timtam

Heat Book 3

Revisado: 10-24-24

I almost didn't read this book based on several of the reviewers becoming frustrated with the main character blundering through her magic and situations in this book. I am super glad I did. I love that the world building continues. We were introduced to more kingdoms, more magic and more characters. The interruptions to love and privacy becomes nearly comical, but in a good way. I could literally assume an interruption would happen. And I heard it elsewhere, D is 20, the perfect age to be adulting, but also not completely clear on how to handle things. So, I give her some grace there. I can't wait to see how Cole (the author) navigates the challenges she left at the end of this book in her next. I definitely recommend, especially if you've already read the first two.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Good, more mature themes and dialogue

Revisado: 06-28-23

I’ve been listening and retelling all of the Rick Riordan books to my 4 and 6 year old boys. That way I can omit certain parts. Percy Jackson had a lot of movement and funny stories and somewhat the same with the Heroes of Olympus. I am noticing it’s harder to retell Apollo because it’s darker and more psychologically savvy. Essentially themes of regret are huge as well as Apollo learning about his impact on others first hand. As you can imagine these are a bit more complicated issues to retell. But great for the older crowd that may enjoy navigating the grey zones of more adult themes. Motivations, regrets, self awareness, power dynamics and so forth.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Great story, pretty decent performance

Revisado: 03-12-23

I almost didn’t start this series due to the large amount of negative reviews on the performance. To be clear, this book has 3 readers that read from the perspective of the 3 main demigod heroes: Jason, Leo and Piper. All in all, I thought the readers for Jason and Leo were great. They read their specific characters excellently. Because each reader also has to handle the other voices within the chapter, they do spend time reading for the others as well. But each chapter is fairly well assigned. Pipers reader I struggled with a bit, I felt she read the part of Piper as a agitated teen voice. Which fit occasionally but not universally. She also was a miss for me reading some of the antagonist parts. I also felt the readers for Jason and Leo, when they tackled Pipers character, her tone, rhythm and demeanor changed quite a bit which I liked becoming it fit more what I thought of her, but made for some inconsistency. That said, to be redundant I loved Leo’s reader. He was perfect for Leo and brought some interesting richness to Chiron’s character as well as some of the others.

The story itself was terrific and the end really lovely. Fortunately I haven’t read the book so the missing chapters (according to other reviewers) were imperceptible to me. Though I intend to write to audible and ask them about it. Because those kind of omissions bother me.

I have heard readers of other books that were straight up deal breakers. Where I couldn’t even listen. The performance here was fine, if a bit inconsistent and humorous at times. I would have preferred a different voice for Piper, but glad I listened.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Starts Great!

Revisado: 10-13-16

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

This book's first few chapters are really wonderful and get into some pretty clear gender differences and how men can suffer from having limited access to their own vulnerability and to friends and loved ones who create space for true authentic sharing. I love this because I do think men deserve to have our society rally behind them becoming more emotionally available, skilled and able to be better friends, lovers and communicators. I do think we can overlook this shortcoming or rigid role expectation with men. I removed some stars mostly because mid-way through the book it took a deviation from a social psychology bent to more of the authors memoirs and into some stronger gender politics that were clearly painful for the author. I didn't mind per se, but it took this book from a book I could refer to couples to a book I can't use other than for my own interest. Perhaps if I was teaching a class on Gender and Psychology it would be an interesting counterpart, but I'm not at the moment. So I just wish the author had a more distinct focus for this book... write either a memoir or a social psychology book.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Wow, I am actually doing it!

Revisado: 10-13-16

Would you listen to The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up again? Why?

I like listening to this book every time I clean. Marie Kondo's manner of clear direct helpfulness in making my way through my hoards of papers, random items, etc is like a bell helping me gain clarity. I have had feng shui books and getting organized books, but this has really lit a fire for me. Maybe its her sense of urgency, do it and do it quickly. I actually see results and work to keep accomplishing more... I don't procrastinate.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Critical thoughts now as a parent

Revisado: 10-13-16

Any additional comments?

Bringing up bebe was wonderful book as a pregnant mom-to-be, but has been a more challenging book as an actual parent. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed it and can now contextualize the information and story-telling I enjoyed.

The Pros:

-First of all having a perspective from a different culture is invaluable. It is difficult in any culture to really gain perspective and have a different take when all you get is the same info from everyone around you.

-Also there is a lot of support and what I call counter-shaming for American women who work, whose pregnancies require support, for having a life in addition to your child. This book talks about women in France returning to work at 3 months and switching to formula, even "hippy" women getting epidurals, and staying out late while your child plays with other children. This is really nice to hear even if you don't choose to do these things.

-"Le Pause" is just a great concept... pausing to observe your baby first, and then take action.

-Great public policy of childcare.... wow! I would reread this book just to fantasize about this kind of childcare... a childcare that is supportive of real families and real women who have to work to pay bills. I love it!

The Cons:

Sleeping and "doing your nights" or when does your infant start sleeping through the night. Druckerman suggests French babies "do their nights" by 2-3 months old. This gets me into a really big discussion that is difficult to even outline. For example, is doing your nights simply a 5 hour stretch? Or are we talking all night? Does France believe in a back to back initiative? Do french women/families have their babies sleeping in cribs in their rooms? Bassinets? Swings? In the next room over? Do the French ever co-sleep or have different sleeping arrangements? Are they afraid of SIDS? A lot of American parents slept on their tummy's as infants, and now a lot of our children are sleeping on their backs. I don't know, sometimes this probably doesn't matter, but sometimes babies don't sleep as well, or don't sleep through sleep regressions as well. And certainly temperament should be accounted for, as well as colicky babies and so forth. But this is not particularly touched on in Bebe.

One funny upshot was that pre-baby I was listening to this book and was judging a story about an American woman waking up regularly to feed her baby (probably too often) . I was thinking, "Oh, I'd never do that... that's so obvious!" Yeah, well, the 4 month sleep regression hit hard and I was that woman... but I had that awareness and was able to change things over time. To be clear, my baby was "doing his nights" then the sleep regression changed that. This book, as far as I recall, didn't really account for sleep setbacks or changes that can and do happen for a lot of babies. But maybe the French babies just are great sleepers across the board? I don't know what accounts for this and I'm not clear Druckerman knows either, but clearly some info is missing.

It may be that the French are more traditionalists and if they have all, always used cribs and always had their babes in the next room, it might make sleep training all happen the same way. In America there's a mainstream opinion, and then a lot of side opinions. And, in some metropolitan areas, with so much cultural diversity, education, etc... there's a lot of alternative methods of parenting being introduced. Cry it out? Don't cry it out? I'm just saying... it makes parenting in America, at least potentially confusing for some.

I don't hear Druckerman suggesting the French are sorting out "cry it out" or "not cry it out" or attachment parenting versus traditional parenting. And the lack of her saying anything leads me to come to a likely faulty conclusion(or correct one) that the French might just all do things about the same way, with about the same positive outcome, and if that is the case, it is just not a big deal???

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

A Humanizing Look at Addiction

Revisado: 05-13-16

What about Daniel Maté’s performance did you like?

Daniel was a fantastic reader... loved his voice and engagement

Any additional comments?

Despite getting bogged down in the first 10 chapters; which were good, but did go on quite a long time, I found the book both picked up and became more relevant at about Chapter 10 when Gabor Mate includes himself. His inclusion of himself brings in a courageous vulnerability to the already vulnerable lives he shares . At this marker, he begins weaving together the initial stories, his own story, successes, failures, policies and ways to consider addiction. In the end, I feel like his breadth, depth and scope of addressing addiction and considering humanizing policies and treatment makes this book a must read. I would like to think in the future we could create more liberal, comprehensive, less stigmatizing and healing treatment options for addiction in the US.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

Many Paths, One Destination

Revisado: 05-13-16

Any additional comments?

This book gave me the great idea that we don't have to pick one road on the spiritual path. We can acknowledge the many messages in many different traditions and deeply resonate and study all of them. I think part of what she tried to share is that there is a grace or flow to life when you invite in something greater than yourself. So stay open and be prepared for good things, or at least synchronicity.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

I Get Knocked Down, But I Get Up Again

Revisado: 05-13-16

Any additional comments?

This book is about what to do after you've failed, fallen down, messed up, missed the mark. What happens in between the event that causes shame and the reaction when we defend against feeling vulnerable? What is that sometimes fast, sometimes slow time when we slip into our own existential fears, our deepest wounds (without anyone else or even ourselves knowing it), and then either own it, or lash, avoid, or dissociate? And how to we get a grip on ourselves to respond to our loved ones, coworkers, bosses in a real, authentic, vulnerable, and empowered place. Wow! This book packs in a lot. Some of her stories overlap with other talks/books, but I think she takes a stand in this book to help readers figure out "what to do next"... or what to do when you blow it.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Why Controlling People Control

Revisado: 05-13-16

Any additional comments?

The author uses the concept of the controller implanting a "false partner... or idealized partner" into a real partner. She calls this "idealized partner" "Teddy" as in Teddy Bear, as it is an early attachment need/wound. After a while I would say using the word "Teddy" gets redundant, but she does make a hard concept easy to grasp. Generally speaking I am delighted to have her framework to really understand why controlling people do what they do. That said, there are some chapters where she drifts from psychology and immediate relationships to sociology and comments on gangs and group control mentality. I think that should be another book. Either way, it was a helpful read.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña