As someone who grew up on iCarly I knew that I had to get my hands on this book, especially since Sam was my favourite character. I wanted to3.5 stars
As someone who grew up on iCarly I knew that I had to get my hands on this book, especially since Sam was my favourite character. I wanted to find out more about Jennette and how the creative process of being a child actor affected her as she portrayed someone who used to be a role model for younger me. What I found in this book was so much more interesting and poignant than just her story of becoming a child actor— we find out more about the invasion of privacy that stardom brings you as well as what being a vessel for your parents to live vicariously through feels like. This is a very poignant memoir and I think the audience isn't only limited to her fans only because it is very accessible.
“Women want to be loved like roses. They spend hours perfecting their eyebrows and toes and inventing irresistible curls that fall by acci
3.5 stars
“Women want to be loved like roses. They spend hours perfecting their eyebrows and toes and inventing irresistible curls that fall by accident down the back of their necks from otherwise austere hair-dos. They want their lover to remember the way they held a glass. They want to haunt.”
The essays found in Slow Days, Fast Compnay are a mix of personal reflections, cultural commentary, and humorous anecdotes that offer a unique perspective on life in Los Angeles during that era. Babitz's essays explore a range of themes, including love, sex, art, identity, and the city itself. With a sharp wit and an irreverent style, Babitz takes readers on a journey through the city's glamorous and gritty neighborhoods, introducing them to a cast of colorful characters and capturing the energy and excitement of a city on the brink of change. Babitz creates a vivid portrait of Los Angeles, a city that is at once alluring and flawed.
Definitely my favorite aspect of the book was Babitz's writing style. Not only was she hilarious with her witty remarks, which were often found in parentheses, but it was also atmospheric and inviting in the way it described the glamor of LA and all its inhabitants. I particularly liked how she characterizes LA through little vignettes of places like the Emerald Bay or Bakersfield and zooms in to show how life manifests itself differently in those settings. Also, I must mention how almost each essay is dedicated to a certain person and I just love seeing this little personal insight and wondering what she might mean. It adds to her mystique in my opinion and the fact that she chose each essay specifically for one person to experience makes me ponder why those exact essays.
It's hard to decide which essay was my favorite, but I must admit I am partial to "Sirrocco". It is known for its vivid and evocative description of the Santa Ana winds, which blow hot and dry through Southern California. Babitz describes the winds in a way that makes them seem almost mystical, with their ability to stir up emotions and unsettle the mind. Babitz explores the idea that the winds have a way of bringing out the wildness and unpredictability of the city, creating a sense of chaos and excitement. It is also the first time we see Shawn who I think the book is addressed to. Overall I think this essay is Babitz at her best showcasing her ability to capture atmosphere and people with her writing.
However, even though I really enjoyed this book, it had a couple of shortcomings. Firstly, I thought the latter essays were inferior to the first couple. I somewhat felt they were a bit long-winded and perhaps a bit self-indulgent, whereas the others were more like thematic depictions of 70s LA. I also thought the book maintains mostly one tone throughout the book (a positive one), and though I understand this was deliberate and that the point of the collection was not to critisize the scene and rather indulge in its glamour, I think this "one-noteness" of it diminished my enjoyment of it.
Overall, I thought this was a very interesting collection. It can be read through many lenses like memoir writing, sense of memory, history, and of course, as Eve notes in the beginning, a love story. I think fans of Joan Didion would enjoy this book especially by seeing this more microscopic view of LA with a focus on its grandeur. ...more
Recently I read Slow Days, Fast Company by Eve Babitz and decided to read The White Album in conjunction to compare and contrast two differe3.75 stars
Recently I read Slow Days, Fast Company by Eve Babitz and decided to read The White Album in conjunction to compare and contrast two different view points of the prolific writers hoping to get a better pictures of late 1960s-70s LA and California. Although I thoroughly enjoyed both books, I enjoyed this one slightly more. This is a collection of essays that focus on the chaos and paranoia of the time period and that reads as almost a continuation of Didion's Slouching Towards Bethlehem.
"We tell ourselves stories in order to live.'
Didion's writing brings me to life. The entire first paragraph of the titular essay was orgasmic. She muses upon the subjective and inquisitive nature of reality: how the same objective event can be differently characterised in order to make sense of our reality which she describes as a "shifting phantasmagoria". Although essays in the rest of the book were sometimes written years apart I loved how they were hand-picked to all have similar ideas running throughout. I loved especially the motif of life being like a theatre production and with some people knowing their cues and their scripts, but Didion feeling like she has 'lost' hers recently. In general, in my opinion, there is more first-person narration here from Didion than in Slouching Towards Bethlehem if only it appears because she incorporates many of her on musings into the works. Overall, the writing here is exquisite and Didion's prose is slowly becoming one of my favorites.
Other than that I enjoyed the subject matter of all the different sections. Even though I found some essays to be long winded (for example the essay about Hollywood in her "Sojourns" section), overall each had something different and interesting to say. Moreover there was surprisingly a lot of ideas explored that were similar to the topics in popular modern discussions (for example the differences in waves of feminism).
The one thing that really knocked my enjoyment down, though, was the repetitive nature of the themes in the essays. Where in Slouching Towards Bethlehem there were really high highs for and low lows, here all the essays were more at a similar level but I missed the ones I thought reached excellence.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book despite the repetitive nature of the themes. Didion is quickly becoming one of my favorite non-fiction writers and I will definitely be reading more from her soon. ...more
“The Dream House was never just the Dream House. It was, in turn, a convent of promise (herb garden, wine, writing across the table from eac
4.75 stars
“The Dream House was never just the Dream House. It was, in turn, a convent of promise (herb garden, wine, writing across the table from each other), a den of debauchery (fucking with the windows open, waking up with mouth on mouth, the low, insistent murmur of fantasy), a haunted house (none of this can really be happening), a prison (need to get out need to get out), and, finally, a dungeon of memory.”
Despite reading few memoirs, I must say that this must be one of the best ones out there for the author not only recounts her own story of abuse but she also manages to bring the spotlight to a hidden history of how lesbian women have been treated, regarding the law and society, when it comes to discussing abuse that occurs in their relationships. What is more, Machado is a master of language as she creates metaphors, allegories, and utilises perspective shifts to make her story more grandiose but also more impactful for the reader. Honestly, I am astounded.
This memoir works on so many different levels, the most basic one being the writing. Beautiful prose is hard to pull off, but Machado does... well, just read this line:
“Elsewhere in the basement, a Lovecraftian heating system reached long tentacles up into the rest of the house.”
I absolutely love this line. But now this is just one layer. Not only is the prose stunning, it is filled with deliberate choices and meaning. Primarily, she utilizes the second person quite often in the book. Not only does this reinforce the distinction that Machado reinforces between herself 'now' and 'then', not only does this bring the narrative closer to the reader, it also allows for readers to stop making a distinction between 'homosexual' or 'heterosexual' emotions and realise that all these emotions are first and foremost human and that all of us can fall victims to abuse. It was fantastic.
Another thing that I loved was how Machado brings a spotlight to how lesbians were/are treated by justice systems and how society's perspective on them are biased and therefore they do not get the same attention as heterosexual stories of abuse. Therefore, not only does Machado bring her emotions to life, but she also contextualises them in a larger history of violence and ignorance. Usually, I don't really care for non-fiction, but I ate the more historical elements of the story up.
Honestly, the .25 is deducted from my rating just because I entered this novel while in a reading slump and I do not think I am out of it quite yet. This did impact my enjoyment. I never felt like picking up the book, but when I did, I couldn't stop reading.
This graphic memoire follows the author as she grows up with the turn of the Iranian Revolution and the start of the Iraq-Iran war. Overall, I 2 stars
This graphic memoire follows the author as she grows up with the turn of the Iranian Revolution and the start of the Iraq-Iran war. Overall, I enjoyed this story enough, but believe in total it is "meh". I thought the images were striking and the way they tied to the text on the screen helped evoke more emotion and meaning. The aspect I enjoyed most in this book was the way it is narrated through the point of view of young Marjane. As she begins to understand things, so do you, and sometimes that is shocking. The moment that sticks with me most, I think, is either the news of little boys being sent to war with keys around their necks or the scene where she finds out how they murder little girls: they wed them, rape them, and then kill them (for it is illegal to kill a virgin). Seeing the story through such young eyes really brings a different perspective which is more blunt; it allows you to see the war what it really is for. After reading this graphic memoire, I think I have a better understanding of the Iranian Revolution, its violence, and the unheard stories of loving families.
Thank you all for joining in for Episode 10 of Quickie Review with Valliya!
“Life without hope is hopelessly difficult but at the end hope can so easily make fools of us all.”
In this book, Mr. Marsh tries to show3.25 stars
“Life without hope is hopelessly difficult but at the end hope can so easily make fools of us all.”
In this book, Mr. Marsh tries to show the reader what it is like to be a neurosurgeon. Also serving as his memoir, this book shows the stress, the triumphs and failures of working in a hospital, specifically in neurosurgery. Personally, I thought it was very interesting and touching, but I had some problems just with the way it was written. If you are interested in medicine, give this a go.
I really enjoyed that he doesn't develop God-complex when he writes. Marsh is fully aware of his failures and some of my favorite parts of the novel were when he has to deal with failing and ultimately destroying someone's life. The guilt and the constant thinking over what could have been done better/differently was heartbreaking to read about but also enthralling. Throughout this book you get a better idea of what goes on behind the scenes in a hospital. As someone who was in the hospital recently and kept experiencing delays, I think I can now understand a bit more what was happening. I have often wondered how doctors live with the stress of holding other people's fates in their hands, once again this is an area in which Mr. Marsh excels. Chapters are devoted to examining the divide between patients and doctors and the walls that doctors put up. I never really realised the dehumanisation that patients go through when entering the hospital. All sorts of emotions sprang up when Marsh explained how doctors early on need to learn to view patients as something other than them; a different race. This way, they can get their job done and not suffer a mental breakdown. The strong points of this book definitely were the examinations of difficult topics.
What I didn't enjoy as much was the formula. Unlike many memoirs/autobiographies, Do No Harm isn't chronological. The names of the chapters aren't dates either, so you end up jumping around in the time line which is very disorientating. Sometimes I was trying to wrap my head around what was going on and at what state he was in his life to understand where he was coming from in that moment. Similarly, I liked the chapter titles (names of diseases for the most part) in the beginning. Later though, they stopped being disease names and sometimes, it would be disease name that isn't really covered. Again, this was kind of disorientating. At times the book was also quite formulaic, especially towards the beginning, but as we got into the last 1/3 this went away.
Overall, this was a very thought-provoking, interesting read....more
“So I told them the truth: the hours are terrible, the pay is terrible, the conditions are terrible; you’re underappreciated, unsupported, d
4 stars
“So I told them the truth: the hours are terrible, the pay is terrible, the conditions are terrible; you’re underappreciated, unsupported, disrespected and frequently physically endangered. But there’s no better job in the world.”
This book took me a bit by surprise and made me feel slightly conflicted. I am looking to become a doctor in the future, and this was a very eye-opening read. To everyone who hates on NHS doctors or doctors in general, please re-evaluate your life. Other than that, this was genuinely funny. I never laugh out loud when reading... I just think that's weird (don't know why but yeah), however, while reading this, I actually did laugh out loud. The footnotes, the journal style, and the personal nature of the book really gave the information it set out to give (the true experience of an OB/GYN in the NHS) very well and in a way that keeps you interested by making you laugh.
A quick, valuable read. Would recommend to anyone wanting to start reading non-fiction. Ps. I don't like cancel-culture, but let's "cancel" Jeremy Hunt :)
Disclaimer: Just because I personally didn't enjoy this book DOES NOT MEAN that I think that the Rwandan Genocide is an irrelevant topic and1.75 stars
Disclaimer: Just because I personally didn't enjoy this book DOES NOT MEAN that I think that the Rwandan Genocide is an irrelevant topic and in no way am I attempting to undermine or disrespect those who perished in this conflict. I fully acknowledge that that was a dark chapter in our history and should be remembered and held in our highest regard.
I'm Not Leaving by Carl Wilkens is a memoir that talks about Wilkens' life during the Rwandan Genocide and the stories of many those who helped in humanitarian activities, like Gasigwa or Dassan, Interahamwe, and the Tutsis who lived and died in this period. The novel will surely interest many people interested in the Rwandan Genocide as it offers a unique perspective of a person who could have left, but decided to stay and become a witness to the horrors. For those who don't really have a strong connection/feelings towards this event, it will not be as interesting.
This book is written in a fashion similar to Night and Zodiac. On one hand it is a memoir that deals with the personal events of the author's life during the genocide, creating a narrative. On the other hand, it bombards you with a bunch of names, titles, organization names, radio call transmissions etc. The balance struck between the two styles of writing wasn't ideal in my opinion, but it was interesting and fun nonetheless.
The book objectively speaking is good. HOWEVER. I am clearly not the target audience. If you have no emotional connection to the genocide, you will not have one after reading this book. Sure, you will be better informed about it, but you won't have any emotional ties to the people mentioned in the different stories. If this was a fictional novel, I would have probably DNFed it. Wilkens doesn't make you care about the issue through his writing. Since it is non-fiction I charged through wanting to know a little more about this dark chapter of human history.
I picked up I'm Not Leaving because I wanted to learn more about the Rwandan Genocide; to develop a connection to the event and to really understand what was going through the heads of the people during this time. I found myself leaving this novel knowing a lot more facts, but feeling as much emotions for the topic as I would reading a Wikipedia article. This pains me a lot. ...more
“The loss of these five . . . lives is clearly a tragedy . . . You may view with some distaste the lifestyles of those involved . . . whatever
4 stars
“The loss of these five . . . lives is clearly a tragedy . . . You may view with some distaste the lifestyles of those involved . . . whatever drugs they took, whatever the work they did, no-one is entitled to do these women any harm, let alone kill them." —Mr. Justice Gross, R v. Steven Gerald James Wright (the “Suffolk Strangler”), 2008
I am shaken. Rarely does a non-fiction book touch me so much. Along with many other people, I became interested in the Jack the Ripper case a long time ago. subconsciously glorifying his ability to get away with a crime for such a long time. Now, though, Poly, Kate, Annie, Elizabeth, and Mary Jane dominate my thoughts when I think about the Ripper. Although this book tells the lives of these five women, it also does so much more: it brings you to realise the disservice we do to women today, by still pushing the stereotype that a woman can be broken... That her murder, could be justified.
If you are looking for a book that dives deep into who Jack could have been and what his motivations are, this is not the book for you. Here, you will learn about information regarding the canonical five. The Ripper gets only a few lines dedicated to him throughout the novel. If you want my advice, I'll still tell you to read it. Knowing the lives of Poly, Annie, Kate, Elisabeth, and and Mary Jane will give you a totally new perspective on the case. These five women and their murder have become almost mystical figures, and this book manages to humanise them and allow you to sympathise. The conclusion, really ties everything together and reads like a mini essay about feminism. It has changed my world view. The area that I didn't love was that in some of the cases (especially Mary Jane and Elisabeth) there is very little information to go on and the author had to make various inferences. Overall, though I still thought this gave an opportunity to look into the atmosphere and way of life of the 19th century London.
The conclusion itself is something that I feel like I have to at least mention. It really is admirable how Hallie Rubenhold manages to tie in all the different lives together and give her own new perspective on the issues surrounding the case, which is so popular and saturated these days. Another part that I admire is the way she connects it to issues today, especially using the quote I copied into the start of this review. Rubenhold argues that by accepting the Ripper, making fanart of him, inspired TV shows, we glorify him and forget his victims. We laud him, but forget who he hurt. In a sense he becomes somewhat of a superhero in our minds while we dismiss the canonical five as merely prostitutes; as creatures of contempt. Unfortunately, I thought of them like this too, before reading this book. Never did I do so explicitly but when asked about the Ripper's victims, I'd just say "oh yeah the prostitutes" with subconscious disgust. The way the case is treated, to some degree, it might have crossed my mind that they deserved what happened to them! Translated to modern times, the assumption that some women can be failed women who deserve misfortune is disgusting, yet it permeates society. I see it now in myself! After reading this book, I've become able to acknowledge my suboncious prejudices and change my world view.
All in all, this is a fantastic book. Please read it. As a side note: the audiobook is fantastic, I really recommend it!
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