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jenbsbooks 's review for:
Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted
by Suleika Jaouad
I'd heard this mentioned enough and saw the high ratings, that it was on my TBR. When I found a hardback copy in a Little Free Library, I took that as my sign to push it to the top of the list. I was able to get the audiobook and Kindle copy from the library, so I had it in all three formats. I went primarily with the audio, narrated by the author.
While this wasn't a " oh I LOVED this" book, I feel like it deserves a 5* rating, as it checks my boxes (kept my interest, I think I'll remember it, I stopped to make notes/highlights, many discussion possibilities, good use of tense: past tense in Part 1, present tense in Part 2). Well written, although I was pretty aware of the present tense in the second half (a little jarring). I'm not sure I'd go out of my way to recommend it, and I don't feel the need to keep my copy, I'll be "letting it go" in my LFL for the next reader.
It's interesting to read about a life of someone you don't know ... everyone does have a story, but how much do I care? I did grow to care about the people (not "characters, as it's non-fiction). Reading the Q&A on GR, MANY got very connected to "Will" ... Life doesn't always happen the way it might in a novel.
Part one (past tense) sets up the author's earlier life, how the illness started and was diagnosed, and goes through all the struggles and treatment. Part two ... it can't really be a spoiler to say she survived can it (as this book exists) and her life after illness, some travel, meeting some of the connections she's made earlier on.
The cover reminds me of the 2007 movie poster for The Wild (VW bus, person sitting on top), and honestly, Part2 was a tiny bit similar in story (he was a wanderer, meeting a bunch of people while traveling). The title "Between Two Kingdoms" was a good tie in, very representative of the philosophy along the way.
I do have some negative feelings the book created in me ... just that personal "I wouldn't have been able to do that, I would have just died, I wouldn't be worth the time and money investment" and just general frustrations and worries about health care and health problems.
proFanity x 17 and some sex/nothing explicit
While this wasn't a " oh I LOVED this" book, I feel like it deserves a 5* rating, as it checks my boxes (kept my interest, I think I'll remember it, I stopped to make notes/highlights, many discussion possibilities, good use of tense: past tense in Part 1, present tense in Part 2). Well written, although I was pretty aware of the present tense in the second half (a little jarring). I'm not sure I'd go out of my way to recommend it, and I don't feel the need to keep my copy, I'll be "letting it go" in my LFL for the next reader.
It's interesting to read about a life of someone you don't know ... everyone does have a story, but how much do I care? I did grow to care about the people (not "characters, as it's non-fiction). Reading the Q&A on GR, MANY got very connected to "Will" ... Life doesn't always happen the way it might in a novel.
Part one (past tense) sets up the author's earlier life, how the illness started and was diagnosed, and goes through all the struggles and treatment. Part two ... it can't really be a spoiler to say she survived can it (as this book exists) and her life after illness, some travel, meeting some of the connections she's made earlier on.
The cover reminds me of the 2007 movie poster for The Wild (VW bus, person sitting on top), and honestly, Part2 was a tiny bit similar in story (he was a wanderer, meeting a bunch of people while traveling). The title "Between Two Kingdoms" was a good tie in, very representative of the philosophy along the way.
I do have some negative feelings the book created in me ... just that personal "I wouldn't have been able to do that, I would have just died, I wouldn't be worth the time and money investment" and just general frustrations and worries about health care and health problems.
proFanity x 17 and some sex/nothing explicit