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2020: First thing's first: if you're struggling through this book at all, I give you permission to go ahead and skip to the end, and read the author's note. It completely changed my entire perspective on the book, and really gave me a new outlook on the whole story. Major kudos to Yang for sharing her story here; it really elevated the book to a whole new level.
I liked the book overall–I just got a little bogged down in some of the high school drama. It was a lot at times, and there were some inconsistencies (in my humble opinion) between how a character was introduced and described, and their actions (a lot of Jess in the first act of the book, and Dani in the second half).
The secondary characters were really well developed and explored. I had no trouble keeping track of all of the high school students, and even felt like I could keep what was happening with each of their parents straight as well. I loved the variety of representation included (although Zack's mom was an addition that didn't quite mesh. Zack seemed to have a lot of free time for someone with a sick / non-sober single mom at home....)
I learned a lot from this book! There were many aspects of Chinese culture (such as the gaokao) and many elements from the ABC's in the book that I didn't know about. Yang was on point in keeping it straight on what social media each character (and their respective families) would be using or would have access to.
The two narrators twisted and overlapped and intersected, all while telling two different stories. When Claire first moved in to Dani's house, I was nervous that the rest of the novel would be the same plot, simply told from two different points of view. But it really explores the two very different worlds these young women come from, and even though they have similar experiences at their sucky high school, it's different enough.
As the NYT Books Review says, "Know this, weary readers: “Parachutes” is not a book about sexual violence or broken girls or the polluting forces of shame and isolation. It is about the radical possibility of young women finding and detonating their voices." I agree wholeheartedly.
I liked the book overall–I just got a little bogged down in some of the high school drama. It was a lot at times, and there were some inconsistencies (in my humble opinion) between how a character was introduced and described, and their actions (a lot of Jess in the first act of the book, and Dani in the second half).
The secondary characters were really well developed and explored. I had no trouble keeping track of all of the high school students, and even felt like I could keep what was happening with each of their parents straight as well. I loved the variety of representation included (although Zack's mom was an addition that didn't quite mesh. Zack seemed to have a lot of free time for someone with a sick / non-sober single mom at home....)
I learned a lot from this book! There were many aspects of Chinese culture (such as the gaokao) and many elements from the ABC's in the book that I didn't know about. Yang was on point in keeping it straight on what social media each character (and their respective families) would be using or would have access to.
The two narrators twisted and overlapped and intersected, all while telling two different stories. When Claire first moved in to Dani's house, I was nervous that the rest of the novel would be the same plot, simply told from two different points of view. But it really explores the two very different worlds these young women come from, and even though they have similar experiences at their sucky high school, it's different enough.
As the NYT Books Review says, "Know this, weary readers: “Parachutes” is not a book about sexual violence or broken girls or the polluting forces of shame and isolation. It is about the radical possibility of young women finding and detonating their voices." I agree wholeheartedly.
2020: Oooh this was steeeeamy!
Hoang wrote a fun and sexy story about a woman who just happens to be autistic. Hoang, who is on the spectrum herself, received some flack for letting her main character think that her string of bad luck with men was BECAUSE she was autistic. Personally, I felt like it was made pretty clear by the end that it's just because the men were trash, and the failed relationships were not Stella's fault at all.
In terms of plot...yeah, I really don't remember much of what was happening in the background of this story. The secondary characters are mostly all forgettable (although I believe they come back into play in the next couple of books in this series). Stella & Michael are both pretty well fleshed out (....pun somewhat intended) but all of the subplots are completely ignorable.
But none of that really matters. We are here for one thing and one thing only, and that is to GET IT ON, which these characters do with abandon. I was taken aback by how graphic things got (but who am I kidding, I also loved it), and how much there was of it. I still consider myself new to the romance genre, but there was A LOT. I'm thinking back to how Beach Read really made us wait for it; this was the OPPOSITE of that.
Overall, a great #ownvoices read. +2 for consensual sex while learning and growing together. -1 for having no idea what really happened in the rest of the book.
Hoang wrote a fun and sexy story about a woman who just happens to be autistic. Hoang, who is on the spectrum herself, received some flack for letting her main character think that her string of bad luck with men was BECAUSE she was autistic. Personally, I felt like it was made pretty clear by the end that it's just because the men were trash, and the failed relationships were not Stella's fault at all.
In terms of plot...yeah, I really don't remember much of what was happening in the background of this story. The secondary characters are mostly all forgettable (although I believe they come back into play in the next couple of books in this series). Stella & Michael are both pretty well fleshed out (....pun somewhat intended) but all of the subplots are completely ignorable.
But none of that really matters. We are here for one thing and one thing only, and that is to GET IT ON, which these characters do with abandon. I was taken aback by how graphic things got (but who am I kidding, I also loved it), and how much there was of it. I still consider myself new to the romance genre, but there was A LOT. I'm thinking back to how Beach Read really made us wait for it; this was the OPPOSITE of that.
Overall, a great #ownvoices read. +2 for consensual sex while learning and growing together. -1 for having no idea what really happened in the rest of the book.
2020: Roxane Gay is amazing and this book just raised her up in my esteem even higher than she was already.
I read Difficult Women earlier this year, but I wish I had read Hunger first. It would have been nice to connect more of those parallels between the fictional stories and Gay's real experiences living in rural towns.
It was repetitive at times. I NEVER think about my body this much. And I think that's mostly the point that Gay wants the reader to take away from this book. I don't have to think about my body all the time, because the world is set up for me to exist without any adjustments required.
Also, I'm thinking about how I started 2020 reading Know My Name (a memoir about rape) and I'm finishing my year reading Hunger (also a memoir about rape). It's fucking devastating that both of these incredibly strong and amazing women both had to suffer the lifelong trauma that comes from rapists. I am awed and amazed at the vulnerability required to share their stories with us, and I am ever so grateful that they did.
I follow Gay on the internet now, and got to watch her and her new wife (!) speak at the Adobe Max Conference this year. So although this memoir has made it clear that the pain and trauma that the boy who raped her will never REALLY go away, I'm very happy that it has gotten BETTER. At least, according to her Instagram.
I read Difficult Women earlier this year, but I wish I had read Hunger first. It would have been nice to connect more of those parallels between the fictional stories and Gay's real experiences living in rural towns.
It was repetitive at times. I NEVER think about my body this much. And I think that's mostly the point that Gay wants the reader to take away from this book. I don't have to think about my body all the time, because the world is set up for me to exist without any adjustments required.
Also, I'm thinking about how I started 2020 reading Know My Name (a memoir about rape) and I'm finishing my year reading Hunger (also a memoir about rape). It's fucking devastating that both of these incredibly strong and amazing women both had to suffer the lifelong trauma that comes from rapists. I am awed and amazed at the vulnerability required to share their stories with us, and I am ever so grateful that they did.
I follow Gay on the internet now, and got to watch her and her new wife (!) speak at the Adobe Max Conference this year. So although this memoir has made it clear that the pain and trauma that the boy who raped her will never REALLY go away, I'm very happy that it has gotten BETTER. At least, according to her Instagram.
2020: A deep and powerful memoir from a dear family friend of mine.
I am impressed by Walton's willingness to relive the intense ups and downs that she experienced during her cancer journey. The year+ that she spent undergoing treatment was brutal, and to delve back into it as deeply as she did requires many hours spent revisiting it.
The use of an alter ego voice (named Eliza C.) was very effective and a successful way to gain more insights into Eliza's thoughts. It also highlighted a powerful reminder of why you need to be your own advocate while surviving the medical system. We certainly don't make it easy to navigate health care in this country.
There are so many characters that come in and out of Eliza's life that they can be hard to keep track of (even though I have a leg up by being one of them). This does not detract from the story; rather, it sheds light on the full support system that buoyed Walton through her journey.
I loved the many references to other literary works, in particular to Infinite Jest and Roger Ebert. One of Eliza C's doctors was named Murakami, perhaps in a very subtle nod to Haruki Murakami?
I am impressed by Walton's willingness to relive the intense ups and downs that she experienced during her cancer journey. The year+ that she spent undergoing treatment was brutal, and to delve back into it as deeply as she did requires many hours spent revisiting it.
The use of an alter ego voice (named Eliza C.) was very effective and a successful way to gain more insights into Eliza's thoughts. It also highlighted a powerful reminder of why you need to be your own advocate while surviving the medical system. We certainly don't make it easy to navigate health care in this country.
There are so many characters that come in and out of Eliza's life that they can be hard to keep track of (even though I have a leg up by being one of them). This does not detract from the story; rather, it sheds light on the full support system that buoyed Walton through her journey.
I loved the many references to other literary works, in particular to Infinite Jest and Roger Ebert. One of Eliza C's doctors was named Murakami, perhaps in a very subtle nod to Haruki Murakami?
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2020: This book was a completely random selection from the used bookstore where I volunteer, and it is a DELIGHT. I am so so pleased that I stumbled upon it, and even more pleased that I read it at the time I did.
I honestly am flabbergasted that I had never heard of Samantha Power before picking up this book, but she quickly became a new role model for me. Her strong advocacy for human rights across the world made her an ideal candidate for the US Ambassador to the UN, but I was most struck by her stories of attempting to balance her strong personal advocacy goals with the bureaucracy of the UN. Power returns again and again to the struggle in the question of how much good can one person do?
That isn't to say that she is without fault. As critical as she is of Obama's failure to act in some regions of the world, the book completely skips any of the domestic issues that followed Obama's first and second terms. I understand that not every detail of an administration can be included in one's memoir (and I certainly would have been bored if she had included them). To be fair, she was primarily concerned with international issues.
An insanely powerful writer (she won the Pulitzer for her FIRST BOOK when she was just 33!) and an incredibly focused activist, Power brings her reader with her on an incredible journey. I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves non-fiction, anyone who is interested in politics, anyone who wants a break from our current administration and would like to revisit the glory days of a competent president, and anyone who loves a strong woman in leadership.
The worst part of reading this book was when Power covered the Ebola epidemic and the US's response to it. Using italics, Power attempted to portray the vastness of the idea that 1.4 million people were infected with the virus, and how much America freaked the fuck out when 4 people in the US were diagnosed with it. It just doesn't play as intensely when we are setting new records for 80,000+ diagnosed in a single day in the US during the COVID-19 pandemic.
I honestly am flabbergasted that I had never heard of Samantha Power before picking up this book, but she quickly became a new role model for me. Her strong advocacy for human rights across the world made her an ideal candidate for the US Ambassador to the UN, but I was most struck by her stories of attempting to balance her strong personal advocacy goals with the bureaucracy of the UN. Power returns again and again to the struggle in the question of how much good can one person do?
That isn't to say that she is without fault. As critical as she is of Obama's failure to act in some regions of the world, the book completely skips any of the domestic issues that followed Obama's first and second terms. I understand that not every detail of an administration can be included in one's memoir (and I certainly would have been bored if she had included them). To be fair, she was primarily concerned with international issues.
An insanely powerful writer (she won the Pulitzer for her FIRST BOOK when she was just 33!) and an incredibly focused activist, Power brings her reader with her on an incredible journey. I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves non-fiction, anyone who is interested in politics, anyone who wants a break from our current administration and would like to revisit the glory days of a competent president, and anyone who loves a strong woman in leadership.
The worst part of reading this book was when Power covered the Ebola epidemic and the US's response to it. Using italics, Power attempted to portray the vastness of the idea that 1.4 million people were infected with the virus, and how much America freaked the fuck out when 4 people in the US were diagnosed with it. It just doesn't play as intensely when we are setting new records for 80,000+ diagnosed in a single day in the US during the COVID-19 pandemic.
2019: THANK GOD FOR MICHELLE OBAMA. This was a well organized and thoughtful “political” memoir, and gave me so many details about the Obamas’ lives that I didn’t think I needed, but I LOVED. Michelle is a gift to this nation we do not deserve, but I will be thankful for until my dying day. This book shows just how incredible she is, and should be required reading for all young women.
2020: Revisiting this old classic was much nicer after seeing Greta Gerwig’s new film adaptation. I always find Marmee to be too preachy, and Jo to be too submissive, but I loved Gerwig’s suggestion that they were only so because of the editors of the time period forced them to be. A enjoyable revisit, although a bit of a slow slog at times as well.
2021: I have very high standards in life and love and I should not have been surprised to find that this rolls over into romance novels too.
First off, this book checks a lot of boxes for me: it easily passes the Bechdel test, there's a lot of talk of consent in regards to sexual relationships, and it promotes men asking their friends for emotional advice. That being said, I had a lot of little picky things that ended up putting this novel squarely in the "only okay" category. Full transparency here: I'm a person who cannot watch "bad" movies or "trashy" tv for fun. If you are, and you're looking for a light romp from a male POV, (bonus points if you're interested in baseball too!), you'll probably enjoy this novel.
I will also say that I am currently single, and was probably not in a mood to read about a married couple having problems. Especially about issues that could have SO EASILY BEEN SOLVED IF THEY JUST WENT TO THERAPY. They have enough money to afford it! They even talk it about it being an option for their kids if they were to get divorced. Why on earth was counseling not their first step when they started having trouble in the bedroom?
I was pretty into Thea (the female lead). I empathize greatly with a woman who shuts down and is silent when something is wrong and she wants to express her disappointment. That being said, it makes for a DRAG of a romance novel - I was 72% of the way through the audiobook before they laid their hands on each other FOR REAL. It was also pretty frustrating to read about Gavin being the overall "savior" of Thea's orgasmic issues. I agree with pretty much everything that Smart Bitches, Trashy Books has to say on the subject: https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/the-bromance-book-club-by-lyssa-kay-adams/
I'm also not sure why there needed to be so much ladies v ladies antagonism? I really didn't enjoy how Thea's relationship with the WAGS played out. Also, her sister Liv was the worst. WHY?! It didn't add anything to the main conflict imho.
Ultimately, this was a fine book. But if you think any of the above nitpicky points would bother you too, I would skip it. Also, OF COURSE I couldn't rate it higher than [b:Beach Read|52867387|Beach Read|Emily Henry|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1589881197l/52867387._SX50_.jpg|67832247], which I gave 4/5 stars, so 3 it had to be.
First off, this book checks a lot of boxes for me: it easily passes the Bechdel test, there's a lot of talk of consent in regards to sexual relationships, and it promotes men asking their friends for emotional advice. That being said, I had a lot of little picky things that ended up putting this novel squarely in the "only okay" category. Full transparency here: I'm a person who cannot watch "bad" movies or "trashy" tv for fun. If you are, and you're looking for a light romp from a male POV, (bonus points if you're interested in baseball too!), you'll probably enjoy this novel.
I will also say that I am currently single, and was probably not in a mood to read about a married couple having problems. Especially about issues that could have SO EASILY BEEN SOLVED IF THEY JUST WENT TO THERAPY. They have enough money to afford it! They even talk it about it being an option for their kids if they were to get divorced. Why on earth was counseling not their first step when they started having trouble in the bedroom?
I was pretty into Thea (the female lead). I empathize greatly with a woman who shuts down and is silent when something is wrong and she wants to express her disappointment. That being said, it makes for a DRAG of a romance novel - I was 72% of the way through the audiobook before they laid their hands on each other FOR REAL. It was also pretty frustrating to read about Gavin being the overall "savior" of Thea's orgasmic issues. I agree with pretty much everything that Smart Bitches, Trashy Books has to say on the subject: https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/the-bromance-book-club-by-lyssa-kay-adams/
I'm also not sure why there needed to be so much ladies v ladies antagonism? I really didn't enjoy how Thea's relationship with the WAGS played out. Also, her sister Liv was the worst. WHY?! It didn't add anything to the main conflict imho.
Ultimately, this was a fine book. But if you think any of the above nitpicky points would bother you too, I would skip it. Also, OF COURSE I couldn't rate it higher than [b:Beach Read|52867387|Beach Read|Emily Henry|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1589881197l/52867387._SX50_.jpg|67832247], which I gave 4/5 stars, so 3 it had to be.