The power of this graphic memoir expands as the story unfolds. It is about family, love, land, and ruin. And the art style is fantastic. Video review The power of this graphic memoir expands as the story unfolds. It is about family, love, land, and ruin. And the art style is fantastic. Video review to come....more
Noted historian Nell Irvin Painter has written about the confounding and lonely process of deciding to go to art school (undergraduate and then graduaNoted historian Nell Irvin Painter has written about the confounding and lonely process of deciding to go to art school (undergraduate and then graduate) after enjoying a successful and fulfilling life as an educator and author, all while she is in her sixties and dealing with her aging/dying parents. The willful racism and ageism of the RISD faculty and her art school cohorts incite me to want to shake them by their collars and insist that they be supportive rather than dismissive as Painter tries to incorporate her knowledge of history and her own place in as an African American woman and is bullied and scorned for that impulse. If you choose to read this book, I'd advise against using a Kindle because the photographs of Painter's art is completely muddled in the format....more
Four and a half stars. (This review contains spoilers if you haven't been watching the news for the last ten years.)
Michelle Obama excels in telling tFour and a half stars. (This review contains spoilers if you haven't been watching the news for the last ten years.)
Michelle Obama excels in telling the story of her life, from a loving lower middle-class childhood through all the travails of life as a professional, mother, and wife of an unlikely politician, Barack Obama. I feared that it might be a sanitized account of her life, but instead Michelle is able to bare some of the tender hurts that come with being labeled a villain and disrespected for virtually everything she did, said, wore, or emoted.
Mostly, she shows herself to be a kind and empathetic person who wanted to make a difference in the world with the power she held as first lady, and she also shows how protective she and Barack were of their daughters. Politically, Michelle touches on some of the biggest news stories of the administration, bringing them right back into our reality and to her personal observation. The pain in her voice as she recounts the murders of first graders and then the murders of black men, one after another, at the hands of the police is memorable and rough.
My one criticism of this book is that she demurs talking about the methods by which DJT "won" the election, and if there was any alarm that could have been sounded before the election was held. But all in all, I couldn't stop listening to her story.
This memoir is a jarring juxtaposition to what's happening now, which makes some of the hope and optimism I and many others felt during the beginning of the Obama presidency feel so fleeting and far away. It hurts to know how divided this country is, how a segment of our citizens hate and fear and despise what isn't in their world view, and how they seem to revel in the misery of other people. Michelle makes it clear that while she's fearing for the country and the world, she will not be part of the political machine. If anyone cares about her, they wouldn't wish for her to join that cesspool again....more
Which is worse, to be a downright terrible person with no regard for anything but his own satisfaction or a helplessly devoted, unappreciated, overlooWhich is worse, to be a downright terrible person with no regard for anything but his own satisfaction or a helplessly devoted, unappreciated, overlooked daughter? This novella explores the question in Oates' signature highly dramatic style....more
This book, set in the mid-1990s, is a couple of different things. It's a novel that chronicles the main character, Dolly Wilde'Three and a half stars.
This book, set in the mid-1990s, is a couple of different things. It's a novel that chronicles the main character, Dolly Wilde's (not her real name) awakening to her sexual agency and to her place within the caustic misogyny of the London music scene of the time. It's also a capital-R romance novel, like a revved up Bridget Jones with a dash of the energy you might remember from Love Actually. There's a lot to like about it, especially Dolly's real kindness to her younger brother and her admiration of her completely irresponsible and drug-happy best friend. I also admire the appeal from Dolly to the rock star to respect his teenage girl fans, no matter how goofy or how much they are misfits in a world who does not at all care about teenage girls.
But where it falls short is that her wisdom seems much older than her nineteen years. And her parents and brothers are excised from the book about half way through, after they'd been featured a good deal of the first half. So I liked it, but it's anachronistic, a #MeToo in an age where it didn't truly fit....more
Four and a half stars. Just the right length to tell the story of four (well, five) women who are affected by the onerous and chilling laws set forth Four and a half stars. Just the right length to tell the story of four (well, five) women who are affected by the onerous and chilling laws set forth by a conservative government. It's a contemporary dystopia, no red cloaks and white bonnets or forced servitude, but instead has a plot and characters who are more pragmatic about how lives can be lived when people are suddenly confronted by new realities. It would be a fine book club pick for progressive groups....more
Intricate, multi-timeline plot bolstered by a strong sense of historical detail bring this wartime novel to life. The main character's sardonic voice Intricate, multi-timeline plot bolstered by a strong sense of historical detail bring this wartime novel to life. The main character's sardonic voice comes through. It may not have the pull of Life After Life, but it's a solid page-turner. I started with the audiobook but pivoted to the text to help get me through to the end. ...more
I give this book 3 1/2 stars. It’s incredibly atmospheric and the writing creates a fitting tension for a murder mystery like this. Because it was wriI give this book 3 1/2 stars. It’s incredibly atmospheric and the writing creates a fitting tension for a murder mystery like this. Because it was written so long ago, there are many gender and homophobia issues that are hard to ignore. But all in all, it’s a fun story and is suitably scary. ...more
Better suited for a long New Yorker profile than a standalone book. Not entirely satisfying. I didn’t get a feel for the explorer and I the audible naBetter suited for a long New Yorker profile than a standalone book. Not entirely satisfying. I didn’t get a feel for the explorer and I the audible narration is mismatched to the topic. (Update: If I were more up to snuff on all the pieces in a pile of New Yorker magazines that are collecting dust, I'd know that this WAS a great NYer feature and doesn't warrant its own book. I am drowning in content, apparently.)...more
This novel and I did not get along. It is overwritten and full of digressions. I wanted to like it more. I read another goodreads review that is similThis novel and I did not get along. It is overwritten and full of digressions. I wanted to like it more. I read another goodreads review that is similar to my reaction and some other person chastised her and said she was apparently expecting a romance and that this novel is timely and excellent and that the reviewer wasn't sympathetic to the #metoo moment. I didn't see anything in the review that said she was expecting a romance. She commented on the craft and structure, not the story. Not every #metoo story is going to be satisfying for every reader. There were things I admired about this novel, but the time jumps and brevity of the novel itself shortchanged the story. I didn't connect to the narrative even though I'm sympathetic to abuse victims; the two have nothing to do with each other....more
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