bookish_brain1's reviews
131 reviews

Grace: President Obama and Ten Days in the Battle for America by Cody Keenan

4.0

I used to think I would love to be a speechwriter, but after reading this book, I don't think my anxiety or my ego could even take it. Cody Keenan was Obama's chief speechwriter and he covers 10 days of events beginning on June 15 and culminating at the eulogy for Clementa Pinckney where Obama sang "Amazing Grace". Over these 10 days, ACA and marriage equality were on the SCOTUS docket and a young man full of hate walked into the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church and murdered nine people. It was an intense 10 days, and Keenan takes you on this journey with compassion, hope, and humor. The entire thesis of this book comes from Obama himself, "It was not a clash of armies, but a clash of wills; a contest to determine the meaning of America." There are so many quotable moments in this book. It was at the end of these 10 days that Obama took us all to "Black Church" where we learned what it means to be a part of Black Church, "our beating heart; the place where our dignity as a people is inviolate." Obama speaks my favorite line here, "by acknowledging the pain and loss of others, even as we respect the traditions and ways of life that make up this beloved country; by making the moral choice to change, we express God's grace."

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

3.0

This book was supposed to be a buddy read between Jerry and I. I made a beautiful reading schedule, and I was really excited to read and discuss this book together. What happened you wonder? He ditched me. He still hasn't finished the book, and at this rate, I'll forget it all anyway. My buddy abandoned me. The book was sitting next to the reading chair I lovingly picked out for him just collecting dust, but now he's moved it, probably so I think he's actually making an effort to complete it. Maybe I should have told him an old white guy wrote it and it's about boring theological pursuits? I tease (but for real). Anyway, when we purchased this book at the bookstore, the cashier said that he and a co-worker had the read the book, and that they each aligned with the character that reflected their gender. Let me just say, I hated both main characters, but I hated Sam a little less than Sadie. This is a book about two big "G" gamers, and some of the critiques I've read have been "well, I don't game so I hated the book." Listen, I read books about doctors and lawyers and books about 20 somethings and all sorts of things, and I am not a doctor or a lawyer or a 20 something, so the criticism that you have to be a gamer to enjoy this book...just no. I mean will it help if you happen to like video games? Sure, I guess. But the book is really about relationships, love and friendship. Sadie never got better for me, but I did feel Sam evolved. Some of the subject matter might be triggering for some, so do your homework. I try never to give spoilers, but I'm really tempted because I know Jerry will read this and I want to ruin it for him (ha ha). Of course that assumes he finishes it...EVER. I did have one quote that really stuck with me, "life is filled with inescapable moral compromises...we should do what we can to avoid the easy ones."

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

5.0

Another 5 star read from Kristin Hannah, this book gave me all the big feelings. "To damage the earth is to damage your children" said the farmer and poet, Wendell Berry. I've thought about that quote often. This book begins in 1921 in Texas and spans the next several decades, covering primarily how the Great Depression affected one particular family. This book is a story about that family and the land they loved and the life they struggled to hold onto and build. Kristin's books are never easy reads, she covers hard things. It did not have the ending I wanted, but I think it was the perfect ending for this particular story. Poverty is a soul-crushing reality. The injustices doled out throughout this book are heartbreaking. I found Elsa to be a marvelously complex character, and I loved reading her journey, even the painful bits. I love the courage and strength of all the women portrayed. It's a book that covers climate change, poverty, injustice, inequality and inequity through the voices and actions of its characters. It is beautifully written, and I am happy I got to live inside its pages for a short time.

Punk 57 by Penelope Douglas

2.0

In case you were worried I didn't have time to fit in any spicy reads...I have one. Unfortunately, it wasn't my favorite type of spice, the characters are a little young for me (18+) and still in high school (seniors). It definitely brought the spice in this secret friends to enemies to lovers back to enemies to friends to lovers again. I could tell you there are messages to found here, but I read these types of books to escape and to enjoy some heat. I think this book was maybe trying a little too hard to take itself too seriously with some rather difficult subject matter, so I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. I enjoyed some of it even. Not a ringing endorsement I know, but it's the best I can do.

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

4.0

I loved this book, it was so delightfully charming. I did not expect to like this book, but I absolutely loved it. It wasn't spicy but it did have a romance element. The main character though...can we talk about how much I fell in love with Elizabeth Zott. It takes place in the 1960s, Elizabeth is a brilliant scientist at a time when being anything other than a brilliant housewife and mother is frowned upon. I smiled throughout this book, even the sad or tragic parts were told with heart and charisma. Seriously, read this book, you won't be sorry. It will help you get through this season, and let's be honest, lately every season feels like a season where we need all the good things in our feeds, in our hearts, and in our minds. Pick this one up!

Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson

5.0

I need to plan out my reading plans a little better, the last few books I've read have been heavy. Just Mercy is a true story about the life and activism of Bryan Stevenson's work on death row, it was made into a movie, and both the movie and the book have received critical acclaim. Bryan's work with the poor and incarcerated has taught him that "the opposite of poverty is not wealth, it is justice. The true measure of our commitment to justice, the character of our society, our commitment to the rule of law, fairness, and equality cannot be measured by how we treat the rich, the powerful, the privileged, and the respected among us. The true measure of our character is how we treat the poor, the disfavored, the accused, the incarcerated, and the condemned." There are so many problems with our systems, especially the criminal justice system and the punitive nature of our "justice". I've read so many books, articles and listened to podcasts about the problems with our criminal justice systems and I still wasn't ready for this book. The law is a hammer, and we too often use it on issues that are nuanced and complex and require a different approach than blunt and forceful. My heart broke wide open for the stories and the lives Bryan talks about in this tremendously courageous book. I think if you haven't read it, you should. Yes, it's hard, but I don't know how anyone could read this book and not feel strongly that we need big change. In 1987, Walter McMillian was arrested under the pretense of participating in nonprocreative sex, which was outlawed in Alabama. He was eventually charged with the murder of a local white woman, a crime he did not commit. He was transferred to death row to await his trial. Let me say that again....he sat on death row without being convicted yet of an actual crime. Every story and every person behind the story is told with respect and love. Bryan is a hero, and I get to meet him next week in a book club zoom and I am very excited! He does this work because "He is broken. We are all broken by something. We have all hurt someone and have been hurt. We all share the condition of brokenness even if our brokenness is not equivalent."

Columbine by Dave Cullen

5.0

I read this book thinking about Uvalde, and what strikes me most is how little we have learned between 1999 and 2022. What I learned is that what I thought I understood about Columbine, I actually had no clue. Dave Cullen does an incredible job of writing this book with heart and compassion. Compassion for the victims, compassion for the parents of Eric and Dylan, compassion for law enforcement, and compassion for the survivors. Everything I thought was true was in fact false or exaggerated or misunderstood. The pastor that offered solace for Dylan's parents and helped them quietly bury him lost his job for his efforts. This book sits in the pain and anguish, it looks for answers, it asks questions, it deals with really hard things. It was shocking to see the mistakes made in Columbine made in Uvalde. We want to make these shootings about one thing, but it is so much more complicated. Dylan and Eric planned this attack for over 2 years, and not in secret, but out in the open. One of the victims lay out on the sidewalk next to the school for over 28 hours, in the elements. A teacher bled to death, slowly, over hours. Both bad and hard choices were made by law enforcement. Things were hidden, lied about, covered up. Eric wrote a story which he turned in for a grade about how it was just as easy to buy guns and bring them into a school as it was to come armed with a calculator. There were written diaries, video diaries, websites detailing the thoughts and plans of Eric and Dylan. Dave Cullen wrestles with the why. Eric's motivation is clear, he tells us over and over. He was a psychopath, a narcissist, a sadist. He wanted to hurt the people he looked down upon, which was all humanity. Dylan is harder. He might have been helped, but it's hard to know for sure. What is very clear is that Columbine marked a period in time when terrorism and mass shootings collided. Eric and Dylan started the "spectacle murder". Eric wanted annihilation, a school catastrophe similar to the OKC bombing. The performance was the point. There was no cause, just a demonstration of personal power. Spectacle murder is all about the exposure. Media feeds this particular evil and we need to change how we think about mass shootings in schools and how we talk about it. It is a really well written, and well researched book. Not an easy book by any metric, but a very important one I think. My advice is read a little each day, this is not a book to rush through quickly, and practice self-care while you read through it.

The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson

2.0

I usually love Erik's books, but this one comes in at just okay for me. He tends to make historical events interesting, and usually reads more like fiction for me, but this one felt a bit tedious and slow. There were anecdotes I didn't know that probably everyone else knows, like Churchill's love of siren suits and silky underwear or how he preferred to sometimes be naked, even in the presence of others, like President Roosevelt

Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience by Brené Brown

3.0

I read this book in a book club, and I really recommend sharing this journey with others, it made the experience of reading the book much more rewarding. I learned that I've been using words like "envy" and "jealousy" wrong. There is also an accompanying HBOMax special which I also recommend to watch, even though the first season doesn't cover the whole book and the second season is not out yet. And of course, she has her podcast, which I don't listen to but I've heard good things about. I don't think I've ever really thought about the importance of naming how we feel accurately. This book took me on a journey and I really was forced to dig deep and think about how I personally engage and regulate my emotions. I did feel the book was both strangely technical and overly simplistic at times, and I wished to spend more time delving into some of the emotions than she did. I think it is a book that probably requires several revisits. I recommend it though and would definitely gift it to others.

Upgrade by Blake Crouch

4.0

Science fiction at its finest, but very technical, not unreadable if like me, you are generally dumb about science, but definitely super technical. I feel like reading Walter Isaacson's book, "Code Breaker" did prepare me for this work of fiction. I thought this book was really good, I read it quickly, it moves at a fast pace and deals with some prevalent real-world issues I think. It certainly gave me pause and something to ponder. My favorite quote comes at the end, "we were a monstrous, thoughtful, selfish, sensitive, fearful, ambitious, loving, hateful, hopeful species. We contained within us the potential for great evil, but also for great good. And we are capable of so much more than this." Terrific read, I love his books.