cottoncashmerecathair's reviews
14 reviews

A Happy Catastrophe by Maddie Dawson

emotional lighthearted medium-paced

3.0

This book is the sequel to Matchmaking for Beginners! Like the first book, I tore through this one pretty quickly but didn’t like it quite as much as MFB. There is kind of a wild twist at the beginning that I wasn’t expecting, but then the middle of the book kind of drug along with the same sorts of things happening, and the situation between Marnie and Patrick was annoying (and not really realistic?! idk…) and then it all wrapped up very quickly in one chapter, so the ending felt rushed. It just felt like nothing was happening and everyone was annoying and then it turned into everything happening at all once. That said, I’d probably read another book in this series if the author released one lol.

This review was originally posted on cottoncashmerecathair.com.

Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World by Gary Vaynerchuk

informative fast-paced

4.0

This book teaches you the art of jabbing (creating content and making connections with your audience) before throwing the right hooks (profit-driving campaign) when it comes to social media marketing. With absolutely no background in marketing whatsoever, I need all the help I can get! I enjoyed all the visual examples of great vs. bad marketing (jabbing) included in this book even though a lot of it isn’t relevant anymore because this book is a few years old (the Pinterest stuff made me chuckle because it’s so different now). I think the main points of the book still stand today!

This review was originally posted on cottoncashmerecathair.com.

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

4.0

I re-read this book! I rarely re-read books, but I remember loving it when I was younger, and there are two other books in the series I wanted to read. Let me tell you: I remembered not one thing. Not one! It was like I was reading it for the first time, lol. This is a sweet story about Don Tillman, a professor with a similar personality to Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory, and his quest to find a wife and instead finding Rosie.

This review was originally posted on cottoncashmerecathair.com.

Becoming by Michelle Obama

hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

4.5

I loved learning more about our former First Lady, her family, and the sort of behind-the-scenes peek at life inside the White House. Embarrassingly, I didn’t know too much about Michelle Obama prior to reading this book, but I’m so in awe of her and her accomplishments! She’s an inspiration. (The parts about 45 made me absolutely sick to my stomach.)

This review was originally posted on cottoncashmerecathair.com.

So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

This important anti-racism book came highly recommended by everyone. It’s absolutely worth your time if you haven’t read it. It will make you more fully aware of exactly what we (people working to be anti-racists) are working to end when it comes to systemic racism in America. Oluo’s retelling of personal accounts of racism throughout her life are shocking and heartbreaking and yet, her experiences are very real for Black people everywhere. Read it, absorb it, sit with it.

This review was originally posted on cottoncashmerecathair.com.

Matchmaking for Beginners by Maddie Dawson

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted sad medium-paced

4.0

I started this book, and I thought it was very odd at first and I was reading it slowly. Then, I could barely put it down, especially near the end! It’s a sweet story that you may or may not find predictable, but I don’t mind predictable feel-good stories at all. The main character, Marnie, thinks her life is going to end in the perfect storybook ending…until it doesn’t. I find that I related to Marnie a lot even though my life might look more “typical” than hers! I may or may not have cried a bit at the end.

This review was originally posted on cottoncashmerecathair.com.

Secrets of the Greatest Snow on Earth: Weather, Climate Change, and Finding Deep Powder in Utah's Wasatch Mountains and Around the World by Jim Steenburgh

adventurous informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

Written by one of my grad school professors (and one of my favorites—he is brilliant at explaining complicated atmospheric processes in terms that anyone can understand), this book details the weather conditions that allow for Utah to have the Greatest Snow on Earth (that’s what they call it!). He also includes details about other popular ski areas around the world, the history of Utah skiing, sad avalanche stories that will make you want to avoid the backcountry at all costs (if you’re like me, ha), and a discussion on how climate change might change the skiing industry. This book is filled with interesting images and figures, and the text isn’t dense. I’m biased because of my background but I think it’s great read for any weather/snow/skiing enthusiast! I’ve given this book to my dad and my partner. There is a new edition available now.

This review was originally posted on cottoncashmerecathair.com.

I Will Teach You to Be Rich, Second Edition: No Guilt. No Excuses. No BS. Just a 6-Week Program That Works by Ramit Sethi

informative inspiring slow-paced

5.0

Read this book if you’re unhappy with your current financial situation and want to get things on track OR if you want to tweak some things so you can live your best Rich Life and aren’t sure where to start. Seriously! It’s full of practical and truly useful financial advice (with real suggestions and tips to live your Rich Life). I wish I had read this book ten years ago; I gave a copy to each of my brothers for Christmas. I recommend it to everyone!

This review was originally posted on cottoncashmerecathair.com.

Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

challenging emotional funny inspiring medium-paced

5.0

Wooow. This book, y’all. It feels silly to write “it was so good” but it really was… It’s basically full of short stories from his life, and learning about life in South Africa from the perspective of someone that was literally born a crime (half Black and half white) was eye-opening. I honestly had no idea the South African government was so corrupt. It was haunting and heartbreaking, hilarious yet uncomfortable at times. Highly recommend.

This review was originally posted on cottoncashmerecathair.com.

Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla Saad

challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

This is an excellent book if you’re working on anti-racism yourself. The questions posed at the end of each “chapter”, which each focus on different (but interconnected) aspects of white supremacy, really got me to examine and unpack my biases. This will very likely be a re-read for me in the future!

This review was originally posted on cottoncashmerecathair.com.