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charity1313's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
I'm glad this was recorded for sharing with a wider audience. It was a unique take on a graduation speech. Will share soon.
smallafterall's review
4.0
I gave this book to the two high school graduates in my life this year, and then re-read my own copy. Now I'm wishing I had underlined and highlighted parts in the copies I gave, because there are several places that I thought: yes! this! pay attention to this! life is like this and you might not think anyone else thinks so too!
Patchett continues to be one of my favorite writers, whether she's creating fictional worlds or reflecting on her own experiences. She writes elegantly without being overly writerly. This book is so short, it feels a bit like a ripoff to pay for it in hardcover, but I appreciate being able to give her words as a gift to someone else.
Patchett continues to be one of my favorite writers, whether she's creating fictional worlds or reflecting on her own experiences. She writes elegantly without being overly writerly. This book is so short, it feels a bit like a ripoff to pay for it in hardcover, but I appreciate being able to give her words as a gift to someone else.
toniclark's review
4.0
This short book is based on a graduation address that Patchett gave at Sarah Lawrence College. It’s delightful and worth reading or listening to anytime. It’s a good idea to stop and reflect, to ask What Now? at many times in our lives, especially at times of transition. Patchett's advice is hopeful and inspiring, with a lot of good quotes, thoughts to ponder and remember. Here’s just one: "Sometimes the circumstances at hand force us to be braver than we actually are, and so we knock on doors and ask for assistance. Sometimes not having any idea where we're going works out better than we could possibly have imagined."
I see this slim book is $14.99 on Kindle. That's too much. The audio is very good, probably cheaper. I borrowed it from the library.
I see this slim book is $14.99 on Kindle. That's too much. The audio is very good, probably cheaper. I borrowed it from the library.
mawalker1962's review
5.0
Great life advice for all of us but especially the young folks struggling to get started.
jennshappyplace's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this short book! It’s so full of inspiration and hope for a graduate! I kept hoping that the graduating class she gave this commencement speech to appreciated it as much as I did. It’s so personal and relatable and funny too. I immediately told my daughter (who’s about to graduate college in 2 months) that she needs to listen to this! So glad I decided to listen!
mfumarolo's review
4.0
I’m a sucker for well written commencement addresses. When I worked as a judge for high school speech tournaments, one of my favorite events would be when students recited these. I also think December perhaps an even more appropriate time than May for those outside the world of academia to revisit them - our calendar year is winding down with the promise of a fresh start in January. In this essay expanded from her commencement address, Ann Patchett describes the journey that those of us in 2017 might refer to as “adulting” - a supremely un-2008 phrase, but the sentiment rings true. With my 30th birthday coming next year, this book was a nice reminder that just because some dreams of mine have not yet come into fruition, that’s not to say hope should be lost since as long as I’m continuing to learn, it is not time wasted.
coreymcameron's review against another edition
4.0
Inspring and and perfect for those nearing a graduation of any kind or the "next step". Very enjoyable and short. The pictures threw me off, it seemed like someone just Google searched and pasted pictures, it didn't seem to go with the text. Oh well.