For Every One by Jason Reynolds is my first attempt at this young adult author. I have not read his novels, which are getting much praise and press, but I found this one and thought “Why not?” Unfortunately, I was surprised at the content as it did not fit what I expected. Fortunately, I was surprised at the content because it gave me something else. This book is not poems as I first thought. But one long poem. But then again, it is not a […]
We’re all building our world, right now, in real time. Let’s build it better.
I first heard of Lindy West when she did a segment for This American Life where she confronted a troll who had been so hateful as to create a fake account with her recently deceased father’s information just to hurl abuse at her. She wrote about how much it hurt and the troll actually apologized and took down the site. Later he was willing to be interviewed by her and talk about his motivations. It’s an extraordinary moment in journalism. I follow her on twitter […]
[Uncomfortable Downward Glance Because a Couple Is Fighting in Front of You]
How in the world do I rate this book? On one hand, there is a lot of truth in it (“They say if you just let babies cry, they will eventually cry themselves out. This is not true. Not only will babies not cry themselves out, but the act of crying actually slows down time itself—the more you let them cry, the slower time goes.”) There is also comedy (“Having a rent-controlled apartment in New York is like living in medieval Europe and having spices.”) […]
Grouchy Miscreant Forgiven for Being Australian
This is the fourth book by the author and like all humorists/memoir writers, he has a tendency to revisit certain themes as building blocks for his stories. American activities are weird to Australians and ripe for mocking. Australians are weird and ripe for mocking. Horrible tales of child neglect can be hilarious if told the right way. I like to keep light, amusing books like these on-hand for when slogging through a novel that has heavier themes. Sometimes I just want the literary equivalent of […]
Embrace Your Weird Self (And Other Weird Selves, Too)
I always find it difficult to review an anthology. Do you review each and every story, or just the work as a whole? The Secret Loves of Geek Girls is 288 pages of 51 diverse anecdotes, essays, comics, and some bits that seem a mix of everything (and more). Some are more expertly done than others, and some fall flat altogether. But there are some wonderful stories and graphic representations of good relationships, failed relationships, and a lot of near relationships. Even more than the […]