alisarae's Reviews (1.65k)

Yes, girl!

This author, also author of Girls Burn Brighter which I have to read now, presents a powerhouse of awesome stories about Partition-era women on the Indian subcontinent. I don’t know if I have ever read such a cohesive collection of short stories that pack punch after consistent punch the entire book.

Here is what I mean by cohesion: each story can be read as a standalone and in any order. However, if you read them in order, there is always a character from the previous story that appears in the story after. So a thread weaves everything together.

Also, the stories are all about determined women carving and cobbling and conniving their way to a better life. Like, not necessarily a good life, but a better one. I am totally here for the revenge stories, the girl biding her time until the perfect moment arrives, the girl manipulating things into being the perfect moment, the girl doing far more than everyone including the reader gives her credit for. So here for that.

The other thing that stood out to me was a technical one. I would read what I thought was a perfect line to end the story on, and then the author gave us one more paragraph that was the actual perfect ending. Nearly every time. This is the one-two punch, folks.

This book is based on NPR show host Celeste Headlee's TED Talk, "10 Ways to Have a Better Conversation."

The 10 points in the talk each have a corresponding chapter in the book. The points are:
1. Don't multitask - be fully in or fully out of the conversation.
2. Don't pontificate.
3. Use open ended questions.
4. Go with the flow / Travel together.
5. If you don't know, say that you don't know.
6. Don't equate your experience with theirs.
7. Try not to repeat yourself.
8. Stay out of the weeds.
9. Listen.
10. Be brief.

There are a few other introductory chapters as well.

Why the book is worth reading even after you watch the TED Talk:
Headlee goes into a lot about empathy. That is totally missing from the talk, but it seems that the solution to nearly all of our "conversational narcissism" and inability to talk to people about touchy issues is because we lack empathy. Research supports this: in a compilation of 72 studies done over 30 years, scientists "found a 40% decline in empathy among college students, with the vast majority of that decline taking place after 2000."

We also lack self-control to hold our tongues and let our thoughts go. Headlee gives numerous examples of how meditation has helped her do both of those things, and the results of when she didn't. We don't have to correct people all the time, even if they are wrong. We don't have to say every thought that comes to mind; it doesn't really matter in the end. Keeping quiet is not the same as condoning.

The third reason is all of Headlee's personal stories and the bits of research tucked into every chapter. Her stories are so powerful that they are almost unbelievable. I guess that's what happens when you really, truly listen to the person you are talking to.

I read this whole book in less than 24 hours, cramming moments between classes and on the bus. It was fascinating because I grew up in the same world. As it turns out, I know a lot of people who have made this exact journey: fervent fundamentalism, following up on some doubts that church leaders refuse to address, falling away from the faith when they learn about the true origins of the Bible and the hypocrisy of leadership, and eventually coming back to faith.

This is cute. I can identify. I liked the full page illustrations the best and I took screenshots of them to use as my ipad wallpaper.

#AlisaReadsTheWorld: Finland

This book has strong primordial female power vibes going on. The themes of sisterhood, friendship, duty, and respect are refreshing. It was easy to get immersed in the setting and the story, and I genuinely liked all the characters with their unique personalities.

No cattiness for the win! Just girls supporting each other.

P.S. If you think this is about girl scout camp, let me stop you right there. It is very dark: blood, death, rape, honor killing, patriarchy taken to the extreme.

The thesis of this book is that the gospel of Matthew was not meant to be read literally, but it was composed as a liturgical companion piece to be used alongside scripture readings in Jewish synagogues throughout the year. Matthew is arranged and adapted to provide Jesus stories and teachings for Jewish holidays.

I loved this book. Some of the author’s arguments are stronger than others, can’t deny that. But overall it made a ton of sense to me and brought a fresh perspective to the gospels that I have never heard in 3 decades of weekly church participation, conferences, and bible studies. So there’s that. I would love to recommend this book to every Christian, but some people would just be so offended by the material that it would do more harm than good. Anyways, it was wonderful and eye-opening to read this during Lent. I need to let my brain rest and absorb now.

Btw, this book is not meant to stay in the ivory towers. It is written for the christian layperson to read and understand. It is very down to earth and easy to follow.

Some of these stories have a touch of the fantastical. Others are allegories. All of them tap onto the depths of the wellspring within us.

What a great historical fiction! Loved it.

Set on a Korean island during the Japanese and American occupations, it follows the lives of two women who become friends through their village diving collective.

Haenyeo are traditional female free divers who hunt along the ocean floor for mollusks and other valuable sea creatures. Through a variety of factors, including higher body fat, women took the role of working outside the home and providing financial security for their families while husbands stayed home cooking, cleaning, and raising children.

This story has a great mix of drama and interesting historical details. The beach setting and strong women characters are a fun plus.