so many of my own emotions into words better than I could have. I had to put the book down for awhile and then came back to it when I was ready to explore more. I appreciated the comment provided in here, they were just occasionally difficult to read because they were also frustrating.
Overall, while not necessarily the best memoir I've ever read or clear narrative, I did really enjoy reading this and think any fan would also appreciate the backstory behind some of the songs. I loved the peek behind the scenes this provided, and I feel like I will get even more out of some of her songs and albums now that I know what inspired the concepts and lyrics!...more
Florence is a ghostwriter for one of the most successful romance authors out there, but after a bad breakup, she no longer believes in romance and canFlorence is a ghostwriter for one of the most successful romance authors out there, but after a bad breakup, she no longer believes in romance and can't seem to finish the last book in her contract. She asks for another extension from her handsome new editor, who says no, and then suddenly has to leave New York to return to her family home due to a death in the family. She hasn't been in a decade because her family owns a funeral home and she can see ghosts, and although she's missed the place, she is uncomfortable because everyone knows she'd once claimed to see ghosts. And then things get even more complicated after her new editor shows up as a ghost that only she can see, and she doesn't know what he needs to finish his business on earth.
I've read some of the author's YA books and really enjoyed them, so I figured this would be the same kind of cute, fun story that would keep me hooked. Unfortunately, this was not the case. The writing was fine, but the story continually lagged and I found Florence a fairly weak main character. She was whiny, her requests were rather ridiculous (for example, she asks her editor if she can turn in her requested romance novel without a happily ever after... she honestly thought this would be approved?), and she completely lacked self-esteem and self-respect. It was hard to root for her.
I liked the underlying ghost story in here, but there was zero chemistry between Florence and her editor, aside from her noting how handsome he was an kissing him once before going home, so having an entire plot revolving around their relationship didn't seem to work. He didn't have much personality and seemed to just wander around perpetually confused. Since Florence was also wandering around confused about her gift seeing ghosts and trying to squelch it, I sighed instead of swooning. I just didn't care. Also, the main issue she had with coming home and the reason she hadn't seen her family in years was because she'd once solved a murder by talking to ghosts and had an article written about her in the local paper, which made Florence super insecure and think that no one believed her. So when she comes back, she treats her family terribly and doesn't want to tell them the reason; they in turn treat her with the same awkwardness.
There was potential in here. The premise was cute; the execution was not. I had to stop reading about a third of the way in because I was just so annoyed and not enjoying it at all. I'm giving it two stars instead of one because I liked the premise and the writing was decent. But overall, this was disappointing and unenjoyable. It surprises me that this was written by the same author of some YA books I've enjoyed and would read more of! Who knows, maybe this was written by a ghostwriter like Florence who requested to write something entirely new and got approved for it. ...more
Barrett is a college freshman whose first day at her new university goes horribly wrong. Her new roommate is someone she has a bad history with, she bBarrett is a college freshman whose first day at her new university goes horribly wrong. Her new roommate is someone she has a bad history with, she botches an interview at the school newspaper, and then she accidentally sets fire to a frat house. The next morning, she wakes up and discovers it's that same morning, and she keeps living September 21 over and over again Surprisingly, there's one other person who seems to be stuck in the same time loop: Miles, a guy in the physics class she'd planned to drop. The two of them hatch plan after plan trying to understand why they're stuck in September 21 and what can be done about it, falling for each other along the way.
This is a plot that's been used in many books and movies, and the author even gives a nod to the most famous example of this, noting that the campus is hosting a showing of the movie Groundhog Day, which was fun. The plot is nothing new, but the author did a nice job breathing fresh life into the plot and making these characters very relatable and believable to the point where I wanted to keep reading about the day they were living again and again and find out what would happen to them! Barrett and Miles were good main characters. They both felt awkward in their own ways and like they did not belong anywhere, and the friendship (and later romance) that developed between them was done well.
I feel like there were a few parts in here that had the potential to be even more engaging or gripping, and part of the ending felt like it strangely dragged on a bit too long when the reader already knows what's inevitably going to happen. But overall, this was a very fun read! The story was entertaining and thoughtful, and the characters were well developed, to the point where even the minor characters seemed to get more depth the more times that Barrett ran into them and had different interactions with them. This had lovely character growth and the pacing was excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and watching the characters grow in new ways despite their lives seeming to unfold in a similar way each day due to the repetitive nature of a time loop. Looking forward to reading more by this author!...more
4.5 stars. Ryland Grace wakes up aboard a spaceship to find his two crew members dead and he has no memory of how he got there or what he's doing. As 4.5 stars. Ryland Grace wakes up aboard a spaceship to find his two crew members dead and he has no memory of how he got there or what he's doing. As his memories gradually start to return, he realizes that Earth is being threatened by an organism that's dimming the sun, and he's Earth's only hope, on a mission to figure out the source of the problem and a potential solution. There's a lot more to the plot too, but I won't spoil it, since it was fun to dive into the book without knowing what else would happen.
I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected to! I liked The Martian but the author's second book hadn't appealed to me and I remembered The Martian being very science-heavy, to the point where I occasionally skimmed to get through the detailed descriptions of why things worked, so I think I expected this to be similar. And in part, it was: there were a number of long passages about the science behind what was going on. Much of this went over my head and I just moved on, figuring that I didn't need to fully understand the "how" of it and could just accept that things worked as described. I told someone this book was science fiction, heavy on the science, and I think that's an apt description.
That said, the story in here was very good! The author did such a great job putting this together and explaining the main character's backstory in little chunks. I loved how we found things out at the same time Grace did and how it all perfectly made sense in the end, coming together seamlessly and occasionally in ways that surprised me. I really enjoyed seeing how he figured out things for himself because he had no one else to rely on and couldn't communicate with Earth, and it was fascinating to read about him figuring out new communication methods. The plot in here was so well done, and I grew to care about the characters a lot.
The ending in here surprised me a bit, both in the flashbacks (some of the plot points I didn't see coming!) and in the actual end of the book and what happens with his mission, but it was a really solid ending and one that I continued to think about a lot afterward. Definitely a thought-provoking book ripe for discussion!...more
Norah's former best friend, Skyler, moved out of state when they were thirteen. Now, four years later, the two are being united on a joint road trip tNorah's former best friend, Skyler, moved out of state when they were thirteen. Now, four years later, the two are being united on a joint road trip their moms have planned, culminating in a college interview at Norah's dream school in Seattle, and she couldn't be more excited for their reunion, despite the fact that they've kinda fallen out of touch. But when the two families reunite, Skyler isn't at all like Norah remembered. They used to draw together, and he's no longer interested in that. He also doesn't seem enthusiastic about the trip and doesn't seem to care about seeing Norah again. The trip is off to a rough start, and Norah is determined to make the most of it despite Skyler's bad attitude and the fact that her own brother and mom seem to be keeping secrets from her. As the days go on, Norah learns more about the places they visit, gets closer to old and new friends, and slowly starts getting to know Skyler all over again.
Kasie West seems to continually write solidly cute, believable, thoughtful novels and this was no exception! I loved the characters in here and the setting made this probably one of the best road trip books I've read. I think it's hard to use a road trip as the setting for a novel, as often the road trip is trying to cover up the lack of a plot or character development. In this book, the road trip was a beautiful backdrop for a story mostly about the characters, who I quickly grew to love.
Norah was a fun main character. I liked her awkwardness and the way she thought of life in terms of video games (which made sense, considering her goal to be a video game designer). I also really liked the relationships she had with everyone in here, from her own mom and brother to Skyler's whole family, including the growing friendship with Skyler's younger sister, who she hadn't known well before they moved. Everything was so believable and understandable, and I continually rooted for her as she tried to sift through everything that had happened since she'd last seem the other family and trying to figure out what secrets were being kept from her (for the record, I figured things out well before she did, but that didn't stop me from enjoying her journey!).
Definitely a cute read overall and one I was eager to return to every time I set the book down. I'm so excited to read whatever book the author comes out with next and would whole-heartedly recommend this to other fans of her books or fans of YA romance that has a lot of heart behind it!...more
I watched the American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson miniseries a few years back. After telling someone about the show recently, we started I watched the American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson miniseries a few years back. After telling someone about the show recently, we started watching (rewatching for me) and I decided to finally read the book the show was based on to find out more about what was real and what details had been left out. This book chronicles the murder trial and how everything went down, from the time of the murders to the verdict and (briefly) a summary of the civil suit that followed the criminal case.
This was fascinating to read. Incredibly, most things portrayed in the miniseries actually happened that way in real life. The book went into more detail about the surrounding circumstances: the history of the LAPD and their relationship with the black community, the way race factored into almost all opinions about the case, the overwhelming physical evidence proving the defendant's guilt, and the mismanagement by almost every person involved with the trial. At times, reading this made me feel like the lawyers had forgotten that there was an actual person on trial for two murders and were instead just sniping at each other, wanting to win because they hated the other side and were thinking about their own selves.
The author did a good job comparing this trial (and crime) to others around the same timeframe or involving some of the same major players. It was crazy to think just how much evidence there was in this case; the author pointed out other cases where someone was convicted based on much less evidence. And yet due to the charged racial atmosphere, this case didn't result in a conviction - not because any evidence pointed toward his innocence (as the author points out, the evidence toward his guilt was overwhelming and there was never any real effort to find the "real" killer, were he not actually guilty), but because this was turned into a case about race relations and O.J. Simpson was the undeserving person who received a "not guilty" verdict in a case that turned into more of a rebuke about the practices of the LAPD instead of a reflection of innocence or guilt. It was really sad to read.
It was also sad to read about how much the lawyers manipulated the jury. It astounds me how much research is put into finding a jury that will return the verdict you want (how are jury consultants legal?!??). The author did not shy away from pointing out the prosecution's mistakes: they thought black women would sympathize with Nicole Brown due to the domestic violence history, but these jurors ended up being the most negative toward her because, as research showed (research that the prosecution didn't listen to), they viewed her as a white woman who'd seduced a successful black man. Even the makeup of the jury itself is astounding: the author noted that the black population in the area was something like 11%, yet 8 of the 12 jurors were black.
Definitely a fascinating book to read, if also infuriating due to someone getting away with murder and how evidence was ignored in favor of conspiracy theories and a treatise on the LAPD (not specifically in this case, but historically). I hadn't realized all the special treatment Simpson had received by the LAPD due to being a celebrity and them being starstruck, and I hadn't realized how, despite attending college to play football, he was semi-illiterate due to schoolwork not actually being stressed in those days. If you want to learn more about this trial and are okay being frustrated with almost every aspect of the situation, this is a great book to read. It covered everything in great detail and was very easy to digest. There were so many things I wanted to discuss while reading. Hard to believe any of this actually happened!...more
3.5 stars. Jess is a single mom who's given up on romance. When she hears about a new matchmaking company that claims to be able to find your soulmate3.5 stars. Jess is a single mom who's given up on romance. When she hears about a new matchmaking company that claims to be able to find your soulmate using a new DNA test, she submits a sample and it comes back with an unheard-of 98% match for her. Unfortunately, she already knows the guy, River, who's the founder of the company and thinks he's a jerk. She has no intention of pursuing the match but the company is about to go public and they think this could be great publicity, so they offer to pay her to get to know River and see if she likes him and do a few interviews along the way. Naturally, River turns out to be more than what she imagined and Jess starts thinking there may be something to this soulmate matching after all.
This had a cute premise and nice spin on a very tried and true plot of two people who hate each other at first growing to fall in love with each other. I went into this book expecting a cute, light read and I was not disappointed! The characters were entertaining, the interactions were cute, and the writing kept the story continually moving forward. Jess and River had unique personalities, and there was great chemistry between them. I also liked the fact that most of the drama was in their own heads and they were both actually quite nice people, which made their interactions even better. I also liked the dynamic between Jess and her best friend, Fizzy, who was a bit much to read about at first but seemed to mellow out a bit as the book went on.
Aside from needing to use your imagination to buy the idea of DNA tests predicting how well you will match with someone, my only real complaint about the book is that the requisite drama near the end (because of COURSE not everything can go completely smoothly or else there wouldn't be a novel!) seemed a tad manufactured and not fully believable. I had a hard time buying the drama and accepting it as realistic. However, the book as a whole was fun and if you're reading this for a lighthearted romance, it won't disappoint, as all the right ingredients are there! ...more
4.5 stars. This was an odd book but one that I ended up really loving by the end! There are a few plots, all at different moments in time: In 1912, a 4.5 stars. This was an odd book but one that I ended up really loving by the end! There are a few plots, all at different moments in time: In 1912, a man named Edwin sails to Canada from England to make a new life for himself and one day hears a strange violin playing in the wilderness, followed by the sound of an airship. In 2020, Mirella goes to speak with the brother of an old friend who took a video that includes a violin playing and the sound of an airship, and she meets a man she thinks she's seen before. In 2203, Olive is on a book tour on Earth and is eager to get back to her family on the Moon Colony where she lives, and her book contains a passage about a violin and an airship. In years beyond this, these events are being investigated by a man named Gaspery, who's able to travel through time and interview all the people involved.
This book was much shorter than I think I realized it would be, but the length ended up feeling perfect. Somehow very little and also a lot happened in this book, and it came together marvelously. The author did a good job providing brief snapshots from the lives of each of the characters, giving you a sense of their personalities as well as their day-to-day lives, even if the brief scenes shown weren't necessarily important to the overall plot. I think these gave a nice sense of humanity to everyone and allowed the reader to understand each person's importance and their history within their own timeline.
The violin song and airship noise was a strange thing to tie everything together, and I kind of assumed that it wouldn't really be tied together well or that this was just a plot device to link various timelines together even though it wasn't necessarily important. However, the author did such a great job wrapping everything up and I did not fully expect what happened in here. I don't want to give away any spoilers, so I'll just say that the plot was incredibly thoughtful, and I loved the question of who gets to decide what can be modified in history, were time travel possible, and what the punishments should be for messing with the previously established timeline. There were a lot of big questions brought up in here, and so much would be ripe for discussion!...more
Franny and Hayes are two strangers who meet on the subway when her dress gets caught in the subway door and rips; he rescues her from embarrassment byFranny and Hayes are two strangers who meet on the subway when her dress gets caught in the subway door and rips; he rescues her from embarrassment by offering his jacket before leaving. Someone caught their encounter on video and posts the video online, sparking the viral hashtag SubwayQTs. Franny is mortified, especially because it came on the heels of an especially bad day where she'd just been laid off, and Hayes isn't thrilled either due to his awkwardness and introverted nature. They meet up again when interviewed about the encounter on TV, and then they begin running into each other regularly around the city, gradually both realizing that they're falling for each other.
This book was, of course, quite predictable in many ways; after all, it's a romance, so you know they're going to end up falling in love despite not liking each other at the beginning. The more important factor in these kind of books is how entertaining the story is along the way. In here, there were parts that were fun and other parts that were just ho-hum. Franny and Hayes felt like fairly stock characters, without anything special to endear me to them over, say, any other character I've read about in a similar book, but the author did do a nice job writing their chemistry together, so I could easily believe that they were interested in each other. On the other hand, the obstacles they faced along the way were primarily of their own making, which was rather annoying to read, especially near the end when there was (as usual) a Big Event that caused tension in their burgeoning relationship. It got a bit ridiculous in the end, and I rolled my eyes more than once at how most of the drama was just Franny being high maintenance and wanting Hayes to chase after her instead of them, you know, talking things out.
The novel jumped between Franny's and Hayes's perspectives, which was fun, although their actual narratives didn't seem all that different. I liked some of the friendships they each had and the interactions there, which was fun to round out the book.
Overall, this was a perfectly fine rom-com with lots of love being shown to New York City, but it didn't entirely stand out from other similar novels and there wasn't anything in it that actually made me laugh. Not bad to read, but not amazing, especially since I wasn't fully sold on why their chance encounter enthralled the internet and the resulting obstacles were more fabricated than realistic. However, if you're looking for a cute summer read, this might fit the bill....more
Alexis is a woman who's always felt pressure to live up to her family's expectations, following in their footsteps and being tied to a hospital her anAlexis is a woman who's always felt pressure to live up to her family's expectations, following in their footsteps and being tied to a hospital her ancestors founded, hopefully as a world-renowned surgeon or the like, but she's content as "just" an ER doctor. Outside of town one night, she meets a guy named Daniel, who's a talented carpenter and incredibly kind, but he's also almost a decade younger than her and would not fit into her world at all. Still, the chemistry between them is palpable and before either of them knows it, they're spending almost every weekend together and falling in love. Alexis knows this has to be a short-term thing; he can't leave his small town, and she can't leave the city, where they've each built their lives. Thinking about trying to choose between her stressful life and her sole escape from it with him is causing her even more stress, and Alexis has to figure out what's actually important to her.
This author does such a great job creating characters who are believable and relatable, and this was no exception! I think her characters get better with each book, and it's fun because all of the books are set in the same "world", with occasional references to characters from previous books. I'm amazed by how fresh and new each book feels while also providing me with a sense of returning to a familiar world that I've briefly been away from.
As with the previous books, this features dual narrators, bouncing back and forth between Alexis and Daniel. I really liked them both! They each felt like fully realized characters and people I'd like to know in real life. I could also easily understand the issues that were keeping them apart: why Alexis felt so much pressure to live up to her family's expectations, how much she wanted to help others, and of course the fact that the two really did seem to come from different worlds that offered the other a brief escape with the question of whether it could really last long-term.
This was such a fun story to engross myself in, and it was really well written. Every time I put the book down, I looked forward to picking it up again and finding out what would happen next. It's a romance, so of course you know from the start that they're going to end up together, but the questions of how it would work and what would need to be done in order to make this work kept the story interesting and made me want to continue reading! For anyone looking for a sweet world to be a part of, I'd definitely recommend checking out this author's books. This might have been my favorite one yet! I'm looking forward to the next....more
This is a true story, written by a journalist who'd been stationed in Afghanistan for years. While there, he became friends with an Afghan named Omar This is a true story, written by a journalist who'd been stationed in Afghanistan for years. While there, he became friends with an Afghan named Omar who'd served as a translator for the U.S. military but didn't have enough documents to be approved for a special visa to immigrate to the U.S. With the situation in Afghanistan deteriorating by the day, Omar decides to leave his country and attempt to reach Europe, where he hopes to claim asylum and be able to send back for Laila, the woman he loves in Afghanistan but hasn't been able to marry because her father won't approve the union. The author decides to travel with Omar, disguising himself as a fellow Afghan refugee, and document the process as experienced firsthand, eventually writing this book about the experience.
This was an excellent book, well-written and interesting, giving a first person account of being a migrant and a refugee and how escaping a war-torn country is incredibly difficult. It was fascinating to read how widespread the admiration is for America and Europe, with everyone dreaming of a better life there, yet also feeling completely resigned to reality, with a lot of talk about trying to be smuggled to these countries and the general feeling that this is all a "game" because the alternative is so depressing. There were little details the author included that illustrated just how small the world is: migrants went to a secondhand clothes market to buy what they saw as Western-style clothes, which sometimes included cast-off t-shirts from family reunions; watching foreign TV shows made it so people were actually able to see a world in which the same daily hardships weren't present; American music was listened to by everyone.
Reading this definitely allows those more fortunate to understand how lucky we are, and I think this illustrated all the ways in which the West has done their best to both be welcoming of migrants but also wants them to be someone else's problem. The conditions that people lived in, or were willing to pay to travel in, were unthinkable for someone accustomed to more comfort in life in the West. This book put a human face on refugees, showing the ways in which conditions have been created for human smugglers to flourish, filling a role that is desperately needed by those who want to escape war but can't find any other way to leave (and unfortunately becoming more politicized by the day). The author included a bit of history about how refugee claims were accepted, not specifically commenting on how unjust it was but letting the reader see that for themself, and how the information filtered down to refugees caused them to debate the best ways to make a claim that might be approved, especially since simply trying to escape from a war zone was not enough. The risks people were willing to take, all with the hope of not being deported back to their home country, were astounding and yet simply accepted as part of "the game."
The book wrapped up rather quickly, and although there was an epilogue, I didn't fully "see" everything realized in the end, and I was left wondering about some of the details. These minor complaints aside, I did really enjoy reading this and was continually engrossed in the book. I would easily recommend anyone looking for accounts of Afghanistan and migration read this book. Very interesting and different perspective. ...more
Took me awhile, but I finally finished reading this! The author makes the case that drug use should be legalized and destigmatized, that adults are caTook me awhile, but I finally finished reading this! The author makes the case that drug use should be legalized and destigmatized, that adults are capable of using recreational drugs in a way that does not impact their ability to be a productive member of society, that current drug laws significantly impact minority populations, and that recreational drug use by adults can in fact enrich lives. The author is a professor at Columbia University and has worked on multiple drug studies and research around the world, so he backs up his points with both personal anecdotes and data from his research, which doesn't always coincide with the typical points made when discussing drugs.
This was interesting to read, especially because it had a perspective that you don't often hear about from academics. While I didn't agree with all the points he made and think he failed to address all the counterarguments and concerns that could be brought up, there was definitely quite a bit in here to think about. I enjoyed his description of ways he feels certain drugs could enrich lives, aside from just generally getting people high, and he of course compared these to alcohol and how too much of that could be just as dangerous, yet we regulate it and recognize that Prohibition was a mistake. His arguments casting doubt about whether other drugs are really more dangerous than alcohol or if they've just been cast this way were compelling at times and gave good food for thought. For example, he noted that opioids are more dangerous when mixed with other sedatives and there isn't enough public awareness about this, which results in additional deaths. Also, if the goal is to prevent drug-related deaths, then why have we set up a system where no one really knows what's in the drugs they're taking and drug dealers add stuff to their drugs to make them more potent (and thus more deadly)? He included comparisons to the government's demands during Prohibition, when deaths increased because of less oversight.
At the same time, this book seemed to get repetitive at parts and there were some oversights that I think could have strengthened the book. For example, he mentions that while there are people who get addicted to certain drugs, he believes the numbers are overblown and that most responsible adults are capable of using drugs without getting addicted; he didn't explain what safeguards he thinks there could be to make this less of a widespread concern, were all drugs to be legalized and readily available. He did note that the book was not about addiction, but I think this is a relevant topic that still could have been touched upon more, as it's intertwined with problems related to drugs. He also failed to note how many of these drugs are created and supplied today, which could have shed additional light on paths forward and how the current structure affects various people and countries. It's not like people are legally buying heroin somewhere. There could have been a discussion about how people are even obtaining the drugs and why they're eager to use them despite there being other drugs available legally. Considering that the author didn't seem to think most people who used them were "addicts", it seemed a little imbalanced to say that people should be able to use these free of punishment and free of consequence (i.e., they shouldn't die from the use of what they think they bought) despite the fact that buying something that was created and sold illegally always means there's a risk you're not getting what you were promised. I would have liked a bit deeper dive into this, especially since the author detailed much of his own drug use. I wondered how he felt confident that what he used was what was promised.
I appreciated this book for presenting a different point of view, and the author certainly makes the case that wanting to feel good through the use of drugs does not necessarily make you an addict or a terrible person; drug use alone doesn't prevent you from fulfilling your roles in society. The author did a good job debunking popular myths about drugs and drug use, but I also felt like this book had enough of a slant toward the "legalize it all" camp that the only data presented were ones that fit into the narrative (a common theme with any presentation, no matter the angle!). That said, I found this book to be a fairly easy read and an interesting introduction to the author's way of thinking. I'm not fully convinced on all his points, but I finished this with a number of lingering thoughts in my head that I imagine I'll continue to chew on....more
Emily is an editor in New York when she gets the news that her grandma has died and left Emily her house but Emily needs to show up in person and can'Emily is an editor in New York when she gets the news that her grandma has died and left Emily her house but Emily needs to show up in person and can't sell it until she finishes editing a stack of manuscripts. Emily has no idea why she inherited this house or the manuscripts, as she hasn't seen her grandma since she was a kid, thanks to some old falling out her dad had with the rest of his family that no one wants to talk about. Emily heads to California and starts editing the manuscripts her grandma left her... only to discover that the edits she make actually happen to people in front of her! She doesn't know what's happening, but despite the edits being what she thought were best for the stories (when she thought that's all they were), they soon seem to be upending lives and every edit Emily makes seems to only make things worse instead of better.
I'd read cozy mysteries by this author and enjoyed them in the past, but this is her first standalone book and has a lot more depth and development than the cozy mysteries. The plot of this sounded interesting to me but I had no idea how the author would manage to pull off this in the actual book, but she did it beautifully! I loved the characters in here, and the way that Emily edited and then reacted to seeing her edits in the real world felt quite believable. There was of course magical realism in this book but it was done with a light touch, which made the book feel mostly grounded but still with a spark of magic.
This was a nice, sweet read that is definitely a love letter to books and the warmth and belonging that can be found in small communities. It was so lovely to read a book like this that of course had stakes and personal drama but was, overall, just a very pleasant story with a cute concept brought to life with good writing and characters I wanted to spend more time with. I wish I could have seen a little more about what happened after the story ended, but I guess it's like what Emily learns in this novel: sometimes you have to leave the reader to interpret the story as they want and leave the characters some space!...more
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