Alison

If I could give a book a standing ovation...

Revisado: 11-17-18

Just, wow. Regardless of your politics, I can't imagine anyone not finding Michelle Obama's life story compelling. It's a love story - to her family, to her husband, to her children, to this imperfect country, and to herself. Well written and well constructed, it feels equal parts authentic, vulnerable, and inspiring. I especially appreciate that she didn't shy away from highlighting how her race and gender shaped her journey. This is an absolutely beautiful memoir - and an important contribution to the ongoing conversation around race, class and gender in this country. Above all, I'm struck by the perfection of her title sentiment. What a message for young people, to show that one of this nation's most successful people is, herself, still very much a work in progress, and that none of us will ever truly cross a finish line.

I rarely read or listen to a book more than once, but I suspect this will receive an annual listen - it's just that good. Bravo.

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The perfect title

Revisado: 09-23-18

I'm still scratching my head trying to figure out what made this Pulitzer-worthy. The premise was fine. The execution was fine. The exploration of what it is to be an aging gay man was fine. It wasn't as comedic as the cover would lead you to believe. It wasn't as dramatic as its premise might suggest. I've enjoyed Greer's other books more. I guess he got the title right, because I was left wanting more from a book that won the Pulitzer.

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Sweet and Fun Despite Dark Undertones

Revisado: 11-12-17

The author lays on the misery a bit thick - definitely pushing past the line of believability more than once. Yet, if you can suspend disbelief or turn a blind eye to the incredible number of things that happen to 11-yo Sebastian Ranes, you'll find a sweet book with an unlikely friendship and a boy who - despite a struggling start - will likely turn out just fine. What's ultimately only a four day (?) drive cross-country ends up feeling more like a year-long odyssey because of all that's packed into it. That said, it's a quick (and fun) listen that is done before you know it. Great narration by Nick Podehl. Definitely worth a credit.

AUDIBLE 20 REVIEW SWEEPSTAKES ENTRY

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Funny and Real - I'm now a fan!

Revisado: 03-08-17

I'll be honest - I couldn't pick Anna Kendrick out from a crowd. After listening to this book, I had to go to IMDB to figure out what characters she had played in the movies she mentioned - and I'd just seen The Accountant. (This isn't a knock on her for being unmemorable - I think it's more that she's a chameleon who does a good job becoming the role instead of being a one-trick pony who makes it about herself.)

Anyway - I share that to explain that I headed into this with zero context or expectations. And I walked away a fan. She has a strong voice. It's funny and candid - and she swears well, which is always a plus. This was the book I was hoping for when I read Amy Schumer's "Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo" - it was well organized/structured, well told, engaging, and funny.

Anna Kendrick might be a talented actress, but I'm going to wager that her career path will reach well beyond that. She's more than a pretty face who can learn and deliver lines convincingly. Well done.

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If you like your books steeped in coincidence...

Revisado: 02-21-17

I was excited when I started listening to this book because it checked a lot of the boxes for my favorite type of fiction: interesting historic backdrop, a setting I find appealing, a hint of mystery... and yet the execution was clumsy.

The passing of time was odd: it didn't feel calibrated with what was happening in the book - characters went from meeting to being a couple in a chapter, a massive estate was completely renovated over the course of a summer. It felt like the author had a strong plot outline and was impatient about building the story to get from point A to point B, so sometimes corners were cut. That would also explain the number of coincidences that were relied on to pull things together.

It had potential and the loose plot seems good on paper. The execution just made me wish a stronger editor had exercised some discipline to help it get there.

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Trevor's now invited to my "Dream Dinner Party"

Revisado: 01-02-17

I knew within the first 30 minutes of listening that this was something special. So special that I violated my cardinal rule of recommending a book before finishing. Thankfully, Trevor didn't let me down. In fact, I won't be shocked if this wins a Pulitzer - it's that's good.

What made it so special?
1. HIs voice (by which I mean his writing voice) is fantastic.
2. It was an eye-opening, first-person look at post-apartheid South Africa.
3. His stories are crazy - and crazily well-constructed.
4. He writes like other people dance - it's fun and a bit dizzying to get whipped around in his capable hands.
5. I love that he read it himself - totally added to the experience.

I think the only people who could even possibly be disappointed by this book would be fans who want to focus on his comedy or rise to fame, since this is pretty tightly focused on his childhood.

Read it. Recommend it. Revel in it.

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What's the point?

Revisado: 08-13-16

I'll admit: I find cults fascinating. On that basis alone, I should've found this book satisfying because it lifts the curtain and details the daily goings-on for one such group in California in the late 1960s. But it fell flat.

For one thing, the author seemed more concerned with detailing the sex than spending time on character development. Her use of past/present storylines doesn't add anything to the book and serves only to underscore how pathetic the protagonist is - 30 years after the fact, she's still trying to be accepted as "cool" by teens.

I realize my review sounds negative and a bit raw - which is, ironically, sort of the overwhelming mood of this book.

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If you can suspend disbelief...

Revisado: 07-30-16

I enjoyed a lot about this book, starting with the characters. It was easy to listen to and moved along at a nice clip. I found myself vested in the outcome and rooting for Grace.

The reasons I only gave it 3 stars:
+ There are some aspects of the book that feel like a tear in reality - it's moving along nicely and believably, then - WHAM! - something pops up that is convenient for the plot but highly unlikely in reality.
+ The ending falls a bit flat.
+ There are some details that are introduced - then unresolved.

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A convoluted hangover.

Revisado: 02-21-15

This books started strong, but ultimately tested my patience. The very thing that makes the story suspenseful - an unreliable narrator/witness - grows tedious by the end of the book. The set-up was well-crafted and it was fun to speculate who the actual "bad guy" was early on. As the book went on, however, I was frustrated that none of the characters were sympathetic. The end (when it came) was such a twist that it seemed to fall from no where - and was wrapped up just as fast. For a book that spent a lot of time spinning its wheels in the middle, the end seemed too abrupt to be satisfying.

Don't get me wrong - I think this will be a hit with book clubs because there's ample opportunity to speculate and compare notes. And it does start out in a way that compelled me to recommend it to people (before I got further in).

I suspect that like the protagonist, the author just overdid it a little.

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Page turner ethical drama

Revisado: 02-15-15

This is a great beach read because it's fast-paced and has an ethical question at its core... but it was a bit over the top in terms of the set-up. I think it would've seemed a bit less fantastical if the main character hadn't been an astronaut.

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