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2021: Oof. I don't even know what is going on here. It certainly did not live up to its predecessor (which coincidentally, did not live up to ITS predecessor for me).
I mean, it started off okay, but once Pullman introduced the idea that Malcolm was attracted to Lyra, it all went downhill fast. He has watched her grow up! He is eleven years older than her, and was her TEACHER! There's no way I am on board with this new love interest. Also, I know whether or not every single female character is "beautiful" or "not beautiful", but I have no idea about the men. WHY!? Oh yes, patriarchy.
I enjoyed the eternal debate that surrounds all of Pullman's books between the church and the Church, but I must say, the crux of the issue here seems to have already been tackled in the His Dark Materials trilogy. It feels like he's setting up another Adam/Eve/Snake moment, only this time pulling from a new religion/book, rather than the Bible.
This entire plot revolves around other random people finding Lyra at the exact correct time, and she can magically trust them all. It's an infuriatingly straight path that she's on, and the only time it's deviated is to show a "potential" rape scene. It's disgusting, and gives off a "don't go to the Middle East, they will try to rape you there" vibe. Blah!
The book doesn't even end in a cliffhanger, so much as the plot just simply stops. There's not even an ellipsis: the final line of the book is "But Nur Huda tugged urgently at Lyra's right hand, and they hurried together along the colonnade, towards the heart of the ruins." ...??!
Pullman better have quite the finale up his sleeves. Will was dribbled all throughout this storyline, so there's hope, but I don't know...
I mean, it started off okay, but once Pullman introduced the idea that Malcolm was attracted to Lyra, it all went downhill fast. He has watched her grow up! He is eleven years older than her, and was her TEACHER! There's no way I am on board with this new love interest. Also, I know whether or not every single female character is "beautiful" or "not beautiful", but I have no idea about the men. WHY!? Oh yes, patriarchy.
I enjoyed the eternal debate that surrounds all of Pullman's books between the church and the Church, but I must say, the crux of the issue here seems to have already been tackled in the His Dark Materials trilogy. It feels like he's setting up another Adam/Eve/Snake moment, only this time pulling from a new religion/book, rather than the Bible.
This entire plot revolves around other random people finding Lyra at the exact correct time, and she can magically trust them all. It's an infuriatingly straight path that she's on, and the only time it's deviated is to show a "potential" rape scene. It's disgusting, and gives off a "don't go to the Middle East, they will try to rape you there" vibe. Blah!
The book doesn't even end in a cliffhanger, so much as the plot just simply stops. There's not even an ellipsis: the final line of the book is "But Nur Huda tugged urgently at Lyra's right hand, and they hurried together along the colonnade, towards the heart of the ruins." ...??!
Pullman better have quite the finale up his sleeves. Will was dribbled all throughout this storyline, so there's hope, but I don't know...
2021: A fast read on an engaging topic.
Like most adventurers, I have already read [b:A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail|9791|A Walk in the Woods Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail|Bill Bryson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388189974l/9791._SY75_.jpg|613469] and [b:Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail|12262741|Wild From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail|Cheryl Strayed|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1453189881l/12262741._SY75_.jpg|17237712]. Both of those books are better than this one, and in fact inspired Lugo to decide to do the AT. However, this book IS better than all of the other thru-hiking memoirs I've read (including but not limited to [b:Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home|42969704|Thirst 2600 Miles to Home|Heather Anish Anderson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1543368565l/42969704._SY75_.jpg|66794152] and [b:Girl in the Woods: A Memoir|18635099|Girl in the Woods A Memoir|Aspen Matis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1427750639l/18635099._SY75_.jpg|41700117]).
Lugo is, as the title suggests, not someone you would immediately think to tackle one of the country's most ambitious hikes. This has less to do with the fact that he is half-Black and half-Puerto Rican, and more to do with his preference for being clean all the time. Not easily achievable on the AT!
Of course, Lugo talks about tackling the microaggressions and racism he encounters on the trail. But this is an extremely small portion of the overall story. Lugo spends most of his time detailing specific encounters on the trail, and less time reflecting on his completed journey. I wish I had learned a little more about his life off the trail, but I understand that wasn't the goal of this memoir.
In the end, this was a really easy, fast read from a unique perspective. If you enjoy trail memoirs, you'll like this one.
Like most adventurers, I have already read [b:A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail|9791|A Walk in the Woods Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail|Bill Bryson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388189974l/9791._SY75_.jpg|613469] and [b:Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail|12262741|Wild From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail|Cheryl Strayed|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1453189881l/12262741._SY75_.jpg|17237712]. Both of those books are better than this one, and in fact inspired Lugo to decide to do the AT. However, this book IS better than all of the other thru-hiking memoirs I've read (including but not limited to [b:Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home|42969704|Thirst 2600 Miles to Home|Heather Anish Anderson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1543368565l/42969704._SY75_.jpg|66794152] and [b:Girl in the Woods: A Memoir|18635099|Girl in the Woods A Memoir|Aspen Matis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1427750639l/18635099._SY75_.jpg|41700117]).
Lugo is, as the title suggests, not someone you would immediately think to tackle one of the country's most ambitious hikes. This has less to do with the fact that he is half-Black and half-Puerto Rican, and more to do with his preference for being clean all the time. Not easily achievable on the AT!
Of course, Lugo talks about tackling the microaggressions and racism he encounters on the trail. But this is an extremely small portion of the overall story. Lugo spends most of his time detailing specific encounters on the trail, and less time reflecting on his completed journey. I wish I had learned a little more about his life off the trail, but I understand that wasn't the goal of this memoir.
In the end, this was a really easy, fast read from a unique perspective. If you enjoy trail memoirs, you'll like this one.
2021: A fabulous memoir from a disabled superstar.
If you read all of the essays in [b:Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-first Century|51456746|Disability Visibility First-Person Stories from the Twenty-first Century|Alice Wong|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1582004027l/51456746._SY75_.jpg|76117598], you read one from Haben Girma. I was enthralled by her essay about navigating the world alongside her guide dog, Mylo. I was thrilled to discover that she had her own book available to read, and immediately ordered it.
This memoir moves pretty fast, as most of the story is told through dialogue. This was a welcome change to me, as I prefer dialogue-driven narratives, but I can image that some people might feel that some reflection was missing. However, I found the memoir to be very encompassing and engaging throughout.
The experiences that Girma has chosen to include in this story are very tangible, and are primarily described through what things felt like. This is something that I noticed early on, but it wasn't until Girma identified that DUH she uses her sense of touch most frequently to navigate through the world that it all clicked for me. This was a very cool way to view the world, and one that I had never experienced before.
Overall, this book is much more about trying new things and conquering ableism than it is about what it's like to be in law school. I loved it all the more for that! Make your websites accessible, people!!
If you read all of the essays in [b:Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-first Century|51456746|Disability Visibility First-Person Stories from the Twenty-first Century|Alice Wong|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1582004027l/51456746._SY75_.jpg|76117598], you read one from Haben Girma. I was enthralled by her essay about navigating the world alongside her guide dog, Mylo. I was thrilled to discover that she had her own book available to read, and immediately ordered it.
This memoir moves pretty fast, as most of the story is told through dialogue. This was a welcome change to me, as I prefer dialogue-driven narratives, but I can image that some people might feel that some reflection was missing. However, I found the memoir to be very encompassing and engaging throughout.
The experiences that Girma has chosen to include in this story are very tangible, and are primarily described through what things felt like. This is something that I noticed early on, but it wasn't until Girma identified that DUH she uses her sense of touch most frequently to navigate through the world that it all clicked for me. This was a very cool way to view the world, and one that I had never experienced before.
Overall, this book is much more about trying new things and conquering ableism than it is about what it's like to be in law school. I loved it all the more for that! Make your websites accessible, people!!
2019: Wow this book was a struggle to get through. It’s a beautifully crafted story, but holy cow, everything bad that can happen to this poor girl happens. If you can make it until the very very end, you will be rewarded for your efforts (it’s not all totally in vain) but it feels that way for the majority of the book. I still enjoyed The Nightingale more, but Hannah can craft a hell of a narrative that kept me engaged and on the edge of my seat. Painful things happen to people, but sometimes, there are happy endings.
2021: I LOVED this book, way more than I was expecting to!
This was one of the first historical fiction novels that I felt like I could imagine myself during the time period represented. Usually, historical fiction grinds my gears because the challenges that women faced (doubled or tripled for women of color) are so paralyzing, it leaves them unable to take any actions they want to. However, Hannah really portrays a strong and independent woman that I could relate to, and chronicles how she deals with being a 25 year old spinster (heavens no!)
This is partially owed to the modern lens through which Hannah is looking at this time period, but it made for such a more relatable main character that I was 100% on board. I loved watching Elsa take charge of her own life, especially in regards to her education and her daughter's, and the important role that libraries played for both of them.
I think this novel was really successful when it began switching between Elsa and Lareda's perspectives. I loved seeing both sides of the struggle, from Elsa's long nurtured independent streak, and Lareda's conviction that unions (and a COMMUNIST OH GOD NO!
This was one of the first historical fiction novels that I felt like I could imagine myself during the time period represented. Usually, historical fiction grinds my gears because the challenges that women faced (doubled or tripled for women of color) are so paralyzing, it leaves them unable to take any actions they want to. However, Hannah really portrays a strong and independent woman that I could relate to, and chronicles how she deals with being a 25 year old spinster (heavens no!)
This is partially owed to the modern lens through which Hannah is looking at this time period, but it made for such a more relatable main character that I was 100% on board. I loved watching Elsa take charge of her own life, especially in regards to her education and her daughter's, and the important role that libraries played for both of them.
I think this novel was really successful when it began switching between Elsa and Lareda's perspectives. I loved seeing both sides of the struggle, from Elsa's long nurtured independent streak, and Lareda's conviction that unions (and a COMMUNIST OH GOD NO!
2021: So I fucking love Pixar, and even I still had a really hard time getting past how much of an old boys' club this company is.
I mean, I knew that going into the book; Pixar has never had a solo female director. Brenda Chapman was spearheading "Brave", and the way Catmull tells it, the project was going to fall apart if they didn't rush in a male director to "save" it. Chapman quit Pixar after "Brave" was released, saying that the leadership style didn't work for her. I FEEL THAT.
This provides incredibly frustrating context for a memoir / workplace leadership book focused on setting your employees up for success. Catmull spends so much time discussing being open and aware of the environment that you are creating as a manager, that it was incredible that he could be so blind to the obvious disparity his company was oozing. It's wholly unsurprising how Pete Docter (a white man) came to direct "Soul". It was also so disheartening to read he/him pronouns whenever an unnamed director was referenced.
I loved the anecdotes about how a new mom out on maternity leave managed to save "Toy Story 2" from complete ruin, and especially at how the name Pixar came to be (influenced by a Spanish pun!) But it was a drag reading a book in which Catmull goes into great detail on how all of his employees were meant to be treated equally...but also they started every meeting with John Lasseter's opinion, to "set the tone". REALLY!? I mean, do you not see it?!
I would knock off a full star if you're not really into Pixar or creativity.
I mean, I knew that going into the book; Pixar has never had a solo female director. Brenda Chapman was spearheading "Brave", and the way Catmull tells it, the project was going to fall apart if they didn't rush in a male director to "save" it. Chapman quit Pixar after "Brave" was released, saying that the leadership style didn't work for her. I FEEL THAT.
This provides incredibly frustrating context for a memoir / workplace leadership book focused on setting your employees up for success. Catmull spends so much time discussing being open and aware of the environment that you are creating as a manager, that it was incredible that he could be so blind to the obvious disparity his company was oozing. It's wholly unsurprising how Pete Docter (a white man) came to direct "Soul". It was also so disheartening to read he/him pronouns whenever an unnamed director was referenced.
I loved the anecdotes about how a new mom out on maternity leave managed to save "Toy Story 2" from complete ruin, and especially at how the name Pixar came to be (influenced by a Spanish pun!) But it was a drag reading a book in which Catmull goes into great detail on how all of his employees were meant to be treated equally...but also they started every meeting with John Lasseter's opinion, to "set the tone". REALLY!? I mean, do you not see it?!
I would knock off a full star if you're not really into Pixar or creativity.
2021: Overall pretty meh for me, but it might be better for you!
Here's the deal: this book was really hyped, and I wanted to be a part of the zeitgeist. So I took a chance, and was disappointed. There is so much almost-rape in this book (by which I mean a lot of non-consensual sexual advances) that I was ready to vomit. I also don't love historical fiction as a whole, and for me, there was no need to return to a world in which women had such limited agency, just to get a fun mystery going.
The number one biggest deterrent for me was the amount of time spent in the "hmm something weird is going on, but I don't know what yet" phase of exposition. The main conflict of the story wasn't even introduced until almost 2/3 of the way through the book! Some of you might love this and languish in the (very) subtle foreshadowing spread throughout the first half of the book. But I was ready to pull my hair out if I read about one more "words whispering in the walls" or "was she dreaming? She couldn't tell" or "the ~mist~ was everywhere (was it mist?)".
Noemí is a strong, badass narrator who deserved SO MUCH MORE, but thankfully she is a large, redeeming part of this novel. If she had not been the main character (or worse, if we had been following the story through Catalina's eyes, no thank you!) this novel would have been much different (and not for the better). This book definitely could have used a family tree at the front, please and thank you.
Here's the deal: this book was really hyped, and I wanted to be a part of the zeitgeist. So I took a chance, and was disappointed. There is so much almost-rape in this book (by which I mean a lot of non-consensual sexual advances) that I was ready to vomit. I also don't love historical fiction as a whole, and for me, there was no need to return to a world in which women had such limited agency, just to get a fun mystery going.
The number one biggest deterrent for me was the amount of time spent in the "hmm something weird is going on, but I don't know what yet" phase of exposition. The main conflict of the story wasn't even introduced until almost 2/3 of the way through the book! Some of you might love this and languish in the (very) subtle foreshadowing spread throughout the first half of the book. But I was ready to pull my hair out if I read about one more "words whispering in the walls" or "was she dreaming? She couldn't tell" or "the ~mist~ was everywhere (was it mist?)".
Noemí is a strong, badass narrator who deserved SO MUCH MORE, but thankfully she is a large, redeeming part of this novel. If she had not been the main character (or worse, if we had been following the story through Catalina's eyes, no thank you!) this novel would have been much different (and not for the better). This book definitely could have used a family tree at the front, please and thank you.
2021: Ugghhhh devastating / incredibly well-written / heart-breaking / life-affirming
A fabulous, poetic, meditative memoir that is not for the faint of heart. Dr. Kalanithi GOES there, and forces readers to reflect upon their own mortality. For example, he poses the question: if you knew you were going to die at some point in the next year, would you and your wife get pregnant? Would you rather have a little piece of you live on, and be there for your wife when you couldn't? Or would you not want to put the pressure of having to deal with a newborn and a dying spouse on one person?
I'm thrilled to see that Dr. Lucy Kalanithi, whose words and editing deserve almost as much praise as Dr. Paul's do, is hosting her own podcast now and continuing his great work. Perhaps because I read this on the precipice of my own upcoming life transition did it affect me so. Bring some tissues for the epilogue.
A fabulous, poetic, meditative memoir that is not for the faint of heart. Dr. Kalanithi GOES there, and forces readers to reflect upon their own mortality. For example, he poses the question: if you knew you were going to die at some point in the next year, would you and your wife get pregnant? Would you rather have a little piece of you live on, and be there for your wife when you couldn't? Or would you not want to put the pressure of having to deal with a newborn and a dying spouse on one person?
I'm thrilled to see that Dr. Lucy Kalanithi, whose words and editing deserve almost as much praise as Dr. Paul's do, is hosting her own podcast now and continuing his great work. Perhaps because I read this on the precipice of my own upcoming life transition did it affect me so. Bring some tissues for the epilogue.
2021: I loved this book and think it should be essential reading for anyone who either has a vagina or is having sex with someone who has a vagina.
The biggest two takeaways are repeated multiple times throughout the book, so here's your tl;dr - 1) everyone is made up of the same parts, organized in different ways (spoiler alert - you're normal. You look normal, and you feel just the same things that everyone else does). 2) sexual arousal is a dual control system - it has both a gas pedal and a brake. This honestly makes SO MUCH SENSE and provides a nice, clean quadrant to work through example issues.
The examples and personal stories that Nagoski combines her research are informative and instructive. I think my only criticism of this book is that it would have been nice to read it while in a relationship, to have a specific person to think of when imagining certain scenarios. However, I really enjoyed a feminist, female-focused approach to sex education, and on a much more advanced level than I received in high school.
Too much to ask all future guys who want to sleep with me to read this first?
The biggest two takeaways are repeated multiple times throughout the book, so here's your tl;dr - 1) everyone is made up of the same parts, organized in different ways (spoiler alert - you're normal. You look normal, and you feel just the same things that everyone else does). 2) sexual arousal is a dual control system - it has both a gas pedal and a brake. This honestly makes SO MUCH SENSE and provides a nice, clean quadrant to work through example issues.
The examples and personal stories that Nagoski combines her research are informative and instructive. I think my only criticism of this book is that it would have been nice to read it while in a relationship, to have a specific person to think of when imagining certain scenarios. However, I really enjoyed a feminist, female-focused approach to sex education, and on a much more advanced level than I received in high school.
Too much to ask all future guys who want to sleep with me to read this first?
Girl Decoded: A Scientist's Quest to Reclaim Our Humanity by Bringing Emotional Intelligence to Technology
Carol Colman, Rana El Kaliouby
2021: I genuinely loved this book, but I think it might be because I have learned SO MUCH about unconscious bias recently.
El Kaliouby is a strong, ambitious, motivated, and SMART woman who won't take no for an answer. She has a tumultuous past, but perseveres (and benefits from her father's high ranking job / affluence). When she finally moves to the United States, and is working at MIT while also wear a hijab and trying to be a Muslim woman securing funding in a white male dominated space, her memoir really shines.
There's a lot of back and forth between el Kaliouby and her ex-husband, which I was sort of done with. I know that it's pretty impossible for me to have put myself in her shoes, as I did not grow up in Egypt, nor do I understand a culture where religion rules such a large percentage of her life. So I could have used less of that. But I know that she would not be where she is today without having experienced it all, so essential to include in her memoir! Overall, I enjoyed el Kaliouby's exploration of her faith, and how her expression of it changed throughout her life.
If you're interested in unconscious bias at all, I would highly recommend watching Coded Bias, a documentary available on Netflix. It does a great job of exploring not only how women are marginalized by AI, but in particular Black women. It's an essential watch in 2021 in my opinion.
-1 point for calling her book Girl Decoded when el Kaliouby is literally a grown adult with children. Why must we insist upon referring to women as girls in order to sell books?! (cc: [b:The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo|2429135|The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium, #1)|Stieg Larsson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327868566l/2429135._SX50_.jpg|1708725], [b:Lab Girl|25733983|Lab Girl|Hope Jahren|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1441826687l/25733983._SX50_.jpg|45572105], [b:Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl|25065629|Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl|Carrie Brownstein|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1435507354l/25065629._SY75_.jpg|44749816], [b:#Girlboss|18667945|#Girlboss|Sophia Amoruso|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1390931472l/18667945._SY75_.jpg|26493608], [b:The Girl on the Train|22557272|The Girl on the Train|Paula Hawkins|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1574805682l/22557272._SX50_.jpg|41107568] (SHE IS LITERALLY 33 IN THIS ONE GTFO), etc etc the list goes on and on)
El Kaliouby is a strong, ambitious, motivated, and SMART woman who won't take no for an answer. She has a tumultuous past, but perseveres (and benefits from her father's high ranking job / affluence). When she finally moves to the United States, and is working at MIT while also wear a hijab and trying to be a Muslim woman securing funding in a white male dominated space, her memoir really shines.
There's a lot of back and forth between el Kaliouby and her ex-husband, which I was sort of done with. I know that it's pretty impossible for me to have put myself in her shoes, as I did not grow up in Egypt, nor do I understand a culture where religion rules such a large percentage of her life. So I could have used less of that. But I know that she would not be where she is today without having experienced it all, so essential to include in her memoir! Overall, I enjoyed el Kaliouby's exploration of her faith, and how her expression of it changed throughout her life.
If you're interested in unconscious bias at all, I would highly recommend watching Coded Bias, a documentary available on Netflix. It does a great job of exploring not only how women are marginalized by AI, but in particular Black women. It's an essential watch in 2021 in my opinion.
-1 point for calling her book Girl Decoded when el Kaliouby is literally a grown adult with children. Why must we insist upon referring to women as girls in order to sell books?! (cc: [b:The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo|2429135|The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium, #1)|Stieg Larsson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327868566l/2429135._SX50_.jpg|1708725], [b:Lab Girl|25733983|Lab Girl|Hope Jahren|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1441826687l/25733983._SX50_.jpg|45572105], [b:Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl|25065629|Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl|Carrie Brownstein|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1435507354l/25065629._SY75_.jpg|44749816], [b:#Girlboss|18667945|#Girlboss|Sophia Amoruso|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1390931472l/18667945._SY75_.jpg|26493608], [b:The Girl on the Train|22557272|The Girl on the Train|Paula Hawkins|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1574805682l/22557272._SX50_.jpg|41107568] (SHE IS LITERALLY 33 IN THIS ONE GTFO), etc etc the list goes on and on)