Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Transphobia, Dysphoria
Ortberg is nimble to a gleefully frustrating degree, and his incorporation of biblical literary parody amongst essays on his experience of trans masculinity is some of the best interpretive work I've seen. Enhanced by his own narration for the audiobook.
some of it made very little sense to me and I put that down to me knowing next to nothing about either pop culture or classical literature... or even close to contemporary literature. indeed, what DO I know anymore? I can't say for sure, as Daniel has changed my opinion on everything, from top surgery to Gomez Addams' gender identity.
This book careens from hilarious bits (House Hunters, but the houses are the hunters) to impenetrable white references which go so far over my head I cannot place whether the myths come from the English, Romans, Greeks, or Tina Fey. It is exactly as chaotic as I needed it to be.
Per the author's request, I have not been inside the body of the history museum in Solvang, but based on the starkness of the lobby, I am confident that there is nothing in Solvang that you haven't experienced in Long Grove, IL or Galena, IL or Lake Geneva, WI, or Shipshewana, IN, which is to say that Solvang is a strip mall gussied up to make white people pay triple for fudge, but in this case placed in a far more incongruous desert climate. I would rather be in Andersonville, which is Swedish and not Danish, but let's be honest, nobody's going to Andersonville for the Swedish history museum either.
Per the author's request, I have not been inside the body of the history museum in Solvang, but based on the starkness of the lobby, I am confident that there is nothing in Solvang that you haven't experienced in Long Grove, IL or Galena, IL or Lake Geneva, WI, or Shipshewana, IN, which is to say that Solvang is a strip mall gussied up to make white people pay triple for fudge, but in this case placed in a far more incongruous desert climate. I would rather be in Andersonville, which is Swedish and not Danish, but let's be honest, nobody's going to Andersonville for the Swedish history museum either.
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Somehow this book really spoke to my Gemini energy. It bounces all over the place and takes the transmasc experience on a self-conscious, weird and beautiful journey through ancient texts and myths, personal and universal *queer feelings*, and through the rocky terrain of Ortberg's body and mind (and whose body and mind are not rocky terrain? I love that jagged coastline of body, barnacle scrapes and all). I highly recommend this read.
As with all of Lavery's work, I really wanted to like this book. However, as with every other book of his I read, this was excessively wordy. This book also leans on the evangelical Christian cannon as a framing device, making parts of it impossible to understand for those of us who were never evangelicals.
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Quite simply, I am obsessed. At this point, my friends are probably sick and tired of the snapshots of this book I keep sending to them.
This book is singlehandedly on of the most relatable pieces of media I have ever consumed. I would read a passage and wonder how the heck the author managed to get my thoughts on the page. About three chapters in, I made a trip to the bookstore because I had an intense urge to annotate - something I almost never do. The stories in this book will stay with me for a while.
Further, it is funny. I am also not usually one to laugh at books but this managed to get some out loud chortles and some late night difficultly suppressed laughs out of me.
Finally, I have not read a book in a while that handled Christian themeing and discussions in such a graceful and intentional way. I am somewhat sensitive to Christian metaphors and themeing in books as many - in my opinion - use the opportunity as a chance to be painfully on the nose and preachy. This book, however, was thoughtful and never felt as if it was trying to convert me. It simply related the authors life experiences and philosophy to those in the Bible which was a breath of fresh air.
My only qualm with this book is that some of the essays are a bit reliant on people being up to date with the media being analyzed in that specific section. I was still able to understand but I felt like I lost something.
This book is singlehandedly on of the most relatable pieces of media I have ever consumed. I would read a passage and wonder how the heck the author managed to get my thoughts on the page. About three chapters in, I made a trip to the bookstore because I had an intense urge to annotate - something I almost never do. The stories in this book will stay with me for a while.
Further, it is funny. I am also not usually one to laugh at books but this managed to get some out loud chortles and some late night difficultly suppressed laughs out of me.
Finally, I have not read a book in a while that handled Christian themeing and discussions in such a graceful and intentional way. I am somewhat sensitive to Christian metaphors and themeing in books as many - in my opinion - use the opportunity as a chance to be painfully on the nose and preachy. This book, however, was thoughtful and never felt as if it was trying to convert me. It simply related the authors life experiences and philosophy to those in the Bible which was a breath of fresh air.
My only qualm with this book is that some of the essays are a bit reliant on people being up to date with the media being analyzed in that specific section. I was still able to understand but I felt like I lost something.
I love Danny. Never miss an episode of his podcast. I plan my day around episodes, even. But his books just fly straight over my head. The description promises it will include "pop culture from the endearingly popular to the staggeringly obscure" and I feel like it leans heavily on obscure.
There would be plenty of times where I was tracking what was going on, then the chapter would change and I'd find myself so lost I had no idea what words even were any more. It probably didn't help that I bought the audiobook, thinking I listen to Danny in my earbuds twice a week so it would be great. Print on pages might have at least oriented me a little.
There would be plenty of times where I was tracking what was going on, then the chapter would change and I'd find myself so lost I had no idea what words even were any more. It probably didn't help that I bought the audiobook, thinking I listen to Danny in my earbuds twice a week so it would be great. Print on pages might have at least oriented me a little.