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_nisha_singh's review against another edition
3.0
Loved her first one but writing two “memoir” type books so close together meant that there wasn’t...a ton of new content for his book? Like it felt like she just rearranged it under new headers and organized the information differently. I enjoyed it but maybe shouldn’t have read it so close to the first, or just pick one and read it.
veronnie10's review against another edition
3.0
Enjoyed, just not as much as first book. Felt as if much of the advice was targeted at a much younger demographic and was hastily put together.
Really loved the essays on Monica Lewinsky, being child-free, owning pets, dancing, traveling to Japan.
Really loved the essays on Monica Lewinsky, being child-free, owning pets, dancing, traveling to Japan.
ashleyhorning's review against another edition
2.0
It was fine. Skipped some essays I found boring but whatever.
carlaah1984's review against another edition
4.0
An enjoyable, relatable, and quick read. I enjoyed her humor and honesty. The essay about not having kids was what I needed
celebrationofbooks's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
2.75
I love Alyssa Mastromonaco. I did not love So Here’s the Thing… Which is upsetting to me. As a bookseller, my goal is to bridge the divide between readers and authors and also help to expose readers to something new and different. When I loved Who Thought This was a Good Idea? so much, I shared it with a middle aged woman who once walked into the store wearing a MAGA hat. She loved it. Bridging the divide, one step at at time. When she asked for So Here’s the Thing… I had to think long and hard about whether I recommended it or not.
The publisher’s marketing is misleading. Alyssa spends the first quarter of the book rallying against our president. I think everyone is entitled to their opinion, and I wouldn’t be such a big fan if I didn’t find myself often agreeing with her. However, I feel there is a time and a place for such rhetoric. And based on the marketing of this book, I felt the publisher tried to hide the truly divisive language found between the front and back cover.
Additionally, the non-political parts felt like a rehashing of anecdotes from Who Thought This Was a Good Idea? I loved it, but this felt like the fat that was trimmed from the first one. And trimmed for a reason. I understood the point of the book to be on offering helpful advice to twenty-first century women, and while I still respect Alyssa and look forward to any further books she may write, I was left incredibly disappointed by So Here’s the Thing…
granny_weatherwax's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.5
My first non-fic of Non-Fic September 2021.
Here are my thoughts on:
Content: Like other readers, I'm uncertain as to which audience she was writing for. I enjoyed the cultural references for our age demographic and would totally listen to most of her playlists (except MJ; I don't like MJ). But it seemed she was directly speaking to the millennials or Gen Z; people who would not appreciate the cultural references but, perhaps, the mentoring being offered.
I actually enjoyed the lists presented throughout. Laughed out loud with commiseration at the IBS and menstruation debacles. Oh, how miserable they can be.
I wasn't certain if I would enjoy reading essays from someone so far left but I did. I disagree with her on some things (like free feminine hygiene products; dogs are better than cats) but I found myself agreeing with her on others (thoughts on Trump; not everyone is meant to be a mom and motherhood is a personal choice).
What I did find surprising (and this shows my lack of experience with politics) was her repeated claims of not having/earning a lot of money and how she had to economize. Living on $20,500 might be difficult (almost impossible; but it was almost 20 years ago when it would have stretched just a bit more) but what about her perks? Free worldwide and stateside travel? Free lodging? Nice per diem? I'm honestly curious. What would it all add up to if she would have had to pay for those experiences herself? I understand she worked for everything but her intangibles (celebrity and influential friends, meeting and marrying an intelligent man of means, life experiences) are priceless.
Narrating: Alyssa is pleasant to listen to and I enjoyed her narration. However, there were pauses during which I repeatedly checked my phone to make certain I wasn't receiving a text or a phone call. These pauses were totally random, often in the middle of a thought or sentence, and she would continue the thought/sentence after the pause. I wonder if these were page turns, screen swipes, or some other glitch associated with recording an audiobook. I was surprised with the number of pauses since Alyssa was reading her own book, should have known what was coming, and could have anticipated the remaining text.
Inspiration: This is why the book gets 3.5 stars. I was inspired to listen to some of her recommended podcasts and books. I enjoy books that make me think and challenge my beliefs and Alyssa did just that. My TBR/To Be Listened To piles grew a bit while listening to Alyssa.
Here are my thoughts on:
Content: Like other readers, I'm uncertain as to which audience she was writing for. I enjoyed the cultural references for our age demographic and would totally listen to most of her playlists (except MJ; I don't like MJ). But it seemed she was directly speaking to the millennials or Gen Z; people who would not appreciate the cultural references but, perhaps, the mentoring being offered.
I actually enjoyed the lists presented throughout. Laughed out loud with commiseration at the IBS and menstruation debacles. Oh, how miserable they can be.
I wasn't certain if I would enjoy reading essays from someone so far left but I did. I disagree with her on some things (like free feminine hygiene products; dogs are better than cats) but I found myself agreeing with her on others (thoughts on Trump; not everyone is meant to be a mom and motherhood is a personal choice).
What I did find surprising (and this shows my lack of experience with politics) was her repeated claims of not having/earning a lot of money and how she had to economize. Living on $20,500 might be difficult (almost impossible; but it was almost 20 years ago when it would have stretched just a bit more) but what about her perks? Free worldwide and stateside travel? Free lodging? Nice per diem? I'm honestly curious. What would it all add up to if she would have had to pay for those experiences herself? I understand she worked for everything but her intangibles (celebrity and influential friends, meeting and marrying an intelligent man of means, life experiences) are priceless.
Narrating: Alyssa is pleasant to listen to and I enjoyed her narration. However, there were pauses during which I repeatedly checked my phone to make certain I wasn't receiving a text or a phone call. These pauses were totally random, often in the middle of a thought or sentence, and she would continue the thought/sentence after the pause. I wonder if these were page turns, screen swipes, or some other glitch associated with recording an audiobook. I was surprised with the number of pauses since Alyssa was reading her own book, should have known what was coming, and could have anticipated the remaining text.
Inspiration: This is why the book gets 3.5 stars. I was inspired to listen to some of her recommended podcasts and books. I enjoy books that make me think and challenge my beliefs and Alyssa did just that. My TBR/To Be Listened To piles grew a bit while listening to Alyssa.