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giulianamarie's review
3.0
My friend gifted me this book because he watches the View religiously and absolutely adores Sunny. He said I could be inspired by her since we have some things in common (i.e., being mixed latina women and having lived in DC). I have seen clips here and there but was not too familiar with her before I read this book.
Often, the writing felt corny and a bit forced. I’m not sure if she used a ghostwriter or not, but that’s how the book read. However, I appreciated how honest she was about her personal struggles and how much detail she gave about her work as a prosecutor. She also spilled the tea when it came to working in media. I thought the lessons she learned from her experiences gave me new ways to think about things and were very inspiring. Her book definitely made a me fan but not sure if I would read her fiction works if the writing is similar.
Often, the writing felt corny and a bit forced. I’m not sure if she used a ghostwriter or not, but that’s how the book read. However, I appreciated how honest she was about her personal struggles and how much detail she gave about her work as a prosecutor. She also spilled the tea when it came to working in media. I thought the lessons she learned from her experiences gave me new ways to think about things and were very inspiring. Her book definitely made a me fan but not sure if I would read her fiction works if the writing is similar.
winstonandbooks's review
5.0
Prior to reading this book, I had never heard of Sunny Hostin. I don’t watch The View, since I am cord cutting millennial. (Cable TV? Is it 2002?) But my grandma loved The View. A few months ago, she asked me to get Sunny’s new book and read it. She had heard Sunny talk on the show about the book, and she told me she was curious about it.
The first time I ordered it, it got lost in the mail. So I opted for Target curbside pick up for my second try. And around the same time I started to read the book, my grandma’s health began to decline.
When I called her and told her I finally got the book, she was happy to hear that, but in that same conversation, she told me she thought she was on her way to heaven soon. When I went to visit her and brought the book to show her, she was bedridden and on hospice.
I really enjoyed this book, despite not knowing anything about Sunny Hostin prior to reading it. Sunny has had an interesting life, and she is honest, straightforward, and inspiring as she details her efforts to have “a seat at the table” - to not only pursue her own profession dreams but to also “tap into all the varied talents that can make this country what is has never been but has the potential to one day be.” I also especially connected with Sunny describing her experience being multiracial and growing up in a multicultural home. I don’t have the same ethnic or racial background as Sunny, but I am also multiracial and grew up in a multicultural home. I really connected with what she wrote about never feeling enough for any side - that “you don’t really count” because you’re not fully that ethnicity or race. Or people making misguided assumptions about you, or presuming they know or can speak on your own experiences. This is a perspective that is hard to find - the feeling that you need to check more than one box in a country that encourages, and sometimes forces you, to select just one. My only complaint about this book is that it was too short - I wanted to hear more from Sunny!
Thank you, Sunny, for writing this book, for speaking on the multiracial/multicultural experience so authentically, for speaking honestly about the struggles you’ve faced in an effort to bring about equitable change in this country. Thank you for all you have done to confront those obstacles to make a difference.
But I will forever remember this book as one of the last things that I shared with my grandma. One of my last conversations with my grandma was about this book. I read the book as she slipped in and out of being coherent. I read the book by her bed as she lay in a coma. The book sat in the room when she died.
So most importantly, for me anyway - Sunny, thank you for writing this book, because it helped me feel connected to my grandma even as she slipped away.
The first time I ordered it, it got lost in the mail. So I opted for Target curbside pick up for my second try. And around the same time I started to read the book, my grandma’s health began to decline.
When I called her and told her I finally got the book, she was happy to hear that, but in that same conversation, she told me she thought she was on her way to heaven soon. When I went to visit her and brought the book to show her, she was bedridden and on hospice.
I really enjoyed this book, despite not knowing anything about Sunny Hostin prior to reading it. Sunny has had an interesting life, and she is honest, straightforward, and inspiring as she details her efforts to have “a seat at the table” - to not only pursue her own profession dreams but to also “tap into all the varied talents that can make this country what is has never been but has the potential to one day be.” I also especially connected with Sunny describing her experience being multiracial and growing up in a multicultural home. I don’t have the same ethnic or racial background as Sunny, but I am also multiracial and grew up in a multicultural home. I really connected with what she wrote about never feeling enough for any side - that “you don’t really count” because you’re not fully that ethnicity or race. Or people making misguided assumptions about you, or presuming they know or can speak on your own experiences. This is a perspective that is hard to find - the feeling that you need to check more than one box in a country that encourages, and sometimes forces you, to select just one. My only complaint about this book is that it was too short - I wanted to hear more from Sunny!
Thank you, Sunny, for writing this book, for speaking on the multiracial/multicultural experience so authentically, for speaking honestly about the struggles you’ve faced in an effort to bring about equitable change in this country. Thank you for all you have done to confront those obstacles to make a difference.
But I will forever remember this book as one of the last things that I shared with my grandma. One of my last conversations with my grandma was about this book. I read the book as she slipped in and out of being coherent. I read the book by her bed as she lay in a coma. The book sat in the room when she died.
So most importantly, for me anyway - Sunny, thank you for writing this book, because it helped me feel connected to my grandma even as she slipped away.
bookdarling1987's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
4.0
2023 a Year of Memoirs
I've embarked on quite the reading journey, and setting a goal of 50 books was no small feat. I'm thrilled to announce that I've reached that milestone, and what a book to mark the occasion! Sunny Hostin's "I Am These Truths: A Memoir of Identity, Justice, and Living Between Worlds" is the literary gem that got me there, and I couldn't be happier with my choice. As I contemplate my next reading milestone, I can't help but reflect on the brilliance of this well-written memoir.
Sunny Hostin's memoir is a shining example of openness and honesty, and it radiates with a sense of joy. Her journey through life is both captivating and enlightening, and it's a testament to her storytelling prowess.
In the book, Hostin takes us on a profound exploration of her identity and her quest for justice as she comes of age. She paints a vivid picture of her early years in the Bronx, a time marked by poverty but also instilled with a deep appreciation for education. Hostin's intellectual prowess led to her skipping from the 2nd grade to the 5th, entering high school at the tender age of 12, and graduating by the time she was just 16. It's a remarkable journey, to say the least.
What truly fascinated me was Hostin's experience of straddling two distinct cultural worlds. As an African American and Puerto Rican, she grapples with the erasure of her dual identities. She shares her fluency in Spanish, her culinary skills with dishes like arroz con gandules, pernil, and pollo guisado, all while honoring her love for soul food, including collard greens and turkey necks. Hostin's multicultural background is beautifully interwoven into her narrative, making it all the more compelling.
Hostin's path to becoming a lawyer, and later transitioning into broadcast news, is a rollercoaster ride she describes with candor. Her defining moment as a juror in "The Butcher of Tompkins Square Park" case set her on a course that would reshape her career and her perspective on justice.
The most emotionally charged chapter, "Motherhood," delves into the complexities of parenting, making it a deeply resonant part of the book.
Sunny Hostin's memoir is a captivating blend of entertainment and enlightenment. It offers a unique window into the world of prosecutors and underscores the importance of being a part of the system to drive change from within. I'm now faced with the delightful challenge of choosing my next memoir, but "I Am These Truths" has undoubtedly set a high standard.
storybookcorner's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
tea_ditto's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
In the category of memoir
lydaalexander's review against another edition
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
I didn’t know much about Sunny, and I don’t watch the view, but I found this memoir to be both really interesting and informative.
booksenvogue's review
5.0
I am now a fan of Asunción! Her story was so relatable and honest. I don’t watch television or know her shows. Apparently she’s a lawyer, tv personality, and journalist. She talks a lot about being Afro Latina, colorism, and her fight for social justice for people of color. I loved this book so much I think I am in love with her! I think is so important to hear her story during National Hispanic Heritage Month but especially at a time when Black women are so under valued in this country. And not to mention she is a phenomenal woman who has accomplished a lot!
lookicanread's review
3.0
I love Sunny, first and foremost. This was an interesting read and I really appreciated how much she opened up on her struggles balancing being black and Latina and not one or the other.
wadesworld's review
3.0
Read on audible. 3.5 stars. A really solid memoir and great audiobook. Clearly was on a View inspired reading kick.