Take a photo of a barcode or cover
kenbooky's reviews
154 reviews
Spare by Prince Harry
5.0
Having not been an autobiographical type, The Duke of Sussex does a commendable job of being both charmingly observant while also trying very hard not to tear down his royal counterparts in any form that would seem mean spirted or untrue. True admirable effort went into painting a rather polite picture, (meaning he had every right to say far worse and didn’t) the author does not shy away from describing slights he suffered from his days in the monarchy from those closest. I feel very sorry for Harry and Meghan. More so, I was struck by the parallels between the British and US medias in their modern day emboldened states and lack of truth telling.
Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica
5.0
Bazterrica uses language as a means to suspend the inevitable through polite discourse and incomprehensible world building that is both alarming but also not the least bit surprising. Through the subversive branding of special meat (the flesh of humans) has now become the populous only form of meat after diseases and viruses have complicated mans relationship with beast. Marcos sees himself as one of the few who doesn’t buy into the bull that the government is force feeding. All this he sees as a ploy to battle overpopulation and climate change. Marcos quickly changes his mind on these matters after having met a particularly alluring pure bred stock female whom he domesticates and then impregnates despite the legal ramifications of such an act. What I thought to be the start of a beautiful rebellion piece turned only into a story about how easily people adapt and get used to even the most horrific of truths when comfortable.
It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
3.0
Everyone has something to say about Colleen Hoover’s books. Through the recommendation of a best friend I gave her a shot and was not disappointed. At first it seemed like another hot people having a lot of sex kind of book (which like totally into that kind of book as well) …but then it turned into something really refreshing and important. Hoover explores domestic violence with the grace and aptitude of someone who has seen it first hand. At first this book feels very you can have your cake and eat it too but instead chooses to tell a much more important story about the women who love men who abuse them. Hoover explains what that looks like, how it lingers and seeps from memories into everyday household items. How those same items can be tainted from having them thrown at your head. I think the author uses wit and humor to soften these blows.
The Odyssey by Homer
5.0
THE ODY-✨USSY✨
Emily Wilson really popped off with this one. Celebrated for being one of the first well-known female translations (which by the way I HATE) like we don’t say well-known male translators but whatever. Wilson brings up some significant points about marriage, motherhood, and slavery and perhaps their commonalities!?! Wilson’s translation highlights the language and positive connotations for duty bound characters. Her brevity doesn’t necessarily mimic Homer’s but more so draws attention to the stylistic clarity and punctuation. Also noteworthy, Wilson made her Odyssey match the same number of lines as the original. An impressive feat most translators choose to overlook.
Emily Wilson really popped off with this one. Celebrated for being one of the first well-known female translations (which by the way I HATE) like we don’t say well-known male translators but whatever. Wilson brings up some significant points about marriage, motherhood, and slavery and perhaps their commonalities!?! Wilson’s translation highlights the language and positive connotations for duty bound characters. Her brevity doesn’t necessarily mimic Homer’s but more so draws attention to the stylistic clarity and punctuation. Also noteworthy, Wilson made her Odyssey match the same number of lines as the original. An impressive feat most translators choose to overlook.
Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann
5.0
PEARL CLUTCHERS BEWARE ⚠️
Considered one of the most salacious reads of the century, V.O.T.Ds follows the story arch of generationally wealthy sheepish secretary Anne Welles, the talented up and comer who can’t seem to keep her hands out of the pill jar Neely O’ Hara, and the talentless if not for her rocking bod Jennifer North, as the girls navigate New York’s entertainment industry. Work by day, club scenes by night, climbing the ladder sure gets exhausting and all that partying seems to come at a price. Red pills to make you sleep, green pills to make you skinny, and yellow pills for god knows what. I loved how poignant the drug talk was. Everything women weren’t supposed to think, feel, or say all laid out as if a manual to someone’s younger self. Watching the movie now and I am happy that the ending is far different from the suffering Anne would choose to endure in Susann’s novel.
Considered one of the most salacious reads of the century, V.O.T.Ds follows the story arch of generationally wealthy sheepish secretary Anne Welles, the talented up and comer who can’t seem to keep her hands out of the pill jar Neely O’ Hara, and the talentless if not for her rocking bod Jennifer North, as the girls navigate New York’s entertainment industry. Work by day, club scenes by night, climbing the ladder sure gets exhausting and all that partying seems to come at a price. Red pills to make you sleep, green pills to make you skinny, and yellow pills for god knows what. I loved how poignant the drug talk was. Everything women weren’t supposed to think, feel, or say all laid out as if a manual to someone’s younger self. Watching the movie now and I am happy that the ending is far different from the suffering Anne would choose to endure in Susann’s novel.
Year Book by Seth Rogen, Seth Rogen
5.0
Long time Seth Rogen fan here, the book was illuminating. Being a teen when Superbad came out all the way through movies like 50/50, sausage party, and the controversial… Interview, all of its here. The primordial goop, the people from his high school who inspired these infamous characters, Mclovins real goofy nickname came from a culture-appropriating kid self called Smokey. His distaste with twitters original head and his willingness to verify white supremacists, Jewish summer camps, weird celebrity encounters, George Lucas and his conspiracy theories… it’s all there. Honestly the book just made me love him more.
Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
3.0
FRIEND RECOMMENDATION. Murakami is one of Japan’s most prevalent writers. He churns em’ out like nobody’s business. Norwegian Wood is a story of a boy (Watanabi) And a girl (Naoko) with some pretty deep scars left over from their high school friend’s death (Kizuki). Through their mutual grief Naoko and Watanabi somewhat find each other in a ‘will they won’t they’ romance with the guilt that she, after all, was his dead best friend’s girl. With Naoko’s mental health in shambles, she is sent to a clinic where her and Watanabi continue being pen pals. Neither seems to be getting better yet both cling to each other in order to cling to the memory of Kizuki. I loved Murakami’s ability to create neither good nor bad characters — just to see somewhat flawed people bopping around unapologetically. I did find the way that the author wrote about women and women’s bodies borderline obsessive…as if neither age nor type of character (being female ofc was off limits to inspection) I heard countless descriptions of breasts for no apparent reasons. Still a good read just kinda crazy what make authors can get away with though. Thanks so much @edyaenessa