Jason Sledd
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- 5
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- 2
- calificaciones
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Beautiful Monster
- A Becoming
- De: Miles Borrero
- Narrado por: Miles Borrero
- Duración: 6 h y 45 m
- Versión completa
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General5 out of 5 stars 21
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Narración:5 out of 5 stars 21
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Historia5 out of 5 stars 21
Nearing the age of forty, with an entire life already lived as a woman, Miles Borrero comes face to face with his father’s impending death. Suddenly realizing he has been stalling his transition for fear of losing his family’s love, this moment catalyzes Miles’s determination to be known as his father’s son. In Beautiful Monster, Miles chronicles his unusual childhood, by turns riveting and hilarious, in ’80s and ’90s Colombia during the Pablo Escobar years, as well as his move to Salt Lake City to pursue acting and the winding trajectory that eventually lands him in New York City.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Everyone should read (or listen) to this book!
- De Jason Sledd en 06-27-24
- Beautiful Monster
- A Becoming
- De: Miles Borrero
- Narrado por: Miles Borrero
Everyone should read (or listen) to this book!
Revisado: 06-27-24
Over the past several months, I have been making a conscious effort to support the things my friends do. I know so many people who work hard to create good things (music, theatre, other arts, conventions...the list goes on) and those events need people to show up....so I try to show up!
So when a good friend started posting about a panel discussion featuring author Miles Borrero talking about his new memoir, I put in on my calendar and got myself over the event. It was great to meet Miles in person and learn more about the journey of writing this book. I hadn't read the book at that time, but still enjoyed the discussion...it was a nice 'preview' of what to expect in the book. One of the key takeaways form the panel presentation was that while Miles is a transgender man, this memoir was more than just a book about being transgender. Another takeaway was the discussion about the writing style. I was not aware of 'magical realism' as a writing style, but apparently it's fairly common and should be familiar to folks better read than me.
And speaking of magical realism as a writing style...this was such an easy read. I tend to read more Sci-Fi and Fantasy type stuff... give me time travel, or dragons, or the occasional murder/mystery thriller, and I will enter into the 'world' of the book and enjoy my time there! Miles is a fantastic story teller. I quickly felt 'at home' in the world of Beautiful Monster...easily crafting the visual settings and background in my mind as the story progressed. This is a credit to how well written this book is (as opposed to any particular creativity on my part).
One of the funniest scenes from the book: Young Miles and his First Communion. The juxtaposition of a young mind (2nd grade age) recognizing that the white frilly dress is not for them and the rationalization of how to get out of wearing one leading to the declaration of a major change of religion at the family dinner table made me laugh out loud. Adding in the dynamics of religious norms heavily influenced by culture makes this even funnier from my standpoint. I could emphasize with almost everyone in that conversation (and the resolution) on some level.
Other themes/moments that stood out for me: chosen family; saying goodbye to a dying parent; dealing with societal expectations on gender norms.
I don't really know how to express this, so forgive me if I don't do well here: WE CAN DO BETTER. I don't care where you stand on LGBTQ issues, you need to read this book. If this book does not touch your heart then I hope you find the courage to figure out why.
There is so much good in this book. I can't recommend it enough. Thank you Miles for sharing your story with us.
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The White Tower
- The Aldoran Chronicles, Book 1
- De: Michael Wisehart
- Narrado por: Tim Gerard Reynolds
- Duración: 20 h y 40 m
- Versión completa
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General4.5 out of 5 stars 5,217
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Narración:5 out of 5 stars 4,795
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Historia4.5 out of 5 stars 4,786
For a thousand years magic has been banished throughout the Five Kingdoms, and those caught wielding it are rounded up and taken to the White Tower. They are never heard from again. Ty knows he's different. But when the bounty hunters arrive in the quiet city of Easthaven, his family reveals the shocking truth about his magical bloodline. And when an Ahvari witch hires a tribe of Northmen to capture him, Ty finds himself in the middle of a war he didn't know existed.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Spend the Credit
- De Christopher en 09-22-17
- The White Tower
- The Aldoran Chronicles, Book 1
- De: Michael Wisehart
- Narrado por: Tim Gerard Reynolds
Cliche-a-thon
Revisado: 11-11-17
Fantasy cliche after cliche after cliche. Very boring, I had no interest in any of these characters and could care less about finding out what happens to them in the next book. And, did we really have light sabers and a ‘Force’ choke in the first few chapters? When you repeatedly use the phrase ‘the stench of death’ after a battle it’s obvious that you don’t care any more. This story was juvenile and predictable. Boring.
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esto le resultó útil a 3 personas