I learned so many things. Growing up in Hawaii, I learned about the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarch and Queen Liliuokalani's days imprisoned in her I learned so many things. Growing up in Hawaii, I learned about the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarch and Queen Liliuokalani's days imprisoned in her palace, but I didn't learn the who. I knew about Dole, but I hadn't fully realized that a lot of other familiar names (Judd, Thurston, Castle) were the very people who led the overthrow. Queen Liliuokalani named names. This is her memoir, her telling of the events, and she wrote this with conviction.
I'd skip the audiobook though. I really like Emily Woo Zeller generally--I've listened to a few of her books--but her pronunciation of some of the Hawaiian words really took me out of the story, and I wish, especially for this topic, they found someone who spoke Hawaiian to narrate....more
It’s always hard to rate memoirs: this three star rating is not a rating of the author’s life or work (both of which are amazing). I had a hard time gIt’s always hard to rate memoirs: this three star rating is not a rating of the author’s life or work (both of which are amazing). I had a hard time getting into this and kept putting it down and picking it up again—not because the story wasn’t interesting (it was!) but purely because I found the writing hard to lose myself in. It was written like it was intended as a script for a talk on stage in front of people and that didn’t really work for me. I’m sure it’ll work for others, though, and I’d still recommend this one.
Dr. Wynn-Grant has a great story, and I enjoyed following her on her adventures and as she made tough choices in her life. I’d love to see her speak live some time; I’m sure it’d be fantastic.
This wasn’t for me. I picked it up from Amazon First Reads because it was short and nothing else that month looked interesting to me. I enjoyed the meThis wasn’t for me. I picked it up from Amazon First Reads because it was short and nothing else that month looked interesting to me. I enjoyed the memoir-ish anecdotes, but the actual self-help (which is the bulk of the book) was really surface level and I couldn’t get into it. ...more
A great book to read while hanging out in Michigan
Springer is like a modern-day, more laid back Thoreau, and his prose is smart, riddled with literaryA great book to read while hanging out in Michigan
Springer is like a modern-day, more laid back Thoreau, and his prose is smart, riddled with literary allusions, and still very accessible and meditative. ...more
I was SUPER engaged for the part about the mystery around Jane Stanford’s death and the section at the end where Miller actually talks about why fish I was SUPER engaged for the part about the mystery around Jane Stanford’s death and the section at the end where Miller actually talks about why fish don’t exist. Everything else was just kind of fine for me, but I’ll average it out to four stars. ...more
This was a charming yet down-to-earth memoir told in vignettes. I’ve listened to All Things Considered but knew virtually nothing about Ari Shapiro. TThis was a charming yet down-to-earth memoir told in vignettes. I’ve listened to All Things Considered but knew virtually nothing about Ari Shapiro. This book covers how he got to where he is at NPR, his time as a guest vocalist for Pink Martini, and his interactions with so many people.
Shapiro says, “…one of the best ways to tell a big story is by telling a small one.” This book covers climate change to the Orlando mass shooting to the Syrian civil war through conversations with people in the thick of it. Shapiro quickly builds connection and then shares real stories—he says that he hopes his journalism can “maybe even change someone’s view of the world”.
I would totally recommend Irby’s other books, but this one wasn’t for me. I found myself skimming and then skipping around, and I never really got intI would totally recommend Irby’s other books, but this one wasn’t for me. I found myself skimming and then skipping around, and I never really got into it. ...more
I’ve found that celebrity memoirs go in one of two directions: (1) I worked so hard and am so amazing that it was inevitable that I succeeded, or (2) I’ve found that celebrity memoirs go in one of two directions: (1) I worked so hard and am so amazing that it was inevitable that I succeeded, or (2) my life is so extremely wonderful and here are a bunch of stories that you couldn’t possibly relate to.
This was refreshingly neither. This is a set of short stories (it’s not a sequential narrative or a full autobiography) of Constance Wu’s life, often focusing on pivotal moments that shaped who she is. Wu is very honest about her mistakes and shortcomings, and the language itself is candid and unembellished.
I loved the stories that focused on her relationship with her parents, particularly her mom.
Wu’s vulnerability and candor made this a great collection of stories. Her writing style isn’t quite what I prefer (this was a little more like a blog than a book), but I’m sure others will find it refreshing.
I have a five-year-old, and I think a lot about how to raise him. What kinds of conversations about race should we be having and at what ages? How do I have a five-year-old, and I think a lot about how to raise him. What kinds of conversations about race should we be having and at what ages? How do we talk about him being biracial? Should we bring things up proactively or wait until he asks questions? When choosing schools, how much should we weigh student and teacher body diversity compared to academic outcomes?
All of these questions are covered in this book that is part memoir and part compilation of lots of studies and statistics. I love that the last third of the book is notes: Kendi really did his homework to write this book, and sprinkling the book with his own personal vignettes of raising a child (and also from his own childhood) made the book much more readable and engaging.
I’d recommend this to everyone responsible for young kids.
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