Jessie

Excellent Sequel

Revisado: 01-09-24

This is a great follow up to the amazing No Gods, No Monsters. I had honestly forgotten some of the events of No Gods, but I was able to pick up the plot quickly. We catch up on old characters like Ridley Laine, Rebecca, Cal and Dragon and are introduced to new characters like Alex. The characters start to circle closer to each other and the overall story becomes more clear. It's still difficult to summarize this book, so much is still unclear. The book goes back and forth quickly between time and place, but I wouldn't call it disjointed. The story really flows. Dion Graham is one of my all time favorite characters and he does a superb job narrating this book. There are an insane amount of characters and he brings all of them to life.

I would recommend reading Caldwell Turnbulls "review" of No Gods, No Monster on Goodreads. He goes into his process and clarifies certain points. It acts almost like a reader's guide.

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Great Great Course!

Revisado: 02-17-21

I've listened to a few Great Courses and they definitely vary in quality, usually do to the quality of the lecturer. Dorsey Armstrong is incredibly engaging and entertaining. She is clearly very knowledgeable and passionate about the subject matter. The lectures are informative, interesting and well organized. Her takedown of the 2004 King Arthur movie is welcome and hysterical. I will definitely be listening to more of Armstrong's Courses!

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Everyone should read this book

Revisado: 10-04-18

While I started listening to this book in early September, I didn't pick it up again until right before the Kavanaugh hearings. I'm not sure if this was excellent or poor timing, but it certainly added to the experience. All of the essays are extremely well written, and illustrate rape culture in many different ways. I also liked the the essays were fairly inclusive. Authors represented multiple races, cultures, gender identities and sexualities. While some stories mirrored my experiences more than others, all of the essays are relatable in their own way. Basically, this book turned my latent rage incandescent. I would recommend this book to literally everyone. Everybody should read this book.

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Finishing this felt like an accomplishment!

Revisado: 08-06-18

This book provides a great overview of early civilizations and European History as well as a good summary of the Middle East since the discovery of oil. Because of the last section I feel like I have a better hold of current events, which is exactly why I purchased this book. While some of the content is a bit dry, the narrator does a great job of bringing the book to life.

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Great Audio of a Complicated Book

Revisado: 03-27-18

L.A Confidential is my favorite book of all time. I read it for the first time at 16 and it's the book that really got me interested in reading. I finished it at 4:00am while on vacation and reread it immediately. Every mystery or crime novel I've read since has been chasing the dragon of L.A Confidential. Some have come close, but it's never been surpassed.

I've read this book countless times, but I decided to listen to it this time around. Overall the audio book is great. Wesson is a gifted narrator and he handles Ellroy's unique staccato style very well. Um, the less said about his voices for female, Hispanic, Black and Asian characters the better. I have to admit, I usually read the last section of the book fairly quickly because there's so much going on. Listening to the book was great because it slowed me down and forced me to really pay attention to the story. I picked up on things I had missed in the past.

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Emma retelling

Revisado: 10-28-16

I generally don't read Jane Austen off shoots. I like this author so I gave it a shot. Overall I enjoyed this book. It is much closer to the book than the amazing Clueless. While this is great for a writing exercise, some details of the classic do not transfer well to modern times. The gentile poverty of the Bates and Jane Fairfax are not as dire in a society where women are able to work. And no one questions Mr. Weston giving up his son in the 1980's after the death of his wife. While fostering made sense in the early 1800's, this kind of open adoption doesn't make much sense in modern times.

What is great about this book is we get some to know some of the side characters, such as Mr. Woodhouse, Mrs. Goddard, Miss Taylor and Mr. Weston. The characterization of Emma is also more closely followed than in other updates. In the book, Emma is terrible, she is judgmental and superior. There is none of the sweetness of Gwyneth Paltrow or Kate Beckinsdale. Instead she is depicted as so selfish she seems like a sociopath.

I wish we got more insight into Mr. Knightly. There was always something that bothered me about their relationship. Maybe it's the age difference, maybe his big talk about her lack of kindness comes across as if he's trying to train her to become a better person. I came away with no other insights about their love, and that was disappointing.

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A clever retelling

Revisado: 10-28-16

I really enjoyed this retelling of one of my favorite classics. Sittenfeld really embraces the modern setting, using reality TV, texting and other clever situations to update this classic. I especially loved the nod to Catherine de Bourgh and Darcy's "saving" the Bennett clan.

I wasn't too happy with a lot of Elizabeth's characterization, she came across as a bit silly. But I liked the Sittenfeld turned a critical eye towards a much beloved character.

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One of the best audio books I've listened to.

Revisado: 10-28-16

I can't remember the last time I was so emotionally affected by a book. At the end of each story I was so attached to the characters I was sure I wouldn't enjoy the next story as much, but of course I did. The last story was absolutely devastating, I may become a prepper as a result.

I listened to 16 hours of this in two days while driving on a work trip. I got back an hour before it ended and having to stop was tortuous! I drove out of my way the next day to finish it!

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Wharton-ish

Revisado: 10-28-16

I really enjoyed this book, which has been compared to the great Edith Wharton. I found Evelyn's fall from grace was more difficult to read than Lily Bart's because unlike Lily, Evelyn is not constrained by the same social circumstances, she has choices where Lily had few. Evelyn really has no excuses for her behavior.

My job involves working with the 1%, sometimes with "People Like Us" some more like the Beegans. I have to say that the author is spot on with so many details. The traditions, the exclusions, the vacation homes, even the restaurants.

My only wish is that the book went to the fall of 2008 and showed us what happened to some of the characters after the market crash. Some of it was telegraphed at the end, but specifics would have been fun.

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Don't be afraid of the science parts!

Revisado: 10-28-16

After The Stand, Station Eleven, and now Seveneves, I now have to admit that I like post-apocalyptic books. I was totally engrossed in this book from the first words. The first portion, which deals with the destruction of earth and most of the human race was especially well done. I don't know anything about astronomy, but I still found the science parts easy to follow. My only criticism is that the end felt rushed. I would love a sequel to expand on the colonization of earth. Get writing Stephenson!

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