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alisarae's Reviews (1.65k)
FANTASTIC! The beginning is dull and intentionally confusing (reader: you dont need to pay attention to the descriptions of the architecture/layout unless you want to). But the mystery is very good, the story concept is awesome. Piranesi is such a wholesome character <3 I want to read more stories inspired by artwork. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imaginary_Prisons
This is not a cookbook! Packed full of good tips (that's what it is: a book of tips), but not what I expected lol.
The How to Never Run Out of Food at a Party tip is great:
6 bites per person per hour, 3 choices per 10 people.
Party for 20 people from 7-10pm
6 (bites) * 20 (people) * 3 (hours) / 6 (choices) = 60 "bites" per item you're serving. So 60 meatballs, 60 cookies, 60 scoops of dip, etc.
The How to Never Run Out of Food at a Party tip is great:
6 bites per person per hour, 3 choices per 10 people.
Party for 20 people from 7-10pm
6 (bites) * 20 (people) * 3 (hours) / 6 (choices) = 60 "bites" per item you're serving. So 60 meatballs, 60 cookies, 60 scoops of dip, etc.
This was really cute! Sweet Home Alabama but make it gay. The best part was Chloe's character development: she moves to small town 'Bama from LA, attends a private Christian high school, and she's the second openly gay person that town has ever seen—Chloe's mom was the first. Both the town and Chloe have some preconceived ideas about each other. A scavenger hunt of clues planted by southern belle / girl next door Shara Wheeler leads Chloe to rethink what she knows about the her classmates, Christianity, and life in Alabama.
Definitely pair this with [b:Son of a Southern Chef: Cook with Soul|43231102|Son of a Southern Chef Cook with Soul|Lazarus Lynch|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554280114l/43231102._SX50_.jpg|67079882], you are going to be drooling!
Definitely pair this with [b:Son of a Southern Chef: Cook with Soul|43231102|Son of a Southern Chef Cook with Soul|Lazarus Lynch|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554280114l/43231102._SX50_.jpg|67079882], you are going to be drooling!
Fascinating, funny, and honest! A perfect audiobook to keep your mind engaged and it is easy to follow.
This book is about how we deal with dead bodies. It's not about grief, the process of dying, or the afterlife. It's about things a mortician encounters on the job, with some gallows humor and historical facts sprinkled in. I'm a squeamish person when it comes to sights and smells, but I could handle the descriptions of decaying corpses.
The author has a good mission: death is our cultural taboo. Think of youth worship, anti aging creams, plastic surgeons, and how few of us have ever seen an unembalmed dead body (something that was commonplace until relatively recently). Being divorced from and in denial of our own mortality is at the heart of many cultural ills, according to the author, and I think she has a point.
I enjoyed listening to this book and I think it helped me destigmatize the view I had of the dead.
This book is about how we deal with dead bodies. It's not about grief, the process of dying, or the afterlife. It's about things a mortician encounters on the job, with some gallows humor and historical facts sprinkled in. I'm a squeamish person when it comes to sights and smells, but I could handle the descriptions of decaying corpses.
The author has a good mission: death is our cultural taboo. Think of youth worship, anti aging creams, plastic surgeons, and how few of us have ever seen an unembalmed dead body (something that was commonplace until relatively recently). Being divorced from and in denial of our own mortality is at the heart of many cultural ills, according to the author, and I think she has a point.
I enjoyed listening to this book and I think it helped me destigmatize the view I had of the dead.
Wow I really liked this! In the beginning I was reminded of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest but towards the end, when she is released from the hospital, she reflects on her diagnosis and societal perceptions of what constitutes “crazy.” She raises some fine points!
Subtle, quiet, and meditative. Reading this took me a great deal longer than I expected, because the thoughts explored were new territory for me. Of course I understood and caught all of the biblical references, but it just never occurred to me to think about grace, faith, and humanity in these ways. Worthy of another read.
I just loved hearing the stories of all the characters in Whistle Stop, Alabama. Listening to the audio was perfect because of how conversational the language is. I think we all embody Evelyn when we hear the stories: we wish we had such a community of people who would do good to one another.
I was blown away by how good this was!! So smart and really cute. The final 4 guys were all amazing characters, so it kept me in suspense. I love Bea, her cool style, and her body positivity. Also, there was some surprise ace rep, who would have guessed?
Similar to how Bo Burnham makes jokes about being aware of making inappropriate jokes, hoping that the meta awareness works as a defense of continuing to make said jokes, this book hopes that the final meta writing workshop of the book will smooth over its problems. Like "I'm aware and ploughed ahead anyways, therefore it's an intentional choice and you didn't read it appropriately." Le sigh.
The main thing I disliked about this is that the Egyptian characters, even when given a first-person voice, seem to come from the American girl's perspective. For example, when the Shobrakit guy says that the revolution fizzled out because the foreign money dried up, and it left a lot of drug addicts in its wake. Is that really a common belief among lower class participants who actively participated in the revolution, like this character? Later we learn that the American girl is an autofiction of the author and the book is based on her experiences, so I guess that's why the Egyptian characters never really leave an American perspective.
Tbh I read this book to complete a reading challenge but it just strengthens my decision that I need to stop reading 2nd / 3rd gen American immigrant stories for a while. It makes me bitter that the characters often spread a colonialist and privileged American perspective but argue that because they too are damaged by that ideology they could not possibly be an active participant in it. That "hypenated identity" and passport makes you a participant, and simply being aware of it isn't enough to erase culpability. Idk what the answer is here, I just know I need to take a step back for a while. Maybe I shouldn't even read books by American authors for a few months. I'm sick of the discourse.
The main thing I disliked about this is that the Egyptian characters, even when given a first-person voice, seem to come from the American girl's perspective. For example, when the Shobrakit guy says that the revolution fizzled out because the foreign money dried up, and it left a lot of drug addicts in its wake. Is that really a common belief among lower class participants who actively participated in the revolution, like this character? Later we learn that the American girl is an autofiction of the author and the book is based on her experiences, so I guess that's why the Egyptian characters never really leave an American perspective.
Tbh I read this book to complete a reading challenge but it just strengthens my decision that I need to stop reading 2nd / 3rd gen American immigrant stories for a while. It makes me bitter that the characters often spread a colonialist and privileged American perspective but argue that because they too are damaged by that ideology they could not possibly be an active participant in it. That "hypenated identity" and passport makes you a participant, and simply being aware of it isn't enough to erase culpability. Idk what the answer is here, I just know I need to take a step back for a while. Maybe I shouldn't even read books by American authors for a few months. I'm sick of the discourse.
The drama! The romance! The scandals! I loved it. I also loved the lush descriptions of the countryside as it passed through the different seasons. Makes me want a life far from the maddening crowd, too.