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quasinaut's reviews
199 reviews
How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing by KC Davis
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.5
There wasn't that much that was new to me because I already follow KC Davis on Instagram and I've read some other similar books that break down cleaning/organizing/managing household tasks, but I can see this book being invaluable to anyone who's overwhelmed or stuck or filled with shame because society teaches us we should feel bad about ourselves when we can't stay on top of life.
I appreciate Davis' framing: that it's better to be kind to yourself, that laziness doesn't exist, that your spaces and systems and routines exist to serve you. The book can be repetitive at times, but sometimes we need to hear these things again and again for them to sink in.
I appreciate Davis' framing: that it's better to be kind to yourself, that laziness doesn't exist, that your spaces and systems and routines exist to serve you. The book can be repetitive at times, but sometimes we need to hear these things again and again for them to sink in.
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction and Mental illness
We Don't Lose Our Class Goldfish by Ryan T. Higgins
4.0
More Penelope Rex! This time, Penelope is taking responsibility for the class goldfish and overcoming some big fears to do so. While I liked seeing Penelope figure things out on her own, at the same time I was surprised her parents and teacher weren't more involved.
Happy Place by Emily Henry
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I've such complicated feelings about this book. On the one hand, Emily Henry writes such fun, witty banter and creates groups of friends with distinct personalities. On the other, by halfway through I'm always yelling "just talk to each other! Actually communicate!"
I found Harriet's indecision and people-pleasing thoroughly relatable, if frustrating because she kept doing what she thought others wanted in order to keep the peace, when really that meant she was withdrawing from them and smoothing over some much-needed conversations. I loved that we see characters who love each other deeply, but their love isn't enough to fix their issues and insecurities without everyone individually doing the work to figure their stuff out.
I found Harriet's indecision and people-pleasing thoroughly relatable, if frustrating because she kept doing what she thought others wanted in order to keep the peace, when really that meant she was withdrawing from them and smoothing over some much-needed conversations. I loved that we see characters who love each other deeply, but their love isn't enough to fix their issues and insecurities without everyone individually doing the work to figure their stuff out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Mental illness and Alcohol
Minor: Pregnancy and Abandonment
We Will Rock Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins
5.0
Gosh, the cutest! Penelope overcomes her doubts and her stage fright to tackle the talent show with her new bandmates. T. rex's can do anything! Especially when they have an awesome pink tutu and big boots.
We Don't Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins
4.0
Funny and sweet picture book that perfectly addressed those back-to-school worries. It's tricky making friends when you're a T. rex who's inclined to eat your delicious human classmates! Bonus points for how diverse Penelope's kindergarten class is!
Speaking American: How Y'all, Youse, and You Guys Talk : a Visual Guide by Josh Katz
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.25
A nice selection of those quirky linguistic differences particular to different states and regions across the US. Often entertaining, relatively simplistic, but with enough depth to satisfy both the casual reader and someone with some knowledge of linguistics (I'd count myself as both).
Plus, I like how Katz diplomatically acknowledged differences without claiming that any variations are better than others, and he did a good job explaining when a word or phrase's origins are unknown -- he clearly did his research, and he offered possible histories while acknowledging the uncertainty in how some usages came to be.
Plus, I like how Katz diplomatically acknowledged differences without claiming that any variations are better than others, and he did a good job explaining when a word or phrase's origins are unknown -- he clearly did his research, and he offered possible histories while acknowledging the uncertainty in how some usages came to be.
Moira's Pen by Megan Whalen Turner
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I always enjoy returning to the world of the Queen's Thief. This was a lovely little collection of short stories, as well as snippets from Megan Whalen Turner's travels and research. The only downside is that, because it's been a bit since I finished the series, it was hard to place certain characters and settings outside the context of the novels.
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcohol
Papercut Landscapes by Sarah King
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.5
Beautifully detailed papercut projects with tons of practical tips and templates. I liked how the artist/author explained her choices and offered suggestions throughout.
I wish there were a few more examples of how to apply different techniques and colors to the same landscape template to change its mood, the weather, the season, etc. And I appreciated that there were a handful of examples of other papercut styles at the end, though I would have loved to see just a few more, to get a sense of the variety of options out there!
I wish there were a few more examples of how to apply different techniques and colors to the same landscape template to change its mood, the weather, the season, etc. And I appreciated that there were a handful of examples of other papercut styles at the end, though I would have loved to see just a few more, to get a sense of the variety of options out there!
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair that changed America by Erik Larson
challenging
dark
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
4.25
Wow, it's mind-boggling how much research went into recreating a historical narrative like this. Piece by piece, year by year, building by building, we see how the Chicago World's Fair came together and H. H. Holmes racked up debts and misdeeds.
The pacing was slow, sometimes slower than I'd like, but the level of detail showed how many pieces and people had to come together to lead to the resulting events. On the one hand, I can really appreciate how much of an accomplishment the World's Fair was, considering just how many mishaps it encountered along the way. And on the other, I can be truly horrified by how much Holmes got away with before being caught.
Plus, it was just cool to learn about the innovations and societal influences that came from the fair.
The pacing was slow, sometimes slower than I'd like, but the level of detail showed how many pieces and people had to come together to lead to the resulting events. On the one hand, I can really appreciate how much of an accomplishment the World's Fair was, considering just how many mishaps it encountered along the way. And on the other, I can be truly horrified by how much Holmes got away with before being caught.
Plus, it was just cool to learn about the innovations and societal influences that came from the fair.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
No notes. This book was extremely educational and well-researched, but also deeply personal and reflective. Hopeful and moving and funny and topical and informative. A phenomenal listening experience.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Grief