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tracithomas's Reviews (1.06k)
reflective
medium-paced
Elizabeth Gilbert is a really good writer. She is a convincing expert and friend to her readers. I get why people fall into her world so fully. I found this one pretty manipulative and formulaic. I hated the Instagram poetry. I also hated how she’d say “I’m not going to justify ….” and then immediately do just that. The mess in the book makes for a good story but beyond that I struggled with the self serving narrative and explanations.
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
In this book, Lennon's first, he tells his own story and that of three other men who also were convicted of murder in New York. This is a powerful and searching examination of crime, punishment, and the impact of the true crime genre. This book brought up a lot of thought provoking and important questions about redemption and entertainment. Why do we need to relive the worst moment of some many people’s lives decades later? It also made me reflect a lot on storytelling and audience. I am so grateful to have spent time with Lennon and his own, very clear, grappling. Structurally I sometimes wished that Lennon had allotted himself his own sections instead of infusing his story in with the other three men. It was a stylistic choice that worked in some moments but in others left me a little confused.
informative
slow-paced
This is a really good history book on Shakespeare. Greenblatt has done to much research and scoured the texts of Shakespeare to connect his life to his work and the time. It is a wow on that front. The writing is a little boring and stilted and if you're not super into Shakespeare you might not really care about this book at all. However, I enjoyed it and was impressed.
reflective
medium-paced
The new memoir from Arundhati Roy about her life and how it was shaped by her tumultuous relationship with her mother, Mary Roy. This book is objectively well written — the prose are gorgeous, the structure is clear, and Roy has lived a powerful life as an artist and activist. And yet, I am so out on memoir this year I read it and thought “this is a good book, moving on”. I liked it enough to finish it, which I can’t say for many memoirs I’ve started this year, but it didn’t land the emotional punch I think it will for other readers. I am convinced we are at the end stages of memoir as a genre, because honestly if Arundhati Roy’s beautiful writing didn’t make me want to dive back into that world, what will?
reflective
fast-paced
This was a solid celebrity memoir. I wasn't wowed by it but it was well written and cohesive. If not a little too corny and sprinkled with self-help. I would've liked a little morse gossip/tea but I understand why someone wouldn't want to do that. I listened on audio and really liked her narration.
reflective
fast-paced
I liked this collection but found it a little hit or miss as many anthologies are. Some of the essays were expansive and clear while others felt murky and meandering.
The Gods of New York: Egotists, Idealists, Opportunists, and the Birth of the Modern City: 1986-1990
dark
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
I know it is crazy to say that a 460 page book is "fast paced" but this history of NYC from 1986-1990 was totally that. It is juicy, gossipy, salacious, and full of the heavy hitters of NYC past, many of whom are still at it today (Trump, Spike Lee, Giuliani, Al Sharpton). I loved this one. It might not be the best book ever but I had a total blast with it. The tone was spot on and felt like a 1980's tabloid. I loved that it was chronological and tackled the whiplash of the news. I loved that he left the reader room to connect the dots. I also now have a list of at least 5 books that tackle moments in this book head on. This was fave of the year even if I don't think it is the "best" book of the year.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really really liked this book. I was pretty taken it from the start, and only toward the end did it go on a bit long for me. Natera builds such great suspense and allows her characters to make some pretty awful choices. She also works in some history of the DR so well. There are a few pieces that didn't work for me at all the "secret" as well as storytelling choices that felt a bit heavy handed. But honestly, I was so impressed by this one in a major way.
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
I think Kimmerer is a fantastic writer. Her style and turns of phrase are beautiful. The book has some incredibly poignant pieces and ideas that were so profound. The book is also way too long and repetitive. The essays run into one another as the book goes on.
informative
sad
medium-paced
This book was fine. It did what it set out to do. I didn't find the storytelling to be particularly deep (I knew most of the info). Some of the writing (end of chapters) were irksome, the author was really holding our hands in a way that felt almost corny. It is a good overview book into the opioid treatment industry. Given the title I thought the book might go more into AA as well, but it is mostly about drug addiction. I liked the book fine but it isn't one I think will stick with me long term.