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2021: Ehh overall. But also I don't think I gave this book the time and space it deserved (considering I was in the middle of packing to move my entire live across the country and falling asleep in the middle of chapters of this book every night).
This book is a series of vignettes that all subtlety have to do with each other, but it was too subtle for me. I think Garcia's goal was to show how expansive and different Hispanic lives are from each other, that they don't fit into any stereotypes. In the end, it unfortunately felt like Glee, trying to include every possible complication that someone of Latino descent might possibly be dealing with.
There were certainly some unique perspectives in here, and I enjoyed reading about the time spent in a 19th century Cuban cigar factory. But books that I love keep me up at night, because I can't stop reading them. This book was literally a sedative; I couldn't keep my eyes open to finish a chapter.
The description on the back of the book calls it, "a story of America's most tangled, honest, human roots". It was TOO tangled in my opinion. Bless the editor that decided that the book needed a family tree, thank you for that!
This book is a series of vignettes that all subtlety have to do with each other, but it was too subtle for me. I think Garcia's goal was to show how expansive and different Hispanic lives are from each other, that they don't fit into any stereotypes. In the end, it unfortunately felt like Glee, trying to include every possible complication that someone of Latino descent might possibly be dealing with.
There were certainly some unique perspectives in here, and I enjoyed reading about the time spent in a 19th century Cuban cigar factory. But books that I love keep me up at night, because I can't stop reading them. This book was literally a sedative; I couldn't keep my eyes open to finish a chapter.
The description on the back of the book calls it, "a story of America's most tangled, honest, human roots". It was TOO tangled in my opinion. Bless the editor that decided that the book needed a family tree, thank you for that!
2021: This is one of the better collections of short stories that I've ever read, but I still don't think they are my cup of tea. As soon as I get really into the characters and what's happening, bam, it's over! So frustrating.
That being said, I loved the topics covered in this collection. The stories are SO SPECIFIC - the characters have extensive, particular, and unique backgrounds, and the conflicts are varied and individual. On a first glance, the through-line here seems to be racism, but more explicitly, the Black female experience in America today. That being said, you cannot untangle racism from being a Black woman in the US nowadays, so they (very unfortunately) go hand in hand. There is both very subtle and VERY explicit racism discussed.
The specificity of these stories is very reminiscent of and perhaps only matched (in my experience) by David Lindsay-Abaire's plays. The final novella, The Office of Historical Corrections was my favorite of the collection, although perhaps not unsurprising considering it was the longest (and had the most time to develop its characters and for me to grow attached to them). Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain went in a completely surprising direction, and I haven't stopped thinking about Boys Go to Jupiter since I read it. Alcatraz was a bit of a wandering mess in my opinion, and Anything Could Disappear was a riveting ride that ended way too soon.
That being said, I loved the topics covered in this collection. The stories are SO SPECIFIC - the characters have extensive, particular, and unique backgrounds, and the conflicts are varied and individual. On a first glance, the through-line here seems to be racism, but more explicitly, the Black female experience in America today. That being said, you cannot untangle racism from being a Black woman in the US nowadays, so they (very unfortunately) go hand in hand. There is both very subtle and VERY explicit racism discussed.
The specificity of these stories is very reminiscent of and perhaps only matched (in my experience) by David Lindsay-Abaire's plays. The final novella, The Office of Historical Corrections was my favorite of the collection, although perhaps not unsurprising considering it was the longest (and had the most time to develop its characters and for me to grow attached to them). Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain went in a completely surprising direction, and I haven't stopped thinking about Boys Go to Jupiter since I read it. Alcatraz was a bit of a wandering mess in my opinion, and Anything Could Disappear was a riveting ride that ended way too soon.
2021: John Green FEELS everything on such a high level, with such intense ferocity, that this book sometimes made me feel like I am living inadequately, and not feeling enough. Then I would remember that Green has literally made writing his life's work, so it makes sense that his words cause me to feel this way.
This was an easy book to review, as it's all about reviewing the world around you. It also helps that I agree with John Green on nearly everything, so I was pretty on board with his assessments about the world around us. LOVE his Megan Rapinoe reference and really all of his soccer references.
I loved the amplification of women I had never learned about before, like Elizabeth Magie, the more-correct inventor of the game Monopoly. I appreciated the time Green took to discuss the power-ups he received in life (the being-white-power-up, the being-male-power-up, the debt-free-college-power-up). I enjoyed learning more about the history behind the QWERTY keyboard and was fascinated by the story of the Piggly Wiggly grocery stores - I had no idea!
If I had one critique of this book, Green seems to have just reviewed an awful lot of things as 4 stars. But as I reflect on the number of 4 star book reviews I have already given out this year, I'd say that tracks. I can't believe her didn't give out any dreaded zero star critiques - not even for viral meningitis!
Green is so well read, my goodness. There are so many references and quotes in this book that it seems like each essay was inspired by something he read. And he admits it too, in the postscript: "It occurs to me that this book is filled with quotes–maybe overfilled with them. I am also overfilled with quotes." I look forward to assembling all of the quotes that I have been collecting over the years into a book of essays in the future.
This was an easy book to review, as it's all about reviewing the world around you. It also helps that I agree with John Green on nearly everything, so I was pretty on board with his assessments about the world around us. LOVE his Megan Rapinoe reference and really all of his soccer references.
I loved the amplification of women I had never learned about before, like Elizabeth Magie, the more-correct inventor of the game Monopoly. I appreciated the time Green took to discuss the power-ups he received in life (the being-white-power-up, the being-male-power-up, the debt-free-college-power-up). I enjoyed learning more about the history behind the QWERTY keyboard and was fascinated by the story of the Piggly Wiggly grocery stores - I had no idea!
If I had one critique of this book, Green seems to have just reviewed an awful lot of things as 4 stars. But as I reflect on the number of 4 star book reviews I have already given out this year, I'd say that tracks. I can't believe her didn't give out any dreaded zero star critiques - not even for viral meningitis!
Green is so well read, my goodness. There are so many references and quotes in this book that it seems like each essay was inspired by something he read. And he admits it too, in the postscript: "It occurs to me that this book is filled with quotes–maybe overfilled with them. I am also overfilled with quotes." I look forward to assembling all of the quotes that I have been collecting over the years into a book of essays in the future.
2021: Although this seems to be a pretty polarizing novel, I was left feeling overall just fine about it.
There are a ton of elements of [b:Never Let Me Go|6334|Never Let Me Go|Kazuo Ishiguro|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1353048590l/6334._SY75_.jpg|1499998] in here, but none are done so well as Ishiguro did in his best sci-fi novel. It's like he chickened out, right at the end, and presented the idea of future machines taking over the world, without letting them do so. I really would have loved to see Klara complete Josie, as icky as that makes me feel to think about.
It was a strong choice to let us view the world through Klara's eyes, but it made it difficult to connect to the main character for me. Klara's stilted language and minimal emotions really made the narration lose me in navigating this future world. Out of nowhere, there are separate communities that people live in, and Josie's father is a fascist? Do they even live in countries anymore? What elements from our world can I bring into this one (recycling perhaps?) and what do I have to leave behind? Very unclear, the entire time.
If anything, Ishiguro would have benefitted from much more specificity here. He should call [a:Danielle Evans|19282109|Danielle Evans|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] for some consulting. In the end, I'd recommend you stick with Never Let Me Go (and definitely avoid [b:The Buried Giant|22522805|The Buried Giant|Kazuo Ishiguro|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1451444392l/22522805._SX50_.jpg|41115424]!)
There are a ton of elements of [b:Never Let Me Go|6334|Never Let Me Go|Kazuo Ishiguro|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1353048590l/6334._SY75_.jpg|1499998] in here, but none are done so well as Ishiguro did in his best sci-fi novel. It's like he chickened out, right at the end, and presented the idea of future machines taking over the world, without letting them do so. I really would have loved to see Klara complete Josie, as icky as that makes me feel to think about.
It was a strong choice to let us view the world through Klara's eyes, but it made it difficult to connect to the main character for me. Klara's stilted language and minimal emotions really made the narration lose me in navigating this future world. Out of nowhere, there are separate communities that people live in, and Josie's father is a fascist? Do they even live in countries anymore? What elements from our world can I bring into this one (recycling perhaps?) and what do I have to leave behind? Very unclear, the entire time.
If anything, Ishiguro would have benefitted from much more specificity here. He should call [a:Danielle Evans|19282109|Danielle Evans|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] for some consulting. In the end, I'd recommend you stick with Never Let Me Go (and definitely avoid [b:The Buried Giant|22522805|The Buried Giant|Kazuo Ishiguro|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1451444392l/22522805._SX50_.jpg|41115424]!)
2020: This book gets a big ol' YIKES from me. At the very least, I would highly recommend NOT reading this book in the middle of a pandemic when the job market is dismal, you're currently under-employed, you've had to move back in with your parents, you have a Master's degree and all the debt that goes along with it, and you're twenty-eight and currently unpartnered. This is NOT the book for you.
This book already feels outdated. Maybe it's because I'm reading it in a time that Dr. Jay never could have predicted, and one where her recommendation to take the job with more "social capital" feels very out of reach for most millennials and recent grads. But wasn't she writing this in the middle of a horrible recession? For being published in 2012, it really feels like it misses the mark of what real life was like for many twenty-somethings.
Dr. Jay gets very doom and gloom in regards to fertility options and having kids when you are past the age of 30. I hear her argument that it's harder to get pregnant as you get older, but I don't think the advice to have a baby NOW BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE is really the best answer either. Also, not having kids is a very fine decision as well. Dr. Jay definitely presents this as a worst case scenario option, which it's definitely not.
On the one hand, I don't think that the advice that "things take time. You have to be willing to put in your 10,000 hours to feel more confident at work" is bad. I also don't think it's a terrible idea to encourage twenty-somethings to take more chances, and apply for jobs just slightly out of your comfort zone. I just think this could have been presented in a better fashion. She doesn't need to be so heavy-handed nor so "now or never" about everything. Perhaps because my front lobe is a little more developed, I'm able to reflect on my twenties and feel pretty good about them now.
What Dr. Jay wants you to walk away with from this book is "your twenties are important. Don't sit them out". What the big takeaway ends up being (especially if you happen to be past your twenties when you read this book) is "if you fuck up your twenties, you fuck up the rest of your life".
This book already feels outdated. Maybe it's because I'm reading it in a time that Dr. Jay never could have predicted, and one where her recommendation to take the job with more "social capital" feels very out of reach for most millennials and recent grads. But wasn't she writing this in the middle of a horrible recession? For being published in 2012, it really feels like it misses the mark of what real life was like for many twenty-somethings.
Dr. Jay gets very doom and gloom in regards to fertility options and having kids when you are past the age of 30. I hear her argument that it's harder to get pregnant as you get older, but I don't think the advice to have a baby NOW BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE is really the best answer either. Also, not having kids is a very fine decision as well. Dr. Jay definitely presents this as a worst case scenario option, which it's definitely not.
On the one hand, I don't think that the advice that "things take time. You have to be willing to put in your 10,000 hours to feel more confident at work" is bad. I also don't think it's a terrible idea to encourage twenty-somethings to take more chances, and apply for jobs just slightly out of your comfort zone. I just think this could have been presented in a better fashion. She doesn't need to be so heavy-handed nor so "now or never" about everything. Perhaps because my front lobe is a little more developed, I'm able to reflect on my twenties and feel pretty good about them now.
What Dr. Jay wants you to walk away with from this book is "your twenties are important. Don't sit them out". What the big takeaway ends up being (especially if you happen to be past your twenties when you read this book) is "if you fuck up your twenties, you fuck up the rest of your life".
2021: A fabulous collection of stories that take Brené Brown's work and provide context for how it impacts the Black experience.
A lot of these essays were sad and overwhelming and full of people working through their trauma. This book does not offer many ways for improvement, nor many solutions to the problems presented. Rather, it is a group of shared experiences, for other Black folks to read and see their own stories reflected. It's also a great resource for Black stories to be shared in the hopes of non-Black folks understanding the part that intergenerational trauma plays in
Tarana Burke leads the way in this essay collection, both as co-editor and anchoring-essay-author. She does not hesitate diving in to the ways in which white supremacy impacts her day to day life, as well providing a harrowing account of the terrible medical issues she experiences as a result of her trauma.
I was thrilled to see so many people included who I now know and recognize after a lot of my own work over the past year especially (Tanya Denise Fields! Aiko D. Bethea! Luvvie Ajayi Jones!) But the biggest negative for me here was due to the wide variety of Black thinkers and authors included, the essays were left feeling quite disparate and disconnected overall.
Also, big plus for another audiobook read (in part!) by Bahni Turpin!!
A lot of these essays were sad and overwhelming and full of people working through their trauma. This book does not offer many ways for improvement, nor many solutions to the problems presented. Rather, it is a group of shared experiences, for other Black folks to read and see their own stories reflected. It's also a great resource for Black stories to be shared in the hopes of non-Black folks understanding the part that intergenerational trauma plays in
Tarana Burke leads the way in this essay collection, both as co-editor and anchoring-essay-author. She does not hesitate diving in to the ways in which white supremacy impacts her day to day life, as well providing a harrowing account of the terrible medical issues she experiences as a result of her trauma.
I was thrilled to see so many people included who I now know and recognize after a lot of my own work over the past year especially (Tanya Denise Fields! Aiko D. Bethea! Luvvie Ajayi Jones!) But the biggest negative for me here was due to the wide variety of Black thinkers and authors included, the essays were left feeling quite disparate and disconnected overall.
Also, big plus for another audiobook read (in part!) by Bahni Turpin!!
2021: This book wasn't very good, but I did really enjoy reading it.
I have to gripe with the women who were chosen to be profiled for this book. I wouldn't consider either Allie Long's journey to the Olympics or Marta's inability to get her country to care about her an "untold story of women's soccer" (as the subtitle of the book suggests). Even Gaëlle Enganamouit's signature lion's mane hairdo was immediately recognizable to me when I looked up a picture of it. And as the author readily admits in the introduction, her connections for the stories included here all come back to Portland, which is the literal MECCA of women's soccer.
The rest of the stories were not so unknown either. Yes, it is very difficult for professional female soccer players to make it back after giving birth. Yes, there is not enough money being put into the sport. Yes, there is a huge discrepancy between the resources and the media attention given to the men's and women's teams. We know all of this! The issue is that Oxenham writes much more like a journalist than an author. No analysis was drawn here; observations were simply made.
That all being said, I'm having a bit of a summer of soccer right now. The USWNT just beat the Netherlands in penalty kicks to advance to the semifinals of the Tokyo Olympics, and Ted Lasso Season Two just came out, let's go!!
I have to gripe with the women who were chosen to be profiled for this book. I wouldn't consider either Allie Long's journey to the Olympics or Marta's inability to get her country to care about her an "untold story of women's soccer" (as the subtitle of the book suggests). Even Gaëlle Enganamouit's signature lion's mane hairdo was immediately recognizable to me when I looked up a picture of it. And as the author readily admits in the introduction, her connections for the stories included here all come back to Portland, which is the literal MECCA of women's soccer.
The rest of the stories were not so unknown either. Yes, it is very difficult for professional female soccer players to make it back after giving birth. Yes, there is not enough money being put into the sport. Yes, there is a huge discrepancy between the resources and the media attention given to the men's and women's teams. We know all of this! The issue is that Oxenham writes much more like a journalist than an author. No analysis was drawn here; observations were simply made.
That all being said, I'm having a bit of a summer of soccer right now. The USWNT just beat the Netherlands in penalty kicks to advance to the semifinals of the Tokyo Olympics, and Ted Lasso Season Two just came out, let's go!!
2021: An excellent perspective on growing up while never feeling comfortable with yourself, from a person who is not finished growing up yet.
Here's the deal - I'm not ready to read any memoirs that have been written by anyone younger than me. A twenty-seven year old is barely scraping past the acceptable "let me tell you what I've learned" age. So much of this book revolves around Tobia's time in college, and they've barely just made it past their five year reunion. That's not enough reflection time!
That being said, I think this might be the first book I've ever read by a non-binary author. We all have blind spots, and Tobia definitely helped me investigate some of mine. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking to add more trans authors to their TBR lists.
Tobia was thoughtful and thorough in their renditions of what it was like growing up genderqueer - I really felt like I had a glimpse into what they were feeling. But they ultimately missed the mark on some of their takes on their academic journey (I'm ... sorry? that you got into Harvard and ... didn't go?!) and I'm still a little uncertain on what Tobia actually DOES (outside of just walking about in high heels).
What was crazy was the ending and how firmly Tobia reestablished that being a part of their church was better for them than moving away from a community that really never brought them much comfort / acceptance / love. That all sounds a little brainwashy to me, but I have my own issues with the Church and living in the South anyway.
+1 for the Tough Mudder roasts, they made me LAUGH OUT LOUD.
Here's the deal - I'm not ready to read any memoirs that have been written by anyone younger than me. A twenty-seven year old is barely scraping past the acceptable "let me tell you what I've learned" age. So much of this book revolves around Tobia's time in college, and they've barely just made it past their five year reunion. That's not enough reflection time!
That being said, I think this might be the first book I've ever read by a non-binary author. We all have blind spots, and Tobia definitely helped me investigate some of mine. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking to add more trans authors to their TBR lists.
Tobia was thoughtful and thorough in their renditions of what it was like growing up genderqueer - I really felt like I had a glimpse into what they were feeling. But they ultimately missed the mark on some of their takes on their academic journey (I'm ... sorry? that you got into Harvard and ... didn't go?!) and I'm still a little uncertain on what Tobia actually DOES (outside of just walking about in high heels).
What was crazy was the ending and how firmly Tobia reestablished that being a part of their church was better for them than moving away from a community that really never brought them much comfort / acceptance / love. That all sounds a little brainwashy to me, but I have my own issues with the Church and living in the South anyway.
+1 for the Tough Mudder roasts, they made me LAUGH OUT LOUD.
2021: A very enjoyable memoir (especially the audiobook, read by the author!) but too specific of a story for me to 100% relate to.
Unfortunately, I don't think I will be able to find my own connection to this story until my own mother dies. Zauner takes us on a grueling journey of grief, and attempting to reconcile a strong, hard, fierce mother, with the giant hole that her loss leaves on her life. If you've lost a loved one and are looking for someone else's journey to commiserate with, this is the memoir for you.
Otherwise, this was a pretty short, well written but a little bit choppy, book that jumped all over the place. Maybe you know Zauner from her music, but this was my first introduction to Japanese Breakfast. Maybe you read her essay in The New Yorker and wanted to see how much she expanded on it in this book (honestly, not by a whole ton). Maybe you are also Korean-American, and would like to see more of your life story reflected in the memoirs you read.
This memoir gave me major [b:Nobody Will Tell You This But Me: A True (as Told to Me) Story|51231889|Nobody Will Tell You This But Me A True (as Told to Me) Story|Bess Kalb|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1567522860l/51231889._SX50_SY75_.jpg|71849279] vibes, but I loved that book more. Start there, and if you meet any of the criteria above or you're a part of the Dead Moms Club, come here next.
Unfortunately, I don't think I will be able to find my own connection to this story until my own mother dies. Zauner takes us on a grueling journey of grief, and attempting to reconcile a strong, hard, fierce mother, with the giant hole that her loss leaves on her life. If you've lost a loved one and are looking for someone else's journey to commiserate with, this is the memoir for you.
Otherwise, this was a pretty short, well written but a little bit choppy, book that jumped all over the place. Maybe you know Zauner from her music, but this was my first introduction to Japanese Breakfast. Maybe you read her essay in The New Yorker and wanted to see how much she expanded on it in this book (honestly, not by a whole ton). Maybe you are also Korean-American, and would like to see more of your life story reflected in the memoirs you read.
This memoir gave me major [b:Nobody Will Tell You This But Me: A True (as Told to Me) Story|51231889|Nobody Will Tell You This But Me A True (as Told to Me) Story|Bess Kalb|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1567522860l/51231889._SX50_SY75_.jpg|71849279] vibes, but I loved that book more. Start there, and if you meet any of the criteria above or you're a part of the Dead Moms Club, come here next.
2021: Wow. Very powerful. Definitely consider this as a Level 300 Feminist text. If you made your way through [b:So You Want to Talk About Race|35099718|So You Want to Talk About Race|Ijeoma Oluo|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1499224833l/35099718._SX50_.jpg|56405219] and are looking for the next level, this is the book for you.
Kendall starts off VERY strong, and is very accusatory towards white female feminists. None of these accusations are unfounded, but they can be off-putting. Personally, I think that Kendall starts off strong to see which white women take offense, and which give up before they even get into the meat of her arguments. I encourage you to persevere.
It's very frustrating to hear that most of these issues are not being taken seriously, especially in our laws and government, because I agree with all of Kendall's examples being essential and important. Especially after 2020, I completely agree that we need to have unemployment insurance for gig workers, and that child care is essential for all working women!
Kendall provides some excellent contrasting life experiences to our current national policies, and actually managed to change my mind on a couple of topics (never did I ever think that I would switch sides and not be super into a soda tax). Overall, a big takeaway here for me is that our governmental programs should not be so punitive, and as a white woman, I need to do better than to just say "Okay, we have that program in place, what more do you want?" We need to make our programs BETTER and listen to the people who are using the programs in the first place.
Kendall starts off VERY strong, and is very accusatory towards white female feminists. None of these accusations are unfounded, but they can be off-putting. Personally, I think that Kendall starts off strong to see which white women take offense, and which give up before they even get into the meat of her arguments. I encourage you to persevere.
It's very frustrating to hear that most of these issues are not being taken seriously, especially in our laws and government, because I agree with all of Kendall's examples being essential and important. Especially after 2020, I completely agree that we need to have unemployment insurance for gig workers, and that child care is essential for all working women!
Kendall provides some excellent contrasting life experiences to our current national policies, and actually managed to change my mind on a couple of topics (never did I ever think that I would switch sides and not be super into a soda tax). Overall, a big takeaway here for me is that our governmental programs should not be so punitive, and as a white woman, I need to do better than to just say "Okay, we have that program in place, what more do you want?" We need to make our programs BETTER and listen to the people who are using the programs in the first place.