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adamgolden's reviews
192 reviews
Naked by David Sedaris
4.0
(4.5/5★)
Apparently, David Sedaris' humor is hit-or-miss for a lot of readers. Some people just don't appreciate the darker, pessimistic undertones that permeate his work, but personally, I love them. Naked, like most of his works, is a series of essays chronicling different points of Sedaris' life in a brutally honest and hilarious fashion. While some stories seem a little exaggerated, they definitely don't feel fabricated out of thin air, as they are often relatable in a weird sense - not so much the situations he finds himself in, but the way he handles them. While this is a great book to pick up and put down at your leisure due to how each story can essentially be read on it's own, I tore through this book fairly quickly as it's amusing to see how he can top one ridiculous story after another.
Apparently, David Sedaris' humor is hit-or-miss for a lot of readers. Some people just don't appreciate the darker, pessimistic undertones that permeate his work, but personally, I love them. Naked, like most of his works, is a series of essays chronicling different points of Sedaris' life in a brutally honest and hilarious fashion. While some stories seem a little exaggerated, they definitely don't feel fabricated out of thin air, as they are often relatable in a weird sense - not so much the situations he finds himself in, but the way he handles them. While this is a great book to pick up and put down at your leisure due to how each story can essentially be read on it's own, I tore through this book fairly quickly as it's amusing to see how he can top one ridiculous story after another.
Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling by John Taylor Gatto
3.0
(3.5/5★)
The title of this book instantly caught my attention, as I've always believed that our schooling system in the U.S. is inadequate and inefficient. While Gatto does well explaining what's wrong with the system and how it got to be where it is today, his solutions to the problems it has are unfortunately lacking, mostly because of how outdated the book is. With the advent of the internet and it's growing accessibility over the past 10 years, it's hard to ignore that it will eventually be the main source for education in the near future (more so than it already is). Kids today are growing up with devices that can tell them about anything, anywhere, at any time, with the added benefit of seeing other people's perspectives and opinions from around the world. If and when I have children, I'll seriously be considering home schooling if it's a viable option, as the alternative generally leads to the production of human sheep without a sense of individualism.
The title of this book instantly caught my attention, as I've always believed that our schooling system in the U.S. is inadequate and inefficient. While Gatto does well explaining what's wrong with the system and how it got to be where it is today, his solutions to the problems it has are unfortunately lacking, mostly because of how outdated the book is. With the advent of the internet and it's growing accessibility over the past 10 years, it's hard to ignore that it will eventually be the main source for education in the near future (more so than it already is). Kids today are growing up with devices that can tell them about anything, anywhere, at any time, with the added benefit of seeing other people's perspectives and opinions from around the world. If and when I have children, I'll seriously be considering home schooling if it's a viable option, as the alternative generally leads to the production of human sheep without a sense of individualism.
Hiroshima by John Hersey
4.0
(4.5/5★)
While it's one thing to quickly gloss over the devastation of what occurred in Hiroshima in a history class, it's an entirely different beast when you read the vivid descriptions and stories from the survivors of this catastrophic event. It's hard to imagine after reading this book how anybody could possibly endorse the idea of possessing nuclear weapons and seeing them as a viable option to end any sort of conflict. Hiroshima is an utterly disheartening read, reminding us how terrifying war is, especially when it involves the lives of innocent people - but it's also a book that needs to be read, so that history does not repeat itself.
While it's one thing to quickly gloss over the devastation of what occurred in Hiroshima in a history class, it's an entirely different beast when you read the vivid descriptions and stories from the survivors of this catastrophic event. It's hard to imagine after reading this book how anybody could possibly endorse the idea of possessing nuclear weapons and seeing them as a viable option to end any sort of conflict. Hiroshima is an utterly disheartening read, reminding us how terrifying war is, especially when it involves the lives of innocent people - but it's also a book that needs to be read, so that history does not repeat itself.
Seafire by Natalie C. Parker
2.0
(2.5/5★)
I typically don't read much YA these days, but the hype surrounding this book and the idea of an all female pirate crew had me fairly interested. While I appreciate the world building and (modest) character development in this book, I don't think it justified being 400 pages, and the pacing of events was excruciatingly slow. The cliffhanger of an "ending" was anticlimactic and disappointing, and the ham-fisted attempts at romance just seemed like an unnecessary addition. That being said, the writing itself wasn't necessarily bad, but the general structure could use some work, especially when it comes to creating a satisfying ending (regardless of the fact that this is the first book in a series).
I typically don't read much YA these days, but the hype surrounding this book and the idea of an all female pirate crew had me fairly interested. While I appreciate the world building and (modest) character development in this book, I don't think it justified being 400 pages, and the pacing of events was excruciatingly slow. The cliffhanger of an "ending" was anticlimactic and disappointing, and the ham-fisted attempts at romance just seemed like an unnecessary addition. That being said, the writing itself wasn't necessarily bad, but the general structure could use some work, especially when it comes to creating a satisfying ending (regardless of the fact that this is the first book in a series).
The Genius Plague by David Walton
3.0
(3.5/5★)
Considering the title of the book, I was hoping that it would focus more on this "plague" that was giving people hyper intelligence and curing diseases left and right. Instead, a good majority of the book is unfortunately focused on how the protagonist can get through any situation practically blindfolded, because things just constantly happen to go his way. There are undoubtedly interesting ideas in this book, example being the idea of a symbiotic relationship between fungi and humans, and how it could lead to saving the planet. If more of these ideas were expounded on a bit more, instead of the bland military and NSA segments, it would have been a much more satisfying read.
Considering the title of the book, I was hoping that it would focus more on this "plague" that was giving people hyper intelligence and curing diseases left and right. Instead, a good majority of the book is unfortunately focused on how the protagonist can get through any situation practically blindfolded, because things just constantly happen to go his way. There are undoubtedly interesting ideas in this book, example being the idea of a symbiotic relationship between fungi and humans, and how it could lead to saving the planet. If more of these ideas were expounded on a bit more, instead of the bland military and NSA segments, it would have been a much more satisfying read.
The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang
4.0
(4.5/5★)
I picked up this book after reading the summary, genuinely surprised that I had never heard of this historical incident throughout my years of schooling, not even in passing. To think that something this monumentally atrocious occurred, and has basically been glossed over or barely mentioned in history books around the world, is both upsetting and straight up unethical. In some ways rivaling the barbarity of the Holocaust in Germany, the Rape of Nanking is truly one of the worst events to transpire in modern history. What's even worse is the cover-up of the event by the Japanese, many claiming that it never happened, or that the numbers concerning rapes/deaths are grossly exaggerated. As chilling as this book is to read, I don't think war crimes such as these should ever be forgotten, especially when higher powers are attempting to make that a reality.
I picked up this book after reading the summary, genuinely surprised that I had never heard of this historical incident throughout my years of schooling, not even in passing. To think that something this monumentally atrocious occurred, and has basically been glossed over or barely mentioned in history books around the world, is both upsetting and straight up unethical. In some ways rivaling the barbarity of the Holocaust in Germany, the Rape of Nanking is truly one of the worst events to transpire in modern history. What's even worse is the cover-up of the event by the Japanese, many claiming that it never happened, or that the numbers concerning rapes/deaths are grossly exaggerated. As chilling as this book is to read, I don't think war crimes such as these should ever be forgotten, especially when higher powers are attempting to make that a reality.
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
1.0
(1.5/5★)
Between the extremely cringe-worthy dialogue, the predictable and utterly generic plot, and the "look at me, I'm such a nerd" not-so-obscure 80's references, this is easily one of the worst books I've read this year. While I understand this is a "Young Adult" novel, it obviously panders to people that grew up in the 80's...which leads me to believe that just as many adults are reading this. There are, however, a lot of cool ideas in this book. But instead of focusing on those, at least half of this book focuses on "obscure" (when they're really not, and I wasn't even born in the 80's) references that are just there for the sake of being there. The protagonist is your typical modern day incel who happens to have everything handed to him on a silver platter. The general consensus is that Ernest Cline is projecting himself through the main character, Wade, and after reading some of the authors' "poetry", I'm inclined to agree. All I can hope is that young boys don't look up to Wade as some sort of idol to model themselves after, because the less people there are like Wade, the better.
Between the extremely cringe-worthy dialogue, the predictable and utterly generic plot, and the "look at me, I'm such a nerd" not-so-obscure 80's references, this is easily one of the worst books I've read this year. While I understand this is a "Young Adult" novel, it obviously panders to people that grew up in the 80's...which leads me to believe that just as many adults are reading this. There are, however, a lot of cool ideas in this book. But instead of focusing on those, at least half of this book focuses on "obscure" (when they're really not, and I wasn't even born in the 80's) references that are just there for the sake of being there. The protagonist is your typical modern day incel who happens to have everything handed to him on a silver platter. The general consensus is that Ernest Cline is projecting himself through the main character, Wade, and after reading some of the authors' "poetry", I'm inclined to agree. All I can hope is that young boys don't look up to Wade as some sort of idol to model themselves after, because the less people there are like Wade, the better.
Seed by Michael Edelson
1.0
(1.5/5★)
I bought this book on impulse while randomly browsing Amazon since it was a couple bucks and seemed like it would be an interesting, quick read. While it was a quick read, I'd say it was anything but interesting. Worse than that, it had me literally cringing (and groaning aloud) on several different occasions. Not too far into the book, the protagonist's eventual lover sums him up perfectly -"sometimes you act like a puerile teenager" which is funny, because the writing and plot is equivalent to that of something a young adult would write. There is even a quote by the hero at the conclusion, which quite accurately describes the narrative and dialogue of the book - "It was just so utterly and incomprehensibly stupid."
I bought this book on impulse while randomly browsing Amazon since it was a couple bucks and seemed like it would be an interesting, quick read. While it was a quick read, I'd say it was anything but interesting. Worse than that, it had me literally cringing (and groaning aloud) on several different occasions. Not too far into the book, the protagonist's eventual lover sums him up perfectly -"sometimes you act like a puerile teenager" which is funny, because the writing and plot is equivalent to that of something a young adult would write. There is even a quote by the hero at the conclusion, which quite accurately describes the narrative and dialogue of the book - "It was just so utterly and incomprehensibly stupid."
The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made by Greg Sestero
4.0
(4/5★)
It's really bizzare to think about how popular the film The Room and the mystery surrounding it has become so popular and utterly captivating. I remember seeing the film in high school (years before this book was published) and thinking it was a terrible film, not even bothering to finish it. Years later, once people started discussing the film more and how enjoyable it was because it was SO bad, I re-watched it and instantly understood why it was gaining so much traction. There's something hypnotizing about it, about how intense and dramatic it should be, but how it comes off as something entirely else.
Sestero's book about the filming of the movie and, particularly, his relationship with Tommy goes much more in depth than what we got in Franco's recent adaption. If you want to know more about the mystique of Tommy Wiseau and how he came to be the man he is (or was, when filming The Room), there's no better source than this memoir authored by his "best friend".
Also, due to the recommendation of a friend of mine, I highly recommend listening to the audiobook while reading. Sestero's impression of Tommy is so dead-on that it's incredibly funny, and really makes scenes involving him very entertaining.
It's really bizzare to think about how popular the film The Room and the mystery surrounding it has become so popular and utterly captivating. I remember seeing the film in high school (years before this book was published) and thinking it was a terrible film, not even bothering to finish it. Years later, once people started discussing the film more and how enjoyable it was because it was SO bad, I re-watched it and instantly understood why it was gaining so much traction. There's something hypnotizing about it, about how intense and dramatic it should be, but how it comes off as something entirely else.
Sestero's book about the filming of the movie and, particularly, his relationship with Tommy goes much more in depth than what we got in Franco's recent adaption. If you want to know more about the mystique of Tommy Wiseau and how he came to be the man he is (or was, when filming The Room), there's no better source than this memoir authored by his "best friend".
Also, due to the recommendation of a friend of mine, I highly recommend listening to the audiobook while reading. Sestero's impression of Tommy is so dead-on that it's incredibly funny, and really makes scenes involving him very entertaining.
The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury
4.0
(4.5/5★)
A fantastic collection of science fiction short stories, many of them having to do with space and the planet Mars in particular. Each story you are thrown into a different era, a different dimension, or planet. Bradbury's prose is, as always, wonderful. Human emotions are also a huge part of each story, whether it be isolation, jealousy, or alienation. Even though some of these short stories are only a few pages long, it doesn't take long for Bradbury to craft a universe you're fully absorbed in.
A fantastic collection of science fiction short stories, many of them having to do with space and the planet Mars in particular. Each story you are thrown into a different era, a different dimension, or planet. Bradbury's prose is, as always, wonderful. Human emotions are also a huge part of each story, whether it be isolation, jealousy, or alienation. Even though some of these short stories are only a few pages long, it doesn't take long for Bradbury to craft a universe you're fully absorbed in.