studiomikarts's reviews
89 reviews

adventurous informative lighthearted fast-paced

5.0

This picturebook is so awesome I am always tempted to say it has everything you'd ever want, but then I remember there are no pop-ups or scratch 'n' sniff and I have to rein myself in 😅 It is seriously so well designed though, you will not go wrong picking it up. To start, the art and graphic design is so beautiful, it's a treat to look at before you even open it. After that comes the interesting Grand Canyon science, including geology, biology, and paleontology. The biggest surprise to me were the cutouts, which often bring the reader from present day to millions, even billions of years ago, like tiny organically-shaped windows into the past. The way the art seamlessly transitions through these windows is genius. It was a delight for me as an adult reader, so I'm sure kids will love it! The sections at the end, that go into more detail about the science, the illustration and storytelling, and recommendations for other books where one can learn more about the Grand Canyon are also excellent inclusions that make this picturebook more than a good story, it's a good resource!

I originally bought this picturebook at a gift shop while visiting the Grand Canyon's North Rim. It took me a while to finally read it but I'm so glad that I snagged such a brilliant book in one of the most beautiful places on Earth. If you're going to be visiting the Grand Canyon, I recommend looking for this book as a souvenir! And if traveling there in person isn't happening anytime soon, why not get this book and experience the grandeur of this amazing place in the palm of your hands?

ImagineFX: Manga: The Ultimate Guide to Mastering Digital Painting Techniques by Claire Howlett

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 10%.

This book is presented like an all-encompassing, everything-you-need-to-know compendium of digitally-created manga art. The problem is, it's not. It features almost nothing but art that is popular not because it's technically impressive or because it tells an incredible story, but because it prominently features scantily or tightly clad women, often posed awkwardly and vulnerably. It's so heavy on the male gaze it practically drips. It would be one thing if the book presented itself that way in the first place, as a sexy manga art exposition. But it talks about itself as if sexy manga girls ARE manga art. It doesn't allow for anything not aimed at teen and adult straight male audiences. It definitely doesn't feature any of the manga art that inspires me. There's a whole WORLD of manga out there, and this book does most of it a disservice by perpetuating the harmful stereotype that people who read manga are just perverted, sex-crazed men.

The Courage to Be Disliked: The Japanese Phenomenon That Shows You How to Change Your Life and Achieve Real Happiness by Ichiro Kishimi, Fumitake Koga

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challenging hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

First off, I can't help but be amused at the way so many other reviews condemn this book for denying the existence of trauma (specifically, it states that trauma doesn't exist in the same way the past doesn't exist) because they're basically proving the book's point. Trauma is a delicious buzzword these days and no one wants to be told that they can (have to) let it go in order to move forward! I suffered severe abuse as a child and I always thought of it as trauma, as an invisible scar that I can never be rid of. After reading this book, I realize my memories of that abuse are not scars, but baggage I've been lugging around all my life, making everything else I want to do way more difficult than it needs to be. No more. I don't have trauma. I have memories of abuse, the same as I have memories of birthday parties and family road trips. Some memories are pleasant, some are unpleasant, but none will ever again convince me to behave in a way contrary to who I want to be NOW. I dropped the baggage, thanks to this book. If your mind is open, it could help you do the same ❤️

Now, onto my main review! I loved this book! I will recommend it to anyone who seems like it would help. It was super easy to read and understand. The philosophy-style dialogue made it easy to follow the ideas; whenever I started to feel lost (or contrary) it was nice to have the Youth there to raise my objections for me, which the Philosopher always quickly and gently laid to rest. The book introduces new psychology concepts and terms, but also explains them simply, so that I never had to jump onto Wikipedia or Google for help. The only weakness is the awkwardness of the English translation. It's grammatically correct without any typos, etc. but, as an intermediate student of Japanese, I have a strong feeling it was translated too literally from the original. But even with that shortcoming, the book stands strong and I'll be turning back to it (and the multitudes of notes I took from it) whenever I need reminders to strengthen me. I picked it up in the first place because its title resonated fiercely with me. I'm pleased to report that I not only learned how to find the courage to be disliked, but how to find the courage to be happy and to be normal, to be deeply satisfied with the present moment, because that's all we ever really have.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes:

It's as if you see the world through dark glasses, so naturally everything seems dark. But if that is the case, instead of lamenting about the world's darkness, you could just remove the glasses.

Adlerian psychology is a psychology of courage. Your unhappiness cannot be blamed on your past or your environment. And it isn't that you lack competence. You just lack courage.

If your life, or mine, for that matter, were to come to an end here and now, it would not do to refer to either of them as unhappy. The life that ends at the age of twenty and the life that ends at ninety are both complete lives, and lives of happiness.

No matter what moments you are living, or if there are people who dislike you, as long as you do not lose sight of the guiding star of "I contribute to others," you will not lose your way, and you can do whatever you like. Whether you're disliked or not, you pay it no mind and live free.

Introduction to Animal Rights: Your Child or the Dog? by Gary Francione

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challenging dark informative inspiring sad tense slow-paced

5.0

I've been putting off reviewing this book for months, not because I didn't want to review it nor because I didn't like it, but because it had such a huge (and ongoing) impact on me that I didn't know where to start. But I think humanity would become more aware, compassionate, and truly protective of animals if more people read this book, so here is my attempt to give a fair and heartfelt review!

First, TL;DR: This book is difficult--academically, conceptually, and emotionally--but it's worth your time if you care about improving conditions for the trillions of animals (annually) whose lives are affected and controlled by humanity.

I'd like to start by talking about the main argument this book makes, but it is so well set up and followed through that it almost feels spoilery to do so. Still, the book's inflammatory title might deter some readers who would otherwise agree with the conclusions it makes, so I think it's worthwhile to explain it.

The book starts by introducing examples of how things stand for animals today (while the book was first published 20+ years ago, things have unfortunately not improved much overall) including a heavy focus on animal rights philosophers and existing legal "protections". Much of the material is infuriating and heartbreaking, not because of the book, but because much of it is conveniently kept out of the public eye by the perpetrators. Before this book, I was just like most people, thinking things like, "Well, at least the animals live a nice life being taken care of, without a worry in the world, before they're killed," or "Well, at least animals in the zoo are safe from wild dangers like predators, illness, injury, etc." I bought into the propaganda of animal exploitation institutions. Since this book has a firm grounding in academia and comes from a professor of law, it's easy to verify the information it presents (there is a huge notes section at the end, including all the sources used, which you can then check for yourself). Knowing the information is solid makes it easy to agree with the arguments it makes in favor of true animal rights (i.e. the right to not be treated as property).

So what's the main argument? The book's subtitle and cover set it up. The scene is a house, burning ferociously, and you're watching from the outside. It's impossible to save more than one being, and you know your child and a dog are inside. Who do you save? The assumption may be, this is a vegan book, so it's going to tell me to save the dog, or that I should save whomever I find first, because animals should be treated like humans. I admit I had a similar expectation, and I was wrong! The book actually suggests that saving your child is not only the natural thing to do, but perhaps the morally correct decision. It completely allows for choosing a human over an animal. I was truly surprised by this and I couldn't help but agree. The argument here is just as fair and sound as throughout the rest of the book.

And by the end it gets REALLY interesting.

That burning house, with human and dog inside? That's the story animal exploiters feed us every day. It makes it very easy to say, Yeah, it sucks that we have to do things this way, but it's only natural and correct to take care of our own first.

What the animal exploiters don't tell you is that they're the ones who dragged your child and the dog inside the house before setting it ablaze.

And until now, I never even thought to ask, metaphorically of course, Wait, why is my child and that dog in that house? Why is the house on fire?

That's the core argument of this book. That individuals are being duped by those who exploit animals. That (even if we're not suffering as extremely) humans like you and I are just as much victims of animal exploitation. It's a mindblowing revelation that changed my life forever. The book makes other arguments as well, all of which are well reasoned and frankly unassailable. I recommend it to anyone who cares about animals!

That said, it is a book that requires fortitude from its reader. For one, there are graphic descriptions and harrowing photos included. One photo of a cow screaming for help on its way to slaughter haunts me every day. I think about how that cow never got help, and is long dead, and how millions like it face the same grim fate every year, thousands every day. But it also reminds me why I do what I do. Why I choose a vegan lifestyle, why I donate to reputable animal charities, why I focus my career on furthering animal welfare. I am extremely sensitive to graphic material, so this may be a difficult hurdle for some readers. I recommend the book anyway. Don't let yourself continue to be hoodwinked. You deserve to know the truth. The animals deserve to have their situation known.

Another difficult point in this book is its academic nature. This is not armchair nonfiction. It requires attention and deep thought and maybe even research to properly understand. Anyone with a college-level understanding of English should be able to follow it, but be prepared to invest time in reading and digesting what it has to say. Please don't let the time commitment deter you. Again, if you care about helping animals, it will be worth your while!

If you're able to overcome these hurdles, not only will you see the infallible validity of the book's abolitionist standpoint, you will be given guidance on how to move the world in the right direction. It's not just a book about law or philosophy, it's a map toward a truly compassionate future. The main points I took from it include:

Laws do not effectively protect animals. Culture has to change first.
Person = personality = animals are people.
It doesn't matter how kindly you treat animals if they're still nothing more than property.

And, to wrap up, some powerful quotes:

In many ways, our prevailing ways of thinking about animals should make us skeptical of our claim that it is our rationality that distinguishes us from them.

Labels such as "natural" and "traditional" are just that: labels. They are not reasons. If people defend the imposition of pain and suffering on an animal based on what is natural or traditional, it usually means they cannot otherwise justify their conduct.

The argument for animal rights does not decrease respect for human life; it increases respect for all life.

Content Warnings

The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien

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adventurous dark funny tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

While in most trilogies I find the middle entry to be my least favorite, that has never been the case for The Lord of the Rings. This novel, The Two Towers, stands just as strong as its bookends. One of the biggest elements that makes it so appealing are the horse-rearing people of Rohan; they have been my favorite group of mankind in Middle Earth since I was a child. But this time, I also felt the Ents and their trees were just as interesting and awe-inspiring. Perhaps it's because I've become vegan since I last read these books, which has given me a greater interest in and respect for plant life, but I think it's also the idea that the forest and its keepers were here long before any humanoid life, which is rather scientific, since trees did evolve much sooner than mammals in reality.

Before I comment on the audiobook in particular, which was my format this time, I also want to mention that The Two Towers is so much better in its original format (book or audiobook), versus the 2000s live-action movie adaptation. Sam, my favorite character of all, is still nasty to Gollum, but not in the despicable way shown in the movie. His unkindness in the original is much more justified, and he's more shrewd than his movie counterpart, keeping his mouth shut when it's prudent, watching and waiting, looking before he leaps. I found this to be the case for many characters, actually. Faramir is more reasonable and less meatheaded, "wizard-like" as Sam puts it, and even the orcs are more relatable thanks to their long dialogues that give glimpses into their lifestyles and culture.

As for this audiobook, narrated by Andy Serkis, I feel there's not much more praise I can add to what I've already sung in my reviews of his readings of The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring 😅 It is simply excellent. I have no complaints whatsoever, and although I feel it might be nice to listen to my old CD and cassette tape versions of the Middle Earth books someday, I might just be too addicted to Serkis's masterful delivery to listen to anything else!

Content Warnings

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This audiobook narrated by Andy Serkis isn't just a reading of J.R.R. Tolkien's work, it's a world-class performance 🤩 I've always been moved by the epic nature of this tale, but never before have I felt the emotion in it so keenly. Something especially effective in the narration is the use of drawn-out pauses, the intake of breath, the volume and cadence of speech, etc., to bring the scenes to life. It was as if the characters were saying these things for the first time ever, the conversations developing organically, with no hint of the fact that their words were decided decades ago, and have been repeated countless times since. A film grander than the Peter Jackson adaptations played in my mind's eye as I listened to this masterful delivery. Even when, in future, I properly read the books for the Nth time, Andy Serkis's brilliant interpretation will forever inspire my own inner voice. My experience of The Fellowship of the Ring has been permanently altered for the better by this audiobook. I had no idea, as a lifelong fan of Middle Earth, that such a thing was possible!

Letters to a Young Writer: Some Practical and Philosophical Advice by Colum McCann

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challenging hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.0

The writing was a little too artsy for me; I prefer to receive advice more directly. There were some chapters that I breezed through and got nothing from, because it was just a mess of words from which no meaning seemed to emerge. That's why I'm giving this book four stars instead of five. But it's still a solid four stars! Despite the annoying and bewildering passages, overall I found it motivating and inspiring, even comforting. I have over a dozen sticky notes and flags filling the book, summarizing some of the best advice and pointing to quotes I know I'll need to read again. And despite my complaints, the final chapter nearly moved me to tears with its powerful message! This is one I'll keep in my personal library and come around to again in the future.

Life Day Treasury: Holiday Stories From a Galaxy Far, Far Away by Cavan Scott, George Mann

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hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot

3.0

Another solid, middle-of-the-road, three-star book for me. The year-end holiday theme helped bolster it, but there were a lot of issues that kept me from giving it a better rating. The illustrations were nice. I found their concept-art-quality interesting. They also helped with visualizing the characters in each of the stories, which was a big problem with the text. I was constantly on my phone, googling names of characters, species, locations, vehicles, etc. because the writing did not, for the most part, describe many of these things outside a mention of their proper names. I LOVE Star Wars, but I felt excluded by the way this book assumed I'd be a religiously devout fan, like a living Wookiepedia (the site I was constantly visiting while I read) without the need for help in imagining the characters and things. Even with the illustrations, the one per story rarely gave enough visual material to cover everything. It's almost as if the proper names of Star Wars specific things were chosen in lieu of more creative descriptions because it saved space. I say this because another complaint is that I found most of the stories to be rather rushed, especially in the conclusions. I think the authors tried to pack too much content into too small a word count.

Still, I found several stories charming (my favorite was the The Spirit of Life Day, a cool ghost story~) and it was an easy, quick read, so that even with my complaints, I didn't feel like my time was wasted. I actually wouldn't mind reading this book again next holiday season. It's definitely worth keeping in my holiday collection even just for show. The paper quality is a bit low, but it has fancy deckled edges and good cover design & construction. For someone who loves the year-end holidays and Star Wars, it's not a bad book!

Content Warnings

Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

I enjoyed this book just as much as the previous one! In fact, it began so smoothly, following immediately the concluding events of the first book, that it didn't even feel like a separate thing. I'm not sure I've ever felt that way when reading other book series before, even my favorites like Harry Potter or The Lord of the Rings. Some of the things that were especially well done in this volume included the tension at the beginning (enough to keep me reading, but not so much as to be annoying), all of the action scenes, Temeraire's amusing bloodthirstiness somehow harmoniously married to his deep compassion for other living things, and Lawrence's constant show of character flaws that miraculously do not make him any less likeable as a protagonist. Excited to get reading volume 3!

Content Warnings

Sherlock Holmes: The Definitive Collection by Arthur Conan Doyle

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adventurous dark funny hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

I'd read a good deal of the original Sherlock Holmes stories before starting this audiobook but it was here that I finally experienced them all. Stephen Fry was a phenomenal narrator! Excellent character voices, foreign accents, emotional delivery at all the right times--I suppose that's what you get when someone with true acting chops reads you some of the best stories ever written~ I don't think I'll ever be able to listen to anyone else narrate the Holmes canon. The inclusion at the beginning of each book of a foreword by Fry himself was an excellent move. Not only did I learn a ton about the stories and their author, I learned things about the narrator that tied him to the Holmes fandom and just made him more interesting than ever as a person. I'm sure this won't be the last time I listen to this audiobook!

Content Warnings

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studiomikarts's reviews 89 reviews

studiomikarts's reviews
89 reviews