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tracithomas's Reviews (1.05k)
reflective
medium-paced
The new memoir from Arundhati Roy about her life and how it was shaped by her tumultuous relationship with her mother, Mary Roy. This book is objectively well written — the prose are gorgeous, the structure is clear, and Roy has lived a powerful life as an artist and activist. And yet, I am so out on memoir this year I read it and thought “this is a good book, moving on”. I liked it enough to finish it, which I can’t say for many memoirs I’ve started this year, but it didn’t land the emotional punch I think it will for other readers. I am convinced we are at the end stages of memoir as a genre, because honestly if Arundhati Roy’s beautiful writing didn’t make me want to dive back into that world, what will?
reflective
fast-paced
This was a solid celebrity memoir. I wasn't wowed by it but it was well written and cohesive. If not a little too corny and sprinkled with self-help. I would've liked a little morse gossip/tea but I understand why someone wouldn't want to do that. I listened on audio and really liked her narration.
reflective
fast-paced
I liked this collection but found it a little hit or miss as many anthologies are. Some of the essays were expansive and clear while others felt murky and meandering.
The Gods of New York: Egotists, Idealists, Opportunists, and the Birth of the Modern City: 1986-1990
dark
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
I know it is crazy to say that a 460 page book is "fast paced" but this history of NYC from 1986-1990 was totally that. It is juicy, gossipy, salacious, and full of the heavy hitters of NYC past, many of whom are still at it today (Trump, Spike Lee, Giuliani, Al Sharpton). I loved this one. It might not be the best book ever but I had a total blast with it. The tone was spot on and felt like a 1980's tabloid. I loved that it was chronological and tackled the whiplash of the news. I loved that he left the reader room to connect the dots. I also now have a list of at least 5 books that tackle moments in this book head on. This was fave of the year even if I don't think it is the "best" book of the year.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really really liked this book. I was pretty taken it from the start, and only toward the end did it go on a bit long for me. Natera builds such great suspense and allows her characters to make some pretty awful choices. She also works in some history of the DR so well. There are a few pieces that didn't work for me at all the "secret" as well as storytelling choices that felt a bit heavy handed. But honestly, I was so impressed by this one in a major way.
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
I think Kimmerer is a fantastic writer. Her style and turns of phrase are beautiful. The book has some incredibly poignant pieces and ideas that were so profound. The book is also way too long and repetitive. The essays run into one another as the book goes on.
informative
sad
medium-paced
This book was fine. It did what it set out to do. I didn't find the storytelling to be particularly deep (I knew most of the info). Some of the writing (end of chapters) were irksome, the author was really holding our hands in a way that felt almost corny. It is a good overview book into the opioid treatment industry. Given the title I thought the book might go more into AA as well, but it is mostly about drug addiction. I liked the book fine but it isn't one I think will stick with me long term.
adventurous
funny
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I do not understand what the fuss is about for this book. I was bored by this one and found the voice super uneven, sometimes it was a boy talking and sometimes it felt like Barbara Kingsolver swooped in to lecture folks on "hillbillies" -- there is a line that includes "deplorables" spoken in about 2000, so odd. The whole thing was super predictable to me and really didn't have a lot new to say about the topics it covered. A big miss for me.
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A thrilling debut. It starts off witty and effortless, an easy portrait of a church and its people, and then slowly the ground shifts under our feet and the whole book has flipped before you ever really notice. I don’t want to say too much, but it really works. Citchens nails the alternating narrators and their voices. She taps into the ways desires, loyalties, and power dynamics are ever shifting, even imperceptibly so. She has a gift for evoking a whole person with one quick off-handed observation or bit of dialogue. The commentary on masculinity, hypocrisy, and the barriers to accountability are great. My favorite fiction of 2025 so far.
informative
fast-paced
This book is a fine self-help book. It is nothing special or extraordinary (though maybe it was when it came out). It is really just about finding your attachment style and communication with others. It is very hetero-normative and doesn't really take any intersectionalities into play which is always a red flag, but is also the nature of these types of books.