aliangco's reviews
168 reviews

Lab Rats: How Silicon Valley Made Work Miserable for the Rest of Us by Dan Lyons

challenging hopeful informative medium-paced

4.0

I'm a tech person who reads books like this to call out my own tech bs. This book did that for me.

In the beginning, Dan Lyons annoyed me. He sounded pessimistic and judgemental and I probably took offence cause I work in tech. He wrote about the crappy side of tech - and although I've known this stuff already, hearing it over and over again was disheartening. Gave me a bit of a quarter life crisis and entertaining alternative career paths. But towards the end, he spent time talking about how we can revolutionize the industry and even capitalism.

It was refreshing to hear the hopeful ending. Most tech books just call out the issues and leave it there. But Lyons didn't leave me hanging. Now I'm equipped to make better decisions and I'm ready to looking more into orgs that aren't using their employees as lab rats.

Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson

funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Fun read that left me unsatisfied in the end. The main character's narration was funny and sarcastic. Her voice is what kept me going and I would find myself chuckle at her inner thoughts. Wilson wrote a plot that was mysterious and out of this world yet the conclusion left me with a question mark on the theme of the book. Was it parenthood and its true meaning? Was it commentary on power and socioeconomic class? It tackled bits and pieces only to leave me unsure of what I had just read. 

Overall, it was a fun read but I wanted more to satisfy me. 

Org Design for Design Orgs: Building and Managing In-House Design Teams by Peter Merholz, Kristin Skinner

informative

4.0

I suggest all designers to read this, at any stage of their career. It was a great primer on how I can plan out my career. I imagine that I'll pick this up again when I level up in my career responsibilities in a couple years.

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This is the first book I ever read by TJR. Actually, I listened to this as an audiobook. I heard that it was written in a special way and I worried that the interview style writing might be hard for me to read. So I opted to the audiobook which was read by a cast.

Super happy I went the audiobook route because I was able to imagine it like a documentary. I found myself rooting for certain characters and honestly getting invested too much in the plot. Some might say that the interview style defeats the "show don't tell" lecture we hear in English class - but honestly it worked for this one. I was always surprised by the plot. I would try to predict what would happen next, and I would be completely wrong.

Loved the surprises in the end. It didn't get a perfect 5 stars for me because the ending wasn't completely my taste.

I'm so anti-Billy and Daisy ok? I just really identified with Camilla and don't worry, I'm gonna reflect on why the possibility of Billy and Daisy irks me.

The Son of Good Fortune by Lysley Tenorio

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

This is a fictional story about an undocumented mother and son duo. I got this book to read more Filipino stories and I found that Tenorio's novel covers the high level struggles of a Filipino-American, especially one who's undocumented. I found the plot to be engaging and he includes characters that are lovable. 

As a Filipino, I appreciated reading the story that felt familiar thanks to how Tenorio includes Filipino details. The subtle mentioning of Filipino stereotypes, his use of Tagalog, and how he mentions small Filipino traditions.

Wish that there was more to this book though. I wanted it to go deeper and explore the identity of an undocumented person. There were moments where it tried to, but it was lacklustre.

Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld

adventurous slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

The premise was more fascinating than the book itself. Throughout the entire book, I had to suspend my disbelief harder than I've ever done before. You really have to lock it away and try to be open to this reimagining of Hilary's life. There were moments when the dialogue was embarrassing, to say the least. 

About midway through the book, it started to get interesting. But ultimately, it wasn't satisfying. I think the writing style is mostly to blame since it didn't capture me at all. I understood that this was a fun take on Hilary's life but it required me to work as hard as possible to give it a chance. 

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

emotional funny inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Ove's story started slow. Things started to pick up about 40% in and then it was the gift that keeps on giving. Stories of love, loss, and friendship - A Man Called Ove gave me butterflies in my stomach and tears down my eyes. Makes you wanna hug all the grumpy people in the world. 

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

At first, I took a small bite. I was skeptical - how can a debut memoir about her mother's death and her Korean-American identity be that good? My first bite took over my taste buds. Her writing on regret, loneliness, and grief made me misty-eyed while her descriptions of comforting Korean food made my stomach growl. She balanced gut-wrenching moments with delicious food - as if she was trying to feed me to make the sadness go away.

I continued to eat up this book with bigger bites. I devoured it. Now my stomach and heart are so full.

I hate overhyping books and food since these experiences vary from person-to-person. But Crying in H Mart is a narrative non-fiction memoir that I will share with everyone. This may be my favorite book for 2021. I will happily re-read it again.

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

emotional inspiring medium-paced

5.0

Written so beautifully. So beautifully. I could listen to Joan Didion write about anything, seriously, give her anything to write about and I will read it. In this book, she writes about the loss of her husband, her throes of grief and mourning, and motherhood. I found that death no longer had its tragic and depressing spell thanks to her reflections and prose. She made death sound tangible and something that we could handle.  I'm not sure what else I could write to give this book on death any justice. 

I didn't expect to love it so much. 

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I had no idea what to expect. This coming-of-age epic covers the life of Theo. He experiences loss, addiction, awful father-son relationship, and love. I was excited to read and I was really letting Donna Tartt take me for the ride but towards the end, I just got tired (hence, the 3.75 rating). I no longer saw the point of the book and has trouble trying to finish it. 

I don't regret reading it because i enjoyed her writing style. She painted surroundings and emotions beautifully. But I just lost the point of the book. I think it could've been shorter.