I found this to be an interesting and engaging, if not, however, terribly illuminating book. That being said, I am now interested in reading3.5 stars
I found this to be an interesting and engaging, if not, however, terribly illuminating book. That being said, I am now interested in reading the author's newer book "God", to see him take on another aspect of religion. It is clear Aslan is devoted to researching a subject matter and adept at weaving in his own interpretation and philosophical analysis. He is a good writer and thoughtful, too, which made this a worthwhile read. It's not revolutionary, but it is thought-provoking and I'm glad I gave it a try, as it's really unlike my usual choice of reading material.
Bassem Youssef has a unique voice and a great way of telling a serious, important story without being ho"The textbook of fear is the same everywhere."
Bassem Youssef has a unique voice and a great way of telling a serious, important story without being horribly depressing. He is a comedian and uses his wit and intelligence to explain how his life in Egypt changed with the Arab Spring and ensuing troubles. As someone who has always had a particular interest in Egypt, this was a truly gripping, eye-opening read. I would highly recommend it to anyone trying to better understand the conflicts and history of this country.
I'm in two minds about this book. On the one hand, it was compulsively readable; on the other it just felt unpleasant from start to finish. Omarosa MaI'm in two minds about this book. On the one hand, it was compulsively readable; on the other it just felt unpleasant from start to finish. Omarosa Manigault-Newman is undoubtedly a narcissist and in that sense, well matched to the current president. On the other, she comes across as observant and far from stupid. In fact, I don't even think she is a liar (who needs to lie when the truth is stranger than fiction?!) I guess I just feel dissatisfied with the book mostly because I feel dissatisfied with the current situation. I wish her revelations, the recordings, all the stuff with Manafort, and Cohen, the Muller investigation, the porn stars (I could go on and on...) would make a difference, but at this point, I frankly don't think it will. This president is made of Teflon and though I don't regret reading this book, ultimately, I feel as frustrated as I did before. I'm curious what others think of the book. In a way, I felt it was definitely not as sloppy as Fire and Fury. But did I enjoy it? I can't say that I did. If you're on the fence, I think you can give it a skip. Most of the "revelations" have already been dissected in detail in the news and media.
I need to take a little time to reflect before writing a proper review, but among the political books I've read this year, Fear is the best (but alsoI need to take a little time to reflect before writing a proper review, but among the political books I've read this year, Fear is the best (but also the most disturbing) by far.
The first time I heard of Derek Black was on an episode of the podcast The Daily. I found his story fascinating even then, and when I had a chance toThe first time I heard of Derek Black was on an episode of the podcast The Daily. I found his story fascinating even then, and when I had a chance to read this book, I was excited to learn more. Rising Out of Hatred tells Derek's story, but also that of his family and though I will never truly understand let alone condone the "movement" of white supremacy, I found it disturbingly intriguing to see their reasoning for such hateful ideology. It's incredible that Derek - through his experiences and influences in college - was able to understand that this was wrong and that he had to change his thinking and his actions. The fact that he did and that he is willing to be open about his experience gives me hope that people can change. I don't want to talk specifics about current politics in the US, but we all know how divisive the environment has become. We need to keep the hope alive that we can recover from this time of so much outward hatred and partisan division, and be open and willing to learn about the experiences and thoughts of others in the way Derek Black did. It's important to be willing not to dismiss those who think differently from us as ignorant idiots, but to try to understand why they think the way they do and how to approach that. I am not saying I am the paragon of this behavior by any means. I am angry, too, and disappointed with the mood of the time, but I want to be better than that. I want us all to be better than that. I am veering away from the book now, and maybe that's fine, because it provoked thoughts in me that go well beyond Derek's story and wrap around the problems of the world and society of today and of the past.
Thanks to Netgalley for supplying me with a copy of Rising Out of Hatred in exchange for an honest review.
“Progress doesn’t move in a straight line.” ― Ben Rhodes, The World as It Is: A Memoir of the Obama White House
Fellow fans of Pod Save America will re“Progress doesn’t move in a straight line.” ― Ben Rhodes, The World as It Is: A Memoir of the Obama White House
Fellow fans of Pod Save America will recognize Ben Rhodes from his many visits to the podcast, others will know his name as that of Obama's Deputy Security Advisor and confidante. This book is sold as Rhodes memoir, but it is really more the story of the way his life wrapped around the eight years he worked in the White House. This book is very well written and though long, engaging from start to finish. It is strange, because before Trump won the election, I basically never read non-fiction and since then, I have been reaching for books in the genre ever more often. I really enjoyed this book even as I felt melancholy that it was working towards what I saw as a sad ending, Obama leaving office. Though Rhodes is undeniably very fond of Obama and has great respect for him, he does not shy away from mentioning times the president was annoyed or frustrated and the fact that Rhodes personal life suffered from the all-consuming role he played in the White House. This book gives great insight into situations no ordinary person will likely ever witness, and I was left impressed, feeling greatly more informed than before, and very sad that Barack Obama, a thoughtful leader, prone to contemplation, and who valued diplomacy, has been replaced by his complete opposite. An absolutely worthwhile read!
As is always the case with anthologies, some stories are more engaging than others. I also listened to this as and audiobook and I have to say, some nAs is always the case with anthologies, some stories are more engaging than others. I also listened to this as and audiobook and I have to say, some narrators were very good and some so bad I almost couldn't listen to them.All in all, this was an interesting collection, if not exactly illuminating. I did think it was good to include authors with such a wide array of backgrounds and that not each experience was rape, but each experience did show that the threat of rape lies even in something certain men would deem as harmless or even complimentary. It is going to take time to teach sons, brothers, husbands and friends that some of their actions - even if far removed from aggression or assault - simply frighten women and for that reason they should stop. It's so simple and obvious and yet, when I think about some of the stories, apparently very difficult for some to grasp or to be impacted enough to change their behavior. I want to share a little story with you. The other day, I was at an ATM. It was pretty deserted and as I was putting in my card, a man approached. Though I didn't feel afraid, exactly, maybe he sensed I would. He stayed waaay back and loudly said, "The line starts here." It's small acts of consideration like this that make all the difference and I have to say, I was a little moved, even though it would be really nice if acting like this was just the norm. In hindsight, this anthology was better than I felt it was while I was reading, maybe that's to do with the uncomfortable subject matter. I did feel the authors all had a vaguely similar style to Roxane Gay herself, so if you liked her other books, you might find this one interesting as well. I'll remember some of these stories for a long time, while others will likely fade quickly, but that's just the way it is with anthologies and overall, I am glad I read this book.
This is a short book, but what a harrowing, thought-provoking story it tells! It is not an easy read, this man's account of life in North Korea, his eThis is a short book, but what a harrowing, thought-provoking story it tells! It is not an easy read, this man's account of life in North Korea, his escape back to Japan and the terrible losses he and his family suffered in the process. I kept feeling stunned when the author mentioned the dates - so recent! - and that people dying of starvation seems a fairly common occurrence in North Korea. he paints a bleak picture, made bearable by the fact that he felt close bonds with his family. An eye-opening and important book!
As anticipated, this is a difficult book to review. In fact, I was in two minds about even reading it, though I am not unhappy that I did. On the oneAs anticipated, this is a difficult book to review. In fact, I was in two minds about even reading it, though I am not unhappy that I did. On the one hand, I do feel I know Comey better and that he is, in many ways, a good, stand-up sort of guy (which he reiterates in every conceivable way throughout the book, mind you). He has had his struggles and personal tragedies, and I do think he gives himself a far more human face with this book, when before I knew so little about this man beyond his questionable actions. An aspect I enjoyed, was learning about his family and past and noting the obvious love and admiration he feels for his wife and his family. On the other hand, I finished it feeling frustrated. Despite having a better understanding regarding the difficult decisions he faced, and hearing his uncertainty about how to handle the Clinton investigation, he never seems quite willing to take responsibility for the fallout, even after he makes it very clear how little respect he has for Trump. I struggled with this aspect of the book and his character, as I am sure many other readers will. Comey makes an effort to show he is not partisan, and yet he cannot help offering small barbs against George Bush and complimenting Barack Obama (can't blame him on that front, it's OBAMA!). Yet his insistence that the FBI remained wholly separate from the politics of the president as well as partisanship rang false to me. If you, as the acting Director of the FBI make monumental decisions during a fraught election cycle, you are meddling with politics. He claims, like so many of us, he felt certain Clinton would win either way and was as stunned as anyone when she lost, so I believe him when he says he didn't intend for this outcome. All the same, this is the outcome we got and I feel my liking for this book and my sympathy for Comey waned considerably once I realized he would not be taking any blame. Additionally, and more puzzling in my opinion, he states he would act precisely as he did if he could do it all again. This seems insane, since he also makes it evident that he thinks Trump is a very dangerous and incompetent person (an UNstable genius...;) ?! I am left feeling baffled and not very satisfied having read this book, but that seems to be my perpetual state these days. In the end, I am glad I read it, but am disappointed as well by the cowardice of so many of the people in positions of power, whose ego and ambition rule their actions, instead of their principles or a sense of morality. Comey can say what he will, but it takes courage to admit a mistake, and I think that courage is lacking in him, at least for now.
I was very wary of reading this book, because it just sounded so, so creepy and when I bought it, the killer had not yet been caught. Yet when he wasI was very wary of reading this book, because it just sounded so, so creepy and when I bought it, the killer had not yet been caught. Yet when he was recently, after so many years, I felt compelled to know the background and read the book. It is a tragic story, made all the more so because its passionate, dogged author did not live to see this man's arrest, something she so badly wished for. This story is so disturbing, I could not get it out of my head and I could definitely not read it at night. All the same, I found it difficult to put down. The style of writing is so compelling, not dry like much non-fiction is for me. McNamara's voice is unique and she infected my with her deep interest and devotion to solving the case. I also liked how she gave the victims their own story and a considerable amount of attention, highlighting who they were before they were assaulted or killed by this evil man. This was a rough intro to true crime fiction for me, but worth the read. The writing is excellent and the fact that the killer has actually been caught feels like a stunning ending to this horrible story. It will take some time for me to stop thinking about this book and its author, and I think that is probably how it should be. Definitely recommended, but proceed with caution. This book will keep you awake at night.
Obwohl ich vielleicht ein bisschen jung bin um all die Erwänungen und kulturelle Referenzen zu kennen, kann ich mich jedoch als Kassettenkind beschreiObwohl ich vielleicht ein bisschen jung bin um all die Erwänungen und kulturelle Referenzen zu kennen, kann ich mich jedoch als Kassettenkind beschreiben. Wie viele Stunden haben mir Bibi Blocksberg und Wendy versüsst! Das Buch war lustig, schön nostalgisch, und durchauch empfehlenswert!
Now that I've outed myself as a Bachelor viewer, I might as well embrace it and fully delve into it. You can't watch this show without being a little Now that I've outed myself as a Bachelor viewer, I might as well embrace it and fully delve into it. You can't watch this show without being a little critical, or at least I can't. That being said, there's light-hearted snark and then there's mocking. I felt this book fell into the later category. Kaufman is building a career as an author on the Bachelor, so I felt she was often a little too mean about everything involved in the show, including it's fans. The tone of the book is a mixture of gossip rag and the author's attempt at a feminist dissection of the show, which didn't quite work for me. Also, the frequent swearing on the author's part brought down the tone of the book even more. Maybe it was because I listened to the audiobook, which Kaufman narrates, I felt she had a persistently sarcastic tone, which started to grate. There were some tidbits I found interesting, that the contestants cannot bring even books to the mansion (the horror!) and that the producers are remarkably manipulative to get them to say certain things, the contract even stipulates that they are allowed to make the contestants seem unhinged. I think Kaufman definitely did a considerable amount of research for this book, and I am sure she is a solid journalist, but in the end, little that was revealed struck me as very surprising. It was an ok read, but I wouldn't really recommend it if you are looking for a particularly enlightening look at the show.
As a fan of Dan Pfeiffer on the podcast Pod Save America, I knew I wanted to read his book as soon as I heard about it. It offers an insightful look aAs a fan of Dan Pfeiffer on the podcast Pod Save America, I knew I wanted to read his book as soon as I heard about it. It offers an insightful look at the author's time in the Obama administration, the difficulties faced and the pleasure to work for a man he so respected. The book is cynical at times, but left me with a message of hope that things can and hopefully will get better. Recommended!
This is an audiobook in the vein of Serial, and similar to that popular podcast, it is very engaging and sad at once. You follow the investigation intThis is an audiobook in the vein of Serial, and similar to that popular podcast, it is very engaging and sad at once. You follow the investigation into a murder of a French woman in Cork in the late 90s. The investigation moves from the time of the murder to the present day, and I found it hard to stop listening, even though I am not really a true crime reader/listener. I don't want to give away the ending, but I did feel a little disappointed in certain respects. Overall, worth listening to, especially as it is free on Audible, but not entirely what I was hoping for, but then that is likely always going to be the case with true crime:-/ Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com...more
This book reads a bit like a gossipy celebrity memoir, except instead of feeling amused when I finished it, I just felt confused and disturbed. WhileThis book reads a bit like a gossipy celebrity memoir, except instead of feeling amused when I finished it, I just felt confused and disturbed. While the author is doubtlessly guiltily of some degree of exaggeration, the overall tone and report rings true. Yes there are a number of small though overt mistakes (alternative facts?), and the author's writing does not elevate him to a paragon of eloquence. Nonetheless, I cannot deny it is compulsively readable. That being said, you could easily get away with reading a few reviews of the book and get enough of what has been written. There are few surprises about Trump and his relationship (or lack thereof) with his staff, family and the press. However, I did come away from it feeling I have a stronger sense of who Steve Bannon is, and I definitely don’t feel better for it. The lack of communication, a glut of ignorance and the general sense that the president is indifferent to it all, creates a very worrying picture, though I didn't need this book to tell me that, one need only scroll through Trump's twitter feed. In the end of the day, this is a sensationalist book with a moderate degree of substance, mediocre writing and lack of editing. That being said, I hardly expected more, so I am not disappointed. The hype may not be entirely justified, but I am still glad to have read it.
I felt a gamut of emotions paging through this book, reading Souza's reflections and reminiscences, but mostly I felt proud. Obama was the first presiI felt a gamut of emotions paging through this book, reading Souza's reflections and reminiscences, but mostly I felt proud. Obama was the first president I was old enough to vote for, and I did so twice with excitement and joy. It's a little heart-breaking to look at this book, which tells the story of eight years of a man's life, knowing that the man who succeeded him is doing his best to spit on all Obama tried to achieve for the betterment of the country. I know people were left behind, people struggled and mistakes were made, but the biggest mistake happened on November 8, 2016 and it rhymes with dump.
“I would rather be a bad feminist than no feminist at all.” ― Roxane Gay, Bad Feminist 3.5 stars I am torn rating and reviewing Bad Feminist. On the one“I would rather be a bad feminist than no feminist at all.” ― Roxane Gay, Bad Feminist 3.5 stars I am torn rating and reviewing Bad Feminist. On the one hand, there are some truly excellent chapters with eloquently executed points and compelling arguments. On the other, (and Gay is aware of this) the author's bias comes through very strongly, which at times, for me at least, weakened her reasoning and felt powerfully one-sided. That being said, I enjoy this author, and that is saying something because I read so little non-fiction. She has a strong voice and even if I disagree with her in certain respects, I am happy to hear her logic and to see her point of view simply because she is so very eloquent and adept with language. Whether or not Gay and I are completely of a mind, her ideas and especially certain point on which I felt we disagreed, will probably remain in my mind for some time longer. We come from different worlds and yet the same one, too, and so it is interesting to marry her ideas and experiences with my own and see how we both stand on the same side of many issues, while perhaps unable to fully see the reason supporting other ones. I mostly liked that she wrote on a great range of subjects, though I did not feel they were necessarily successfully tied to feminism as the overarching concept. The book is heavy on pop culture references and thus not the most challenging or original assessment of the subject. It was at once personal and opinionated, and yet not remotely as intimate or involving as her newer book Hunger. I liked that she, as a self-declared "bad feminist", acknowledges and allows for the "complexities of human individuality" when it comes to feminism. She allows for a the fact that there is no one kind of feminism, or one right feminism. She also discussed the fact that the label "feminist" can be complicated and, in fact, counter-productive. I thought this was very intriguing, because it seems to be that only in recent years has it become popular again for women (and men) to adopt this label proudly, without having to add qualifiers like, "but I don't burn bras", "I don't hate men". I know if I had called myself such, say in high school, I would have been labeled as a man/boy-hater and probably a lesbian at that. I wonder in how far this has changed? Even in college, the term was used as an area of study, not a noun many adopted to associate with themselves, and I should mention I attended a very large, liberal university. There is so much to talk about with this book, but I will stop myself here. I belong to a feminist book club, but I didn't join in time to discuss this book, unfortunately. Our Shared Shelf is currently reading Gay's other book Hunger, so I look forward to reading reactions to that one which I actually found more compelling than Bad Feminist. Overall, this was not a bad book at all, and offered a lot of interesting commentary, but neither was it as revolutionary as it is touted to be. Nonetheless, the positives mostly outweighed the negatives and I look forward to seeing what she writes about next!
A lot has been said and written about What Happened, and I won't add much more. What I will say is this: It is not a book by an angry, bitter, "nasty"A lot has been said and written about What Happened, and I won't add much more. What I will say is this: It is not a book by an angry, bitter, "nasty" woman. People have very strong feelings about Hillary Clinton. Some will be happy to bash this book - often without having read it - as a self-indulgent tome by a woman who cannot be a good loser. It is not. The book is about her loss, yes, how could it not be, and her bewilderment, sadness and regret. There is some blame, but not only on others. She tells her story, which does not only encompass the past two years. Anecdotes of her family, her colleagues, her professional and personal existence make What Happened a book about a life, not only a campaign. She focuses on people and her achievements and goals, which highlights how incredibly qualified she would have been and provides a stark contrast to the current president. Some say Clinton should fade away, be quiet, accept her defeat. The latter she is forced to do, but not the former. She lost the electoral vote, yes, but she gained the title of the first woman who even came close to attaining the US presidency. As much as she may have riled some, she inspired many others. And for what it is worth, I'm still with her.
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