What a clever idea for a book about the experience of racism! Amber Ruffin recounts her sister Lacey's experiences of racism in Omaha in everyday lifeWhat a clever idea for a book about the experience of racism! Amber Ruffin recounts her sister Lacey's experiences of racism in Omaha in everyday life since she was a child. There is a lighthearted tone to how Ruffin recounts her sister's experiences, but the relentless and shear number of incidents is dispiriting. Funny and horrifying at the same time. This worked well as an audiobook because both sisters speak and they have a good banter going. But Ruffin keeps reminding listeners about the photos listeners are missing out on. Since I don't know what I missed, I still vote for audio....more
I listened to this one as an audio book. I loved it from beginning to end. It was a great mix of personal reflexion, anecdotes, history, politics and I listened to this one as an audio book. I loved it from beginning to end. It was a great mix of personal reflexion, anecdotes, history, politics and soul searching. It was also an interesting complement to Michelle Obama's Becoming -- seeing some of the same events from different perspectives. Obama is so smart and thoughtful, and he writes beautifully. I can't wait til volume 2. The audio book is long, but it's well worth listening to Obama tell his story in his own voice....more
I listened to this one as an audio book. I can’t imagine how it would work as a written book. The audio sounds more like a spontaneous interview than I listened to this one as an audio book. I can’t imagine how it would work as a written book. The audio sounds more like a spontaneous interview than anything else. But it’s lots of fun to listen to Dolly Parton recount what lies behind many of her songs and to hear snippets of those songs. Her enthusiasm and positive outlook are infectious. Her unapologetic pride in her family and background are moving. And as a woman who is confident and comfortable with who she is, she is a great role model. By the end, it gets a bit repetitive as every song is her favourite, but overall I still really enjoyed listening to this one....more
I listened to this one as an audio. I had already heard many of these stories, but not all of them. And it doesn’t really matter, because even4+ stars
I listened to this one as an audio. I had already heard many of these stories, but not all of them. And it doesn’t really matter, because even David Sedaris’s familiar stories made me smile. I love the rhythm of his storytelling and writing. Perfect smart and funny escape during these tumultuous times. And there’s a fabulous long interview at the end. ...more
This is this the second book by Ben Mcintyre I have listened to recently. The first one was Agent Sonya: Moscow's Most Daring Wartime Spy. Again, thisThis is this the second book by Ben Mcintyre I have listened to recently. The first one was Agent Sonya: Moscow's Most Daring Wartime Spy. Again, this book focuses on a real life spy story. In this case, the focus is a Soviet agent who becomes a double agent and provided secrets to the British government during the 1980s.. Macintyre traces the agent’s background, how he changed sides and how he was betrayed. I liked Agent Sonya a bit more — perhaps because she was a woman and such an unlikely spy — but I still thought this was well worth listening to. The history is really interesting and Macintyre does a great job of getting into everyone’s personal history and motives....more
Catch and Kill is Ronan Farrow’s fascinating account of the lengths he went to as a journalist at NBC to put the Harvey Weinstein story out. In the enCatch and Kill is Ronan Farrow’s fascinating account of the lengths he went to as a journalist at NBC to put the Harvey Weinstein story out. In the end, he ended up publishing his now famous print story with The New Yorker. This isn’t so much a story about Weinstein as about journalism and the challenges of publishing a negative story about a powerful man. Well worth reading. Farrow is smart, candid and engaging.
I listened to this one as an audio as read by Farrow. His frustration and disbelief come out loud and clear through his voice. My only complaint about the audio is that he tries to mimic accents and voices when reading quotes, which at times gave the audio a cartoonish quality....more
Furiously Happy is not for everyone. Jenny Lawson has a wacky sensibility and is comfortable writing about pretty much anythinAn enthusiastic 4 stars!
Furiously Happy is not for everyone. Jenny Lawson has a wacky sensibility and is comfortable writing about pretty much anything that comes into her head. But I could have listened to the audio version of this book for several more hours. She is crazy smart, uses language with real gusto and is refreshingly comfortable with who she is. This is a nice blend of serious musings and insights on living with mental illness and funny anecdotes about living life to its fullest regardless of how scary it might be. I listened the audio as read by Lawson, which gave me a delightful sense of her personality....more
I would have liked The Education of an Idealist much more if it had been shorter, although I’m still glad I listened to it. Samantha Power is3.5 stars
I would have liked The Education of an Idealist much more if it had been shorter, although I’m still glad I listened to it. Samantha Power is probably best known as an ambassador to the UN under the Obama administration. But the parts of her memoir I liked the best were her childhood in Ireland and family background, her move to the US and her earlier work covering the war in Bosnia. Her discussion of her more recent years felt overly long and a bit too self-aggrandizing. But, still, her keen intelligence, tenacity and fearlessness are admirable. And her view on today’s world is extremely relevant.
She has a great voice, so this works well as an audio....more
I really like Joy-Ann Reid on MSNBC. She’s smart, interesting and fearless in her analysis of contemporary American politics. I can’t say that I learnI really like Joy-Ann Reid on MSNBC. She’s smart, interesting and fearless in her analysis of contemporary American politics. I can’t say that I learned much I didn’t know from The Man Who Sold America, but I really appreciated Reid’s perspective and how she pulled the last few years together. The audio version has the added bonus of her great voice....more
Another one I finished a while ago but am only getting around to reviewing now...
I love Rachel Maddow. I think I could listen to her talk about anythiAnother one I finished a while ago but am only getting around to reviewing now...
I love Rachel Maddow. I think I could listen to her talk about anything. She's always well informed, and clear about her opinions and how she supports them. But these days, I can only take her in small doses because all of her reporting focuses on the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and there's only so much coverage of the pandemic I can listen to. As I was finishing listening to Blowout, which focuses on the oil industry, Maddow was ramping up her coverage of the pandemic on her nightly show. Blowout is important, interesting and really well researched and narrated. But its immediate relevance faded for me toward the end. Nothing about the book. Everything about timing.
I listened to the audio which was really well read by Maddow and included snippets of songs by Pussy Riot. I'm also grateful to Edelweiss for giving me access to an advance ecopy....more
It took me a long time to get through this audiobook, but it was definitely worth it. I grew up in Canada hearing about the “troubles” in Northern IreIt took me a long time to get through this audiobook, but it was definitely worth it. I grew up in Canada hearing about the “troubles” in Northern Ireland, but I only had the vaguest idea of Irish history. Last summer, I was in the Republic of Ireland and really appreciated the vivid introduction to Irish history and culture. I seem to have caught the bug, because this summer I will be traveling to Northern Ireland. Say Nothing is a great look at some of the causes and consequences of the North’s fraught history. The author has done in depth research into the plight of two women on different sides of the conflict. Jean McConville, the mother of 10 children, disappeared in 1972. Dolres Price was a young active member of the IRA in the 1970s, imprisoned for many years. Keefe makes no apologies for anyone’s behaviour but he gives context to the events. It’s an intense deep dive into recent history. It felt a bit too dense at times, but it really comes together at the end as Keefe ties some loose ends as best he can. Strongly recommended to anyone with an interest in this part of history.
If you listen to the audio, the narrator has a lovely Irish accent....more
I can’t seem to stop talking about The Year of Living Danishly. This memoir about living in Denmark for a year suited me perfectly. The author moved tI can’t seem to stop talking about The Year of Living Danishly. This memoir about living in Denmark for a year suited me perfectly. The author moved to Denmark from England with her husband. Each chapter takes place during a different month in the year and focuses on a different theme. She mixes her own experiences with interviews and research. She talks about work, money, the weather, taxes, education, raising children, entertaining, etc... She has a great self-deprecating sense of humour. Underlying the book is a basic question about what makes for a happy life. Intelligent, funny and timely.
And the audio was lovely as read by a narrator with a lively British accent....more
While it was written in the 1960s, in many ways James Baldwin could have written a similar book today. It's powerful, it resonates and A high 4 stars!
While it was written in the 1960s, in many ways James Baldwin could have written a similar book today. It's powerful, it resonates and it's beautifully written. I must read more James Baldwin.
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