I really mean it when I say the truth is stranger than fiction. I'm not kidding, if the the story in this book came out as a fictional novel I can alrI really mean it when I say the truth is stranger than fiction. I'm not kidding, if the the story in this book came out as a fictional novel I can already see all the reviews saying how ridiculous and made up it all sounded. Except it's real, this bonkers story is real.
Empire of Pain chronicles three generations of the Sackler family who own Purdue pharma and the creators of the highly addictive opioid OxyContin. The story begins in the early 1900's when Isaac Sackler immigrated to America, and then follows his son and his grandson who inherited the Purdue Empire.
The first half of this book, while I knew less about it, wasn't as interesting to me. It's an important part of the story but I was more interested in closer to modern day events. The second half of the book details the creation and marketing of OxyContin and the toll and destruction it had on America. What Purdue and the Sackler's did was truly evil and their response and lack of accountability is insane.
This was a great comprehensive history of the rise and fall of the Sackler Dynasty. It wasn't as riveting as I expected hence 4 stars and not 5, but I'm still glad I read it....more
A wonderful, comprehensive look at the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. Colbert covered history and events before to give context to the readers the state ofA wonderful, comprehensive look at the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. Colbert covered history and events before to give context to the readers the state of the country and the frame of mind of its residents. I think this should be required reading in high schools, I honestly do. Not enough people know about this and it's a very important part of history in our country....more
I'd like to grow up and be Hilarie Burton Morgan someday (even though I am in fact, a grown up right now).
Mostly a collection of fond memories, witchI'd like to grow up and be Hilarie Burton Morgan someday (even though I am in fact, a grown up right now).
Mostly a collection of fond memories, witchy advice, and recommendations on starting your witchy journey. Less of an actual memoir as it's categorized. Still lovely and Burton-Morgan is a great writer and narrator....more
Taking place where Maid ended, Class is the personal memoir of Stephanie Land and her time at college in Missoula. After leaving 3.5 stars rounded up
Taking place where Maid ended, Class is the personal memoir of Stephanie Land and her time at college in Missoula. After leaving behind her abusive ex and starting fresh at college in a new state, Land is still struggling to raise her daughter and attend school at the same time. Child support and food stamps are not enough, and Land faces new hardships while working to make a better life for her and her child.
I really loved the book Maid, it's one of my favorite nonfiction books. Class is similar and yet different from its first book. Land is an excellent writer and has a way of drawing in her readers with her stories. It definitely was hard for me to understand some of Land's choices in her new life. Yes, she worked really hard and earned every great thing that came her way. I had a hard time reading why Land let go of some friendships seemingly so easily, I don't think as a reader we got enough context. And there were many different men mentioned, to the point I lost track of who was who.
But what makes this book is the little moments: where someone was kind when they didn't have to be, getting ice cream with her daughter, a trip to the hair salon. I can find myself getting choked up at certain moments when listening. If Land writes more about her life, I am seated and ready to read it. She writes what not many people are writing and I very much enjoy her stories....more
What was done to Britney Spears is criminal and I am so glad she is alive and well and with us today. I thought Spears did a great job of presenting fWhat was done to Britney Spears is criminal and I am so glad she is alive and well and with us today. I thought Spears did a great job of presenting facts and explaining her feelings without ever seeming hateful or having a vendetta. Even if you aren't a fan of her music, this book is a must read as it portrays an accurate account of conservancy abuse and a woman's fight to regain her freedom....more
A comprehensive look at the history of Black horror films and modern horror cinema. We learn about the different stereotypes that roles in films and sA comprehensive look at the history of Black horror films and modern horror cinema. We learn about the different stereotypes that roles in films and shows put black actors/characters into as well as themes tropes and traits.
I very much enjoyed this book, listening was a bit odd because there were several points at which titles of films and dates are listed for quite a long time. I also am giving this book an extra star because the authors shaded Kenya Moore in the book and as a Real Housewives fan I was dying laughing while listening....more
I read books like this and wonder why people still want to work in the entertainment industry.
My rating is more a reflection of my overall enjoyment oI read books like this and wonder why people still want to work in the entertainment industry.
My rating is more a reflection of my overall enjoyment of this book and not a reflection of the content of this book.
When I read the Vanity Fair article on Lost (which is an excerpt from this book) I was shocked and horrified at the treatment of the various cast and crew on the show. It made me said these people had these experiences on something I loved watching, but a lot of what was said made sense. Harold Perrineau leaving the show in the second season was always perplexing to me, and then reading the real reasons why everything clicked into place.
I also mostly wanted to read the chapters on Sleepy Hollow because I love actress Nicole Beharie and knew some sort of mistreatment of her went down on that show. And this book was proof of how she was treated badly on the show and how it blacklisted her for years after. Reading this was infuriating and enraging.
I do think the book was too dense and there was a lot of name dropping of people in the industry as if the reader is supposed to know who they are (spoiler, most of the time I did not). While covering tough subjects there was a bit of hope thrown in at the end but my main takeaway is there's terrible people everywhere and it is incredibly hard to hold them accountable for their bad behavior....more
I absolutely adore Michelle Obama, I’ll read anything she writes. Instead of a biography, this was more of a helpful facts book intermixed with examplI absolutely adore Michelle Obama, I’ll read anything she writes. Instead of a biography, this was more of a helpful facts book intermixed with examples from real life. If you’ve already read Becoming, it can be a little bit repetitive. But ultimately this book is meant to empower those who read it and I hope it helps a lot of people find their light....more
I have lots of thoughts and feelings about this book. First off, if anyone trolls this review in the comments I am blocking and deleting comments becaI have lots of thoughts and feelings about this book. First off, if anyone trolls this review in the comments I am blocking and deleting comments because it’s not that deep. I’ve never been a royalist, I’ve never been a fan of the monarchy. I never understood as an American why I should care about these people, especially when for a long time they were enforcing modern day colonialism. But with all the hate Meghan Markle gets over the years, it enrages me how her and Harry are treated by the press and the public. So I wanted to read from Harry’s own words his side of the story.
The amount of hate Harry and Meghan gets astounds me. And what drives me wild is when people who don’t listen to the interviews, who don’t read the book or they take quotes out of context, they are always the loudest opposers or criticizers. And often, they’ll say “H or M need to do this!” without realizing, they already have or are. So my two cents is: actually do your research before making comments because most of the time you sound like an idiot to those who have already educated themselves.
This book isn’t as salacious as the media makes it out to be. What stood out to me the most about this book was the story of a young boy whose mother was taken away from him at a too young age and the circumstances around that are wildly unconventional. My heart breaks for both Harry and William for them losing their mother at a young age and having to publicly deal with that.
Another thing about this book, a lot of it was about Harry’s military career, which didn’t really interest me. I am glad he’s proud of it, as he should be, but a large portion of this book was about it and wasn’t interesting to me.
As for the dynamics between Harry and William, I see both sides on a lot of things. Sibling dynamics are already complicated, and then you add in becoming king or being a spare and that really just sort of creates chaos. Harry talked a lot about how William didn’t want to talk to him at school and while that sucks, isn’t that something very normal that happens with older and younger siblings? I’m not sure Harry had the perspective of seeing other families go through the same thing. .
I felt Harry could have been a lot meaner when it came to his family. I read this book as he was presenting his side of the story and his facts when lies had been promoted about him for years. I can understand wanting to address wrongful misinformation being spread about oneself. I am sure that’s incredibly frustrating for the entire family....more
Ducks is the autobiographical account of Kate Beaton who worked in the oil sands in Canada to pay off her student loans. There she encounter 4 stars!
Ducks is the autobiographical account of Kate Beaton who worked in the oil sands in Canada to pay off her student loans. There she encounters a harsh reality of unsafe working conditions and trauma that went largely ignored by everyone who worked there.
I have to say, this book wasn’t even on my radar until it was nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award, and then I saw a few reviews from friends praising it. I never even knew about this area of Canada and the kind of work people did there. I thought this book was a very insightful look at an industry not a lot of people know about, but many workers there face many dangers and sacrifice a lot to be there to make money.
I’m really glad I read this story, and I am even more glad that Beaton wrote it. I think Ducks will someday become a classic in the graphic novel genre, I really do....more
I have something to admit: I didn’t know who Jennette McCurdy was until this book came out. And when people look at me dumbfounded when I say 4 stars
I have something to admit: I didn’t know who Jennette McCurdy was until this book came out. And when people look at me dumbfounded when I say that, I always get back, “iCarly!”. No hate to the show, I just never watched it. But with a book title as salacious as this one, I had to read it.
The book is mainly about McCurdy’s rise to stardom, her experiences as a child actor, her relationship with her mother, and the abuse she suffered from those things. If you have an ED or it’s something that can trigger you, I would warn you to take caution and care of yourself before and when reading this book because a lot of the abuse in this book is linked to eating disorders and how her mom taught and coached her to be anorexic.
I thought this book was haunting, insightful, and eloquent. At times it felt a little bit disjointed with the stories, but I understand it was snippets from her life compiled together. Growing up in Los Angeles, I myself have strong feelings about child actors and this just solidified a lot of those feelings. We wouldn’t ask a six year old to work in a factory, so why are they working in the film industry to support their family? Doesn’t make sense to me.
I’m really glad I read this book and I’m looking forward to what McCurdy does next in her career. Whatever it is I hope it brings her peace and happiness....more
She Said is the story of the two reporters who investigated Harvey Weinstein and the search for victims of his abuse to state on the record what happeShe Said is the story of the two reporters who investigated Harvey Weinstein and the search for victims of his abuse to state on the record what happened to them. Once their article was published, it launched a movement for women all over the world to come forward with their own stories of abuse. And following all of this was the testimony of allegations during the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.
I had already read the book Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow and meant to read this book but then the covid19 pandemic hit and I couldn’t read anything not light and fluffy. Now that the movie is being released I wanted to hear from the two women who broke the story on Weinstein and how they uncovered it all.
It’s really horrifying when reading the details of how everything happened how Weinstein was able to get away with this horrid behavior for years just because of his money and power. So many people suffered and were afraid because of one man. I appreciate the detail this book had and followed along riveted as these two journalists told this story.
At first I didn’t connect why there was so much about Cavanaugh in this book near the end, but looking at how the article about Weinstein launched a movement it made sense to see how this would affect kind of the first test of the movement in action. It was interesting to see the decisions Ford made leading up to her testimony....more
I genuinely feel like Susan Cain is overrated. I read Quiet last year after many recommendation and it was okay, but I wanted to give her another chanI genuinely feel like Susan Cain is overrated. I read Quiet last year after many recommendation and it was okay, but I wanted to give her another chance and thought this would be interesting subject matter. It felt like instead of a cohesive book, a bunch of ramblings on why it’s okay to be sad. And that’s okay, that’s fine. But most of what she presented in this book felt like common sense to me? Not sure how else to explain it. I just wasn’t amused or impressed while listening to this book.
That being said, there were a few people in my life that I felt would gain something by reading this book even if I didn’t, so if you read my review and it makes you not want to read the book maybe don’t listen to me and try it for yourself. Everyone has different tastes and I can see others loving this book....more
I have many conflicted feelings about this book. I’ve worked in public libraries for almost two decades now, and in that time I have worked at roughlyI have many conflicted feelings about this book. I’ve worked in public libraries for almost two decades now, and in that time I have worked at roughly 25 libraries in some capacity whether it be part time, full time, or weekend/program coverage. So to read a book about the public library, written by someone who spent nine months at one difficult branch, I do wonder if this is a perspective I want to listen to? It’s like teaching for one year and writing a book on it. Does this person’s thoughts and feelings have weight to them? I’m not sure.
There’s a lot that Oliver talks about in this book that I agree with, libraries are more than books, services don’t look like what they used to, outsiders romanticize the profession not really realizing what it entails. But what this book really lacked for me was cohesiveness. Is it a memoir? Is it a history of libraries? Is it a commentary on social media and cancel culture? All of these things were in the book, but nothing seemed to mesh well together into a narrative.
I’m glad that people are writing books about the public library, because the public does need to know more what librarians face. But I don’t personally think Oliver is the right perspective. This book just wasn’t executed very well....more
Cultish is a broad examination of the language of cults by linguist Amanda Montell, and this book really focuses more on the language of cult 4 stars
Cultish is a broad examination of the language of cults by linguist Amanda Montell, and this book really focuses more on the language of cults. Whether it be the language of an actual cult like Heaven’s Gate or groups that use cult like language such as soul cycle. Montell is not saying all of these things are actual cults, but their rise and everyday use of language is cult like.
I thought this book was incredibly fascinating and I thought the author did a wonderful job of keeping things broad on the subject and using specific examples to emphasize her points. I think what a lot of people misunderstand when reading this book is she’s not calling things like Soul Cycle or Crossfit cults, but instead pointing out where their success follows cultish language.
This book really made me think about the use of the word “cult” and how it can used to add malicious tones to something that really isn’t. It’s also not a bad thing for there to be a group mindset on something as long as people aren’t getting hurt. Despite the author kind of pointing out that people are not necessarily “brainwashed” when entering a cult, I do think there’s a level of reconditioning that happens to people when they do. Just because someone is intelligent doesn’t mean they aren’t vulnerable to their wants and needs.
One of the more interesting books I’ve read recently, I think this is a great nonfiction book for people who don’t normally read the genre. It gives a good scope of the topic but doesn’t become dry or dull with the finer details of the subject....more
Deaf Utopia is the personal memoir of Nyle DiMarco, a cultural icon of the Deaf community. He rose to fame after winning two reality show com 4 stars
Deaf Utopia is the personal memoir of Nyle DiMarco, a cultural icon of the Deaf community. He rose to fame after winning two reality show competitions America’s Next Top Model and Dancing with the Stars. Deaf Utopia is a glimpse into his life up to this point (DiMarco is still very young, in his early thirties) and it is a love letter to Deaf culture and American Sign Language.
I honestly can’t remember where I first heard of DiMarco, I didn’t watch his season of ANTM or DwtS, but I do recognize him as a famous celebrity. My mom is a coda, so anything to do with Deaf culture or ASL in books I am eager and happy to read so I picked up the audiobook version of this from my local library. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to DiMarco’s life and experiences, mostly his childhood and the antics and pranks he and his siblings and friends participated in over the years.
While I didn’t watch ANTM during DiMarco’s cycle, I was an avid watcher of the earlier years so I understood the format of the show and enjoyed learning more about Nyle’s experience. I definitely want to watch his season now that I’ve read about it. Same with DwtS I’ve seen other seasons of the show so I understand the format and also enjoyed those chapters. I do think there’s a lot that hearing people can learn from this book, that people can be more respectful of how they treat others they perceive to be different from them. Sometimes the book got a little bit repetitive but overall I really enjoyed and I hope more people pick up this book and read it. And I hope to see more from the author in the future, whether it be writing or film or more....more
As a housewives fan, I adore Garcelle Beauvais. She’s a no nonsense straight shooter who doesn’t take any crap. I knew she had a book 4 stars!
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As a housewives fan, I adore Garcelle Beauvais. She’s a no nonsense straight shooter who doesn’t take any crap. I knew she had a book coming out, but when I saw her castmate Erika Jayne threw a copy of the book in the trash, I KNEW I had to read this book asap.
This is a memoir that follows key moments in Garcelle’s life, which I didn’t know a lot about and it was fun to learn. I thought she was pretty darn respectful talking about others in her life, she was pretty honest but not mean spirited. I enjoyed most the parts where she discussed her relationships with all of her children; it’s clear she loves them very much and is a great mom.
The only thing I didn’t love about this book is it didn’t seem very cohesive, it was more a selection of key moments in her life in random order which would throw me off because we’d finish one thing just to revisit the past right after. It felt a little disjointed, but I still enjoyed it overall....more
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