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Book Report
Aug. 27th, 2015 08:13 pmBook report
What Comes Next and How to Like It by Abigail Thomas – What makes a memoir good? What was so arresting about Thomas’ quick vignettes from her life? In the memoir we learn that her husband suffers a brain injury and dies after 7 years in various nursing home-type places, her best friend is a man 10 years her junior and they are BFFs for decades and it never gets sexual though that undercurrent is there, her daughter and her best friend reveal a shocking secret, that same daughter later battles a life-threatening illness, the author marries and divorces several times and goes on dates here and there, she retires and takes a lot of naps and spends time with her dogs, she tries many times over the years to stop drinking and smoking. Somehow it adds up to a very intriguing and readable memoir. Like here is this woman and her life, and a few bits of wisdom tossed in but not that many. I really liked it. Grade: B+
You Are Now Less Dumb by David McRaney – This audio book was thought-provoking and entertaining at the same time. Basically the author sums up findings in individual and social psychology, and presents it in a way full of anecdotes and insights. He shows us how if we understand our self-delusions and other things that trick our brain easily, it can help us be “less dumb”. I liked it a lot. Grade: B+
Girl Stories by Lauren R. Weinstein – A graphic novel which does a nice job of capturing the feeling of being a teenage girl. It’s really short and you can read it in one or two sittings. It was very amusing. Grade: B-
True Sisters by Sandra Dallas – In 1856, a large group of Mormon converts traveled on foot from Iowa City to Salt Lake City. It was a hellacious journey full of crazy hardships. In this novel, the author tells the fictionalized stories of several of the women in the group. It was a nice blend of page-turning storytelling and strong characters. Grade: B
Gaddafi’s Harem by Annick Cojean - Gaddafi ruled Libya for over 40 years until he was overthrown. A French journalist, Annick Cojean, traveled to Libya to hear some of the women’s stories. The bulk of this book tells Soraya’s tale. Soraya is 15 when Gaddafi spots her, and she is later forced to join his harem where she is treated with all sorts of brutality (rape, forced drug usage, beatings, etc). The author then spends the remainder of the book sharing her research and interviews with others who corroborate Soraya’s account of young women being imprisoned by Gaddafi. It’s depressing and fascinating and sad. It was worth a read despite the subject matter. Grade: B
What Comes Next and How to Like It by Abigail Thomas – What makes a memoir good? What was so arresting about Thomas’ quick vignettes from her life? In the memoir we learn that her husband suffers a brain injury and dies after 7 years in various nursing home-type places, her best friend is a man 10 years her junior and they are BFFs for decades and it never gets sexual though that undercurrent is there, her daughter and her best friend reveal a shocking secret, that same daughter later battles a life-threatening illness, the author marries and divorces several times and goes on dates here and there, she retires and takes a lot of naps and spends time with her dogs, she tries many times over the years to stop drinking and smoking. Somehow it adds up to a very intriguing and readable memoir. Like here is this woman and her life, and a few bits of wisdom tossed in but not that many. I really liked it. Grade: B+
You Are Now Less Dumb by David McRaney – This audio book was thought-provoking and entertaining at the same time. Basically the author sums up findings in individual and social psychology, and presents it in a way full of anecdotes and insights. He shows us how if we understand our self-delusions and other things that trick our brain easily, it can help us be “less dumb”. I liked it a lot. Grade: B+
Girl Stories by Lauren R. Weinstein – A graphic novel which does a nice job of capturing the feeling of being a teenage girl. It’s really short and you can read it in one or two sittings. It was very amusing. Grade: B-
True Sisters by Sandra Dallas – In 1856, a large group of Mormon converts traveled on foot from Iowa City to Salt Lake City. It was a hellacious journey full of crazy hardships. In this novel, the author tells the fictionalized stories of several of the women in the group. It was a nice blend of page-turning storytelling and strong characters. Grade: B
Gaddafi’s Harem by Annick Cojean - Gaddafi ruled Libya for over 40 years until he was overthrown. A French journalist, Annick Cojean, traveled to Libya to hear some of the women’s stories. The bulk of this book tells Soraya’s tale. Soraya is 15 when Gaddafi spots her, and she is later forced to join his harem where she is treated with all sorts of brutality (rape, forced drug usage, beatings, etc). The author then spends the remainder of the book sharing her research and interviews with others who corroborate Soraya’s account of young women being imprisoned by Gaddafi. It’s depressing and fascinating and sad. It was worth a read despite the subject matter. Grade: B
