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astridandlouise's Reviews (665)
I received an ARC of this book with thanks to Pan Macmillan Australia via NetGalley.
This isn't necessarily an easy book to review. Disclaimer, I love Sarah Wilson and have since her Cosmo days. Everything that she has dabbled in or lent her name to, I have paid attention. I did her IQS program 4 times and learnt a remarkable amount about food and the way the body consumes it. I have read FWMTBB and both thoroughly enjoyed it and related to it. I love watching her be interviewed and the way that she interacts when she is being interviewed. So I come to this book whilst not quite a flailing fan girl, definitely an ardent supporter.
The first half of this book had me figuratively screaming YES from the rooftops and highlighting an obscene number of relevant and captivating lines throughout, eg. "We are communal beings. We need to belong to a tribe to survive and thrive. Yet we are also inherently selfish. And we tend to veer towards rampant self-interest if given a fifth of a rampant chance. Albeit it to survive and thrive." (p.59) Wilson deep dives into COVID-19, the impact it's had on us both individually and as a society. Going further, she expands into why so many of us are in despair, seeking connection yet being incredibly disconnected at the same time, and what has broken our tether to society and community. So much of what Wilson discusses rings entirely true. She is able to articulate everything I've been feeling internally and struggling to express to both myself and the people around me. I could re-read the beginning third of this book everyday and feel a sense of camaraderie in truly knowing I'm not alone.
Wilson shares her vulnerability and writes about her attempts to become a mother which she has also discussed previously. These moments were incredibly raw and personal. I loved these personal interludes in the books as well as the sub-chapters about her various hiking journeys and anecdotes. How her hiking helped her deconstruct her grief after the loss of her pregnancy was an incredibly powerful moment in this book.
The second half of the book lost a little of its relevance and shine. It seemed to be slightly too long, became a little repetitive and as someone that has been on the SW bandwagon for many years, it was a lot of information that she'd discussed in other works. I think there may be a few people that would find the second half of the book to be 'preachy' although I don't necessarily agree that it is. Wilson notes numerous times to remind us that she's not perfect, that she's a white woman living a life with immense privilege and that she's acutely aware that what works for some doesn't work for others. She's put an extreme amount of effort into her writing to not come across as judgmental of others and their choices, however you can't control the way that people react to your writing or your privilege. I think she makes it clear that this is what works for her, maybe it'll work for you too, but maybe it won't and that's okay, here are some suggestions on how to forge your own path. There's definitely lots of different facets to this book and you may relate to some more than others.
If you're interested in seeking connection to humanity, the environment or both, I would strongly recommend reading this. If you're interested in the breakdown, anger and hopelessness amidst our societies, give this book a go. There may be parts of the book you relate to more strongly than others, but I still believe it's a relevant and rewarding read.
This isn't necessarily an easy book to review. Disclaimer, I love Sarah Wilson and have since her Cosmo days. Everything that she has dabbled in or lent her name to, I have paid attention. I did her IQS program 4 times and learnt a remarkable amount about food and the way the body consumes it. I have read FWMTBB and both thoroughly enjoyed it and related to it. I love watching her be interviewed and the way that she interacts when she is being interviewed. So I come to this book whilst not quite a flailing fan girl, definitely an ardent supporter.
The first half of this book had me figuratively screaming YES from the rooftops and highlighting an obscene number of relevant and captivating lines throughout, eg. "We are communal beings. We need to belong to a tribe to survive and thrive. Yet we are also inherently selfish. And we tend to veer towards rampant self-interest if given a fifth of a rampant chance. Albeit it to survive and thrive." (p.59) Wilson deep dives into COVID-19, the impact it's had on us both individually and as a society. Going further, she expands into why so many of us are in despair, seeking connection yet being incredibly disconnected at the same time, and what has broken our tether to society and community. So much of what Wilson discusses rings entirely true. She is able to articulate everything I've been feeling internally and struggling to express to both myself and the people around me. I could re-read the beginning third of this book everyday and feel a sense of camaraderie in truly knowing I'm not alone.
Wilson shares her vulnerability and writes about her attempts to become a mother which she has also discussed previously. These moments were incredibly raw and personal. I loved these personal interludes in the books as well as the sub-chapters about her various hiking journeys and anecdotes. How her hiking helped her deconstruct her grief after the loss of her pregnancy was an incredibly powerful moment in this book.
The second half of the book lost a little of its relevance and shine. It seemed to be slightly too long, became a little repetitive and as someone that has been on the SW bandwagon for many years, it was a lot of information that she'd discussed in other works. I think there may be a few people that would find the second half of the book to be 'preachy' although I don't necessarily agree that it is. Wilson notes numerous times to remind us that she's not perfect, that she's a white woman living a life with immense privilege and that she's acutely aware that what works for some doesn't work for others. She's put an extreme amount of effort into her writing to not come across as judgmental of others and their choices, however you can't control the way that people react to your writing or your privilege. I think she makes it clear that this is what works for her, maybe it'll work for you too, but maybe it won't and that's okay, here are some suggestions on how to forge your own path. There's definitely lots of different facets to this book and you may relate to some more than others.
If you're interested in seeking connection to humanity, the environment or both, I would strongly recommend reading this. If you're interested in the breakdown, anger and hopelessness amidst our societies, give this book a go. There may be parts of the book you relate to more strongly than others, but I still believe it's a relevant and rewarding read.
An incredibly informative and eye-opening small book on misogyny and gender systems prevalent in South Korea. Don't let its size fool you (my electronic edition clocked in at 102p) as there is a great deal of factual information contained in this book (I loved the inclusion of the footnotes.) and I learnt a lot.
It seemed a little short for me. I wanted to stand alongside Kim Jiyoung as she navigated motherhood, the impact that the loss of identity had on her life as well as the continual development of her mental illness and the changes that each of these facets had on both her life and her relationships. The ending however was quite fitting in that even the "good ones" amongst the patriarchy have these generational gender-bias' imprinted on them and thoughtlessly reinforce them even when attempting to break them.
It seemed a little short for me. I wanted to stand alongside Kim Jiyoung as she navigated motherhood, the impact that the loss of identity had on her life as well as the continual development of her mental illness and the changes that each of these facets had on both her life and her relationships. The ending however was quite fitting in that even the "good ones" amongst the patriarchy have these generational gender-bias' imprinted on them and thoughtlessly reinforce them even when attempting to break them.
The narrative of this book is one that usually irritates me however, the writing style of Moshfegh kept me invested and intrigued.
I received an ARC of this book with thanks to Hachette Australia via NetGalley.
Set in Norway in 1880 we follow a love triangle between the three central characters and in particular Astrid and the battles she faces living through the hardships of Norwegian winters and terrain whilst seeking a better life and future. Woven throughout the narrative are Norse stories of both myth and legend with a hint of the inexplainable.
Mytting illustrates the history and intricacies of the wooden stave church, the importance of them to their remote communities and the way they guide their everyday lives. He writes in such a way that he places a seed in our minds and urges us to confront the idea of progress and the erasure of history to make way for the new, and then challenge it. Mytting also writes about the cold and isolation in great descriptive detail, so much that you feel the chill through your veins; its transportive.
This is the first in a historical trilogy from Mytting and I'm incredibly interested to see how the timeline develops over the course of the next two books. Reading this took me back to our honeymoon, the vast beauty of Norway, and in particular the Flakstad Chuch (c. 1780) which we visited in Nordland county. Definitely an intriguing and engaging read.
Set in Norway in 1880 we follow a love triangle between the three central characters and in particular Astrid and the battles she faces living through the hardships of Norwegian winters and terrain whilst seeking a better life and future. Woven throughout the narrative are Norse stories of both myth and legend with a hint of the inexplainable.
Mytting illustrates the history and intricacies of the wooden stave church, the importance of them to their remote communities and the way they guide their everyday lives. He writes in such a way that he places a seed in our minds and urges us to confront the idea of progress and the erasure of history to make way for the new, and then challenge it. Mytting also writes about the cold and isolation in great descriptive detail, so much that you feel the chill through your veins; its transportive.
This is the first in a historical trilogy from Mytting and I'm incredibly interested to see how the timeline develops over the course of the next two books. Reading this took me back to our honeymoon, the vast beauty of Norway, and in particular the Flakstad Chuch (c. 1780) which we visited in Nordland county. Definitely an intriguing and engaging read.
The imagery Yuknavitch brings to sentences is beyond powerful; the beginning of this book kind of blew me away. Then the writing began to lose its spark. The descriptions weren't as taut and the language lost a bit of its power. However I really enjoyed the story and I found all the characters to be brilliant in their own quirky and bizarre ways.
I received an ARC of this book with thanks to Random House UK, Doubleday via NetGalley.
Coming up for Air gives us three narratives set across time and continents that weave together all centered around breath and air. 1899 France, 1950's Norway and present day Canada. It shows us the impact of everyday life and the extensive influence our existence has on humanity around us without ever entirely knowing so.
It is beautifully written and highly descriptive. It took me a few days to get into the story, but I was hooked by the second half which I finished over the course of a morning. I adored the narratives set in France and Norway, they merged together beautifully and were also fascinating as standalone tales. The third thread whilst lovely, seemed slightly disjointed and didn't link to the other two threads as well as I expected (other than having the breath/air connection).
Coming up for Air gives us three narratives set across time and continents that weave together all centered around breath and air. 1899 France, 1950's Norway and present day Canada. It shows us the impact of everyday life and the extensive influence our existence has on humanity around us without ever entirely knowing so.
It is beautifully written and highly descriptive. It took me a few days to get into the story, but I was hooked by the second half which I finished over the course of a morning. I adored the narratives set in France and Norway, they merged together beautifully and were also fascinating as standalone tales. The third thread whilst lovely, seemed slightly disjointed and didn't link to the other two threads as well as I expected (other than having the breath/air connection).
I received an ARC of this book with thanks to Pushkin Press via NetGalley.
The Honjin Murders written by Yokomizo in 1946 is a classic closed door murder mystery full of Japanese culture and references to the golden age of detective fiction.
I was slightly disappointed by this one. This book highlighted to me that I just may not be a closed door murder mystery fan. As we're guided through the steps which helped solved the mystery by the Doctor and Kindaichi, I found myself quite deflated and I was left wanting more. I had to remind myself that this was written over seventy years ago, also set in 1937 and speaks to the culture and beliefs of that time. (The misogynistic element of the book really threw me!) The redeeming feature of the book was definitely Kosuke Kindaichi. A really intriguing and savvy character, so much so that I'd happily read more books in this series purely for his method and weird logic. It was written well, descriptive yet succinct and very easy to read. A wonderful translation by Kawai.
The Honjin Murders written by Yokomizo in 1946 is a classic closed door murder mystery full of Japanese culture and references to the golden age of detective fiction.
I was slightly disappointed by this one. This book highlighted to me that I just may not be a closed door murder mystery fan. As we're guided through the steps which helped solved the mystery by the Doctor and Kindaichi, I found myself quite deflated and I was left wanting more. I had to remind myself that this was written over seventy years ago, also set in 1937 and speaks to the culture and beliefs of that time. (The misogynistic element of the book really threw me!) The redeeming feature of the book was definitely Kosuke Kindaichi. A really intriguing and savvy character, so much so that I'd happily read more books in this series purely for his method and weird logic. It was written well, descriptive yet succinct and very easy to read. A wonderful translation by Kawai.