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sarahkorn's reviews
143 reviews
Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet by Taylor Lorenz
informative
medium-paced
4.0
For a book that didn't seek to tell the history of the internet, this is really a comprehensive one. As someone who came of age alongside the Internet, this book covered topics I knew well and topics that were new to me. I now feel like I have more context to some of the things I see online on a daily basis.
It's clear Lorenz is a tech journalist more than a culture journalist, as it felt like the book lacked analysis deeper than the creator economy is just as if not more powerful than traditional media. Since the book covers so much ground and the ground is constantly evolving, it lacks a central narrative and somewhat inconsistent pacing as it jumped from platform to platform. Lorenz is also such a presence online and was essentially absent from the narrative of the book -- maybe that's considered good reporting, but perhaps I wanted a little more than just 300 pages of straight reporting on the social startup industry. Despite that, I still think it's worth a read for the information it offers.
It's clear Lorenz is a tech journalist more than a culture journalist, as it felt like the book lacked analysis deeper than the creator economy is just as if not more powerful than traditional media. Since the book covers so much ground and the ground is constantly evolving, it lacks a central narrative and somewhat inconsistent pacing as it jumped from platform to platform. Lorenz is also such a presence online and was essentially absent from the narrative of the book -- maybe that's considered good reporting, but perhaps I wanted a little more than just 300 pages of straight reporting on the social startup industry. Despite that, I still think it's worth a read for the information it offers.
Sister Stardust by Jane Green
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
Despite the fact it was much different than I was expecting (the book jacket makes it seem like it is told from Talitha Getty's POV), this book has good meat. I love a good friendship ensemble/coming of age story, and this had plenty of glitz and glamor and adventure to keep me hooked. If you liked The Great Gatsby, Daisy Jones and the Six, A Sky Painted Gold, or City of Girls, you'll like this a lot.
My two (small) gripes: the way the book is formatted/bookended by Claire retelling the story to her daughter and inspiring her to "live life" was trite and cheap compared to the richness of the rest. I also don't think the recipes added anything, and there weren't enough of them to not feel randomly placed. However these issues took up minimal page space so I could easily ignore them.
Def check the content warnings on this one!
My two (small) gripes: the way the book is formatted/bookended by Claire retelling the story to her daughter and inspiring her to "live life" was trite and cheap compared to the richness of the rest. I also don't think the recipes added anything, and there weren't enough of them to not feel randomly placed. However these issues took up minimal page space so I could easily ignore them.
Def check the content warnings on this one!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Suicide, Alcohol, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Self harm, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
Inverse Cowgirl: A Memoir by Alicia Roth Weigel
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
4.0
I read an excerpt of this book online (the testimony to the Texas state legislature) and it was so captivating I immediately knew I had to read it. Alicia has an incredibly impressive resume and is clearly a beyond competent community organizer that has done so much good for the intersex and trans community, especially in red states like Texas.
There were times where the book felt a bit like political aggrandizing, and I found it to often be a bit cringe and navel gazey: to her credit, she acknowledges she is a well off, conventionally hot (she doesn't let us forget it) white lady who can jet off to Europe whenever she needs a break, and do drugs in the Amazon whenever she needs some mental clarity. While her testimony is beyond powerful and deserves to be shared -- and the 4* is rounded up to account for this -- part of me wondered why an entire book to celebrate her political achievements (and newfound popularity and influence, which was a significant focus of the book) needed to be written.
There are so many people doing this work who aren't entrenched in big political strategy firms, particularly people of color who are often actively disenfranchised from electoral politics, and I'm glad she shared many of their names so I could follow them to continue learning about intersex rights and justice.
There were times where the book felt a bit like political aggrandizing, and I found it to often be a bit cringe and navel gazey: to her credit, she acknowledges she is a well off, conventionally hot (she doesn't let us forget it) white lady who can jet off to Europe whenever she needs a break, and do drugs in the Amazon whenever she needs some mental clarity. While her testimony is beyond powerful and deserves to be shared -- and the 4* is rounded up to account for this -- part of me wondered why an entire book to celebrate her political achievements (and newfound popularity and influence, which was a significant focus of the book) needed to be written.
There are so many people doing this work who aren't entrenched in big political strategy firms, particularly people of color who are often actively disenfranchised from electoral politics, and I'm glad she shared many of their names so I could follow them to continue learning about intersex rights and justice.
Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
The writing is lush and gorgeous, but this book could be much scarier. The romance was so central that I'm not sure the vampires added much. Also a lot of the plot is advanced by dialogue and there are large parts of the book where not a lot happens. I still liked it enough to read it within a couple days, but it didn't quite deliver on the spook factor that I really wanted.
Glossy: Ambition, Beauty, and the Inside Story of Emily Weiss's Glossier by Marisa Meltzer
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
I've never been a Glossier customer (though I've definitely heard the hype and have come close to buying a bottle of You on a few occasions), so a lot of this was new information to me. The reporting was excellent and thorough, and I had no problems sinking deep into this book.
I really respect that Meltzer was able to provide a very juicy tell-all that didn't overly probe into Emily Weiss's personal life -- yes, much of the book is about Weiss, but it's really about Glossier -- and never once seemed disparaging or cruel for clout. But it was still honest and didn't shy away from criticism. The 2010s were very formative years for social media, online beauty, and girl boss feminism, and I feel like this explored that in a really comprehensive way through the lens of one company.
I really respect that Meltzer was able to provide a very juicy tell-all that didn't overly probe into Emily Weiss's personal life -- yes, much of the book is about Weiss, but it's really about Glossier -- and never once seemed disparaging or cruel for clout. But it was still honest and didn't shy away from criticism. The 2010s were very formative years for social media, online beauty, and girl boss feminism, and I feel like this explored that in a really comprehensive way through the lens of one company.
The Things We Leave Unfinished by Rebecca Yarros
Did not finish book. Stopped at 0%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 0%.
The dialogue felt forced and the letters at the beginning of each chapter felt saccharine and fake. I couldn't get into it
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
I didn't expect a slow burn book like this to get me out of my reading rut, but it did, and I sobbed at the end. I really resonated with the themes of the deep love for friends, lovers, would-be lovers of times gone by, choices, forgiveness, and courage.
The one thing I wished for was more about Lara's 3 daughters and their stories -- they do play prominent roles and seem to be grappling with their own challenges that could have gotten more than a surface level treatment. However, I'm not sure how that would have been done without taking away from Lara's story and making the book so much longer, so I didn't deduct any points on account of that.
The one thing I wished for was more about Lara's 3 daughters and their stories -- they do play prominent roles and seem to be grappling with their own challenges that could have gotten more than a surface level treatment. However, I'm not sure how that would have been done without taking away from Lara's story and making the book so much longer, so I didn't deduct any points on account of that.
Swipe Up For More!: Inside the Unfiltered Lives of Influencers by Stephanie McNeal
informative
reflective
fast-paced
3.5
I needed a light, juicy book I could tear through. But ultimately the book read like a wannabe exposé that exposed very little. I don't really know who this author is (is she a journalist? Is she an influencer?) but the book lacked a bit of editorial finesse and seemed to meander while making only partially formed points. It also glossed over some of the largest influencer scandals of recent memory (saying things like "we won't get into it" or "that deserves a whole book of its own" which made me wonder what the point of this all is). I am glad for the brain candy, but was overall unsatisfied with the lack of depth.
Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
4.5
Sylvia Moreno-Garcia is a brilliant author. You can count on her to deliver something unlike anything else you've read. This is my third book of hers and while it still ranks lower than my all time fav Mexican Gothic, which I reread every October, it's not by much. The pacing was just a little bit off, but it could be that I have smaller chunks of time to read lately so it was hard to get fully immersed. I had to keep going back and rereading pages because there were details I missed. But this is likely just a product of my attention span rather than a major fault of the book. I really felt like this was one of the most interesting and creative books I've read all year, and have no qualms with the characters, plot, or the writing.
Woman on Fire by Lisa Barr
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
This book would have been perfect for a long flight or beach read, it's very twisty and there's a lot to sink your teeth into. I ended up reading it in pieces over the better part of a week and found myself a bit lost at times because so much happens in this book, but I truly think it was my own headspace and reading pace.
I loved the combination of art heist and historical fiction, and particularly loved Margaux, that villainous, vengeful, sadistic woman! I found Jules to be a bit of a snoozer (the romance was also incredibly dull), but Margaux was layered and interesting, if cruel. I just don't really love the queer coded villain trope, as it was presented like a devious kink, and felt cheap, not sexy, on the page.
I loved the combination of art heist and historical fiction, and particularly loved Margaux, that villainous, vengeful, sadistic woman! I found Jules to be a bit of a snoozer (the romance was also incredibly dull), but Margaux was layered and interesting, if cruel. I just don't really love the queer coded villain trope, as it was presented like a devious kink, and felt cheap, not sexy, on the page.