I have no issue with protagonists who make morally questionable decisions: in fact, I usually like it.
What I take issue with here is that we have protI have no issue with protagonists who make morally questionable decisions: in fact, I usually like it.
What I take issue with here is that we have protagonists making morally questionable (and frankly kind of dumb) decisions while the author makes clear we're supposed to be rooting for them. The book reads: "and make no mistake, Mallory is our girl", and no, she is not. I am not rooting for her. I am not rooting for Jake. This is a ridiculous premise with the possibility to hurt a lot of people, and the fact that the protagonists go on without really even much guilt at all doesn't make me want to root for them.
I also don't understand why everyone who interacts with Mallory loves her: I don't think I've encountered such a tremendous Mary Sue in a really long time. ...more
Well, that was disappointing. The beginning is very, very slow. And then it gets pretty good. But then the ending is pretty terrible.
I think, for me, Well, that was disappointing. The beginning is very, very slow. And then it gets pretty good. But then the ending is pretty terrible.
I think, for me, I was disappointed that I couldn't feel the friendship between Elise and Mariko. Sure, they seemed like close friends, but their short friendship didn't seem like it should have made the lasting impression that it did. As their friendship was supposed to be the whole point of the book, I was dissatisfied.
And a side note for the author: Hsiu is not even kind of a Japanese last name and should not be given to a Japanese character....more
This book isn't written for me, but that's not why I didn't like it.
The main reasons: 1. You cannot tell that story about how awful your husband treateThis book isn't written for me, but that's not why I didn't like it.
The main reasons: 1. You cannot tell that story about how awful your husband treated you when you first started dating and then, later in the book, continuously mention how you were "best friends from the beginning." You were not. He was an asshole, and her revisionist history later in the book makes me question everything she said.
2. Hollis thinks the difference between her and the people who didn't make their dreams come true is that she never gave up. Survivorship bias: plenty of people work their asses off and don't give up and things don't work out for them. She didn't mention luck or even the grace of god. Nope, she just works harder than anyone else.
3. She makes a point to say that dreams shouldn't have deadlines, and then in the very next chapter says her goal is to own a vacation home in Hawaii before she's 40.
4. She, generally, comes off as self-absorbed and with an inflated sense of the value her advice is worth.
I will say, Hollis did a great job of narrating the audiobook. Her pacing and comedic timing is good. But listening to the book did make her calling her readers "my sweet friend" more jarring....more
I was reading this book for leadership insight, and I just didn't find very much. First, I just don't care for Phil Knight--I've read Elon Musk's and I was reading this book for leadership insight, and I just didn't find very much. First, I just don't care for Phil Knight--I've read Elon Musk's and Steve Jobs's biographies, and while I didn't care much for them as people either, they were still inspiring as innovators. I'm about 20% of the way through this, and I don't feel that way about Knight.
I'm going to put this aside for now, and I may come back to it in the future....more
I love that Remini herself narrated this audiobook. It was fun and shocking and eye-opening.
If you're a King of Queens fan, you'll probably enjoy thisI love that Remini herself narrated this audiobook. It was fun and shocking and eye-opening.
If you're a King of Queens fan, you'll probably enjoy this even more than I did--I didn't know anything about Remini before picking this up, so I didn't feel as connected as a fan might be....more
This was a sweet book, but nowhere near the quality of A Man Called Ove.
Elsa is a lonely girl because she's not like other kids: her only friend is heThis was a sweet book, but nowhere near the quality of A Man Called Ove.
Elsa is a lonely girl because she's not like other kids: her only friend is her eccentric grandmother. Elsa grew up with stories her grandmother told about the Land of Almost Awake, and when her grandmother dies, Elsa is sent on an adventure.