Take a photo of a barcode or cover
sometimesbryce's reviews
597 reviews
The Social Life of DNA: Race, Reparations, and Reconciliation After the Genome by Alondra Nelson
3.0
I sat in on a lecture of Dr. Nelson's in which she pretty much summed up this book, so understand that I skimmed this more than read it. While interesting, the book was much more academic and dry than I personally enjoy. However, Nelson does a great job of making her science relatively easy to understand. Her observations are acute and her subject matter, interesting. She seeks to tackle a great depth of intersecting social and biological sciences, and is generally successful. While this book was interesting, I think there are better investments for readers interested in race and genetics.
I also really enjoyed the complexity and beauty of Bob Kosturko's cover design. I liked holding it in my hands and being seen with it.
I also really enjoyed the complexity and beauty of Bob Kosturko's cover design. I liked holding it in my hands and being seen with it.
A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy by Sue Klebold
3.0
Rating: 3.5
Growing up in Littleton, April 20th carries a tangible dread with it. Sue Klebold's controversial memoir explores her relationship with her son, Dylan, in both life and death, as she wrestles with trying to make sense of his heinous crime, while also mourning his loss. Her memoir exceeds her own memories though, and she uses her book to advocate for "brain illness" and the shocking, difficult confrontation with the truth that no parents may be safe from having a Columbine in their own family. She supports her claims with research and through sharing other suicide loss survivor's stories. Her aim is to make parents wake up, and encourage honest, sometimes difficult, conversations with their children, and she is successful.
I read in a scathing op/ed that Klebold's book feels like a bitter plea to rid herself, and Dylan, of the horrendous murders he and Eric committed. It questioned her timing (addressed in this book) and her motivations. After having read it, I could not disagree more with any of those assertions. Klebold seeks, not to pardon, but to humanize her son, a lofty goal considering his final day. She does this not to make us pity her (though we do) or feel an acute sense of her being caught between love and anger (though we do) but to warn parents to open their eyes to their children, no matter how perfect their family may appear.
Sue Klebold is a gifted, if inexperienced writer. Her prose is poetic and haunting, but her organization and editing needs fine tuning. She repeats several stories and ideas, seemingly lost in her own head, which, while not necessarily enjoyable, does present a powerful metaphor for the chaos she is enveloped in.
Overall, A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy is a courageous and moving portrait of a family torn apart, and a grim reminder to not only hug the ones we love, but look them in the eye and ask how they are doing, truly and earnestly.
Growing up in Littleton, April 20th carries a tangible dread with it. Sue Klebold's controversial memoir explores her relationship with her son, Dylan, in both life and death, as she wrestles with trying to make sense of his heinous crime, while also mourning his loss. Her memoir exceeds her own memories though, and she uses her book to advocate for "brain illness" and the shocking, difficult confrontation with the truth that no parents may be safe from having a Columbine in their own family. She supports her claims with research and through sharing other suicide loss survivor's stories. Her aim is to make parents wake up, and encourage honest, sometimes difficult, conversations with their children, and she is successful.
I read in a scathing op/ed that Klebold's book feels like a bitter plea to rid herself, and Dylan, of the horrendous murders he and Eric committed. It questioned her timing (addressed in this book) and her motivations. After having read it, I could not disagree more with any of those assertions. Klebold seeks, not to pardon, but to humanize her son, a lofty goal considering his final day. She does this not to make us pity her (though we do) or feel an acute sense of her being caught between love and anger (though we do) but to warn parents to open their eyes to their children, no matter how perfect their family may appear.
Sue Klebold is a gifted, if inexperienced writer. Her prose is poetic and haunting, but her organization and editing needs fine tuning. She repeats several stories and ideas, seemingly lost in her own head, which, while not necessarily enjoyable, does present a powerful metaphor for the chaos she is enveloped in.
Overall, A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy is a courageous and moving portrait of a family torn apart, and a grim reminder to not only hug the ones we love, but look them in the eye and ask how they are doing, truly and earnestly.
The Opposite of Woe: My Life in Beer and Politics by John Hickenlooper
3.0
I wasn't the right reader for this. I excepted a humorous memoir from one of my favorite politicians, but I got a cliche political memoir from a man trying to climb the ladder. It wasn't bad by any means, and Hickenlooper does have a knack for storytelling and writing, but, overall, this wasn't for me. Still love him though.
You Fall Off, You Get Back On by Mary Stobie
3.0
You Fall Off, You Get Back On is a charming memoir by former Rocky Mountain Columnist Mary Stobie. A collection of her best columns and essays, Stobie's memoir is a bit disjointed as a collection, and never really seems to make much ground. While her work is funny and full of unique perspectives of a true rural-fringe Denverite, her amateur hand shows. Not that this should be all that surprising or annoying, her book is small market, and blissfully non-pretentious. I walked away from my reading feeling a lovely sort of connection with Stobie, even if it was a bit shallow.
If you're a Denver native, or have fond memories of the Rocky Mountain Post, as I do, feel free to give this a read! You may just reclaim a bit of the old small-town feeling Denver.
If you're a Denver native, or have fond memories of the Rocky Mountain Post, as I do, feel free to give this a read! You may just reclaim a bit of the old small-town feeling Denver.
The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories by Marina Keegan
3.0
Rating: 3.02 Average score from the reviews listed below
Overall, The Opposite of Loneliness was an interesting collection. It was organized really well and I like how her editorial team didn't alter her work. While I agree that perhaps this would not have been published if Keegan hadn't died, I'm not sure that's particularly noteworthy. Every story has a story, and this certainly isn't any different. [b:The Bell Jar|6514|The Bell Jar|Sylvia Plath|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1218387348s/6514.jpg|1385044] wouldn't have been published or received as well at it was had Plath not died. The only reason I mention this is that why the book was published seemed to have impacted a lot of reader's opinion of the book and it simply wasn't a factor for me.
Judging posthumous work is tricky for a couple reasons. Even when you try to separate the tragedy from the work, it's hard not to immediately like this. Also, how can I, or anyone, accurately judge a piece when it may or may not have been finished? How do you judge something that was never intended to be read by the masses? These were some the challenges I faced as I jotted down some brief notes on each piece (noted below). As a collection though, the work felt underdeveloped (unsurprisingly) and somewhat pretentious. But I really did enjoy reading this!
The Opposite of Loneliness - 3.5/5
I'm partially to blame for my not loving this. It didn't live up to they hype for me, but I did enjoy it.
Fiction
Cold Pastoral - 1/5
Full of clichés and jarring time lapses, this was one of my least favorites.
Winter Break - 2.5/5
The beginning of this story was really interesting in how Keegan portrayed a love story but it quickly lost my interest and slipped into cliches.
Reading Aloud - 4/5
Original and endearing, this was a memorable short story for me, and easily one of my favorites.
The Ingenue - 1/5
Pretentious and uninteresting, I abandoned this halfway through.
The Emerald City - 3/5
By now we know Keegan's arc and her writing becomes predictable. That aside, this was an interesting little story that got lost frequently in the details.
Baggage Claim - 3/5
A very simple and good short story that doesn't feel like it's trying too hard.
Hail, Full of Grace - 4/5
I didn't personally enjoy this as much of Reading Aloud but there really wasn't anything bad about.
Sclerotherapy - 4/5
I really liked how this story played on themes Keegan favors, but it felt a lot less pretentious and more interesting than her other stories.
Challenger Deep - 5/5
SOOO GOOD! Original, interesting, sad in the fullest way possible - I don't know, I really, really liked this.
Non-Fiction
Stability in Motion - 5/5
This essay made me cry, most likely because I'm leaving home and there was a lot I connected to with it. I thought it was beautifully written and exceedingly well done.
Why We Care About Whales - 3/5
A tired trope gets a makeover that's successful, if it is only masked in beautiful writing.
Against the Grain - 3/5
Witty title and well organized, but nothing too extraordinary
Putting the "Fun" Back in Eschatology - 3/5
Interesting but, again, nothing too exciting.
I Kill for Money - 2/5
This essay was way too long for what it was. I didn't find it particularly interesting.
Even Artichokes Have Doubts - 2/5
Had I been a professor at Yale, this essay would have been interesting to me, but since I'm not, I wasn't.
The Art of Observation - 4/5
A very interesting essay that felt unexpected and profound.
Song for the Special - 3.5/5
I'm glad this essay was the last one because it tied everything up nicely, but it wasn't particularly revolutionary.
Overall, The Opposite of Loneliness was an interesting collection. It was organized really well and I like how her editorial team didn't alter her work. While I agree that perhaps this would not have been published if Keegan hadn't died, I'm not sure that's particularly noteworthy. Every story has a story, and this certainly isn't any different. [b:The Bell Jar|6514|The Bell Jar|Sylvia Plath|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1218387348s/6514.jpg|1385044] wouldn't have been published or received as well at it was had Plath not died. The only reason I mention this is that why the book was published seemed to have impacted a lot of reader's opinion of the book and it simply wasn't a factor for me.
Judging posthumous work is tricky for a couple reasons. Even when you try to separate the tragedy from the work, it's hard not to immediately like this. Also, how can I, or anyone, accurately judge a piece when it may or may not have been finished? How do you judge something that was never intended to be read by the masses? These were some the challenges I faced as I jotted down some brief notes on each piece (noted below). As a collection though, the work felt underdeveloped (unsurprisingly) and somewhat pretentious. But I really did enjoy reading this!
The Opposite of Loneliness - 3.5/5
I'm partially to blame for my not loving this. It didn't live up to they hype for me, but I did enjoy it.
Fiction
Cold Pastoral - 1/5
Full of clichés and jarring time lapses, this was one of my least favorites.
Winter Break - 2.5/5
The beginning of this story was really interesting in how Keegan portrayed a love story but it quickly lost my interest and slipped into cliches.
Reading Aloud - 4/5
Original and endearing, this was a memorable short story for me, and easily one of my favorites.
The Ingenue - 1/5
Pretentious and uninteresting, I abandoned this halfway through.
The Emerald City - 3/5
By now we know Keegan's arc and her writing becomes predictable. That aside, this was an interesting little story that got lost frequently in the details.
Baggage Claim - 3/5
A very simple and good short story that doesn't feel like it's trying too hard.
Hail, Full of Grace - 4/5
I didn't personally enjoy this as much of Reading Aloud but there really wasn't anything bad about.
Sclerotherapy - 4/5
I really liked how this story played on themes Keegan favors, but it felt a lot less pretentious and more interesting than her other stories.
Challenger Deep - 5/5
SOOO GOOD! Original, interesting, sad in the fullest way possible - I don't know, I really, really liked this.
Non-Fiction
Stability in Motion - 5/5
This essay made me cry, most likely because I'm leaving home and there was a lot I connected to with it. I thought it was beautifully written and exceedingly well done.
Why We Care About Whales - 3/5
A tired trope gets a makeover that's successful, if it is only masked in beautiful writing.
Against the Grain - 3/5
Witty title and well organized, but nothing too extraordinary
Putting the "Fun" Back in Eschatology - 3/5
Interesting but, again, nothing too exciting.
I Kill for Money - 2/5
This essay was way too long for what it was. I didn't find it particularly interesting.
Even Artichokes Have Doubts - 2/5
Had I been a professor at Yale, this essay would have been interesting to me, but since I'm not, I wasn't.
The Art of Observation - 4/5
A very interesting essay that felt unexpected and profound.
Song for the Special - 3.5/5
I'm glad this essay was the last one because it tied everything up nicely, but it wasn't particularly revolutionary.
All at Sea: A Memoir by Decca Aitkenhead
4.0
I received this book for free from the publisher as part of a Goodreads giveaway. This is no way affected my thoughts on this book
There is something akin to privilege, and something immediately humbling, in reading something that wasn't written to be read. In the prologue, Decca Aitkenhead makes it clear that this book is not for us, and whether or not we forget it isn't of concern to her. I wish I could sum up my gratitude for a book written with that magnitude of honesty. This isn't a memoir written for income or for fame or for setting the record straight; it is a story that is written so that it may be told, and that is so refreshing, so revolutionary simple, I felt like it was worth mentioning before anything else.
Had this been a simple story about random tragedy, and a family attempting to put the pieces back together afterwards, All at Sea would have been worth it. But Aitkenhead exceeds the expected. This is a book about unfathomable loss and the grief that accompanies it, yes, but it's also about race and the cultural flexibility inherent in interracial relationships. It's about love and family, the ones we're born into and the ones we make. It's about trauma and healing and real life character development, all everyday miracles we overlook.
Aitkenhead's story is beautifully and attentively crafted. Her grief is palpable on every page and her skill as a storyteller, revealing the many facets of her love and loss of her partner, is undeniable. The only bad thing I have to say about it is that Aitkenhead writes so intelligently, I noticed a lack of intimacy I'm familiar with in memoirs. Her background in journalism and academia shows, which isn't a bad thing, though it does take some time to get used to. While I eventually became captivated with this, reading half the book in a single sitting, it did take me a while to get into.
Overall though, All at Sea is a refreshing addition to the genre, and while it is wise, it is never pretentious. Though I received this book for free, I would have gladly paid full price for it.
There is something akin to privilege, and something immediately humbling, in reading something that wasn't written to be read. In the prologue, Decca Aitkenhead makes it clear that this book is not for us, and whether or not we forget it isn't of concern to her. I wish I could sum up my gratitude for a book written with that magnitude of honesty. This isn't a memoir written for income or for fame or for setting the record straight; it is a story that is written so that it may be told, and that is so refreshing, so revolutionary simple, I felt like it was worth mentioning before anything else.
Had this been a simple story about random tragedy, and a family attempting to put the pieces back together afterwards, All at Sea would have been worth it. But Aitkenhead exceeds the expected. This is a book about unfathomable loss and the grief that accompanies it, yes, but it's also about race and the cultural flexibility inherent in interracial relationships. It's about love and family, the ones we're born into and the ones we make. It's about trauma and healing and real life character development, all everyday miracles we overlook.
Aitkenhead's story is beautifully and attentively crafted. Her grief is palpable on every page and her skill as a storyteller, revealing the many facets of her love and loss of her partner, is undeniable. The only bad thing I have to say about it is that Aitkenhead writes so intelligently, I noticed a lack of intimacy I'm familiar with in memoirs. Her background in journalism and academia shows, which isn't a bad thing, though it does take some time to get used to. While I eventually became captivated with this, reading half the book in a single sitting, it did take me a while to get into.
Overall though, All at Sea is a refreshing addition to the genre, and while it is wise, it is never pretentious. Though I received this book for free, I would have gladly paid full price for it.
The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration Into the Wonder of Consciousness by Sy Montgomery
4.0
I stumbled upon this quite by accident, so I didn't have a lot of expectations going into to it. I barely read the back teaser so I didn't really know what the premise was supposed to be, outside of what I gathered from the title.
The Soul of an Octopus:... covers a surprising breadth of topics. While primary focused on octopuses, and humanity's relation to them, Montgomery also frequently covers other marine life, personal anecdotes, and the nature of animal philosophy and psychology. There's a lot in this book that's interesting (and, admittedly, a little that isn't).
Judging on the title, I anticipated this book would be a heavy science book for the commoner. However, it reads more like a memoir, with facts and scientific musings mixed in. I know a lot of readers didn't enjoy that but I did. This book made me cry, laugh, and wonder, and presented many fascinating chances to explore the watery world below me. I didn't expect it would also make me ponder my own existence, and give me a new perspective on my hobbies and identity.
However, for a book about ocean creatures, this book surprisingly lacked depth. No one topic was explored for very long, and when it was, it seldom submerged past the shallow and obvious. That said, the way it was presented, and Montgomery's clear knack for storytelling, made this fact trivial.
Overall, I absolutely love this, and would recommend it to anyone interested in non-fiction, science, the ocean, and (especially) octopuses, particularly if you like a good narrative!
The Soul of an Octopus:... covers a surprising breadth of topics. While primary focused on octopuses, and humanity's relation to them, Montgomery also frequently covers other marine life, personal anecdotes, and the nature of animal philosophy and psychology. There's a lot in this book that's interesting (and, admittedly, a little that isn't).
Judging on the title, I anticipated this book would be a heavy science book for the commoner. However, it reads more like a memoir, with facts and scientific musings mixed in. I know a lot of readers didn't enjoy that but I did. This book made me cry, laugh, and wonder, and presented many fascinating chances to explore the watery world below me. I didn't expect it would also make me ponder my own existence, and give me a new perspective on my hobbies and identity.
However, for a book about ocean creatures, this book surprisingly lacked depth. No one topic was explored for very long, and when it was, it seldom submerged past the shallow and obvious. That said, the way it was presented, and Montgomery's clear knack for storytelling, made this fact trivial.
Overall, I absolutely love this, and would recommend it to anyone interested in non-fiction, science, the ocean, and (especially) octopuses, particularly if you like a good narrative!
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer
4.0
Firstly, I'd like to commend Jon Krakauer for his bravery and commitment in writing this book in unflinching honesty. I wanted to for a while while reading this, but knew it was necessary after reading about the backlash he received for it.
Now for the review...
Everest is a mammoth of a topic and Into Thin Air soars to fully address it. Not only does Krakauer vividly depict the scope of tragedy that decimated the 1996 season, he addresses Everest's political, religious, and social history as well. Mixed in with his own prose, Krakauer (or his publishing team) opened each chapter with an excerpt from other's works, most often from Everest literature, but deviating appropriately. This was an incredible and well executed decision.
Chapter illustrations by Randy Rackliff, combined with Krakauer's undeniable skill for storytelling, made this a haunting read. As the climbers pressed on toward the summit, and long after the perished on it, the sense of dread created over the course of this book remained, gnawing at every corner of my mind. Reading Into Thin Air is the literary equivalent of climbing a mountain - relentless, breathtaking, and harrowing.
The only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 lies with Krakauer's prose. On multiple occasions, the diction became uncharacteristically pretentious, an annoying and out-of-place trend. He also suffers from pacing issues, surprising given the topic's nature. While I enjoyed, as mentioned before, the inserts of Everest's history and standing, they frequently drug on and Krakauer didn't seem to know when to linger and when to move on. Similarly, the main story itself occasionally got lost in minute, unimportant details and the action got stunted and sluggish after them.
Overall, however, Into Thin Air deserves the title as the greatest adventure narrative non-fiction. It does not flinch at the difficulties of character's (Jon himself included) failures, while also taking pride in their successes. It's a book to get lost in and which is, as The Washington Post accurately writes,"reported within an inch of it's life."
Now for the review...
Everest is a mammoth of a topic and Into Thin Air soars to fully address it. Not only does Krakauer vividly depict the scope of tragedy that decimated the 1996 season, he addresses Everest's political, religious, and social history as well. Mixed in with his own prose, Krakauer (or his publishing team) opened each chapter with an excerpt from other's works, most often from Everest literature, but deviating appropriately. This was an incredible and well executed decision.
Chapter illustrations by Randy Rackliff, combined with Krakauer's undeniable skill for storytelling, made this a haunting read. As the climbers pressed on toward the summit, and long after the perished on it, the sense of dread created over the course of this book remained, gnawing at every corner of my mind. Reading Into Thin Air is the literary equivalent of climbing a mountain - relentless, breathtaking, and harrowing.
The only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 lies with Krakauer's prose. On multiple occasions, the diction became uncharacteristically pretentious, an annoying and out-of-place trend. He also suffers from pacing issues, surprising given the topic's nature. While I enjoyed, as mentioned before, the inserts of Everest's history and standing, they frequently drug on and Krakauer didn't seem to know when to linger and when to move on. Similarly, the main story itself occasionally got lost in minute, unimportant details and the action got stunted and sluggish after them.
Overall, however, Into Thin Air deserves the title as the greatest adventure narrative non-fiction. It does not flinch at the difficulties of character's (Jon himself included) failures, while also taking pride in their successes. It's a book to get lost in and which is, as The Washington Post accurately writes,"reported within an inch of it's life."
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
2.0
I wasn't a huge fan of this. I found Kondo to be very, very repetitive. I feel like her tips were all the same, just applied to different situations: hold it in your hand to feel the energy, weed out what you don't want, organize what's left to maximize energy flow. Over and over and over again. I wound up skimming a lot of chapters because it felt like I was reading the exact same paragraph I had read less than 10 pages ago. Also, a lot of her tips felt impracticable and a bit too compulsive. Cleaning out your purse every single day? I'm not sure that's for me.
That said, it isn't a one star because there were a few really helpful tips! I liked her attitude about letting things go. She said a lot about how sometimes an item's purpose is to be half used, or just to bring us the joy of buying it. I thought that was a really effective way to weasel out of the guilt of getting rid of something you feel like you HAVE to keep. Another thing she did well was to cover a wide breadth of tidying.
While I understand a lot of readers' concerns about the "oddity" of object's energy, I don't necessarily think that's a fair criticism. The author worked a lot in (and was maybe from?) Japan. Culturally, her approaches made a lot of sense. They were a bit impractical for Westernized readers, but it doesn't seem, to me, like a fair argument to complain that you read a self help book from a culture very different from your own, and were surprised it varied from your culturally held beliefs.
That said, it isn't a one star because there were a few really helpful tips! I liked her attitude about letting things go. She said a lot about how sometimes an item's purpose is to be half used, or just to bring us the joy of buying it. I thought that was a really effective way to weasel out of the guilt of getting rid of something you feel like you HAVE to keep. Another thing she did well was to cover a wide breadth of tidying.
While I understand a lot of readers' concerns about the "oddity" of object's energy, I don't necessarily think that's a fair criticism. The author worked a lot in (and was maybe from?) Japan. Culturally, her approaches made a lot of sense. They were a bit impractical for Westernized readers, but it doesn't seem, to me, like a fair argument to complain that you read a self help book from a culture very different from your own, and were surprised it varied from your culturally held beliefs.