Scan barcode
hissingpotatoes's reviews
1354 reviews
The Modern Library Writer's Workshop: A Guide to the Craft of Fiction by Stephen Koch
Did not finish book.
Did not finish book.
0.5
It's never promising when the blurb sounds super pretentious. Unfortunately for this book that vibe continued to the max inside as well. I can't overstate how much almost every sentence oozes it. The author talks about himself in the highest terms and name/location drops all over the place. He claims "to assemble and integrate...something like a consensus among writers about the basics of their craft," which is hilarious because if you ask five writers for advice you'll get ten different responses. In the introduction he makes a point to say he has "merrily disregarded every distinction between highbrow, middlebrow, and lowbrow taste" as if he's some benevolent writing god and then proceeds to name specific authors he clearly thinks fall into one of those brows (but he doesn't distinguish, so it's not elitist!). The first sentence of chapter one is "The only way to begin is to begin, and begin right now," and the word "begin" is repeated even after that in a long-winded paragraph that says very little and sets the stage for how the rest of the book's advice will be presented. Not for me.
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
2.5
I guess this is considered a cozy mystery? It's not my usual genre, but it definitely feels cozy. Maybe a little too much. There's very little connective tissue to the story. Often an entire chapter goes onto a tangent into a side character's full history or Botswanan history/culture. The main plot doesn't make its presence known until 2/3 of the way through, and even then there's no sense of urgency or conflict/difficulty and it's distracted from with sideplots. I like the main character but there was never a hook for me.
How to ADHD: An Insider's Guide to Working with Your Brain (Not Against It) by Jessica McCabe
3.5
This book is a combination of specific helpful info/advice, generic unhelpful info/advice, simplistic idealism, implementable practicality, personal memoir, and wonderful validation. It focuses on helping the reader understand ADHD and a surface-level coverage of tools someone with ADHD can use to work with their brain, though it does briefly acknowledge that universal design at the systemic level should be the goal to ease the burden on individuals. I loathe the new trend of books putting their citations and resources lists on a website; they should be printed in the book, full stop.
The Art of Manipulating Fabric by Colette Wolff
4.0
I didn't realize there were so many ways to gather fabric. I did not read this book cover to cover because it's basically an encyclopedia, but as a reference for sewists it's wonderfully informative with tons of illustrations and photos. The author uses muslin to demonstrate gathering, shirring, ruffles, flounces, godets, pleating, smocking, tucking, cording, quilting, stuffing, and darts. She also shows how combinations of these methods can be used to produce beautiful patterns in creative projects. I can see why this book is recommended in crafting circles so often.
Organizing Solutions for People with ADHD, 3rd Edition: Tips and Tools to Help You Take Charge of Your Life and Get Organized by Susan C. Pinsky
0.0
What I liked: 1) The validation that organization needs to be practical, not Instagram-worthy; 2) Based on reviews of previous editions, the author is more up to date in this 3rd edition (particularly in regards to gender), though who these days has a bread box or fine china?
What I didn't like: The basic takeaway of this book is "own as little as possible," which is shoved down your throat, presented in a continuously extreme, off-putting way, and hilariously out of touch with reality (Only keep 6 photos to document a vacation! And only 2 pieces of children's artwork per year! You're doing it RIGHT if you get rid of something you discover you actually need! Don't keep anything sentimental larger than a deck of cards! The number of birthday gifts for a child shouldn't exceed their age and after 12 it's event tickets only!).
These arbitrary guidelines ooze a paternalistic "I know what's best for you" and condescending "it's for your own good" attitude throughout the book. The book demands the "brutal purge" in a way that feels stressful, rigid, and rules-oriented for the sake of it, the exact opposite of Marie Kondo's fluid, feel-good approach focused on living in harmony with possessions. The author isn't wrong that getting rid of possessions will make it easier to tidy up, but the execution is frightfully militaristic. Her prescriptivism also doesn't encompass different manifestations of ADHD (e.g. everything should be visible, but for some the visual noise would be distracting).
The author doesn't have ADHD, and it shows in some of her attitudes and assumptions toward people with ADHD (e.g. that we're frustrating to the non-ADHD members of the family; that we'll be motivated to do things like wash the dishes when we're hungry instead of order takeout or make a meal out of snacks, or that we'll have the executive function to go to the store when we run out of something instead of go without).
I was willing to just take what was useful and discard the rest from this book, at least until one passage enraged me:
"Do not pack off your college kid with a month's worth of clothing. That is an overwhelming eight loads cycling through in a remote laundry area! Better they should run out of clothes once a week and then stand staring at the dryer in their bathrobe, totally focused, because they are hungry and need clothes to enter the dining hall." (emphasis mine)
What a way to show how little you understand ADHD and that you revel in doling out punishment. Staring at laundry is boring, which is awful for ADHDers, and the author hasn't considered that the ADHDer will just go to the cafeteria in their pajamas (or, again, eat unhealthily). Maybe this time crunch method will work for some ADHDers, but for many staring at the tasks they've put off (because they've run out of what they need) just fills them with self-recriminations that have intensely negative consequences years later. (Ask me how I know.)
After this point I just rage skimmed the rest of the book. Another gem is the author criticizing a parent for getting their child an entire 40+ book series that the child loved and "eagerly anticipated school library day so that she could check out the second and then the third book." The author claims that "forty-something books is an overwhelming reading list for anyone, never mind a child with ADHD. An eagerly anticipated and joyful treat had thus been transformed into a discouraging and burdensome obligation." What a load of bullshit. The child was super interested in this series. The author's assumptions here about ADHDers' reactions to something they love is so demeaning.
Other criticisms: The author's audience is solely those who live in houses with decent space, money, and a car. She mentions that you can find extremely useful-sounding apps but doesn't provide the names. You'd think by the 3rd edition they'd have worked out punctuation and missing/extraneous word issues, but they still run rampant.
I feel horrible for the ADHDer who is subject to these methods.
What I didn't like: The basic takeaway of this book is "own as little as possible," which is shoved down your throat, presented in a continuously extreme, off-putting way, and hilariously out of touch with reality (Only keep 6 photos to document a vacation! And only 2 pieces of children's artwork per year! You're doing it RIGHT if you get rid of something you discover you actually need! Don't keep anything sentimental larger than a deck of cards! The number of birthday gifts for a child shouldn't exceed their age and after 12 it's event tickets only!).
These arbitrary guidelines ooze a paternalistic "I know what's best for you" and condescending "it's for your own good" attitude throughout the book. The book demands the "brutal purge" in a way that feels stressful, rigid, and rules-oriented for the sake of it, the exact opposite of Marie Kondo's fluid, feel-good approach focused on living in harmony with possessions. The author isn't wrong that getting rid of possessions will make it easier to tidy up, but the execution is frightfully militaristic. Her prescriptivism also doesn't encompass different manifestations of ADHD (e.g. everything should be visible, but for some the visual noise would be distracting).
The author doesn't have ADHD, and it shows in some of her attitudes and assumptions toward people with ADHD (e.g. that we're frustrating to the non-ADHD members of the family; that we'll be motivated to do things like wash the dishes when we're hungry instead of order takeout or make a meal out of snacks, or that we'll have the executive function to go to the store when we run out of something instead of go without).
I was willing to just take what was useful and discard the rest from this book, at least until one passage enraged me:
"Do not pack off your college kid with a month's worth of clothing. That is an overwhelming eight loads cycling through in a remote laundry area! Better they should run out of clothes once a week and then stand staring at the dryer in their bathrobe, totally focused, because they are hungry and need clothes to enter the dining hall." (emphasis mine)
What a way to show how little you understand ADHD and that you revel in doling out punishment. Staring at laundry is boring, which is awful for ADHDers, and the author hasn't considered that the ADHDer will just go to the cafeteria in their pajamas (or, again, eat unhealthily). Maybe this time crunch method will work for some ADHDers, but for many staring at the tasks they've put off (because they've run out of what they need) just fills them with self-recriminations that have intensely negative consequences years later. (Ask me how I know.)
After this point I just rage skimmed the rest of the book. Another gem is the author criticizing a parent for getting their child an entire 40+ book series that the child loved and "eagerly anticipated school library day so that she could check out the second and then the third book." The author claims that "forty-something books is an overwhelming reading list for anyone, never mind a child with ADHD. An eagerly anticipated and joyful treat had thus been transformed into a discouraging and burdensome obligation." What a load of bullshit. The child was super interested in this series. The author's assumptions here about ADHDers' reactions to something they love is so demeaning.
Other criticisms: The author's audience is solely those who live in houses with decent space, money, and a car. She mentions that you can find extremely useful-sounding apps but doesn't provide the names. You'd think by the 3rd edition they'd have worked out punctuation and missing/extraneous word issues, but they still run rampant.
I feel horrible for the ADHDer who is subject to these methods.
Botanical Skin Care Recipe Book by
3.0
The design of the book pages is cute and pleasant. It's good that the book includes the Latin names for the ingredients. There are tons of recipes for every part of the body in a variety of applications. There are references, but they're mostly for other herbalism/beauty books and not scientific sources for the health claims. I would have liked more information about what the individual ingredients do so that I could make informed substitutions and customizations if I couldn't get a particular component, especially since many of them are not common. Many herbalism-related terms aren't explained. (Presumably the authors want to usher readers to their skin care course, though they say the book is supposed to stand on its own.) There are some warnings but they're not complete (e.g. no mention that St. John's Wort can cause photosensitivity, at least one zinc oxide powder recipe missing the warning about breathing it in).
Sweet and Savory Fat Bombs: 100 Delicious Treats for Fat Fasts, Ketogenic, Paleo, and Low-Carb Diets by Martina Slajerova
3.0
Claims that you can use essential oils in place of extracts, which is false and dangerous. Doesn't need to repeat that the foods are sugar and carb free every single page. Helpfully provides vegetarian/vegan/dairy-free/nut-free options in the recipes. The majority and strength of this book lie in the sweet fat bombs, though the savory recipes are good templates for making your own combinations.
Homunculus by James P. Blaylock
Did not finish book.
Did not finish book.
2.0
I'm giving up 80 pages in. The description would be lush and beautiful if the characters and plot counterbalanced it. Without that balance, the description is just slow distraction. I'm still not sure what the plot or hook are that I'm supposed to care about. The characters are flat, the women caricatures of actual people. There's decent humor, but not nearly enough to justify me continuing to slog through the book.
The Beginner's KetoDiet Cookbook by Martina Slajerova
3.5
If I see the words "low carb" or "healthy" one more time I'll scream.
When you read enough of Slajerova's cookbooks, you start to see repetition with only slight variations in the recipes.
Not enough of the recipes have pictures. Many of them include longer ingredients lists than I'm personally willing to deal with (and hilariously inaccurate prep/cooking time estimates).
All that said, there's a good variety of cuisines represented, the recipes look yummy, and the keto information covers many considerations when adopting the diet. In conjunction with other resources, the book is a good starting point for those considering keto or looking for more recipes.
When you read enough of Slajerova's cookbooks, you start to see repetition with only slight variations in the recipes.
Not enough of the recipes have pictures. Many of them include longer ingredients lists than I'm personally willing to deal with (and hilariously inaccurate prep/cooking time estimates).
All that said, there's a good variety of cuisines represented, the recipes look yummy, and the keto information covers many considerations when adopting the diet. In conjunction with other resources, the book is a good starting point for those considering keto or looking for more recipes.
Keto Slow Cooker & One-Pot Meals: Over 100 Simple & Delicious Low-Carb, Paleo and Primal Recipes for Weight Loss and Better Health by Martina Slajerova
4.0
A good variety of keto recipes that sound delicious. The instructions and keto information are easy to understand. The design of the book is very pleasing.