badbrad002's reviews
160 reviews

The Mole People: Life in the Tunnels Beneath New York City by Jennifer Toth

4.0

Fascinating read about an oft-overlooked and constantly evolving, unseen community. Can be difficult to deduce what is actually true, with embellished recounts by featured subjects as well as with sensationalized presentation by the author (I’m always suspicious of a writer who speaks confidently of others’ intents). That said, though the author’s methods are harrowing, the book can disappointingly feel like a story of telling the stories, as opposed to the stories themselves.

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

4.0

A really well-written and captivating story -- a great book to "get lost in," for sure! Always love books that present seemingly-unrelated storylines that the reader eventually comes to learn are intertwined throughout the years, though be mindful that this does interject a lot of characters and time jumps, which can get confusing. Ultimately, I found that the book wrapped-up a little too quickly with some unanswered questions that are arguably left up to personal interpretation, which, depending on your taste, could be good or bad. Also, arguably too soon to read such an in-depth (though admittedly more severe) recounting of a global pandemic and its aftermath.

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh

5.0

This was a phenomenal book. Set amid the Syrian revolution, it showcases the plight and tragedies of living amid war, but also the beauty of life and love that are intertwined. And what a beautiful and chilling portrayal of PTSD and the affects of living in a state of survival. Definitely hard to read at times, but exquisitely written and without-a-doubt among my favorite books.

Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

4.0

I mean, 5/5 for surviving what he went through (the holocaust) and retaining an optimistic view of life, but the psychological explanation following the recount of those actual events was overly-clinical and made it a challenging pleasure read. Ultimately, I didn’t walk away with the epiphany I had hoped.

Little Weirds by Jenny Slate

3.0

Though there are some beautifully-eloquent segments (namely, thoughtful portions about travel, loss, patriarchy and a delightful dog nose covered in sticky flowers), I felt that the book compromised coherence for the sake of bizarre weirdness. Felt like reading the book version of cringecore comedy of the 90’s/00’s. I often didn’t get it.

Also, uncomfortably and confusingly morbid at times - which can be fine- but again, I didn’t understand what the analogy was actually speaking to.

You Could Make This Place Beautiful: A Memoir by Maggie Smith

3.0

This was a beautiful book to read, but is almost entirely about the evolution and aftermath of a divorce. Understandable the effect of it, but this is not what I anticipated and could have been much more (there are glimmers of this in how she describes her children, nature, and the pandemic). Also, it felt repetitive and like value-signaling in how even though after opting to write a book, she continuously writes about not wanting to write about certain details.

The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell by Mark Kurlansky

4.0

This is a great book that combines the geographical, cultural, and biological history of New York through the story of the lowly oyster. Before "The Big Apple" the city was literally called "The Big Oyster" because of the prolific fertility of its waters -- arguably the northern equivalent of the Everglades in Florida. Low and behold, through over-harvesting and pollution, all seafood within the region --though rebounding, particularly in recent years-- will likely remain inedible throughout our lifetimes. A chilling warning.

Hanging Out: The Radical Power of Killing Time by Sheila Liming

2.0

I really wanted to like this book, but ended-up not being able to finish it. It's less analytical or prescriptive in justifying the act of maintaining unstructured social time, than it is a recount of different hang-outs the author had ...and who wants to read dozens of pages about someone's experience at a work conference‽‽‽ Though too vague and overly-detailed in the wrong ways, there are some thoughtful tidbits here and there but at almost 200 pages, not nearly enough. Your time is better spent hanging out.

Tasting History: Explore the Past through 4,000 Years of Recipes by Max Miller

4.0

This was a very entertaining book! The perfect blend of nerdy history and interesting (and, most often requiring reasonable capability) recipes of both dishes we both know & love and those most of us have never experienced before. And I might add, a lovely representation of ancient, Western, Eastern, and New World foods. Loved it!

How to Stay Productive When the World Is Ending: Productivity, Burnout, and Why Everyone Needs to Relax More Except You by Reductress

2.0

I had high hopes for this book. The witty, irreverent snark is there, but the book feels like a haphazard hodgepodge of random articles that only loosely align to a common theme.