We Should All Be Feminists

 Book 88 of my 2023 Reading Challenge

read on September 15

We Should All Be Feminists

by Chimamanda Ngoni Adichie

My Opinion

4 stars

A small book with great points.  I do think it's sad that the book was adapted in 2014 from a TED talk the author gave in 2012 and it didn't feel dated at all.  If anything, I feel like we've lost progress over the last few years.

The Comet Seekers

 Book 87 of my 2023 Reading Challenge

read from September 9 - 15

The Comet Seekers

by Helen Sedgwick

Summary (via the book jacket)

When Roisin and Francois meet at a remote research base on the frozen ice sheets of Antarctica, they are immediately drawn to each other. At first glance, the pair could not be more different. Older by a few years, Roisin, a daughter of Ireland and a peripatetic astronomer, joins the science team to observe the fracturing of a comet overhead. Francois, the base's chef, has just left his birthplace in Bayeux, France, for only the second time in his life. Yet the two are connected by devastating tragedy, the longing for a fresh start, and an indelible yet unknown bond that stretches back centuries.

My Opinion

2 stars

Severine's storyline is pretty much the whole reason I remained invested in the book, along with a mild curiosity about how it would all tie together.

Now for the only thing I'll remember about the book...it caused me to yell, "WHY ARE YOU HAVING SEX WITH YOUR COUSIN?!?!" many times.

I'm not going to name the characters but this next part could be a little spoiler-ish.

The two cousins having an on-off intimate and sexual relationship over the span of many years was so distracting.  I understand one of them needed to have a "first love" situation to continue to the plot but why a cousin?  This wasn't a time period or setting where it wasn't taboo...they knew it was wrong and hid it, even talking about moving away to somewhere where they wouldn't be known as cousins so they could be more open.  It happened over so many years and it brought me to a full stop every time their storyline popped up again. I don't get it.

The Heart of a Mother

 Book 86 of my 2023 Reading Challenge

read on September 12

The Heart of a Mother

by Julie Clark

My Opinion

4 stars

This short story is part of the Obsession collection available through Prime Reading.  It was entirely unexpected and made my heart sink because I felt so sad for the main character.

People Like Them

 Book 85 of my 2023 Reading Challenge

read on September 12

People Like Them

by Minka Kent

My Opinion

5 stars

This short story is part of the Obsession collection available through Prime Reading.  It was the perfect length, building suspense to an unexpected (but fully plausible when looking back) ending.

The Mosquito

 Book 84 of my 2023 Reading Challenge

read on September 7

The Mosquito

by B.A. Paris

My Opinion

4 stars

This short story is part of the Obsession collection available through Prime Reading.  The writing was so vivid I was uncomfortable reading it because of my empathy for the main character.  The ending wrapped up a little too conveniently but it's fine since it was a short story; I would've been disappointed if there had been more of an investment.

If I Live to Be 100

 Book 83 of my 2023 Reading Challenge

read from August 31 - September 3

If I Live to Be 100: Lessons from the Centenarians

by Neenah Ellis

Summary (via the book jacket)

Neenah Ellis's New York Times bestselling If I Live to Be 100 takes us inside the world of the very old and invites us to learn from them the art of living well for an exceptionally long period of time. Their stories add up to a course in living, with lessons and inspiration for all of us.

My Opinion

3 stars

Since this book came out in 2002 it was kind of sad to realize everyone in this book is definitely gone.  I love people's stories, especially "regular" people sharing little snapshots.  If the format is available I think I might enjoy it more hearing and/or seeing it directly from them instead of through the author's interpretation.  I'll have to see if the NPR series is still available.

Nobody Cares

 Book 82 of my 2023 Reading Challenge

read from August 26 - 30

Nobody Cares

by Anne T. Donahue

Summary (via the book jacket)

As she shares her hard-won insights from screwing up, growing up, and trying to find her own path, Anne T. Donahue offers all the honesty, laughs, and reassurance of a late-night phone call with your best friend. Whether she's giving a signature pep talk, railing against summer, or describing her own mental health struggles, Anne reminds us that failure is normal, saying no to things is liberating, and that we're all a bunch of beautiful disasters - and she wouldn't have it any other way.

My Opinion

2 stars

It always feels weird rating and reviewing books of a personal nature.  For me, it's not a reflection of the author or her choices but the writing itself.  I can't say the material is completely irrelevant but judgement of her life is not why I didn't connect with this book.

I felt like she jumped in with little context or backstory and some pretty heavy topics or monumental life events were tossed out in one or two sentences on the way to something else (having to repeat the twelfth grade, for example).  Towards the end of the book she mentioned her newsletter so this disconnect could be partly mine - I had no familiarity with the author beforehand.  But I also probably won't seek out the newsletter based on the book.

I'm glad she's been able to reflect on some of the self-destruction and I hope she's happy and fulfilled now in whatever path she chooses.