 Lunch Poems by Frank O’HaraMy rating: 5 of 5 stars Amazing. Free on Audible. Get this now and remember when poetic ascendency mattered. So good! View all my reviews |
Category: Book
-
Lunch Poems by Frank O’Hara, Matthew Weiner (Narrator)
-
Leaving Las Vegas by John O’Brien
Leaving Las Vegas by John O’Brien
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a good book. This book is about addiction–sex, gambling, alcohol, and severe dependency issues. It is a challenging read–fast-paced and subtle. Clever. It has a lot of mental health triggers–rape, insanity, etc.
But it is fantastic. A VERY VERY good book. Quick, witty, and written. Memorable.
If you saw the film and read the book, you will thank me.
However, the end was the one thing I wanted to comment on. It is dark, yet it left me feeling hope, which is relatively new for me (Proust can capture it sometimes, but not as strongly as O’Brien does at the end of this one.
It’s a massive book. It is strongly recommended.
View all my reviews -
Philip Roth: The Biography by Blake Bailey
Philip Roth: The Biography by Blake Bailey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a fantastic book. The focus is on the man more than the words–but that is not always such a bad thing. The struggle is all there. There are petty fights and forgiveness, but it is all blended with such respect, historical accuracy, and all-around good writing that this book may be the best author biography I have ever read. Seriously, if you have any interest in Roth at all, read this. It is good.
View all my reviews -
Sold by Patricia McCormick
Sold by Patricia McCormick
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Human trafficking is a horrible problem. Human trafficking for sex is even worse. This book is a disturbing overview of the problem in Asia from a girl’s perspective. It is hard to review–it is a polemic designed to increase awareness and exposure. The voice is very similar to Anne Frank. The content is designed to shock the suburbs. I am unsure how successful it is or if a book like this helps reduce human trafficking. It is short. It is easy to read–none of the details are that horrific, but it also misses the mark. I did not finish reading this thinking this must end NOW, but instead, that isn’t very pleasant, and I hope it stops soon. A challenging book, Tough review.
View all my reviews -
The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture by Gabor Maté, Daniel Maté
The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture by Gabor Maté
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Ghostwritten. Celebrity obsessed. Narcissistic. reductive. This is just a mess.
What happened to our Gabor?
I can think of no reason to read this.
View all my reviewsNaughts & Crosses (Naughts & Crosses, #1)by Malorie Blackman
Naughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
This is not a good book. This book is silly racism inverted as severe racism reflecting on historic racism. Or something. I think a nine-year-old might enjoy or at least be educated by this, but I found the recasting of historical events problematic and the overall tone a real challenge.
I do not recommend this book to anyone–there is much better material covering similar topics with much greater empathy, understanding, and art.
View all my reviewsOlive Kitteridge (Olive Kitteridge, #1)by Elizabeth Strout (Goodreads Author), Kimberly Farr (Narrator)
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I struggled with this. I think there is good stuff, but it is buried under so many mundane things it is easy to miss. It’s worth reading with a book club, but there’s nothing to write home about.
View all my reviewsBiography of X by Catherine Lacey (Goodreads Author), Cassandra Campbell (Narrator)
Biography of X by Catherine Lacey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A fun, massively metafiction with all sorts of excellent art world references. Strongly recommended to seniors in English programs with a focus on feminist literature.
View all my reviewsGoing to Meet the Man by James Baldwin, Dion Graham (Narrator)
Going to Meet the Man by James Baldwin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Holy COW! How great of a writer was Baldwin? Short stories that simply kill. And do not even really prepare you for the final story, which is just too damn much. This is a huge book by a great writer that I strongly recommend.
View all my reviewsA Thirst for Empire: How Tea Shaped the Modern World by Erika Rappaport
A Thirst for Empire: How Tea Shaped the Modern World by Erika Rappaport
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a very refreshing read for me–lots of great stuff on the history of beverages, the history of shopping, the history of British empire. Like an academic review on a lot of stuff I did not know. Each chapter feel like it was written by a different grad student with a real passion for their assigned topic. And overall the book was very solid, easy to read, informative, and enjoyable. Recommended.
View all my reviews
David Given Schwarm 