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Becoming

Michelle Obama

Start date: February 1, 2019

Finish date: February 27, 2019

Discussion: Monthly Bonus Reads

Why we're reading this: February Bonus Read- Black History Month

Becoming by Michelle Obama
[close] February Bonus Read- Black History Month

Becoming by Michelle Obama

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What Members Thought

Dec 01, 2019 Mariah Roze rated it really liked it

Shelves: diversity-in-all-forms-book-club

"In a life filled with meaning and accomplishment, Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era. As First Lady of the United States of America—the first African American to serve in that role—she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history, while also establishing herself as a powerful advocate for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world, dramatically changing the ways that families pursue healthier and more active lives, ...more

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Apr 03, 2019 Melania 🍒 rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-fiction

4/5

I really, really liked this memoir. It’s everything you’d expect from Michelle: full of beautiful stories about family and friends without shying away from more difficult topics. Always full of grace and wisdom. I felt such warmth while listening her narrating her life.
I’m not the most objective person talking about it, ‘tho. I’ve always loved her family and after reading this I somehow love them more.

11 likes · Like · see review

Oct 21, 2019 Marcela rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, memoir, non-fiction

I was hesitant about reading this book when I first saw it. I am not particularly a big fan of politics, so reading a book about someone related to politics did not sound very appealing to me. But... I became curious with all of the hype about this book and decided to find out for myself. Well, fortunately for me, this book is not about politics —for the most part. Although I already liked Michelle Obama before reading this book, now I have a much different and greater sense of respect and admir ...more

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May 10, 2019 Kara Ayers rated it it was amazing

Shelves: mvbs

One of my first books of 2019 and this one will be hard to top! Prior to reading, I already admired Michelle's confidence and commitment to the goals I knew (fitness, kids, etc.). After reading, I was so thankful for her shared wisdom. The sections on the challenges of working motherhood brought up points/insights for me that I'm still thinking of a few months after reading. This book deserves all of the hype it received-and then some. While it was 5-star worthy for me (which is rare), I do thin ...more

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Mar 17, 2019 Jessica Calaway rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: read-nonfiction, my-book-club-reads

I'd like to start with the fact that she is a wonderful and amazing woman; however, I struggled with this book. The tone and pace of the book s very monotone and slow. I had nothing really driving me though this book. I was great to read about her, but I felt like I was sitting though a lecture. ...more

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Sep 01, 2019 Teri rated it it was ok

I felt that since the actual election happened around page 290, I got about 40 pages of 'presidential life content' and then only what's left is her defense about how she has to keep up appearances and justifying the many racks of dresses rolled in and having a makeup and beauty, personal trainer and because they are judged. I thought the book was very slow the first 300 pages, then interesting, and then it slumped in the end when I realized she thought what mattered was telling me how she wore ...more

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Feb 08, 2022 Sandra (LadyGrey Reads) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-books, need-reviews, 2022-reads, 2022-top-9, 2022-book-of-the-month

review coming soon

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Apr 08, 2019 Gisela Hafezparast rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

There is not much I can say about this interesting and honest biography which other reviewers have not already said. It is a very honest depicting of a normal women, who has been born and had the privilege to be brought up by a decent, hard-working and impressive and not to forget very loving African-American family. Clearly not much money around, many issues which Michelle Obama plays down somewhat, like the chronic illness of her father, disadvantages due to race and lack of wealth, which prod There is not much I can say about this interesting and honest biography which other reviewers have not already said. It is a very honest depicting of a normal women, who has been born and had the privilege to be brought up by a decent, hard-working and impressive and not to forget very loving African-American family. Clearly not much money around, many issues which Michelle Obama plays down somewhat, like the chronic illness of her father, disadvantages due to race and lack of wealth, which produced a remarkable women who had the luck to meet and marry a remarkable man. This man, Barack Obama, I am sure would have found it much harder to be become and stay the brilliant mind and down-to-earth president which he had become without this women, her family and his own. What springs to mind is DECENT, decent, hardworking families, decent objectives for their own lives and that of their children and most important decent objectives for America's people (never mind their ethnicity or how much money they have).

Michelle Obama (can't bring myself to call this clever, hard-working women just Michelle, although I am sure she would be ok with it) openly admits that she does not like politics, did not want Barack to go into politics and clearly resented what politics had done to him and her family on many occasions. BUT, because she believed in the good of his ideas and that he could make her country better, she supported him and the country as best as she could. Diligent and through hard-working, not sparing herself. I am sure, now that the shackle of the First Lady is off her shoulders, she will still contribute a lot to the benefit of the US.

Just as well, as what a contract to the current occupants of the White House now!!!!!

Whilst reading the book, I just could not believe that a country who voted for a family like the Obama's and for their ideals and ideas, could then vote Trump into this most important position. I kept asking myself, what happened, why on earth! I am not really somebody who believes in conspiracy, but I can't help but thinking that the only way to explain is because of the corrupt and corrupting influences such as big business in the US, white-supremacy groups etc have influenced these elections. Americans like Europeans and anybody else, can make stupid decisions (look at Brexit in the UK), but this is beyond stupid. How, why and who?

This is a book which should be read in all schools across the world. ...more

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