What I thought about all 32 books I read this month. Continue reading
Latest Entries
history / nonfiction / review
Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears by Michael Schulman
Oscar Wars is very long and detailed-500 pages of actual text and another 100 of sources. The strongest bit was the first 1/3 or so when he writes about the Academy’s early days and “Old Hollywood”. Then he strays from the long-established pattern of talking about the literal making of the movies and the stars … Continue reading
Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up by Alexandra Potter
I have some mixed feelings about Confessions. It looks like it’s just coming out here in the US after the sitcom that is based on it finished airing. It’s coming out in September so maybe they are trying to get it out before the second season airs? The show was a mid season replacement and … Continue reading
history / nonfiction / review
Mott Street: A Chinese American Family’s Story of Exclusion and Homecomingby Ava Chin
I was a little disappointed by Mott Street. It’s a fascinating history and family story but I felt like the author veered too far into the speculative at times. Sometimes she would start anecdotes with phrases like “I wonder if this is what it was like”, “Maybe she felt like this” which is fine and … Continue reading
What I Read in April 2023
What I thought about all 29 books I read this month. Continue reading
crafts / memoir / nonfiction / review
Unraveling: What I Learned about Life While Shearing Sheep, Dyeing Wool, and Making the World’s Ugliest Sweater by Peggy Orenstein
Honestly, I was a little disappointed by Unraveled. I almost didn’t request it because I had her confused with the odious Peggy Noonan and thought what a waste of a good idea on her! Then I realized my mistake and waited weeks to get it. I thought this would be a real book highlight of … Continue reading
essays / memoir / nonfiction / review
Congratulations! The Best is Over by Eric R. Thomas
Honestly, I read Congratulations! The Best is Over as soon as I was offered the galley because I was baffled that a man who said he grew up in Baltimore could get so much wrong about the city and state of Maryland in his last book. In this one he admits he has no sense … Continue reading
essays / memoir / nonfiction / review
Owner of a Lonely Heart by Beth Nguyen
I always love her memoirs and writing in general and this one filled in some gaps in her life’s story. I love how she writes about her biological mother and how fraught that relationship is. She writes very honestly about her father and how he has changed into a very different man with her children … Continue reading
Dirty Laundry by Disha Bose
I liked the idea of Dirty Laundry—Irish small town drama, yes please!—but it was really shallow. We were told a lot about what the characters had done but there was little to no reflection or depth to the story. I also found the ending a little confusing. There was a scene when Parth (spoiler ahead) … Continue reading
A Stolen Child by Sarah Stewart Taylor
A Stolen Child was a little different than the previous three Maggie D’Arcy books. There is a big time jump between the last one and this one so Maggie is now completed training to be an Irish police officer, living with her boyfriend, his son and her daughter after spending much of the training apart. … Continue reading
Rachel Reads Books 