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elle_reads's Reviews (446)
(Instagram @elle_reads)
BOOK REVIEW
[Homes] A young boy becomes a refugee.
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WHAT I LIKED
The quiet moments when Bakr's personality shine through break the turmoil he experiences. Homes does an amazing job showing a family's struggle to stay together and find a safe home. The family ties between Bakr and his cousins are so touching in the middle of the grenages and frantic phone calls in the middle of the night. They show how life continues through a bakery with a bright awning.
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WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
Most of my issues stemmed from the writing. Homes removed Bakr's childlike voice from most of the narrative. It discusses the importance of a place as an impromptu soccer field instead of it being a later sniper nest, but it doesn't let the reader live it. This work would have been so much more moving if they capitalized on his true emotions instead of filling in the gaps.
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There were so many DUN DUN DUUUUN!!! (Dramatic Sound Effect) moments that it took away from the overall effect. So many bad things happened. I feel awful writing a low review for a kid with these experiences. I wish those helping him made different literary choices. The message is important! Just don't expect the writing to blow you away.
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Homes: A Refugee Story (by Abu Bakr al Rabeeah, Winnie Yeung) ⚡️⚡️2/5
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#homes #abubakralrabeeah #winnieyeung #refugee #refugeestory
#ellesbookreviews2019
#ellereadstheword
BOOK REVIEW
[Homes] A young boy becomes a refugee.
//
WHAT I LIKED
The quiet moments when Bakr's personality shine through break the turmoil he experiences. Homes does an amazing job showing a family's struggle to stay together and find a safe home. The family ties between Bakr and his cousins are so touching in the middle of the grenages and frantic phone calls in the middle of the night. They show how life continues through a bakery with a bright awning.
//
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
Most of my issues stemmed from the writing. Homes removed Bakr's childlike voice from most of the narrative. It discusses the importance of a place as an impromptu soccer field instead of it being a later sniper nest, but it doesn't let the reader live it. This work would have been so much more moving if they capitalized on his true emotions instead of filling in the gaps.
/
There were so many DUN DUN DUUUUN!!! (Dramatic Sound Effect) moments that it took away from the overall effect. So many bad things happened. I feel awful writing a low review for a kid with these experiences. I wish those helping him made different literary choices. The message is important! Just don't expect the writing to blow you away.
//
Homes: A Refugee Story (by Abu Bakr al Rabeeah, Winnie Yeung) ⚡️⚡️2/5
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#homes #abubakralrabeeah #winnieyeung #refugee #refugeestory
#ellesbookreviews2019
#ellereadstheword
The Lusiad: Or, the Discovery of India. an Epic Poem, Volume 2
Luís Vaz de Camões, William Julius Mickle
(Instagram @elle_reads)
BOOK REVIEW⠀
[The Lusiads] The Portuguese explore their national identity through the exploration of Indian trade routes.
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🌟I STARTED A BLOG TO ADD MORE THOUGHTS! I will post more about The Lusiads later this week. Check it out! 🌟⠀
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WHAT I LIKED⠀
In a sense, Camoes writes as an inverted Homer. Homer was a blind poet - often thought to be a collective group of ancient poets - describing the actions of one man. It was unlikely Homer ever saw the islands his tale describes. Camoes is a half-blind poet who ACTUALLY TRAVELLED to the places in his poem. HOW COOL IS THAT? He lived in Asia for much of his life. While he wrote The Lusiads, it is believed he travelled Cambodia, China, and India. He is one poet describing the collective experience of Portuguese nobles through history.⠀
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Camoes plays with the form of epic poetry. He manipulates his choice of high versus low language as well as fantastical happenings to introduce Portuguese as a literary language. He plays with a balance of realism - scrapping “sludge” from the bottom of boats - and fantasy - many gods/nymphs/etc change the heroic paths. The religious aspects of this text are super interesting.⠀
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WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE⠀
Make sure you know Homer and Virgil before you read this. Like study them hard. You need to know the episodes of these classical poets to see the classical references Camoes makes to connect his country to his education of classical antiquity. CLASSICAL KNOWLEDGE. You need them for this.⠀
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It’s also important to understand Camoes' tale of Vasco de Gama acts as a story frame to depict past Portuguese nobility. It is a story of many and flashbacks are plentiful. That being said, it is an interesting ethnography of the lands Portugal “found” in their attempt to establish better Indian trade routes.
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🌟I STARTED A BLOG TO ADD MORE THOUGHTS! I will post more about The Lusiads later this week. Check it out! 🌟⠀
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The Lusiads (Luis Vaz de Camoes) ⚡️⚡️⚡️3/5⠀
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Thank you to #gutenbergproject for giving all access to this epic for free.⠀
BOOK REVIEW⠀
[The Lusiads] The Portuguese explore their national identity through the exploration of Indian trade routes.
//
🌟I STARTED A BLOG TO ADD MORE THOUGHTS! I will post more about The Lusiads later this week. Check it out! 🌟⠀
//⠀
WHAT I LIKED⠀
In a sense, Camoes writes as an inverted Homer. Homer was a blind poet - often thought to be a collective group of ancient poets - describing the actions of one man. It was unlikely Homer ever saw the islands his tale describes. Camoes is a half-blind poet who ACTUALLY TRAVELLED to the places in his poem. HOW COOL IS THAT? He lived in Asia for much of his life. While he wrote The Lusiads, it is believed he travelled Cambodia, China, and India. He is one poet describing the collective experience of Portuguese nobles through history.⠀
//⠀
Camoes plays with the form of epic poetry. He manipulates his choice of high versus low language as well as fantastical happenings to introduce Portuguese as a literary language. He plays with a balance of realism - scrapping “sludge” from the bottom of boats - and fantasy - many gods/nymphs/etc change the heroic paths. The religious aspects of this text are super interesting.⠀
//⠀
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE⠀
Make sure you know Homer and Virgil before you read this. Like study them hard. You need to know the episodes of these classical poets to see the classical references Camoes makes to connect his country to his education of classical antiquity. CLASSICAL KNOWLEDGE. You need them for this.⠀
//⠀
It’s also important to understand Camoes' tale of Vasco de Gama acts as a story frame to depict past Portuguese nobility. It is a story of many and flashbacks are plentiful. That being said, it is an interesting ethnography of the lands Portugal “found” in their attempt to establish better Indian trade routes.
//
🌟I STARTED A BLOG TO ADD MORE THOUGHTS! I will post more about The Lusiads later this week. Check it out! 🌟⠀
//⠀
The Lusiads (Luis Vaz de Camoes) ⚡️⚡️⚡️3/5⠀
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Thank you to #gutenbergproject for giving all access to this epic for free.⠀
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(Instagram @elle_reads)
minireview
THE LIFE-CHANGING MAGIC OF TIDYING UP
I began Marie Kondo's book months after finishing my own #konmarimoment this summer and watching all the episodes on Netflix. Straight up: I believe in her methods. I still learned a few pointers reading it so far after the fact. Without my prior knowledge, I don't know if her book alone would have convinced me. Much of it is extended anecdotes illustrating her recommendations. The text seems to ramble at parts when I just want to get to the meat. ⚡⚡⚡ 3/5
minireview
THE LIFE-CHANGING MAGIC OF TIDYING UP
I began Marie Kondo's book months after finishing my own #konmarimoment this summer and watching all the episodes on Netflix. Straight up: I believe in her methods. I still learned a few pointers reading it so far after the fact. Without my prior knowledge, I don't know if her book alone would have convinced me. Much of it is extended anecdotes illustrating her recommendations. The text seems to ramble at parts when I just want to get to the meat. ⚡⚡⚡ 3/5
Instagram @elle_reads
BOOK REVIEW
[Dreyer’s English] A seasoned copyeditor’s guide to clear English.
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WHAT I LIKED
I love Drey humor. Heh. Heh. Heh. Dreyer’s dry humor keeps these lessons alive! This book is exactly what it claims to be: an expert’s witty take on “good English.” His writing permeates trust. It provides clear rules, eloquent reasoning, and poignant examples. He proves his rules bring clarity, and believes a clear sentence - no matter the grammar, punctuation, etc - is the best sentence.. Furthermore, he gives power to the reader (see the passage below). Language is OURS! We change it!
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"Over the course of my career I’ve seen “light bulb” evolve into “light-bulb” and then into “lightbulb,” “baby-sit” give way to “babysit,” and—a big one—“Web site” turn into “Web-site,” then, happily, “website.” *42 How and why do these changes occur? I’ll let you in on a little secret: Because you make them happen.” (loc 975)
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WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
The humor is one-note. You'll love it or set it down. I wouldn't recommend reading it in a manner of days as I did. I wonder if it would have been possible for the examples to have a quirky running plot. It would have kept the snowball rolling!
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Dreyer’s English (by Benjamin Dreyer) ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️✨4.5/5
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BOOK REVIEW
[Dreyer’s English] A seasoned copyeditor’s guide to clear English.
//
WHAT I LIKED
I love Drey humor. Heh. Heh. Heh. Dreyer’s dry humor keeps these lessons alive! This book is exactly what it claims to be: an expert’s witty take on “good English.” His writing permeates trust. It provides clear rules, eloquent reasoning, and poignant examples. He proves his rules bring clarity, and believes a clear sentence - no matter the grammar, punctuation, etc - is the best sentence.. Furthermore, he gives power to the reader (see the passage below). Language is OURS! We change it!
//
"Over the course of my career I’ve seen “light bulb” evolve into “light-bulb” and then into “lightbulb,” “baby-sit” give way to “babysit,” and—a big one—“Web site” turn into “Web-site,” then, happily, “website.” *42 How and why do these changes occur? I’ll let you in on a little secret: Because you make them happen.” (loc 975)
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WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
The humor is one-note. You'll love it or set it down. I wouldn't recommend reading it in a manner of days as I did. I wonder if it would have been possible for the examples to have a quirky running plot. It would have kept the snowball rolling!
//
Dreyer’s English (by Benjamin Dreyer) ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️✨4.5/5
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(Instagram @elle_reads)
BOOK REVIEW
[The Arabian Nights] A vizier's daughter convinces a king to stop marrying and killing woman through the power of storytelling.
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WHAT I LIKED
The set of the frame narrative is by far my favorite part of the story. I love hearing about stubborn and intelligent Shahrazad forcing her father to wed her to the king despite the risk of death. Her stories are full of genies, magic, kings, commoners, and curses. It's so fun to pick out her arguments - not all women are horrible and killing isn't always the answer - from the rich realms she creates with her words. It is a true testament to the power of stories.
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WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
I have to admit: the narrative can become a trudge to the finish line. In reflection, I wish I would have broken apart the text into shorter story arcs to read over time while reading another book. It's important to remember it's not a novelistic piece. I would classify it as a loose prose collection? (There have to be papers out their arguing either way lol) I have such clear imagery from some stories, but little remembered from others. I would recommend diagramming how the stories connect. I had a lot of fun with arrows!
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The Arabian Nights (edited by Muhsin Mahdi, translated by Husain Haddawy) ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️4/5
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#1001nights #thearabiannights #muhsinmahdi #husainhaddawy
#ellesbookreviews2019
#ellereadstheword
BOOK REVIEW
[The Arabian Nights] A vizier's daughter convinces a king to stop marrying and killing woman through the power of storytelling.
//
WHAT I LIKED
The set of the frame narrative is by far my favorite part of the story. I love hearing about stubborn and intelligent Shahrazad forcing her father to wed her to the king despite the risk of death. Her stories are full of genies, magic, kings, commoners, and curses. It's so fun to pick out her arguments - not all women are horrible and killing isn't always the answer - from the rich realms she creates with her words. It is a true testament to the power of stories.
//
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
I have to admit: the narrative can become a trudge to the finish line. In reflection, I wish I would have broken apart the text into shorter story arcs to read over time while reading another book. It's important to remember it's not a novelistic piece. I would classify it as a loose prose collection? (There have to be papers out their arguing either way lol) I have such clear imagery from some stories, but little remembered from others. I would recommend diagramming how the stories connect. I had a lot of fun with arrows!
//
The Arabian Nights (edited by Muhsin Mahdi, translated by Husain Haddawy) ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️4/5
//
#1001nights #thearabiannights #muhsinmahdi #husainhaddawy
#ellesbookreviews2019
#ellereadstheword
Instagram @elle_reads
BOOK REVIEW
[Paper Aeroplane] A collection of speaking-poems from British Poet Laureate Simon Armitage from his writing years 1989-2014.
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WHAT I LIKED
I read Paper Aeroplanes aloud to myself every night until my voice went hoarse. I reread poems just to hear the sounds contracting, rotating with a new level of familiarity. Armitage’s poems are the opposite of pretentious. They just are.
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WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
My favorite selections were poems from his earlier publications. I also enjoyed the translation work included - especially the section where Sir Gawain is called a ‘namby-pamby knight.’ There was nothing I disliked, just pieced I liked more.
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Paper Aeroplane (by Simon Armitage) ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️5/5
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BOOK REVIEW
[Paper Aeroplane] A collection of speaking-poems from British Poet Laureate Simon Armitage from his writing years 1989-2014.
//
WHAT I LIKED
I read Paper Aeroplanes aloud to myself every night until my voice went hoarse. I reread poems just to hear the sounds contracting, rotating with a new level of familiarity. Armitage’s poems are the opposite of pretentious. They just are.
//
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
My favorite selections were poems from his earlier publications. I also enjoyed the translation work included - especially the section where Sir Gawain is called a ‘namby-pamby knight.’ There was nothing I disliked, just pieced I liked more.
//
Paper Aeroplane (by Simon Armitage) ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️5/5
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