The Futilitarians: Our Year of Thinking, Drinking, Grieving, and Reading
By Anne Gisleson
3.75 stars
After Hurricane Katrina and various personal tragedies, a group of friends living in New Orleans decide to start an existential reading group. Over the course of a year, the author recalls their reading, interactions and sometimes tragic memories from her own family. Their readings are very high-brow and mainly white men (which the author acknowledges) but overall I found this an inspiring book about using literature to heal. I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Thursday, August 31, 2017
Sunday, August 27, 2017
Weekend Review - August 27, 2017
The Song Rising by Samantha Shannon
4 stars
The third book in the Bone Season series proves that the story keeps getting better and the characters more complex. I have to admit that after the first, I almost gave up as the convoluted plot and the tedious world building almost did me in, however, the next two books in the series are well worth the effort. I won't devulge the plot points in order to avoid spoilers, but I will report that I have enjoyed each book more than the last. I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
4 stars
The third book in the Bone Season series proves that the story keeps getting better and the characters more complex. I have to admit that after the first, I almost gave up as the convoluted plot and the tedious world building almost did me in, however, the next two books in the series are well worth the effort. I won't devulge the plot points in order to avoid spoilers, but I will report that I have enjoyed each book more than the last. I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Friday, August 18, 2017
Nowhere to Go - August 18, 2017
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond
5 stars
I am somewhat at a loss for how to review this book, it won the Pulitzer and has been discussed thoroughly in media so I'm not sure I have much to add to the discussion. First and foremost, this is an important book, one that should be widely read in order to get a real grasp of the class differences in this country and how complicated poverty really is. Matthew Desmond, a Sociology professor, completed an incredibly in depth and up close study of how the poorest of the poor navigate the rental markets in some of Milwaukee's toughest neighborhoods. This is not just an important social study but it is also an incredibly gripping and well written book. For the entirety of the book Desmond is a nonentity as he tells these emotionally fraught stories of desperation, mistreatment, self-destruction and despair. In the end Desmond makes a real case for his conclusion that everyone deserves a nice place to live and that it really is the first step in making a life and lifting up out of poverty. I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review.
5 stars
I am somewhat at a loss for how to review this book, it won the Pulitzer and has been discussed thoroughly in media so I'm not sure I have much to add to the discussion. First and foremost, this is an important book, one that should be widely read in order to get a real grasp of the class differences in this country and how complicated poverty really is. Matthew Desmond, a Sociology professor, completed an incredibly in depth and up close study of how the poorest of the poor navigate the rental markets in some of Milwaukee's toughest neighborhoods. This is not just an important social study but it is also an incredibly gripping and well written book. For the entirety of the book Desmond is a nonentity as he tells these emotionally fraught stories of desperation, mistreatment, self-destruction and despair. In the end Desmond makes a real case for his conclusion that everyone deserves a nice place to live and that it really is the first step in making a life and lifting up out of poverty. I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review.
Monday, August 14, 2017
Weekend Review - August 14, 2017
The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo
4.5 stars
My rating for this book is mostly based on the fact that I could NOT put this it down. I read it in two sittings and then thought about it a lot for hours after. Lucy and Gabe meet on September11, 2001 in college in New York City. They eventually fall deeply in love and are together until Gabe decides to move to the Middle East to become a photojournalist. This book is Lucy talking directly to Gabe, telling the story of their life, her life without him and their sporadic correspondence through it all. I found so much to relate to in this book. I am approximately the same age as these characters and just felt so much for these characters and their story. It's not a perfect book but is incredibly, compellingly readable. I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 stars
My rating for this book is mostly based on the fact that I could NOT put this it down. I read it in two sittings and then thought about it a lot for hours after. Lucy and Gabe meet on September11, 2001 in college in New York City. They eventually fall deeply in love and are together until Gabe decides to move to the Middle East to become a photojournalist. This book is Lucy talking directly to Gabe, telling the story of their life, her life without him and their sporadic correspondence through it all. I found so much to relate to in this book. I am approximately the same age as these characters and just felt so much for these characters and their story. It's not a perfect book but is incredibly, compellingly readable. I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Friday, August 11, 2017
Inspiring Read - August 11, 2017
The Choice: Embrace the Possible by Dr. Edith Eger
Publication Date: September 5, 2017
5 stars
When Dr. Edith Eger was sixteen years old, she was rounded up from her home in Hungary and sent to Auschwitz concentration camp. Separated from her mother and father, who were sent straight to their deaths, she and her sister were forced into horrible circumstances where every choice made for them could have life-ending consequences. Through the years, as she went on with her life, immigrated to America and became a clinical Psychiatrist, she has discovered how every person has the choice on how to internally deal with the circumstances they are presented. There is no way to accurately sum up this book, or how it deeply it effected me. As we come closer to the point in time when there are no longer any Holocaust survivors, we need more of these stories, more of these reminders of what the human race is capable of, both of evil and of strength. The first two-thirds of this book is memoir while the last is more about her practice of Psychiatry and her clients. I really think everyone should give this a read and I'm already wondering if it is on Oprah's radar. I'm not a big "self-help" reader, but this was one of the most honest, heart-wrenching and inspirational reads that I have come across. I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Publication Date: September 5, 2017
5 stars
When Dr. Edith Eger was sixteen years old, she was rounded up from her home in Hungary and sent to Auschwitz concentration camp. Separated from her mother and father, who were sent straight to their deaths, she and her sister were forced into horrible circumstances where every choice made for them could have life-ending consequences. Through the years, as she went on with her life, immigrated to America and became a clinical Psychiatrist, she has discovered how every person has the choice on how to internally deal with the circumstances they are presented. There is no way to accurately sum up this book, or how it deeply it effected me. As we come closer to the point in time when there are no longer any Holocaust survivors, we need more of these stories, more of these reminders of what the human race is capable of, both of evil and of strength. The first two-thirds of this book is memoir while the last is more about her practice of Psychiatry and her clients. I really think everyone should give this a read and I'm already wondering if it is on Oprah's radar. I'm not a big "self-help" reader, but this was one of the most honest, heart-wrenching and inspirational reads that I have come across. I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Friday Romance Review - August 11, 2017
Lord of Night by Erica Ridley
4 stars
This series of short Historical Romance from Erica Ridley has been consistently good so far. I really enjoyed this story and the characters were superb. Simon is a top Bow Street Inspector with a chip on his shoulder regarding his parentage. Dahlia is the daughter of a Baron who, against the wishes of her family, becomes the headmistress of a girls school from orphans. Simon might be one of the most well-written romance heroes that I have come across. I absolutely adored the sections told from his perspective and thought his character arc was so well done. I do think it could have been a longer novel as the ending was really rushed, however, this is a series that I will definitely continue to read. I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
4 stars
This series of short Historical Romance from Erica Ridley has been consistently good so far. I really enjoyed this story and the characters were superb. Simon is a top Bow Street Inspector with a chip on his shoulder regarding his parentage. Dahlia is the daughter of a Baron who, against the wishes of her family, becomes the headmistress of a girls school from orphans. Simon might be one of the most well-written romance heroes that I have come across. I absolutely adored the sections told from his perspective and thought his character arc was so well done. I do think it could have been a longer novel as the ending was really rushed, however, this is a series that I will definitely continue to read. I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Thursday, August 10, 2017
House Envy - August 9, 2017
Manderley Forever by Tatiana De Rosnay
4 stars
This biography of Daphne Du Maurier is written in an interesting, present-tense, fiction-like format that takes several pages to adjust to reading. Once accustomed to the writing, I really became absorbed in the story of the author, her family and her inspirations. Her obsession with her French ancestors and her decrepit house gave her the ideas for some of her most famous works, including Rebecca, and was so fascinating to read about. I am not a Du Maurier aficionado so I cannot speak to the depth of this biography, but I thoroughly enjoyed the reading experience. I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
4 stars
This biography of Daphne Du Maurier is written in an interesting, present-tense, fiction-like format that takes several pages to adjust to reading. Once accustomed to the writing, I really became absorbed in the story of the author, her family and her inspirations. Her obsession with her French ancestors and her decrepit house gave her the ideas for some of her most famous works, including Rebecca, and was so fascinating to read about. I am not a Du Maurier aficionado so I cannot speak to the depth of this biography, but I thoroughly enjoyed the reading experience. I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Thursday, August 3, 2017
Global View - August 3, 2017
The Global Novel: Writing the World in the 21st Century by Adam Kirsch
3.5 stars
In Adam Kirsch's introduction, he evaluates some of the recent criticism that proposes that the most famous international writers have become too commercial to be considered world literature. He addresses this question by examining eight works of fiction by authors from several different countries, including; Orhan Pamuk, Haruki Murakami, Roberto Bolano, Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche, Mohsin Hamid, Margaret Atwood, Michel Houllebecq and Elena Ferrante. These essays demonstrate the different way a novel can have international appeal and translatability. The 135 page book is a strange format for such a large topic and I found it strange that there was no concluding chapter to wrap up his findings, but I did enjoy reading about these books and their global reach. One word of warning, if you plan on reading any of these books in the future, you may want to hold off on this as there is quite a bit of plot points described in each essay. I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars
In Adam Kirsch's introduction, he evaluates some of the recent criticism that proposes that the most famous international writers have become too commercial to be considered world literature. He addresses this question by examining eight works of fiction by authors from several different countries, including; Orhan Pamuk, Haruki Murakami, Roberto Bolano, Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche, Mohsin Hamid, Margaret Atwood, Michel Houllebecq and Elena Ferrante. These essays demonstrate the different way a novel can have international appeal and translatability. The 135 page book is a strange format for such a large topic and I found it strange that there was no concluding chapter to wrap up his findings, but I did enjoy reading about these books and their global reach. One word of warning, if you plan on reading any of these books in the future, you may want to hold off on this as there is quite a bit of plot points described in each essay. I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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