Review: The Every

The Every
The Every by Dave Eggers
My rating: 0 of 5 stars

I tried and tried but couldn’t get myself to finish this book. Yes there are funny bits and yes I love Eggers’ writing but honestly, I just can’t get myself to read another 700 pages about big tech and how evil it is, even with all the jokes. So little character development means my attention wavers and I have no attachment to the story. Since I DNF’ed this even though I was 65% through, I am not rating it.

View all my reviews

Daily Joys – 212

Daily Joys – 212

So grateful for this feeling of grounded ness and abundance and calm.

Daily Joys – 211

Daily Joys – 211

No one deserves to take your joy and color. Don’t give it away.

Daily Joys – 210

Joys – 210

Some days it feels like it might never end. And especially on those days I need to hold on to faith.

Daily Joys – 209

Daily Joys – 209

Love the chrome train. Still a bit off but also grateful.

Daily Joys – 208

Daily Joys – 208

Not the best day, just tired I think. All will be ok.

Daily Joys – 207

Daily Joys – 206

Some days are just like this. Every day is a gift.

Daily Joys – 206

Daily Joys – 206

It’s not always about the looks, be willing to look beyond.

Review: Tiny Buddha’s Inner Strength Journal: Creative Prompts and Challenges to Help You Get Through Anything

Tiny Buddha's Inner Strength Journal: Creative Prompts and Challenges to Help You Get Through Anything
Tiny Buddha’s Inner Strength Journal: Creative Prompts and Challenges to Help You Get Through Anything by Lori Deschene
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If you’re a fan of Tiny Buddha, this journal will be a lovely addition to your collection. This journal explores how to build your inner strength through different methods, here’s an example of one set of subsections:

– Assessing your strengths and weaknesses
– Developing a growth mindset
– Changing your interpretations
– Keeping things in perspective
– Changing your perception of change
– Releasing disempowering beliefs
– Focusing on solutions

Each of them gets their own section. Each section starts with a resonant quote and a drawing that could be colored and then continues with thoughtful prompts and exercises. There are also many other sections including compassion, empathy, fostering optimism, etc.

I really loved the variety of prompts and the insights they bring forth. A wonderful way to encourage both inner strength and self awareness.

with gratitude to edelweiss and NetGalley and Kensington Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

View all my reviews

Review: Maame

Maame
Maame by Jessica George
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“When people are ill to the point of no return to full health, to the person they used to be, some don’t have the stomach to stick around. We don’t appreciate being reminded of our own body’s weaknesses, our lack of control and inevitable mortality.”

This is the story of Maddie who’s been spending her twenties taking care of her dad who has Parkinson’s while her mom is helping with the family business in Ghana and her brother is living his own life instead of helping out. When her mom comes back for a year, Maddie finally moves out and starts living the life she’s been missing out on.

I fell in love with Maddie’s voice almost immediately. She’s struggling yes, and there are cases where she makes choices that absolutely drive you mad and there are situations that make you so sad for her but you also know she’s resilient and strong and you can’t help but root for her.

“It’s an ordinary week within the most extraordinary circumstances because apparently—and this is what everyone fails to mention about the grieving process—I still have to live.”

There are several other topics explored in this story with the central one being around grief, family, racism and friendship. It’s a really beautiful novel that I read in one sitting. Can’t wait to read more of this author.

with gratitude to netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

View all my reviews

Review: The Guest Lecture

The Guest Lecture
The Guest Lecture by Martin Riker
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This entire book takes place overnight while Abigail is trying to prepare for a lecture she’s scheduled to give the next day and is struggling with both the lecture and insomnia. The entire book feels like a stream of consciousness where we get to hear bits of her economic thesis and thoughts on Keynes and his thoughts on the future using different rooms in her house as a memory technique intermeshed with stories of her own life including her career and family.

No matter how hard I tried, I could not connect to the character and I could not care for her ongoing saga. I felt like much of the book was one long sentence and I understand how it might have been done to give the feeling of how one might function with insomnia but it made the book quite unreadable for me.

with gratitude to edelweiss and grove press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

View all my reviews

Review: Small World

Small World
Small World by Laura Zigman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“Isn’t everyone’s true purpose to love and be loved? To be in service to and to take care of those who need us most?”

This is a story about two sisters, Joyce and Lydia, who are both going through a divorce and Lydia has moved back from California (where she’s been for a long time) into Joyce’s apartment in Boston. The sisters are living together for the first time since they were kids.

“Do you have a sister, Erin?” She shakes her head. “My point exactly. This is what sisters do. We mess with each other, make each other jealous, punish each other for reasons we don’t even understand.”

The book goes back and forth between the present moment and their experiences growing up where they had a third sister who was disabled and died at the age of ten. Their sister took up all of their mom’s energy the book covers a lot of the impact this had on each of the women (kids.)

“I’ll never forget how he pointed out a ketchup stain on that T-shirt instead of sounding out the letters.” I tell him how Lydia had dyslexia and I had a stutter, but he didn’t make us read the word. “He wasn’t like anyone we’d ever met. He let us be ourselves. And he included us in everything that week.”

Zigman always seems to add a bit of quirkiness into her books and there’s some here, too, but this book is also tender and raw and doesn’t shy away from tough, complex situations of how hard it can be to grow up and complicated family dynamics. It’s a deep and touching story of love, loss, and grief.

with gratitude to edelweiss and Ecco/HarperCollins for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

View all my reviews