So this book was basically Buddy from the Incredibles
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plus some time travelly weirdness
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with a dash of "you LIED to me (to protect me but So this book was basically Buddy from the Incredibles
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plus some time travelly weirdness
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with a dash of "you LIED to me (to protect me but still)?!?!" relationship drama on top. Running Scared isn't bad, but it's not exactly good, either. It's solidly average.
I'm new to the Flash and hadn't read the previous installments, but thanks to some pretty heavy-handed recapping, I was able to keep up without a problem. The art is okay, the story is okay, the writing is okay. I wouldn't write home about it and I certainly wouldn't make a museum about it. However, my 4-year-old son thinks it's pretty baller.
(I received this book for free through a Goodreads giveaway.)...more
Yeesh, this was a slog. And not because of the subject matter--I'm very interested in agriculture, farming, and where my food comes from. But Food TruYeesh, this was a slog. And not because of the subject matter--I'm very interested in agriculture, farming, and where my food comes from. But Food Truths From Farm to Table was rough.
It's scattered, disorganized, and repetitive. It contradicts itself (the author reflects at the beginning about food as a source of memory and tradition, then quotes someone saying the exact opposite toward the end). It dismisses valid concerns about ethics and health with arguments like "but we have to do X in order to keep Y bad thing from happening to the crop/livestock!" as if that just settles it. Add to all that the author's obvious agenda and constant self-promotion (she literally quotes herself in the epigraph), the vague and unhelpful “food truths” that appear over and over, and the bad writing, and it's just a pain to get through.
Don't misunderstand me, there's some good stuff in here--interesting insights into the people and lives behind the products we see at the grocery store. But you'll have to really work to get to them.
(I received this book for free through a Goodreads giveaway.)...more
Make Yourself at Home is the love-child of a Pinterest board and a lifestyle blog. Stuffed with interviews and glimpses of different homes, crafting pMake Yourself at Home is the love-child of a Pinterest board and a lifestyle blog. Stuffed with interviews and glimpses of different homes, crafting projects, and brainstorming prompts, it's a good launch pad for developing a sense of personal decorating style. (It also gave me a bit of whiplash after just reading Fumio Sasaki's Goodbye Things. I don't think he and Moorea Seal would get along.)
The photos are by far the highlight of this book. Diverse and beautiful, they serve as an inspiration board--letting you see what's possible so that you can take what you like, ignore what you don't, and translate it into your own space.
That principle is probably why I found the step-by-step crafting directions so unhelpful. Sprinkled throughout the book, they explain how to make a handful of different decoration pieces (a clay wall hanging, a necklace display, a mouse pad, etc.). Wouldn't it have been more useful to just show the crafts and let the crafty people figure out how to make their own version? The lengthy chunks of memoir also didn't do anything for me, but given the size of Seal's devoted blog following, her story clearly resonates with other people.
Overall, good as an inspiration springboard, meh as a crafting guide.
(I received this book for free through a Goodreads giveaway.)...more
I'm trying not to let my preconceived ideas about The Creative Family Manifesto color my judgment of it. Going by the title, I expected practical, nutI'm trying not to let my preconceived ideas about The Creative Family Manifesto color my judgment of it. Going by the title, I expected practical, nuts-and-bolts ways to integrate creativity/arts/craftiness into family life. And there is some of that...but there's also a LOT of philosophy, thoughts on going green and getting in touch of nature, and so on. I'm pro-philosophy and pro-environment, don't get me wrong, but the packaging could have been more transparent. Think acorns and moss instead of pipe cleaners and Sculpey clay.
Regardless, it's still a good take on bringing up well-rounded, whole-brained kids who are rooted in good (if ambiguously sourced) values. Much of the advice in this book is not for me--it kind of sounds like a ticket to Hoarder's Paradise, honestly--but it made me think and gave me ideas. That's what creativity is about, right?
(I received this book for free through a Goodreads giveaway.)...more
Goodbye, Things hits a lot of the same notes as The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (and references it a lot, too). But, like Kondo's bestseller, itGoodbye, Things hits a lot of the same notes as The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (and references it a lot, too). But, like Kondo's bestseller, it suffers from excessive zeal: getting rid of stuff will not just make your life easier and your home more pleasant, it will also fix your insecurities, liberate your mind, and jump-start your love life! It's an anti-consumerism manifesto that pitches Apple products every five pages. There are some worthwhile ideas here, but they're buried.
Instead of repeating the same philosophical musings over and over (stuff won't make us happy--we got it the first few times), why not include some tips on how to make this philosophy work practically? And I don't mean more mini pep-talks that make up most of the "tips" here. How do you get rid of things when you don't have the money to "just buy it again" if you need it down the road? How do you live minimally with roommates or a family who don't share your philosophy? There's some good advice, but also lots of Sasaki's personal anecdotes, which won't apply to a lot of readers. If you're a middle-class bachelor, this might be perfect for you.
P.S. Why is a "mattress" that you can fold up into a "sofa" superior to a sofa that unfolds into a bed? Do you get more minimalist points for something the less comfortable it is?
(I received this book for free through a Goodreads giveaway.)...more
Maybe I'm just unsophisticated, but I don't love ekphrastic poetry as everyone else apparently does--I prThrall is greater than the sum of its parts.
Maybe I'm just unsophisticated, but I don't love ekphrastic poetry as everyone else apparently does--I prefer a poem that paints a picture to one that describes a painting--and none of these poems jumped out at me as being particularly memorable as a stand-alone work. Collected, however, their narrative is poignant, moving, and accessible. The language is simple but precise. The book is politically charged and topically relevant, but in a quiet way that makes it feel like a personal cry rather than a party line.
The more I read of Natasha Trethewey, the more impressed I am.
(I received this book for free through a Goodreads giveaway.)...more
Jacobs is funny and entertaining, as always, but the "experiment" he undertakes in It's All Relative (trying to break the record for the world's largeJacobs is funny and entertaining, as always, but the "experiment" he undertakes in It's All Relative (trying to break the record for the world's largest family reunion by gathering a bunch of random people that he then tries to connect, somehow, to himself) is not compelling. His research methodology will also make serious genealogists cringe. ...more
Micro-fiction (or "flash fiction") is its own kind of beast, just as difficult in its own way as the novel. Every word counts when a story is only a pMicro-fiction (or "flash fiction") is its own kind of beast, just as difficult in its own way as the novel. Every word counts when a story is only a page long. Done poorly, it's flat and ineffectual. Fortunately, this is a showcase for the genre's standouts, and the stories in this anthology pull no punches.
With 50+ stories by an assortment of acclaimed writers, there's plenty of variety. That means there will probably be some that you don't love ("APOCRYPHAL" just left me scratching my head), but also plenty that make you gasp and re-read.
My favorites: Marriage; Pistols at Twenty Paces; The Boy and the Bear; It Will Never Be Deep Enough.
(I received this book for free through a Goodreads giveaway.)...more
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