I can't believe I almost passed on this book! Problem one: I originally saw it listed as Sci Fi & Fantasy which, yes, it is, but not entirely. Then, II can't believe I almost passed on this book! Problem one: I originally saw it listed as Sci Fi & Fantasy which, yes, it is, but not entirely. Then, I saw it listed as also horror, a genre I tend to prefer a bit more. Problem two: I didn't believe that I was the target audience and, since I was requesting a NetGalley audiobook, I didn't want to take away the opportunity of someone who was the target audience. When I saw that not only did the audiobook have multicast narration but the list of who those narrators were... I had to go for it. Boy, would I be kicking myself now if I hadn't (or, well, not, because I wouldn't know what I had missed out on, but, you get the idea).
On to my real review! Did you love the meta horror of the movie The Cabin in the Woods? Do you have a soft spot for old-school horror (Misha, our main character, would be a Millennial and I am Gen X, if that helps you understand what I mean by "old-school horror"). Are you intelligent? Did you grow up "other," only to find your glory in adulthood? Do you believe in the Matrix? Do you have feelings re nanobots? Do you think it's really neat when authors build one plane of reality for all of their works to exist in?
***minor spoiler alert***Does the idea of an old-time cartoonist being killed by having a piano fall on their head give you the tingles?***minor spoiler end***
If all of the above apply to you, then you should rush out to obtain a copy of Bury Your Gays. What else did I love? How about a Porsche Taycan cameo? Or, actually being disappointed that some of these fictional works don't actually exist (Little Mouse!). I have a soft spot for stories that will jump back and forth in time and narrator, especially when it's done well (not where you get confused and have to flip back through pages to understand what's happening, super-annoying in a paper book but doubly so with an audiobook). Misha's ode to the horror genre should be quoted. This book has its funny moments, romantic moments, action-adventure moments, quite a few genres make their appearance.
Finally, a word on representation. This isn't a book for one audience. It's a book for everyone.
I would like to thank Macmillan Audio for allowing me to experience this NetGalley audiobook. It far exceed every one of my expectations. Bravissimo, Chuck Tingle!...more
I think I understand why the rating on this book is so low: it's mis-titled and mis-described. Here is my suggestion for a more appropriate title: TamI think I understand why the rating on this book is so low: it's mis-titled and mis-described. Here is my suggestion for a more appropriate title: Tammany's Twilight: The Murder of Vivian Gordan, the Fall of Mayor Jimmy Walker, and the Rise of Anti-Corruption in Jazz Age New York. This book is only partially a biography of Vivian Gordon, and I'd hesitate to call her a "lady gangster." If she was a "lady gangster," she most certainly wasn't the only "lady gangster of Jazz Age New York," as Anthony M. DeStefano mentions several "Broadway Butterflies" throughout his tale. I would say that the Vivian Gordan biography only takes up about a third of the book. Vivian Gordon's murder may be the book's fulcrum, but in the meantime we learn so much about so many different characters, machinations, trials, etc. Although I thought Romy Nordlinger did an amazing job with her narration, there was just too much to keep up with when you didn't have the benefit of either an index or the ability to easily flip back and forth between sections for reference. Particularly confusing was the similarity in so many names, especially John Radeloff (Vivian's lawyer and ex-boyfriend) and Joseph Radelow (another ex-boyfriend, business partner, and, ironically, Radeloff's cousin). Not even Romy Nordlinger's enunciation could help me keep these two straight.
Don't get me wrong: I liked the book. I probably would've asked to read it even if I had known it's full subject matter. My advice to the interested reader is to give it a try-- just not the audio version unless you also have a paper or ebook copy handy for reference.
I would like to thank Tantor Audio for allowing me to experience this NetGalley audiobook....more
The Bomb Doctor: A Scientist's Story of Bombers, Beakers, and Bloodhounds was enjoyable on so many levels. I don't know which Yeager sibling was most The Bomb Doctor: A Scientist's Story of Bombers, Beakers, and Bloodhounds was enjoyable on so many levels. I don't know which Yeager sibling was most responsible for the book's voice, but It served the story. This is serious subject matter. So serious that the book ends with a call to action to report suspicious activity in the hope that you could prevent the next bombing. Along the way we travel from Boston to Bali to Bangledesh, with many ports of call in between. Dr. Yeager incorporates science with memoir and history to create a cohesive work that was over far, far to swiftly for me. Paul Bellantoni's narration was spot-on, providing just the right amount of serious/sassy attitude to match the Yeagers' words. There is levity in this book, needed comic relief given some of the other heavy sections. {As a fellow resident of the DC metro area during the sniper attacks in 2002, I personally thank you for sharing your story. I got a chill when I realized, too.}
I'm not supposed to be reading (auto)biographies/memoirs of people I like, lest I learn something that makes me dislike them (it's basically another wI'm not supposed to be reading (auto)biographies/memoirs of people I like, lest I learn something that makes me dislike them (it's basically another way of saying never meet your heroes). Gosh, is Bossypants really 13 years old?!? It did win the Goodreads award for humor, not memoir, so I'm going to comfort myself with the point that it was meant to be more funny than anything, and it was. I will choose to forgive her for being a city slicker married into a family from a rural area (that's my partner and I, genders reversed, after all). I will forgive her for her acceptance of Photoshop. It was 2011 after all, how could she have foreseen the rise of Instagram and the harm it would cause women? It wasn't even a year old when Bossypants was published. I will still love her for a million and one other things, from unapologetically gushing over the simple deliciousness of Maxwell House coffee with, how was it she put it, French vanilla corn syrup, to confirming that John McCain was the man I believed him to be. The rose-tinted glasses are off when I look her way, but I still love her and don't regret reading Bossypants....more
In 135 years what's left unsaid about Three Men in a Boat? What amazed me throughout was how undated the overall work felt. I mean, it obviously wasn'In 135 years what's left unsaid about Three Men in a Boat? What amazed me throughout was how undated the overall work felt. I mean, it obviously wasn't written in modern times-- not a smartphone in sight-- yet it came across as so relevant. You could totally make a movie of it today and have to change very little. I laughed all the way through, then made my partner listen to sections. Also: while I do not approve of his violence towards cats, Montmorency is such a great character. I thoroughly approve of his insertion into the narrative. Thanks be to Thalia for inspiring Jerome K. Jerome to diverge from his original idea for a standard travelogue. Literature is forever better off because of it....more
I get the hype. I like the way the book ended. I understand why Laura Dave ended it that way, why there really wasn't any other good way to end it. ItI get the hype. I like the way the book ended. I understand why Laura Dave ended it that way, why there really wasn't any other good way to end it. It slots nicely with a couple of other audiobooks I've recently read, The Intern and If Something Happens to Me. I haven't seen the Apple TV+ series; I wonder what the plans are for season two. I can see the appeal of carrying it on: family drama + thriller + Jennifer Garner. And, if you don't like it, you can rest easy knowing that Laura Dave already gave you the perfect ending....more
In today's world of psychological thrillers and forensic detective novels, we tend to forget what a traditional mystery novel looks like. Anyone who tIn today's world of psychological thrillers and forensic detective novels, we tend to forget what a traditional mystery novel looks like. Anyone who tries to tell you that Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle left clues to suss out so that you could follow along with Sherlock/Poirot et al. is full of poppycock. In those classic stories the reader was along for the ride. Like when I was three on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride at Disney World, I wasn't really driving the car, but I sure felt like I was. A good time was had by all. That's what End of Story consistently reminded me of. No wonder that it seems to have confused a number of readers. I thought it was brilliant, worthy of the wait, and actually wished it was even longer....more
My very first John le Carré; my very first George Smiley (although I've seen both the 1979 BBC series and the 2011 film versions of Tinker, Tailor, SoMy very first John le Carré; my very first George Smiley (although I've seen both the 1979 BBC series and the 2011 film versions of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy). It was strange, hearing Gary Oldman (Count Dracula! Reverend Dimmesdale!) described as a toad. At least he came across as kindly. In retrospect, curmudgeonly Obi Wan Kenobi didn't match the character much at all...
That's what was running through the back of my head the entire time. In my defense, my understanding is that John le Carré himself revised the characters as he went along. It was nice to see Peter Guillam, and Inspector Mendel, too. I really liked the Inspector. I'd forgotten that he was in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. I'm even about certain I've heard Simon Vance narrate something else before, although I can't jog my memory as to what. Reading Call for the Dead was rather like old home week in a way. A brief catch-up with old friends that you haven't seen in awhile. As for the plot, very dense and cerebral for such a short book. It's a novella, really. I'd like to go back soon.
I would like to thank Dreamscape Media for allowing me to experience this NetGalley audiobook. I hope they plan on recording more George Smiley novels with Simon Vance....more
There is a sad moment in Becoming Free Indeed: My Story of Disentangling Faith from Fear when Jinger Duggar Vuolo says "I'm still surprised the show lThere is a sad moment in Becoming Free Indeed: My Story of Disentangling Faith from Fear when Jinger Duggar Vuolo says "I'm still surprised the show lasted as long as it did. It didn't seem possible that many Americans would be interested in a family with our conservative values." No doubt some did watch for that reason. Speaking as the oldest of five, I know better why the majority tuned in. Your family is a freakshow: a cue the calliope music, carnival barker step-right-up-step-right-up freakshow. I know, because I am the oldest of five. I'm glad your family was able to turn a buck off of it; mine sure couldn't. Nobody ever drove one of us into town for free, much less flew all of us around the world.
I knew absolutely nothing about Susan Seidelman prior to reading her memoir. To the best of my recollection, I've never seen any of her work except foI knew absolutely nothing about Susan Seidelman prior to reading her memoir. To the best of my recollection, I've never seen any of her work except for the Sex and the City pilot. These are my favorite kinds of memoirs, because it doesn't matter if you end up liking the subject or not. You can just listen and be entertained. I enjoyed hearing Susan Seidelman's story very much. Jaime Lamchick did a lovely job narrating. I did not expect to learn so much about so many topics, either. I learned about everything from tools used for editing film to why SoHo is called SoHo.
This was a great memoir to read right after finishing Miss May Does Not Exist: The Life and Work of Elaine May, Hollywood’s Hidden Genius. Susan Seidelman actually references Elaine May at a couple of different times. I've never thought much about the glass ceiling in the entertainment industry. I can't help but wonder how differently Susan Seidelman's career would've turned out had she been Steven Seidelman. Would the executives have passed on She Drives Me Crazy? Would She Devil have been released the same weekend as The War of the Roses?
In sum, I found Desperately Seeking Something: A Memoir About Movies, Mothers, and Material Girls to be entertaining and enlightening. I would really like to go back and watch so many of these works, and I'm glad that, while she may never have been a 1% A-lister, Susan Seidelman has been allowed to have a long and steady career, respected by her peers, in the industry she loves. I'm so happy that she decided to share her story with the rest of us.
I would like to thank Macmillan Audio for allowing me to experience this NetGalley audiobook....more
This is only the fourth Kate Burkholder novel I've read, but it seems like I've read many more. Maybe that's because Burkholder's world feels so familThis is only the fourth Kate Burkholder novel I've read, but it seems like I've read many more. Maybe that's because Burkholder's world feels so familiar to me, just swap out rural Illinois for rural Ohio (although our Amish community isn't as large as the one in Holmes County). I always appreciate how Linda Castillo treats the Amish as normal human beings, not some kind of exotic species to be romanticized.
I usually learn a little something about the Amish from the Kate Burkholder books. I found The Burning to be the most educational so far. I learned a little bit about the Hutterites. There's also an Anabaptist history lesson. I had no idea that the practice of adult baptism was ever the source of so much contention! I can totally appreciate how these people would want to separate themselves from society at large!
The story itself is good, as usual, with the twist surrounding the motive particularly unique. Kate does an awesome T-1000 impersonation. While not Christian fiction, the Kate Burkholder novels always cause me to reflect on my spiritual path and choices, my family and life's journey. So much hidden profundity in what otherwise appears to be a mystery novel! I'm going to keep grabbing the Kate Burkholder stories whenever I can.
I would like to thank Macmillan Audio for allowing me to experience this NetGalley audiobook. As always, Kathleen McInerney's narration is excellent, helping to bring these characters more to life than I think the page can due to hearing spoken Deitsch....more
Joel Selvin's treatment of Jim and his mental illness was fair. Schizophrenia is a serious thing, and I believe strongly that the public deserves to be protected from those with violent symptoms. I also think the psych industry deserves the dressing-down that Joel Selvin gave it for (1) its inability to deal with the dual diagnosis of use disorder (addiction) and mental illness; and (2) even today, the US psych industry largely ignores medications like acamprosate, disulfiram, and naltrexone in favor of 12-step programs (see the article The Irrationality of Alcoholics Anonymous in the April 2015 issue of The Atlantic). If things are still so bad today, looking back 40 years, is it any wonder that poor Osa Gordon was murdered?
I would love to see Drums & Demons: The Tragic Journey of Jim Gordon turned into a biopic or streaming series. I wish all available closure for Jim Gordon's surviving family. I believe Joel Selvin's treatment of Jim's professional reputation was rehabilitative and no less than deserved. I would like to thank Dreamscape Media. for allowing me to experience this NetGalley audiobook....more
I've recently read The Woman in Me, and there's no way to avoid comparisons. I enjoyed Honey, but kept asking myself why it exists. Not that you have I've recently read The Woman in Me, and there's no way to avoid comparisons. I enjoyed Honey, but kept asking myself why it exists. Not that you have to justify these things, mind you. So, my TL;DR would be: a fanfic rewrite of The Woman in Me where we give Britney Spears a better life and happier ending. Honey was a fun read. I liked most of the characters; I enjoyed Brittany Pressley's narration. The "multimedia" sections were fun; I always appreciate those when executed correctly. There was a bitter sweetness finishing Honey. Britney Spears, may life imitate art and may you find your happy ending. I would like to thank Macmillan Audio for allowing me to experience this NetGalley audiobook....more
I am Gen X. Cynical is second nature. Even then, there are certain places where you just expect better. I'm used to encountering what a beloved formerI am Gen X. Cynical is second nature. Even then, there are certain places where you just expect better. I'm used to encountering what a beloved former co-worker used to describe as "phony-baloney Christians, so unlike their Christ." To go through all of the trouble to join a religious order, though, and not a particularly indulgent one... aren't there are easier ways to become a powermonger? At some point, at some level, these women had to believe in the teachings of Teresa of Ávila and John of the Cross, didn't they? Apparently, the ministry et al. is an excellent career choice for sadists/psychopaths. Pity that poor young Catherine didn't know that.
To my family, I summarize Cloistered: My Years as a Nun thusly: me as a counselor at Na Wa Kwa, only with nuns instead of Girl Scouts. The one year I worked as a Girl Scout camp counselor, like Catherine Coldstream, I experienced extreme bullying for no discernable reason. I can draw parallel after parallel between our stories. Ironically, I was at Na Wa Kwa while she was at Akenside Priory. Those were what I consider the "bad old days" re bullying. The bullied were told to simply buck up and bear it. This was all still pre-Columbine, when the anti-bullying movement really began. I understand why it took her so long to write her memoirs. Even now, I will occasionally run into someone who used to terrorize me. They have no remorse, no shame. It was my fault. The word "obnoxious" gets used a lot. What does that word even mean?
I'll tell you what that word means: it means that you'd better run as if your life depends on it, because it does. Catherine Coldstream's story makes that clear. It's obvious that her mental health has never fully recovered; thank goodness her physical health has. I'm also glad that she has a good relationship with God. Many people who undergo that kind of abuse lose their faith. It's important that stories like Catherine Coldstream's are shared so that we can understand the realities of these "untouchable" institutions before others are hurt. Catherine Coldstream herself muses how many would-be sisters were distracted by the beauty of Akenside, overlooking warning signs of the rot that lay within. How many other former sisters have remained silent to their own abuse? At least two that I can think of from Cloistered: My Years as a Nun alone. Thank you, Catherine Coldstream, for bravely bearing witness. Thank you for protecting others.
I would like to thank Macmillan Audio for allowing me to experience this NetGalley audiobook....more
This is the one-word review from someone who doesn't usually do urban fantasy. I know very little Slavic folklore, but that didn't matter. VeGorgeous.
This is the one-word review from someone who doesn't usually do urban fantasy. I know very little Slavic folklore, but that didn't matter. Veronica Roth introduced the character types so well that I'm encouraged to learn more. For the unaware, Chicago has a very large Polish population, so setting the story in Chicago was due to more than just the fact Veronica Roth lives there. Or, maybe it's the other way around: maybe she picked Polish folklore because of Chicago's large Polish population and she wanted something fresher than Celtic mythology. (I'm of Irish descent and I have absolutely no problem typing that line. Celtic mythology abounds in the United States. Heck, we've even got our own breakfast cereal!)
When Among Crows is a novella, almost too short. It could've easily been twice the length and I still would've craved more of Dymitr, Ala, and Niko. Veronica Roth accomplished exactly what she needed to, with not a word wasted. I didn't realize until the very end how the story would fold back upon itself. I'm left with an emptiness inside having left their world.
I would like to thank Macmillan Audio for allowing me to experience this NetGalley audiobook....more
As much as I love Greek mythology, I was surprised that I didn't like The Maidens more. I never did warm up to Mariana, nor many of the characters, reAs much as I love Greek mythology, I was surprised that I didn't like The Maidens more. I never did warm up to Mariana, nor many of the characters, really. After fumbling the psychopathy issue, I was shocked to learn that Alex Michaelides had an infinitely (pun intended) better ability to research quantum physics. To those who know me it should come as no surprise that Fred was my favorite character. For me, The Maidens falls under the category of books that I don't regret reading, but I just don't know what to think of. I'd be more than willing to try more of Alex Michaelides's writing, see if I could formulate a more definite opinion....more
Cassie, Cassie, Cassie, what are we going to do with you?
First of all: what a woman! Maybe it's wrong to be inspired by a con artist. If it is, in CasCassie, Cassie, Cassie, what are we going to do with you?
First of all: what a woman! Maybe it's wrong to be inspired by a con artist. If it is, in Cassie's case, I don't care. Take a girl, born with nothing in an era when girls were less than nothing, who, through sheer intelligence and cunning, rose to "control" millions of dollars. Annie Reed has brought Cassie's name into the modern era with a book both well-researched and well-told. Highly readable, this is a piece of narrative nonfiction right up there with Erik Larson's work. I appreciated how Annie Reed interspersed Cassie's story with that of her purported? alleged? implied? alluded to? father, Andrew Carnegie (another historical figure I actually knew very little about). Those sections helped me understand better how Cassie was able to pull off the con.
Cassie didn't just rely on a pretty face to get ahead. Oh, I'm sure that she wasn't ugly, but her looks weren't her main appeal. She knew how to read people and re/act accordingly. In the case of some of the men she swindled, as a fellow woman, I hope I'll be forgiven if I say that someone who looks down on me, who underestimates me, just because I am not a man, deserves what they get! Furthermore, as someone who has studied law, I think that conspiracy conviction was unsupported. I would've had a JNOV in front of that judge so fast... It was a classic case of "we believe she's guilty of "x," but she's not on trial for "x." She's on trial for "y," which she's not guilty of, but we're going to find her guilty anyway because we can't find her guilty for the thing we think she's really guilty of, "x." (See State of Nevada v. Orenthal James Simpson, et al.)
I would highly recommend The Imposter Heiress: Cassie Chadwick, the Greatest Grifter of the Gilded Age to anyone who likes history, stories of true crime, narrative nonfiction à la Erik Larson, and anyone who has ever been looked down upon, told they were nothing, and needs encouragement to rewrite their own story. Hey, "[w]ell-behaved women seldom make history." You go, Cassie, girl!
I would like to thank Tantor Audio for allowing me to experience this NetGalley audiobook. ...more
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