tracithomas's Reviews (1.05k)

challenging dark sad slow-paced

I liked the writing here but am not sure I was ever able to click into the book. It’s sorta a strange memoir (on purpose) and is mostly just musings on viruses and death. It is a very good book for a certain type of reader but I’m not sure it got there for me — I think print might be better than audio for this one. 
reflective slow-paced

Poetry is always hard to judge because some poems can be stellar while others leave you wanting and how can you know if the thing is as good as the sum of its parts? This one feels as if it is doing a bit too much and I would've liked less. There are some good ones in here, no doubt. 
challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

I was really impressed with this one. It moves from one thing to the next and by the end it feels like a different book from where you started, but in a good way. It shows growth. The writing is beautiful and the level of vulnerability is impressive.
dark emotional fast-paced

This is a solid literary version of a true crime memoir. It’s exactly what you think it is. Rushdie gives us his own recollections on the attack along with his journey toward healing and logistics of it all. He also adds a meta scene where he imagines a convo with his assailant that we didn’t need. Overall it’s good if not a bit surface and perfunctory.
challenging dark lighthearted reflective fast-paced

I was really impressed by this collection. I appreciate Parker's humor and her ability to see the world in ways that I can't always articulate. Some of the essays don't feel like they fit in the collection per se, but most of the essays are strong on their own merits. I would've liked more of her pop cultural criticisms because she has such a sharp perspective on Black culture. Overall a really strong book.

I reread this book and still liked it a lot. Morgan narrates the audio really well!
challenging informative tense fast-paced

I am obsessed with the LA riots of 1992. I have been since they happened as a kid. I love the idea of bringing this history to young people and think it is really well done. I question a bit how some information was presented without interpretation or reflection from the adult (thinking here about the testimonies of the officers who beat King). But over all very comprehensive and well researched and something I look forward to giving my kids when they are old enough to read.
challenging funny fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I saw this on Broadway and read the show while listening to the soundtrack. I liked this play a lot and have questions about who the joke is on. I also think the ending falls a part a bit but overall its very good.
dark emotional sad fast-paced

This is like two books put together, the book starts off really strong and tells the story of O'Connor's life with so much vulnerability. At about 60% in (and around the SNL/Pope stuff) the book gets very superficial and digs into the stories of just about each of her songs. She goes into detail about things that aren't super interesting and it feels like a way to fill pages and finish the book. 
informative medium-paced

The idea of this book was good but the execution fell flat. The organization was off. The editor failed here. 
challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

This was a reread for me and I still really loved this book. I picked up more this second time around and really appreciate Gurba and her writing and thought process. A really solid collection of cultural criticism tied to personal essays. Fantastic.