alisarae's Reviews (1.65k)

This is way more gourmet than I expected it to be, though I did recognize a few of my favorite chefs who contributed. I'm looking forward to trying some of these recipes, but many are unrealistic for the average home chef. Lovely collection, just more along the lines of those once a month big kitchen experiments than even an average weekend project.

Romance writers deserve more respect: they sure know how to drive a plot! Nonstop action and daringdo here.

This book was great to read during spooky season...It's been over a century since all those murders happened so the distance lets me let myself off the hook for being so fascinated with the crimes. A man who hopped on and off trains, killing entire families with the blunt side of an axe in the middle of the night, and doing this for years without ever being caught--goosebumps.

I did read other reviews of the book and have my own thoughts on the common complaints:
- "Chatty" or "snarky" writing voice--yes, true, on audio I thought it was entertaining like a podcast but I certainly wouldn't have liked it if I was reading a hard copy. Same with the constant repetition of the killer's MO and signature.
- Lack of footnotes, citations, and index -- with the audio I couldn't tell, but I think it's very unprofessional and even shameful that the publisher OK'd this. Considering that the authors frequently say they read newspaper reports etc, why not let us see those sources?
- Confusing timeline and narrative structure -- At first I thought it was just me because there are so many crimes that were committed in the exact same way and it is easy to get lost. But starting in the middle of the crime spree, then jumping backwards in time, then forwards past where the book started, plus the inclusion of other crimes that the authors deemed "unrelated" in the midst of "related" crimes is very hard to follow. I think the similar yet unrelated crimes are a worthy inclusion, but should have all been together in one chapter.
- Lack of maps and photos -- I actually went searcing for this. A simple line map with locations numbered chronologically would have done wonders for spatially understanding the crimes. Any photos of locations, victims, and crime scenes (yes they exist online... and are referenced in the book) would have been a welcome addition.
- Lots of speculation -- Yes, lots. Most of the book actually. It kind of bothered me when they speculated on what people were thinking, but I guess it did add flavor to the story. Think of this book more as a gossip rag and you'll enjoy it more ;)

Overall I did really like this book. I had never heard of any of these cases and tend not to be too interested in true crime pre-1950s, but this was just so interesting. Some small details helped me appreciate the time and setting more. For example, an explanation of the role that literacy rates played in enabling media coverage of the crimes (north vs south and from one year to the next literacy grew exponentially). Or how the killer had a habit of using gas lamps instead of flashlights even after flashlights were quite common could point to generational differences.

Well. Compared to this guy, Lizzie Borden is overrated.

Three things that I love about this cookbook:
1. A calendar that tells me what I should do (virgo here, shoot me)
2. Seasonally arranged ingredients (even though I have to work in opposites since I'm in the southern hemisphere)
3. Unusual but not impossible ingredients

One thing I'm not so keen on:
1. Lots of seafood.

I'm going to be poking around this cookbook for the next couple weeks to decide if I should buy it or not. I'm excited to invigorate my salad game :)

I read this book for my professional development action of the month. Five stars because it was a good refresher and a fast read, and now I feel better prepared to do my job.

It is full of entertaining examples of bad sentences and how to fix them. I'm good at spotting grammatical errors—that's my job. But I need practice fixing flabby and redundant sentences. This book has practical tips for that and Casagrande walks you through the steps to fix those problems. I'm definitely more aware of common pitfalls and keywords to watch out for. I'd like to recommend this book to some of my clients ;)

I am a major Jane Austen fan (I made the pilgrimage to her house, so yeah). I know what I like—modern updates— and what I don't like—historical fiction takes. This book falls in the modern updates category so hard that it left me behind.

The first 75% of the book is a scene-by-scene rewrite of the original Pride and Prejudice. I was in love. Lizzie Bennet Diaries all over again! But the last 25% was a big letdown.

And as you, fellow Janeites, know, the Lydia debacle occurs at the 75% mark. Without giving spoilers, the story failed to broach the gravitas of the Bennet family's situation. And while I kept guessing what Darcy's savior move would be, it was none of the large gestures that I guessed. From there until the end, the book becomes quite preachy to the middle-age crowd about what is and is not PC. Multiple conversations exist seemingly only for the purpose of teaching vocabulary. *sigh*

Also, the events surrounding Jane's wedding were such a huge unnecessary addition to the book that it seemed like the author started the book with one intention (a scene-by-scene rewrite) and ended the book with another (inspired by P&P™, a la Bridget Jones). I do like both types of stories, but it was off-putting to me because I was very much enjoying Type 1 and then suddenly it became Type 2.

Other readers may not be so picky as I am, so I would still recommend this book. But I must say that the Lizzie Bennet Diaries will never be topped. Nevah!

The first hundred pages nothing happens. But then the story picks up and there is a very satisfying ending to this duology.

I need to read the original 1001 Nights, since I've read so many different reimaginings now. But I have a feeling I won't like the original as much as this version!

The writing was lush and clearly well thought through.

I know that I personally don't like any P&P rewrites that are set during the same time period, so I thought that the parts of the story that were completely different from Jane Austen's original were the best parts.

This story delves into many details of the dirty side of history at that time: slave trade, rape, closeted relationships, what happens to bastard children, how rich people got richer, war and pillaging, how servants were pretty much serfs. It's easy to get caught up thinking how romantic and great everything was back then, but reality was pretty harsh.

Amaaazingly awesome! This is the first book by Margaret Atwood that I've read and, boy oh boy, she is all that she's cracked up to be (maybe more). This story is even more fun if you know the Odyssey. I'm glad I got a refresher before I go to Greece.

Makeway Murakami, new fav contemporary author right here.

This book was phenomenal and deeply relatable (me: white, middle class, Christian, millennial). Much of the content isn't original per se, unless it is about the author's personal life, but the author has a way of synthesizing and collaging feminist theory and the undercurrent of current events in a way that is revealing and clarifying.

The writing itself is dense, yet accessible, and it doesn't slow down. I was never bored. I really liked her style of weaving and sampling different stories together that seemed to have nothing to do with each other at the outset. I was also impressed at how self-aware the author is--she frequently admits her personal participation, with details, in the societal problem being discussed, and that open admission invites the reader to examine their own participation in the issue.

I thought all the essays were fascinating, but my favorite essays were:
The I in the Internet
Always Be Optimizing
The Story of a Generation in Seven Scams

I think there should be a trigger warning before "We Come from Old Virginia" because getting surprised by rape stories on my morning commute was awful. It was a fantastic essay, though.