Reviews tagging 'Racism'

World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatathil

36 reviews

readandfindout's review

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informative reflective medium-paced

3.75

Style/writing: 3 stars
Themes: 4 stars
Perspective: 4 stars
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murryloub's review

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adventurous informative fast-paced

2.75

The art & the endorsement from Kiese Laymon made me want to read this book; unfortunately the art is the best part & the book certainly doesn’t shake the earth. 

The author’s poetic prose excels at describing each organism & making the reader care about nature. But the connections between nature & the author’s life are hit & miss - some are poignant, while others are tenuous at best. Some of the language also comes across condescending - the author was raised “the right way” while kids these days have too much screentime & don’t even know what a firefly is. 🙄

I think the book would be better structured if the essays took us chronologically thru the author’s lifetime. Overall a satisfactory read, but not one I’d recommend. 
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kirbyblue's review

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hopeful informative reflective fast-paced

4.25

This book was certainly different from what I normally read. However, I really enjoyed it. It was very clever in the way animals were paired with life experiences and I felt the overall message was conveyed very effectively. 
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moonytoast's review

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emotional lighthearted reflective fast-paced

4.25

Part memoir, part love letter to the natural world, this was such a heartfelt dose of warmth and poetry about a slew of fascinating plants and creatures that the author ties back to her own experiences in a beautiful way. Perfect for fans of The Anthropocene Reviewed. 
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inkdrinkers's review against another edition

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informative reflective slow-paced

2.0

Do you ever walk into a bookstore and pick up a book and hold it for a second, thinking "Everyone really loves this, maybe I should try it?" But then you convince yourself to leave it - only to pick it up again the next time you see it out. And that back and forth of will I read this, will I not, is what finally made me sit down and pick up World Of Wonders.

Told in briefs, this book navigates the author's life through the lens of various fauna and flora around the world. The concept was what drew me in multiple times, but unfortunately the words on the page just didn't connect with me. I think my favorite two sections were easily the whale shark and flamingo, because at least they had some substance and something to connect the author to the creatures she spoke about.

I felt like this was empty for me, devoid of some kind of spark that I expected to feel from the first page. Instead it took me literal weeks to get through this hundred-page collection. I wanted to finish it to see if it was truly one that would end up on my shelf and ended up glad I never parted with my money for a paperback edition.

content warnings: talk of pregnancy, racism experienced as an Indian woman, and animal death.
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towardinfinitybooks's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

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honeycupreads's review

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emotional informative inspiring reflective relaxing medium-paced

5.0

This is one of the most beautiful pieces of art that I have ever had the pleasure of viewing. It was a random pick up from my local library because I wanted to learn about the beautiful creatures on the cover but I learned so much more than just that. This book is beautifully written and each chapter fully pulled me in. The emotions I felt while reading this book are truly indescribable and I’m grateful that I decided to bring it home with me to read. I found myself having to stop due to the overwhelming emotions this book pulled out of me. You can tell every story, every word, every creature were so thoughtfully picked. This is a book about life, love, and wonder. I think this is a book that everyone should read because you can truly learn so much. I fell in love with this book and I believe I will treasure it for the rest of my life. Aimee Nezhukumatathil is truly an amazing writer and storyteller and I don’t think I could have any more wonderful things to say about this book.
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bookworm_leilani's review against another edition

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hopeful informative reflective slow-paced

5.0

Meditative, reflective, evocative, loving - while being pedestrian in the best possible way. Accessible prose, that taken together paint vibrant pictures directly on the readers heart. 

I can’t pick a favorite story/chapter, as they all evoked something as I read. I will say for all it’s brevity, this is a book worth savoring. 

And the illustrations? Lovely. They truly work in concert with the text, and are interspersed at just the right frequency, making the book feel incredibly harmonious. Like reading a loved ones journal, but less voyeuristic, or field notes from a brilliant mind, but more vulnerable. 

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featherinthewind's review

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emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

This was an amazing read and it really made me look back and reflect on how I was raised in the south
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lilybear3's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective relaxing slow-paced

3.75

Beautifully poetic even though it's not poetry.  Aimee Nezhukumatathil masterfully combines information with reflections on life. I was surprised by how emotionally impacted I was by these mini essays.
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