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alexblackreads's reviews
846 reviews
Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker
4.0
I loved this. The kind of weird thing about this book is that it's really not about schizophrenia at all- it spends the whole book talking about subjects around schizophrenia. I think if you're looking for this to be about the disease, you'll probably struggle.
But I found it so fascinating. It was a slow read, but one I struggled to put down. I loved how much he humanized all the people involved, from the family to the researchers to their friends. It was a superb work of characterization. In some cases we didn't have much information, but Kolker still managed to make the story feel complete.
And I loved getting a longterm look at the Galvin family, from the parents meeting through the next 80 years. It's one of my favorite types of stories and it was so interesting to watch them as everything changed for the worse and the better.
I really thoroughly enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend if it sounds like your kind of book. It was incredibly worthwhile and one of the best things I've read recently.
But I found it so fascinating. It was a slow read, but one I struggled to put down. I loved how much he humanized all the people involved, from the family to the researchers to their friends. It was a superb work of characterization. In some cases we didn't have much information, but Kolker still managed to make the story feel complete.
And I loved getting a longterm look at the Galvin family, from the parents meeting through the next 80 years. It's one of my favorite types of stories and it was so interesting to watch them as everything changed for the worse and the better.
I really thoroughly enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend if it sounds like your kind of book. It was incredibly worthwhile and one of the best things I've read recently.
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
4.0
This was a fascinating piece of history. I loved seeing all of Grann's research and the work he put in to tell this story.
I think towards the beginning he was trying to hard to be another Capote. I've read him before and loved him, but the first section of the book didn't sound like his style and didn't flow well for me. Section two was better and I thought the final portion of the book was absolutely wonderful, when he gave himself the space to branch out in the community and really share what was important.
This book hurt to read. I knew there were killings, but I didn't know so much of what was happening. It's a truly horrific piece of our history, and Molly Burke's family was only a single tragedy of many.
I highly recommend this. I think it's one of those stories from history we should take it upon ourselves to learn and remember because the Osage deserve that respect.
I think towards the beginning he was trying to hard to be another Capote. I've read him before and loved him, but the first section of the book didn't sound like his style and didn't flow well for me. Section two was better and I thought the final portion of the book was absolutely wonderful, when he gave himself the space to branch out in the community and really share what was important.
This book hurt to read. I knew there were killings, but I didn't know so much of what was happening. It's a truly horrific piece of our history, and Molly Burke's family was only a single tragedy of many.
I highly recommend this. I think it's one of those stories from history we should take it upon ourselves to learn and remember because the Osage deserve that respect.
O Caledonia by Elspeth Barker
3.0
This was an odd little story about a young girl who dies young and her tragically short, misunderstood life.
I probably would have liked this a lot better as a teenager because I think I would have related a lot more to the main character. Janet likes reading and she's pretty weird and as an immature teen, I would have seen myself in her so much. As an adult, I found Janet to be kind of a moody brat who didn't make an effort with anyone.
I also found this a little overwritten. It was pretty, but so often I'd get to the end of a passage and think 'what on earth did she just say?' So I'd have to go back and reread it. I just found it to be a little much, and I think this is a book that relies heavily on the writing. If you don't like the writing, you won't love this. But if the writing is your thing, I can see why this would be a favorite.
Overall, not for me. It was fine but a pretty forgettable read.
I probably would have liked this a lot better as a teenager because I think I would have related a lot more to the main character. Janet likes reading and she's pretty weird and as an immature teen, I would have seen myself in her so much. As an adult, I found Janet to be kind of a moody brat who didn't make an effort with anyone.
I also found this a little overwritten. It was pretty, but so often I'd get to the end of a passage and think 'what on earth did she just say?' So I'd have to go back and reread it. I just found it to be a little much, and I think this is a book that relies heavily on the writing. If you don't like the writing, you won't love this. But if the writing is your thing, I can see why this would be a favorite.
Overall, not for me. It was fine but a pretty forgettable read.
Endymion Spring by Matthew Skelton
3.0
This was an odd but enjoyable little book. It was published in the mid-aughts and very much reminded me of the middle grade from my childhood, which was very nostalgic.
I wish there had been more time spent in the historical timeline. We really only got the bare minimum and I felt like the whole book would have been stronger if the history had been fully developed. As it was, the magic was a little half baked and some of the world building was underdeveloped. What we did get from the past felt kind of skimmed through, with relationships forming out of seemingly nowhere. It was frustrating because it could have been a lot stronger.
The writing was lovely and the characters were all nice to read about. I liked how developed their family relationships were and that was definitely what carried the book for me. It was a very fun quick read.
I'd highly recommend this if you like children's literature- especially of the magical book about books variety. It's not really my thing, but I could see this getting a lot of love from the right audience.
I wish there had been more time spent in the historical timeline. We really only got the bare minimum and I felt like the whole book would have been stronger if the history had been fully developed. As it was, the magic was a little half baked and some of the world building was underdeveloped. What we did get from the past felt kind of skimmed through, with relationships forming out of seemingly nowhere. It was frustrating because it could have been a lot stronger.
The writing was lovely and the characters were all nice to read about. I liked how developed their family relationships were and that was definitely what carried the book for me. It was a very fun quick read.
I'd highly recommend this if you like children's literature- especially of the magical book about books variety. It's not really my thing, but I could see this getting a lot of love from the right audience.
Indelible by Karin Slaughter
3.0
This was a pretty disappointing book for me. Dual timelines are really hard in thrillers and I felt like they didn't work here. Neither timeline was strong enough to carry the story, so it wound up feeling like we got two half stories that kind of connected by the end, but without any satisfying payoff.
She also constantly ended sections on cliffhangers before switching over to the other timeline. A few times is fine, but it was constant. It didn't hold my interest in the book, I just found it annoying. And double frustrating because by the time I would get back to the original timeline, several chapters had passed and I wasn't as invested in that event.
I liked the characters and her writing just as much as I always do. It wasn't a bad book by any means and I'd recommend it if you're planning to read the Grant County series, but I did find it weaker than her usual books.
She also constantly ended sections on cliffhangers before switching over to the other timeline. A few times is fine, but it was constant. It didn't hold my interest in the book, I just found it annoying. And double frustrating because by the time I would get back to the original timeline, several chapters had passed and I wasn't as invested in that event.
I liked the characters and her writing just as much as I always do. It wasn't a bad book by any means and I'd recommend it if you're planning to read the Grant County series, but I did find it weaker than her usual books.
Pageboy by Elliot Page
4.0
A great memoir and I highly recommend the audiobook version. He has such a pleasant voice for audiobooks and I think I enjoyed this more getting to hear him tell his own story.
I loved the way he wove his childhood into the stories of his family and adulthood. I think it was really masterfully done. It's hard to control a nonlinear book in a way that still flows properly, but he did a fantastic job here. I can't imagine his story any other way.
My only real issue was the amount of time spent on his various relationships. I get a little bit of ick hearing about real people's sex lives (it's been a problem in some other memoirs) so I was a little uncomfortable, and truthfully I just didn't care about any of his relationships. They didn't fit as well in the rest of the narrative for me.
But overall it was a beautifully written book that I would recommend, even if you're not a big Elliot Page fan.
I loved the way he wove his childhood into the stories of his family and adulthood. I think it was really masterfully done. It's hard to control a nonlinear book in a way that still flows properly, but he did a fantastic job here. I can't imagine his story any other way.
My only real issue was the amount of time spent on his various relationships. I get a little bit of ick hearing about real people's sex lives (it's been a problem in some other memoirs) so I was a little uncomfortable, and truthfully I just didn't care about any of his relationships. They didn't fit as well in the rest of the narrative for me.
But overall it was a beautifully written book that I would recommend, even if you're not a big Elliot Page fan.
Unbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement by Tarana Burke
4.0
Burke is the founder of the #MeToo movement and this memoir tells her story of childhood sexual abuse and her journey to advocacy throughout her life. It was an interesting read and a powerful story.
She does such a great job of capturing emotions, especially the fears and anxieties from childhood that permeated through her adult life. It's so present throughout the whole book and she really takes you on that journey of healing with her. Her writing was incredibly evocative.
One thing I struggled with in the audiobook was that it felt too much like a performance. And that's obviously because it is, Burke performed the audiobook, as does any narrator. But it wound up feeling a little artificial because of that performative aspect in a way I don't think I would have felt had I read the physical book. I think it bothered me a little more in this book than it usually would because she is so much more expressive than a lot of narrators I've listened to. This may be a perk of the audiobook for other people, though.
Highly recommend. It was a fantastic read and I think most people would get a lot out of this.
She does such a great job of capturing emotions, especially the fears and anxieties from childhood that permeated through her adult life. It's so present throughout the whole book and she really takes you on that journey of healing with her. Her writing was incredibly evocative.
One thing I struggled with in the audiobook was that it felt too much like a performance. And that's obviously because it is, Burke performed the audiobook, as does any narrator. But it wound up feeling a little artificial because of that performative aspect in a way I don't think I would have felt had I read the physical book. I think it bothered me a little more in this book than it usually would because she is so much more expressive than a lot of narrators I've listened to. This may be a perk of the audiobook for other people, though.
Highly recommend. It was a fantastic read and I think most people would get a lot out of this.
Jim Abbott Against All Odds: Against All Odds by Ellen Emerson White
Choosing to leave unrated because it's a kids biography written in 1990. I'm very much not the target audience.
I didn't know anything about Jim Abbott before reading this so it was very interesting to learn about his life and early career. I did feel like at a point the book veered a little too much into a play by play of the first half of his first season in the majors, but it was still a worthwhile read. Honestly, it made it interested enough to look up more information on him and now I'm kind of curious about his memoir.
Not sure who I'd recommend this too, but it was a good addition on my quest to read all Ellen Emerson White's books.
I didn't know anything about Jim Abbott before reading this so it was very interesting to learn about his life and early career. I did feel like at a point the book veered a little too much into a play by play of the first half of his first season in the majors, but it was still a worthwhile read. Honestly, it made it interested enough to look up more information on him and now I'm kind of curious about his memoir.
Not sure who I'd recommend this too, but it was a good addition on my quest to read all Ellen Emerson White's books.
In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick
4.0
This was an absolutely fascinating about the whaleship Essex, which was sunk by a whale and all men aboard were stranded at sea for three months. It's based largely on accounts by two survivors, the first mate who published a book shortly after their rescue and the cabin boy, who wrote his story and left it in an attack where it was discovered over a hundred years later.
This book is absolutely brutal and very descriptive of the more harrowing moments, including the cannibalism, so I would definitely keep that in mind if you're interested in this book. But it was well worth the read. I thought it was fantastic.
This book is absolutely brutal and very descriptive of the more harrowing moments, including the cannibalism, so I would definitely keep that in mind if you're interested in this book. But it was well worth the read. I thought it was fantastic.
Let Us Water the Flowers: The Memoir of a Political Prisoner in Iran by Jafar Yaghoobi
3.0
I struggled a lot with this book. The subject matter is so interesting and important. It's a first person account of a mass murder of Iranian prisoners in 1988, and the writer was one of the first survivors to escape Iran to share his story with the outside world. But it wasn't particularly well written.
The beginning and final third were focused. Yaghoobi is arrested, tortured, and finds his place in the unfamiliar prison setting, and he shares this information well. Then the killings begin towards the end and his emotion ramps up. So much of what he says matters and it breaks your heart, not only to bear witness to the killings, but also to see his pain.
However, portions of this book were almost unreadable. His writing style is utilitarian at best, which would have been okay except his storytelling lacked focus. A lot of this book was just a play by play of the daily prison occurrences- what room he was in, who his roommates were, when food was served, the layout of the prison. If you want to understand the workings of Iranian prisons in the 80s, this is the book for you. But by the time I'm reading paragraph four about room assignments, I'm lost.
Overall, I'm very glad I read this book. I think it was worthwhile to hear his story and I learned a lot. But I also think there's a reason some people employ ghostwriters. Yaghoobi is obviously an intelligent man, but I don't think his writing did this book justice.
The beginning and final third were focused. Yaghoobi is arrested, tortured, and finds his place in the unfamiliar prison setting, and he shares this information well. Then the killings begin towards the end and his emotion ramps up. So much of what he says matters and it breaks your heart, not only to bear witness to the killings, but also to see his pain.
However, portions of this book were almost unreadable. His writing style is utilitarian at best, which would have been okay except his storytelling lacked focus. A lot of this book was just a play by play of the daily prison occurrences- what room he was in, who his roommates were, when food was served, the layout of the prison. If you want to understand the workings of Iranian prisons in the 80s, this is the book for you. But by the time I'm reading paragraph four about room assignments, I'm lost.
Overall, I'm very glad I read this book. I think it was worthwhile to hear his story and I learned a lot. But I also think there's a reason some people employ ghostwriters. Yaghoobi is obviously an intelligent man, but I don't think his writing did this book justice.