Bookworm O'Nerd

Poorly written

Revisado: 06-24-19

The author begins the book with so many prejudices like (I'm paraphrasing here) "Frida was ugly but could have had any man she wanted, I cannot fathom how!" The biography definitely did add to what I already knew about Frida Kahlo but is no way in-depth and provides no insights whatsoever. I have no qualms in suggesting to skip this book.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 7 personas

A powerful, emotional journey!

Revisado: 09-03-18

This memoir is more of a powerful, emotional journey than just an account of life. This was a really intense book and I had to take a break for couple of days before resuming. The author's poignant narration of her childhood left me breathless at times, seeing the complex psychological defense mechanisms of a child kick-in for self-protection. This is one of the few books that I would recommend without any reservations.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

My rating: 2.5*

Revisado: 08-11-18

Karen Blixen, pen name Isak Dinesen, has a way with words, painting a wonderful picture of the landscapes of 20th century Kenya. However, the story left me with conflicting feelings. On one hand, the author seems sincere in her efforts to support the native people, while at the same time sounds patronizing about their cultures, beliefs and way of life in general. I struggled to finish the last few pages of the book as my mind tried to reconcile this incongruity.

However, I would be amiss if I didn't give a shout out to the feminist aspects of the book - female protagonist independently managing a coffee plantation in a foreign land during early 20th century! That deserves at least an extra 0.5 star!

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Concise and Powerful!

Revisado: 07-04-18

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is one of the foremost feminist of the modern era, and in this audio-book she demonstrates why. I really admired how Adichie explains what it means to be a feminist with effortless grace. This is a must-listen for everyone, irrespective of their views on feminism!

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Not for me, but will revisit

Revisado: 07-04-18

This was my first foray into Edgar Allan Poe's works. Maybe it was the timing, maybe it was this particular book, or perhaps it was simply a hangover from my previous book, but I could appreciate neither the story nor Poe's famed prose. I will revisit this book after a couple of months though, and see if I can isolate the reason for my disfavour.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Listen with a grain of salt

Revisado: 06-27-18

I ventured into this book expecting it to be biased and I wasn't disappointed; it turned out to be exactly that. To be fair, the author attempts to be objective and sometimes even succeeds at it. Despite the author's blinkered narrative, the book is very informative about the different actors involved in the Middle-East conflict. The most significant point in the book, for me, was learning about Aliaa Magda Elmahdy's bold activism against misogyny. On the whole, this is an edifying book that's worth a read to get a new perspective on the complex subject of Israel-Palestine and Arab world.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

A good listen

Revisado: 05-31-18

The book encapsulates Carl Sagan's thoughts on very various topics, and is an easy, satisfying listen.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

A book for everyone

Revisado: 05-31-18

Being a systems engineer, this book is a delight! Peter Berkrot does a very good job, bringing to life (or voice) Mr. Norman's principles, ideas and thoughts. I would recommend this book to anyone who is, or hopes to be, an architect of sensible, utilitarian things.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Hmm..

Revisado: 05-20-18

I confess I only bought this audio-book because it was on sale for $0.99. I found the author's narration quite soporific, though it's a relatively short audio-book. I feel the questions that the author terms as "life's .... essential questions" more of a banal description on "how to use your common sense", interspersed with author's personal experiences. This is not a book that I would venture into for a second read/listen, and perhaps would hesitate (a lot) to recommend to anyone!

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 12 personas

14 Cakes

Revisado: 05-20-18

This book was quite different from the books I have read/listened to in recent times, not necessarily great but not awful either. There are a few cringe worthy instances in the book (like unsolicited match-making) which is compensated by the author's gentle exploration of sensitive topics like the 1994 Rwandan genocide against the Tutsi, the still-prevalent practice of female genital mutilation, dominating presence of HIV/AIDS, religious judgment on suicide and many more.

The narrative that struck me the most was a conversation between the protagonist, Angel, and a genocide survivor, Francoise, on being a survivalist. Of all the characters and their tragedies, I found the one of Jeanne d'Arc as really heart wrenching. I was bit disturbed with the nonchalant treatment of Modeste and his two girlfriends. The book does have a handful of humorous moments, some the expense of reinforcing stereotypes and others by shattering the very same typecast (like an obnoxious, rude Canadian!). I really liked how the main character, Angel Tungaraza - a grand mother to five children, learns from her experiences and does not hold rigid to her beliefs irrationally.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona