Natalie is happy to be back in her hometown of Seattle after many years of work, school and travel elsewhere. She enjoys reading a little bit of everything, with a special love for fiction from around the world. When not reading she enjoys cooking, crafting and leash training the more cooperative of her two cats.
I read this collection for the "Chosen by the Cover" Book Bingo square, and the stories are just as great as the cover art. At their cores they are each about people, how they relate to each other, and how striving for more can bring both soaring successes and epic crashes. And, as the penultimate story attests, cats truly do take on the personalities of their owners.
If you aren't already fascinated by octopus in all of their strange invertebrate glory you certainly will be after this book. Part travel journal of dives with octopus, part science text, part musings on if octopus dream and if so what these dreams might be about. Some sections get a bit technical, but overall this book is both accessible and educational, complete with beautiful drawings by the author's daughter.
This book is brutal, beautiful and blatantly fed up with the injustices of American mass incarceration. While it is a work of fiction, the author clearly connects the dots between the current system and this bleak universe where prisoners are a disposable commodity. The viewpoint shifts between chain-gang participants, fans of the "sport", those in charge and those calling for abolition, which really made me feel like I was living in the novel. Between violent death matches the participants forge friendships and romances, reminding the reader of everyone's core humanity. May this book always remain a cautionary tale rather than a darkly foreboding prophecy.
Ruth Ozeki is a true master of crafting engaging stories that are both readable and deeply philosophical. In this novel the book itself is a character who has much to say on the nature of books: "The reader is not a passive receptacle for a book's contents. Not at all. You are our collaborators, our conspirators, breathing new life into us... According to the capabilities of the reader, books have their own destinies."
So go on and give this lovely book a new destiny and I hope you enjoy the read as much as I did.
This memoir reflects on therapy in such an honest and brave way. Transcripts of therapy sessions are interspersed with reflective essays, and the overall effect is of being on this journey alongside the author. A great read for anyone who has felt alone with their depression or stuck within the negative spaces of their own mind.
If you make one great decision today, decide to acquaint yourself with the charming and relatable Yamilet Flores. Watching her grow into herself is alternately hilarious and heartbreaking, and this book's appeal is definitely not limited to young adult audiences. Plus the author coins a great phrase to use in response to white privilege: "The caucasity!" Happy reading!
This book will take you on a roller coaster of emotions, but it is such a fun ride. Geeta's alleged murder of her husband has granted her a kind of freedom, and soon other village women recognize that they too could rid themselves of their oppressors. The mood ranges from sad to angry to elated, but ultimately the friendships, community and Geeta's dry wit result in a truly enjoyable read.
