Started listening 2/6/21, last listened 6/21/21, ~43% complete
What can I say, I never listen to audiobooks anymore (I'd fall too far behind on my veryStarted listening 2/6/21, last listened 6/21/21, ~43% complete
What can I say, I never listen to audiobooks anymore (I'd fall too far behind on my very important podcast-listening) and as always, I struggle with non-fiction. If I'm honest, I'm unlikely to come back to this one....more
It's always nice to hear David Sedaris read his own work. It was interesting to hear him talk about when he was young and struggling, it was a differeIt's always nice to hear David Sedaris read his own work. It was interesting to hear him talk about when he was young and struggling, it was a different perspective, somehow, than when he talked about those times in his earlier work. (Or maybe it's not; it's been a while since I listened to his old stuff.) It was more scattered and real. (I would say "random" if I ever wanted to use that word as a descriptor when I don't literally mean "random," but I don't, so I won't.) Once he started to see some success, you could see a change in the entries, it was less "literal diary entry about dumb shit I thought about today" and more "clever turns of phrases and funny situations which I will work into a book someday." That's still very entertaining, it's just different and a little less raw.
He's doing pretty good, though, at being a rich guy who a) I don't hate and b) still has some stuff to talk about. That's not easy....more
This was my first Mary Roach book. She's just as great as everyone says! I know a lot more about cadavers now. I've also changed my mind about what I This was my first Mary Roach book. She's just as great as everyone says! I know a lot more about cadavers now. I've also changed my mind about what I want done with my body when I die: instead of being buried without being embalmed (which was my first plan), I'd like to donate my body to science. You can use me for basically anything I guess except arms and ammunition testing. That's assuming, of course, that I wasn't able to donate my organs. If that's the case, then please bury what's left without embalming. So it is written on Goodreads, so it shall be done.
I did think that sometimes she acted a little squeamish where I thought she actually wouldn't be? Like, you're writing this book and obviously intrigued by this shit, it's okay to admit that you are not freaked out by stuff. But maybe she has her threshold just as do we all, and she can be curious but still grossed out a little. What do I know.
The narration was excellent. It wasn't read by the author, but it felt like it was. (In the good way.)...more
This was great. I really enjoyed it (and I HIGHLY recommend listening to the audiobook version, as I do with all humorous celebrity memoirs. Not only This was great. I really enjoyed it (and I HIGHLY recommend listening to the audiobook version, as I do with all humorous celebrity memoirs. Not only do you get Busy's amazing impression of her midwestern mom, but you can hear her tearing up every so often, and that and her laughter are genuine (as she is) and it really adds to the experience). I'm not going to give it five stars because it is still a celebrity memoir, but yeah, she's great. Hopefully I'll come back to add to this review, and talk about how she calls that one dude "a f**king c*nt" which is HILARIOUS but also I'd like to talk about how she talks about her husband Marc.
Anyway. If you think you will like this, you will. Highly recommended....more
This is a story about three sisters who go to Oakland for a month, and learn about the Black Panthers firsthand, by like, attending their summer camp This is a story about three sisters who go to Oakland for a month, and learn about the Black Panthers firsthand, by like, attending their summer camp and whatnot. I liked it! Sometimes the 11-year-old narrator used analogies or connections that an 11-year-old would probably not make, but overall it was interesting to see this slice of history from the perspective of a bunch of young black girls from Brooklyn. ...more
This book takes place mostly in the years immediately following the end of World War II, in Germany. I've read a ton of books that take place during WThis book takes place mostly in the years immediately following the end of World War II, in Germany. I've read a ton of books that take place during WWII (it's hard not to?) but I think this is the first one I've read that's in post-war Germany, and it's a very interesting time to think about. The protagonist was a resister, and she's very adamant about coming to terms with Germany did during the war, and making sure that her children do the same -- even though she personally was never a Nazi, not even a little bit, and in fact was working to overthrow them. But the townspeople where she live DID buy in with the Nazis, and are now very casual about owning up to what they and their country did. And it's just . . . sobering, because of course I'm thinking about how things would be in THIS country if we keep going down this path towards fascism. And how everybody would act as shit was going down, and how chastened (or not) they'd be once everything was all over and they had to come to terms with what they said and wanted and encouraged and murdered etc.
Anyway.
The blurb made it seem like there was going to be a gaggle of widows in this here castle, but there are really only three; as I said it takes place mostly in post-war Germany, with a few flashbacks here and there to let us know how our women got here, and a little bit at the end that takes place in the 1990s so that we know how they end up. It didn't blow me away or anything but I'm glad I read it and I recommend it if any of it (WWII, widows, etc) appeals to you....more
Man, I got pretty far into this, but I just can't summon up the interest to continue. It's super about politics and at some point I was listening whilMan, I got pretty far into this, but I just can't summon up the interest to continue. It's super about politics and at some point I was listening whilst doing laundry and I stopped paying attention and didn't care enough to figure out what I'd missed. The macguffin is like . . . party invitations. Like, this society cares about old documentation of fancy parties and sometimes these things are faked and maybe some are and maybe some aren't! Hoo boy! It's as exciting as it sounds. The world-building is decent but you gotta give me SOMETHING to work with here, Leckie. ...more
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