This was very interesting, and I learned a bit about the industrial food industry. There were a lot of well researched facts, and I enjoyed reading thThis was very interesting, and I learned a bit about the industrial food industry. There were a lot of well researched facts, and I enjoyed reading the little anecdotes about Pollan visiting meat farms, farming vegetables, hunting, foraging for mushrooms, and attempting to cook his own completely environmentally-conscious meal.
I hadn't actually thought about the impact that "organic" food has on the environment. If you spend a ton of energy transporting "organic" foods across the globe, then it's really not being a conscious eater. Pollan argues that a kindly raised chicken from a neighborhood farm is more healthy and positive for the world than eating tofu created a couple thousand miles across the country. I agree with him.
All that said, this book feels a bit rambly and meandering. There were some things that I felt he elaborated on a bit too much (we get it - cows don't digest corn. it's bad. let's not spend 2 chapters talking about it) and some things seemed so off topic (the info on fungi was interesting, but felt like a massive shift in tone). There were also some parts that were overly romanticized ("we ate corn that was picked JUST that morning! incredible! this is the best way to eat corn! so pure!") and sensationalized, but overall an interesting read. ...more
Gorgeous illustrations! I feel very nostalgic rereading this series. I can't wait to see the illustrated Chamber of Secrets in October, but I may haveGorgeous illustrations! I feel very nostalgic rereading this series. I can't wait to see the illustrated Chamber of Secrets in October, but I may have to reread the rest of the series before then because I can't wait to get back into this world....more
The problem with satire and humor is you have to toe a thin line between "trying too hard" and "not really fWow. That was definitely a unique read...
The problem with satire and humor is you have to toe a thin line between "trying too hard" and "not really funny." This book landed on the "not really funny" side because the characters were made just realistic and just three dimensional enough that the story became kind of disturbing and creepy instead of absurd and silly. Some one liners truly made me laugh out loud (One of the boys wants to make a solo folk dubstep album, y'all. The dry delivery of that line was beautiful). For most of the book, I found myself cringing.
(view spoiler)[ I just need to ramble a bit for posterity sake... Because the storyline was really kind of ridiculous? Like... everything is bebopping along as a silly overthetop little story then suddenly the girls are trying to frame the band with murder and there's a deep and painful backstory about one of the boys being an absolute horrible asshole and then all of a sudden it's revealed that the main character MAY have been hallucinating the majority of the story... but then nope plot twist it was the girlfriend who's the murderer but also maybe the narrator is still unreliable, who knows? Then the moral of the story was that fangirls are all crazy and can't be trusted.
Also the fat shaming in this was really gross? Like, Apple's whole existence is to be the funny fat character, but then the narrator taps into how her interest in the band stems from really deep-seated insecurities about her weight. And then the things that one of the other characters said to her felt so grimy. It was just really awful, especially when the narrator went out of her way to say again and again that she wouldn't "slutshame" someone. (hide spoiler)]...more
This book, this book, this book… I’ll put it this way, this is the first book in a looong time that I’ve had to physically put down and walk 3.5 stars
This book, this book, this book… I’ll put it this way, this is the first book in a looong time that I’ve had to physically put down and walk out of the room because I couldn’t handle it. I have a complete love/hate relationship with this book because of how it made me feel. And, upon reflection, it felt more like emotional manipulation than actual cathartic emotional response, so. I still don’t fully know how I feel. :)
I will say that this is THE BEST and most accurate text/blog/email book I’ve ever read. The voices of the characters are perfect in this format, and it felt like I was truly reading something written by real people in a real fandom. It was just spot on. I also loved the small plot twists and character reveals in the first half of the book. I felt very attached to Gena and Finn.
On the back of the book, Adele Griffin says “I had such a huge fondness for Gena and Finn that I think about them still. You will, too.” I think this perfectly summarizes how I felt about them.
Things I didn’t love (I don’t know how to say any of this stuff without spoiling everything, so… everything after this is a spoiler):(view spoiler)[ — THE SHIFT IN TONE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BOOK. It took me off guard and made me mad. The “plot twist” was totally realistic and fit well, but I just didn’t want to read about that. — I don’t think the authors have ever been through major grief? Or if they have then the pacing of their writing was off? Something about it felt a little glossy but I can’t put my finger on it. Possibly how Gena did a 180 from shock and despair into a “well here’s how I processed everything. Here’s the answer.” type of a tone so quickly? — The “romance” or “we’re more than friends” feelings were not very well explained? I didn’t pick up any romantic feelings from the characters until they were in the middle of fighting about feelings and then all of that also got brushed under the rug. It may have just been because of the format of the book since we didn’t really get to see many of the characters’ interior thoughts unless they were talking to one another about them. (hide spoiler)]...more
I have so many more women that I need to get more info on.
This is a fun collection of quick biographies of women in science. It’s very EuroAmerican-cI have so many more women that I need to get more info on.
This is a fun collection of quick biographies of women in science. It’s very EuroAmerican-centric as well as more heavily focused on the late 19th to early 20th century, so it wasn’t as much of a century-spanning diverse list as I was hoping. However, there are several POC included as well as a couple of ancient scientists included. It's a bit infuriating to think of how many women have had their research stolen or have had their male research partners get all the credit. The ambition and brain power are inspiring. ...more
This was a really great story of friendship and learning to grow and adapt to new interests. I think it's a book that a lot of young girls could relatThis was a really great story of friendship and learning to grow and adapt to new interests. I think it's a book that a lot of young girls could relate to. I also loved the roller derby aspects of it. I've never seen that in children's literature before! ...more
I feel like there are several things I can take away from this, but overall this was kind of overly-conceptual to me. Perhaps it's a more eastern way I feel like there are several things I can take away from this, but overall this was kind of overly-conceptual to me. Perhaps it's a more eastern way of thinking, or maybe I'm just cynically skeptical. I also feel like I may have preferred more of a "how to" checklist instead of a collection of anecdotes.
That being said, the most impacting concept to me was the permission to get rid of belongings that no longer spark joy. Even if you once loved a piece of clothing, a gift, a book, a pillow, etc. you're not obligated to continue to love it. If it doesn't spark joy, you can give it away while still acknowledging its significance and impact on your life. I found myself looking around at items that I was keeping because of what memories I attached to them. I can still keep the memories of those items, and I can still keep the knowledge I've learned from them and not have to physically own them anymore, either. It's kind of liberating to think that the joy you get from books/music/clothes/items can stay with you without you keeping it. Things - like people - can come into your life, impact your life, and then leave you changed without having to remain in your life.
Here's a list of other things I'd like to try to see if they work for me...
-- Only keep things that spark joy -- Go through your items all at once, and in strategic groupings (clothes first, then books, papers, odds and ends, then momentos last) -- Be grateful for what you have and ONLY keep what you realistically need. -- Be honest about which books you will actually reread. Only keep 1-2 books on your "to read" shelf because your joy will be sparked when you get a new book to read, and you will not feel bogged down by your collection. You will also wind up reading it sooner if it's the only one you own and you don't have "book guilt" to finish all the others you've bought. (This explains why I can finish library books quickly but keep books I own for years and years without caring about them.) -- Store books/clothes/papers/kitchen items vertically -- Fold clothes into rolls and put in the drawer vertically.
There were also some overly flowery concepts of "thanking" your belongings daily and visualizing your socks in personified states of discomfort in your drawers... I feel like those things turned me off a bit. However, it does assuage my guilt when giving things away if I think "I really loved buying that, and it was useful to help me realize my style/interest in these types of books/clothes/items" instead of thinking "Wow. I never used this. That was a waste of money and storage." which I think is what she was getting at. ...more
That was incredibly exciting, and I raced through it to see what would happen. There was a very Stephen King/ Ray Bradbury vibe to it, but I'm happy tThat was incredibly exciting, and I raced through it to see what would happen. There was a very Stephen King/ Ray Bradbury vibe to it, but I'm happy to say that it didn't go into supernatural territory. It was a really interesting psychological thriller.
I was disappointed with the writing, though. The pacing was very fast which I actually liked. However, at times it felt like the author didn't know how to segue to new info, so parts of the story were breezed through. The ending especially suffered from that type of pacing. The climax happened, the mystery was solved, and then there were 10 quick pages explaining all of the loose ends and plot holes in a rapid fire "I don't know how to end this" type of way. I didn't hate it, but it wasn't as good as it could have been. Overall, a very interesting story. ...more
I read 2/3 of this book in the span of one weekend, and I had to take it back to the library before I could complete it. I couldn't leave it unfinisheI read 2/3 of this book in the span of one weekend, and I had to take it back to the library before I could complete it. I couldn't leave it unfinished, though, so several weeks later I checked it out again and read the rest in one sitting. It's so fast paced, and the characters feel believable in a way that makes it easy to get wrapped up in the story.
I feel like so many LGBT storylines have been overdone or rehashed in so many different ways that it's like reading the same story over and over again. This story took those tropes and inverted them into something new, and I appreciated the reinvention. The main character, Joanna, is an out and proud lesbian who is also the daughter of a pastor who (surprisingly) accepts her when she comes out. However, when their family moves from the more liberal suburbs of Atlanta to the small town of Rome, her father asks her to "lie low" and go back in the closet for the sake of his acceptance into the new religious community. It sounds like it'd have an angsty, manipulative tone, but Jaye Robin Brown makes the story heartwarming with some twists of slapdash humor.
The real theme and intention behind this story was to look at being gay from a religious perspective and challenge antiquated bigotry with the central message of love. I found it very effective and very sweet. I really liked the variety of characters and I grew to love some of them, even if the really large cast made it difficult to keep up with who was whom at times. Some of the plot points also wrapped up a little neater than expected, but I still found this story to be so so enjoyable....more
These books have taught me so much about the Civil Rights Movement. I'm aware that I never really did my own research and just took the Civil Rights "These books have taught me so much about the Civil Rights Movement. I'm aware that I never really did my own research and just took the Civil Rights "highlights" that I learned about in school. I have so much respect and regard for the people who sacrificed their lives or were willing to sacrifice their lives to stand up for freedom and to make changes for the future. It awes me how discrimination and overt racism could be so supported, and it scares me looking forward at the systems of oppression and covert racism that still exists with no movement against it. This book and series is inspiring, encouraging, and touching. ...more
I am so inspired by Ms. Lopez's passion and dedication. I can't say that I would be able to do the same things she has done, but the payoff and rewardI am so inspired by Ms. Lopez's passion and dedication. I can't say that I would be able to do the same things she has done, but the payoff and reward of seeing so many lives changed must be so incredible. I can only hope to be sparked by her drive and work toward a similar legacy.
I received a copy of this ebook through NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion....more
There's someone out there for everyone, and everyone needs permission to grow into their better selves. There's someone out there for everyone, and everyone needs permission to grow into their better selves. ...more
(no spoilers in this paragraph) I really wish I could see this performed. Even the descriptions of the magic were so cool. I'm not going to really comm(no spoilers in this paragraph) I really wish I could see this performed. Even the descriptions of the magic were so cool. I'm not going to really comment on the story itself since I'm sure no one wants spoilers, but I enjoyed the plot twists and the focus on the relationships of the characters.
(spoilery opinions below) It felt like a Rowling brain-child with someone else scripting the dialogue and actual characterizations (which is what it was...) so some of the characters definitely felt different to the books ((view spoiler)[ Probably the only thing I HATED was Ron's characterization. Why was he watered back down into the dopey incompetent sidekick like the movies when the books did nothing but show that it was the TRIO working with EACH of their strengths that brought results? It was kind of insulting to see him painted that way and almost felt like "Ron" was just some random insert character. Even in the alternative universe he was a Yes Man lap dog. Ehhh (hide spoiler)]). And some of the plot twists and villains felt more trope-y than what I'm used to seeing in the HP universe. I will say that I thought it got better in the second half once things were not as focused on the (view spoiler)[ Time Turner and trying to change things or fix the changes (hide spoiler)].
Also -- Scorpius and Albus as a duo were my absolute favorite! The way their friendship developed because they both felt alone and targeted, and the way they both were so different to what their fathers and everyone else expected them to be was great. They made such a smart team throughout the book. So good. ...more
Brian K. Vaughan always does an incredible job of creating unique and intriguing characters with only a few scraps of dialogue. This was a very short Brian K. Vaughan always does an incredible job of creating unique and intriguing characters with only a few scraps of dialogue. This was a very short story, but I felt like I learned a ton about each character's background and personality. The symbolism and parallels were a bit heavy handed, but they made the story have more meaning. Very well done! ...more
This book continues to tell John Lewis's story of the 1960's Civil Rights movement and picks up where the last book left off. In this volume, John LewThis book continues to tell John Lewis's story of the 1960's Civil Rights movement and picks up where the last book left off. In this volume, John Lewis continues to recount the Nashville student sit-ins and also shares the devastating response to the Freedom Rides and subsequent arrests and trials. The timeline goes as far as the March on Washington and shows a behind the scenes look at organizers and ten speakers who shared that day.
This book is incredibly emotional. Just as in real life the tension and aggression from white people and politicians grew the longer the protests and sit-in and marches went on, so the gruesomeness and horrifying imagery had to increase in the retelling. There were some things that even in a cartoon recreation had me tearing up. It's so important to remember the dark and specific parts of the Civil Rights movement and to acknowledge the sacrifices and bravery the people who organized and participated in the movement had to have.
I love that the scenes from the Freedom Rides and March are quickly spliced together with scenes of Barack Obama's inauguration in 2009. There's such a stark contrast when you're reading and on one page there is tension, hatred, and hopelessness and in the very next panel a strong black politician is taking oath to lead America. Clearly (by a glance at current headlines) we are no where close to being truly done with the Civil Rights movement, but those juxtapositions evoked a deep feeling of hope and progress. ...more
I love this book. I love that it's a more original LGBT+ storyline and it deals with more than just the fear of coming out; it focuses on the4.5 stars
I love this book. I love that it's a more original LGBT+ storyline and it deals with more than just the fear of coming out; it focuses on the sense of obligation and identity and assumption. I love that the whole book is not just about chasing a romance. I love that the guys are given more of a story line than angry homophobic jocks. I love that it's introspective, even if it gets a bit cheesy. I love that there's inter-sectionalism to a certain degree and racial issues are mentioned. I love that the characters aren't flawless, but they compel me to love them anyway. I really really enjoyed reading this and I'm hoping for a sequel....more
Things I loved: Great intersectional representation of trans and POC characters Really intriguing dystopian world th4.5 stars. I absolutely loved this!
Things I loved: Great intersectional representation of trans and POC characters Really intriguing dystopian world that wasn't too dark Fun (although easily guessed) plot twists Simple and sweet romance that thankfully wasn't the main plot
This was just a really fun, enjoyable read about world of super heroes and super villains, and a few undercover secrets. The characters were sweet and interesting, and the plot flowed really well. There were a few clunky bits at the beginning when the "world" was being introduced and when some of the non-conformative characters were being explained (I think my "show don't tell" radar is just overly sensitive), but things picked up really quickly. I felt immersed in the world of Andover, and I can't wait to read the sequel when it comes out! ...more
The characters in this were so sweet! I absolutely loved them, and I loved the subtle representation of ace and demisexual characters. The relationshiThe characters in this were so sweet! I absolutely loved them, and I loved the subtle representation of ace and demisexual characters. The relationships in this - both the romance and the "found family" platonic relationships- are what drive the story. I also really enjoyed reading about the surfing and Hawaiian life that Tai, Ollie, and the other “Blue House” kids led. I know nothing about surf terminology, but I still completely enjoyed it.
The only thing that kept me from giving this a higher rating is that so much of the plot felt a bit too easy, and there didn’t seem to be a lot of actual conflict resolution. Though Ollie was in a world-wide surfing competition and was worried about the outcomes, as the reader I was never really that upset because he kept winning or if he didn’t win one the characters reacted like “oh, you still came in second and you’re going on to the next wave” and so it kind of lost its suspense. The story focused more on Ollie and Tai accepting their feelings for one another and learning to communicate. Even that felt like it was resolved within one page worth of conversation, though. I was just left feeling somewhat happy for them, but not at all satisfied with the depth of their story.
Still, there's nothing at all that I hated or disliked about the story itself. It was sweet and I enjoyed getting to know these incredibly unique characters. ...more
Sonder: the realization that each passerby has a life as vivid and complex as your own.
Daniel and Natasha meet the morning of Daniel's admission inteSonder: the realization that each passerby has a life as vivid and complex as your own.
Daniel and Natasha meet the morning of Daniel's admission interview for Yale and Natasha's last day in the US before being deported. Their paths shouldn't have crossed, but when they do it seems like the universe is pushing them together.
This is a cute story that reflects deeply on themes of fate, life purpose, and relationships. It felt overly philosophical and fanciful at some points (which is why I didn't enjoy it quite as much), but I think that's inevitable with some YA. I really loved the look into parental expectations and the lives of minorities. There were really interesting, complex characters that I loved. Also, the changing perspectives in stories usually really annoy me, but Yoon uses that structure so well and so purposeful that I found myself actually enjoying it.
I think my absolute favorite part is the epilogue where (view spoiler)[the reader realizes that the story was not about Daniel and Natasha in isolation, but it was really about the redemption of the small tertiary character. I love that it made me think about every single interaction, no matter how brief, that I will have with people in my life. (hide spoiler)]
I know if you write based on real life characters you have less artistic liberty, but this book just felt pointless. Maybe it was the audiobook narratI know if you write based on real life characters you have less artistic liberty, but this book just felt pointless. Maybe it was the audiobook narrator? I just didn't feel like I connected with the story. The characters were well developed and interesting but the plot went no where and everything fell flat with the ending. ...more