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alisarae's Reviews (1.65k)
Maya Angelou is one of my favorite poets. I can't help but whisper her poems aloud, to a beat. And the double meanings get me every time.
Super great for low-level English speakers because it is repetitive and has simple sentence structure. Good for follow-up questions and games, too (I Spy modified to match the question structure in the book, color identification, follow the leader based on verbs in the book, etc).
This story is about finding beauty and choosing to look on the bright side no matter your circumstances. I love that it begins by CJ and Nana leaving church, CJ wishing that he had and did what other people have and do, Nana redirecting his attitude, and finished by them serving at a soup kitchen. The illustrations are marvelous. I wish I had one framed to remind me of this sweet story and its important message.
Mom's review: I couldn't finish it because there's too much swearing and bragging.
I agree about the bragging part and the swearing is unnecessary (esp when sometimes he says "blankety-blank-blank"). But really, the bragging is excessive and the way he brushes over his own negative self-aspects, never admitting possible mistakes, is suspect at best and immature to say the least.
The other thing is, Ron Miscavige tells a lot of anecdotes that follow this format: "I WOULD do this, and Person WOULD react like this. But IF SOMEONE else did it, the reaction WOULD be different. There are lots of examples on the internet." The type of language he uses is generalized, and while I don't doubt that it happened, it downgrades the punch of his experiences. Jenna, Ron's granddaughter, uses way more details and names specific dates, people, and places in her book [b:Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape|15827066|Beyond Belief My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape|Jenna Miscavige Hill|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1354001608s/15827066.jpg|21737662]. Maybe it's because Ron has a bad memory (I am like this as well), but I think tacking on the phrase "You can read similar stories on the internet" is a lame excuse for having such vague details in your own story.
Besides that, he gives a lot of juicy gossip, but doesn't say how he would have come to know that (Was it just gossip from his time as a Scientologist? Or through reading forums online? ...in which case he should cite). He qualifies some stories with saying, And even the father of the leader of Scientology wouldn't get to know the details! That's how secretive the organization is. ... But then how would he know so many inner workings if all he did was arrange and record music?
Jenna Miscavige Hill actually did have a lot of inside information and a wider range of experiences within the organization because of her various assignments. She also gives more details about what Scientologists believe and teach, while Ron just repeats the mantra "To clear the world of crime, war, and insanity." So I would recommend you read her book over this one.
I agree about the bragging part and the swearing is unnecessary (esp when sometimes he says "blankety-blank-blank"). But really, the bragging is excessive and the way he brushes over his own negative self-aspects, never admitting possible mistakes, is suspect at best and immature to say the least.
The other thing is, Ron Miscavige tells a lot of anecdotes that follow this format: "I WOULD do this, and Person WOULD react like this. But IF SOMEONE else did it, the reaction WOULD be different. There are lots of examples on the internet." The type of language he uses is generalized, and while I don't doubt that it happened, it downgrades the punch of his experiences. Jenna, Ron's granddaughter, uses way more details and names specific dates, people, and places in her book [b:Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape|15827066|Beyond Belief My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape|Jenna Miscavige Hill|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1354001608s/15827066.jpg|21737662]. Maybe it's because Ron has a bad memory (I am like this as well), but I think tacking on the phrase "You can read similar stories on the internet" is a lame excuse for having such vague details in your own story.
Besides that, he gives a lot of juicy gossip, but doesn't say how he would have come to know that (Was it just gossip from his time as a Scientologist? Or through reading forums online? ...in which case he should cite). He qualifies some stories with saying, And even the father of the leader of Scientology wouldn't get to know the details! That's how secretive the organization is. ... But then how would he know so many inner workings if all he did was arrange and record music?
Jenna Miscavige Hill actually did have a lot of inside information and a wider range of experiences within the organization because of her various assignments. She also gives more details about what Scientologists believe and teach, while Ron just repeats the mantra "To clear the world of crime, war, and insanity." So I would recommend you read her book over this one.
Maya Angelou never fails to make me grin, make me feel understood, and make me mourn. I love how wise and humble and proud she is.
The enjoyable aspect of this book was the character development of Jamie and Charlotte. I adore them both, as irritating as they are at times.
True to original Sherlock, you have no idea why anything is happening the entire time. I don't like that about the original stories, the BBC show, or this book. It is so frustrating to not understand the plot...for the entire book. But like in the BBC series, it's the characters that keep me going back for more.
True to original Sherlock, you have no idea why anything is happening the entire time. I don't like that about the original stories, the BBC show, or this book. It is so frustrating to not understand the plot...for the entire book. But like in the BBC series, it's the characters that keep me going back for more.
Really really great. Cora is a first rate badass and my new mantra will be "What would Cora do?"
What made this book really great for me was reading Uncle Tom's Cabin right before reading The Underground Railroad. TUR is both sleeker and huskier. Sleeker because the language is fine tuned to be whip sharp. Huskier because the characters are gritty, grimey, and the violence is bloody and dirty. UTC even says at one point that it doesn't want to offend readers' sensibilities or some such Victorian flooflaw. And in spite of being written in a literary tone, the story keeps moving forward at a very steady pace, never dragging.
Audiobook was perfect too.
What made this book really great for me was reading Uncle Tom's Cabin right before reading The Underground Railroad. TUR is both sleeker and huskier. Sleeker because the language is fine tuned to be whip sharp. Huskier because the characters are gritty, grimey, and the violence is bloody and dirty. UTC even says at one point that it doesn't want to offend readers' sensibilities or some such Victorian flooflaw. And in spite of being written in a literary tone, the story keeps moving forward at a very steady pace, never dragging.
Audiobook was perfect too.
A friend asked if this book is depressing. The unfairness, injustice, corruption, poverty, illness, incompetence, racism, classism, and confusion that these people live with on a daily basis is depressing.
Following the ins and outs of daily life in a swampy slum that sits in the shadow of five-star hotels was fascinating, because I kept wondering how an individual continues to make the choice to keep living (not all do, actually), and not only that, keep innovating, working hard, and looking for more opportunities. So in that regard, it's fiercely inspiring. The amount of privilege I have been born in to, and the fact that every one of my problems qualifies as a #firstworldproblem, is ridiculous. The human spirit is beautiful and amazing.
I never felt like the author was patronizing or showing off (unlike 3 Cups of Tea *barf*). In the afterward, she talks about how that was a priority for her. I also believe that since she actually had cross-cultural and multi-classed team members working with her during 3 years of reporting, that helped keep her away from the "look at the poor starving children" POV.
Oh, and the audiobook narrator was perfect.
Following the ins and outs of daily life in a swampy slum that sits in the shadow of five-star hotels was fascinating, because I kept wondering how an individual continues to make the choice to keep living (not all do, actually), and not only that, keep innovating, working hard, and looking for more opportunities. So in that regard, it's fiercely inspiring. The amount of privilege I have been born in to, and the fact that every one of my problems qualifies as a #firstworldproblem, is ridiculous. The human spirit is beautiful and amazing.
I never felt like the author was patronizing or showing off (unlike 3 Cups of Tea *barf*). In the afterward, she talks about how that was a priority for her. I also believe that since she actually had cross-cultural and multi-classed team members working with her during 3 years of reporting, that helped keep her away from the "look at the poor starving children" POV.
Oh, and the audiobook narrator was perfect.
If you like David Sedaris, you will probably like this short collection of personal essays. Nora Ephron was a journalist, screenwriter (You've Got Mail, When Harry Met Sally), and director, among other things. This book is a mix of personal stories and opinions. Though she often had a front-row seat to major historical moments, she instead chooses to focus on how she got her first job in journalism, intimate family stories, and how she learned some important life lessons.
Her deep honesty is at times self-depreciating in a humorous way (like David Sedaris) and other times brutally honest in a somber way ('For half my life, divorced is how I defined myself' --quoting from memory here). Her tone is straightforward and wry.
I like when audiobook memoirs are read by the author, as this one is. Ephron has great timing.
Her deep honesty is at times self-depreciating in a humorous way (like David Sedaris) and other times brutally honest in a somber way ('For half my life, divorced is how I defined myself' --quoting from memory here). Her tone is straightforward and wry.
I like when audiobook memoirs are read by the author, as this one is. Ephron has great timing.
SUCH a great book!! Completely lives up to all the hype. Well written with solid story development and all of the characters are lovable.