From the get go, I felt this book in my soul. I used to joke that staying at my college over break was the wild west with the dining halls being closeFrom the get go, I felt this book in my soul. I used to joke that staying at my college over break was the wild west with the dining halls being closed. A lot of doemstic FGLI students even pointed out the fact that a lot of us couldn't even work during breaks as jobs went to international students first. I remember my junior and senior year was especially rough. There was a time senior year when at home, I had to use my phone as a mobile hotspot and use a box as a table in the bathroom to write a paper. Food wasn't guranteed and neither was safety or the space to think about the complex emergent systems of ants. The hood and going back to poverty and dealing with the compounding traumatic incidents were complex enough. Yet, I graduated somehow. Did I enjoy my 4 years? Looking back I can say I appreciated it, but it wasn't particularily enjoyable. So hearing how these issues still remains and were exacerbated by COVID, wasn't a surprise. However, I'm writiing all of this from reading just the first chapter. I'm sure my thoughts about this book will only improve. Feel very valdiated but also learn something new about how I can improve the experience of the FLGI kids that will come after me....more
I read this book years ago. Great book. Some say it's YA but the themes are rather adult. it is action packed but also is supported by deeper meaningsI read this book years ago. Great book. Some say it's YA but the themes are rather adult. it is action packed but also is supported by deeper meanings. Sets up the stage nicely for the rest of the Enderverse. This book changed the way I understood the I Ching. ...more
I binge read this book. It's been years since I finished Ender's Game. I loved that book, it helped me understand the I Ching Hexagram 15 in more detaI binge read this book. It's been years since I finished Ender's Game. I loved that book, it helped me understand the I Ching Hexagram 15 in more detail. I've been meaning to pick this book up. Let me say that it reminded me of the Children of Time trilogy. I binge read it untill 4 am today, which says a lot about the book. In this book, Ender has matured a bit and has carried the weight of his actions from his first book. I wish I could say more but still processing this book. This book was what Card wanted to originally write but needed the prelude of Ender's Game to flesh it out. Overall, it's a great book about what it means to truly understand an alien species. However, it does read differently than the first book and it did remind me of more contemporary works that have carried some of the ideas better. Will I read Xenocide? Maybe. I need to read something untill my Audible credit renews so I can finish out the Hyperion series. ...more
This book is free with my Audible account, so I decided to give it a listen as this abridged version is only 4 hours long. My thoughts with any RobertThis book is free with my Audible account, so I decided to give it a listen as this abridged version is only 4 hours long. My thoughts with any Robert Greene book are to read it not as a guide but as more of a collection of stories and quotes. His background is in classics after all. It's like a fancy picture book but about "primal" human instincts. Regardless, it is enjoyable to hear of famous actors from back in the day most have not heard of due to the passage of time, fictional or real. I will most likely forget 99 percent of this book, but I will remember the first line: those who have no insecurities and are comfortable with themselves are impossible to seduce. It is interesting to hear his idea that to become more attractive, we have to be less insecure and egotistic and become more of who we are; to embrace our natural qualities that are already attractive. This book isn't a quick pick-up book, rather it details what makes an idea or someone so seductive. Simply put, it's seductive because it fills a missing part in us. Moving onto Ego is the Enemy as that is also super popular nowadays......more
This book talks about something very few book does, and that is ego. We're told that we need to have passion and find life's goals. But we rarely put This book talks about something very few book does, and that is ego. We're told that we need to have passion and find life's goals. But we rarely put in the work. Or are humble; we believe we deserve certain experiences. A short book, it does get repetitive at times, but I don't mind it because the lessons here are important. It's a constant effort to check oneself before one wrecks himself. Instead of asking who we want to be, we should ask what are we doing? Because by doing, we become. I copied 25 quotes from this book. Will refer back to this book every year. ...more
What Krakauer does well is his side stories that add depth to the narrative. My first Krakauer was Into the Wild. My second is Into Thin Air. His nonlWhat Krakauer does well is his side stories that add depth to the narrative. My first Krakauer was Into the Wild. My second is Into Thin Air. His nonlinear stories and chapters also add considerable depth to the history and the gravity of the attempt to climb Everest. Overall, a short and compelling read. ...more
Currently on Chapter 7. Wow just wow. If you are a writer or a naturalist or an environmentalist, I would wholeheartedly recommend this book. There arCurrently on Chapter 7. Wow just wow. If you are a writer or a naturalist or an environmentalist, I would wholeheartedly recommend this book. There are two books on Audible read by Bass, his "For a Little While" and this book. This book made me laugh and realize the importance of mentorship in writing but also the constant journey to better ourselves.
Wow! I just finished listening to this. The issue with modern education is that we don't take the time to choose our mentors. Or take the time to reflect. We follow a predetermined road expecting a smooth ride. Bass took 3 years out of his life to thank his mentors by cooking for them. Sharing a bit of the Yak food and culture. In life, food and drink with our friends is important despite being deprioritized. Also Bass is nearing old age and he reflects on his life and writing appropriately so. Overall, I read this after For a Little While and they both go hand in hand. Maybe one day, I’ll get my doctorate then move to the Arctic and write about life in America from the other side. ...more
I thought this book was a solid 4 star book. But I think the impact and what this book does brings it to 5 stars. I would love to give this book to myI thought this book was a solid 4 star book. But I think the impact and what this book does brings it to 5 stars. I would love to give this book to my close friends when I'm going through my struggles so they can understand me better.
A lot of people are reading this book after the author's previous editing of Sensory: Life on the Spectrum Comic Anthology. But this book is the author's personal journey that still continues to this day with daily life and the struggles of neurodivergent people. The world isn't designed for neurodivergent people. Autistic people have an extremely elevated risk for isolation, ideation, bullying, low self image, and etc. We're not all happy beneath our masks. I felt validated reading their story and found it important. The last line, "The sky doesn't need to be clear to be beautiful" sums up the author's journey. I think the negative reviews are from people who state the book feels like a feels dump or a trauma dump with few solutions. I disagree. It's a memoir of the authors personal struggles with mental health as an AuDHD person. It requires bravery and courage to put yourself out there including how AuDHD people can be extremely hard on themselves. How do we go from the toxic positivity and the superhuman or "You're more than your Disabilities" ableist rhetoric into acceptance? I believe the journey is unique but the Autistic population often gets infanttilized and never heard....more
I just finished this book. WOW. The way each stories wrapped up with the monologues of each character and their reflections. The role of generational I just finished this book. WOW. The way each stories wrapped up with the monologues of each character and their reflections. The role of generational trauma and expectations. The acknowledgements at the end were beautiful. Glad my library had this on Libby with no wait times; because this was a great read. Here is a partial quote, "All to defend his home, his dreams, against the threat of us, a horde of refugees, who had come here because we had no other dreams left. What other choice was there but to escape to this valley of dust and pollen and California smog? Where else was there to go in the aftermath of genocide?" I may not have enjoyed every story but each story felt realistic but also very meta as well.
Even though the book has elements of queer identity, the book is more than just a sum of it's parts and shouldn't be limited to one category. It's about the intersectionality of what it means to love when your parents didn't have the luxury of love. It's about the loss of memories, the presssure of expectations. Generational differences. The last paragraph of each story: the reflections of every character and their monologue of their life against the past and the future. The pressure to be more than what you've done so far. The restive feeling of wandering after attending college. Your parents tell you to go to college, you do then what? You come home. A home your parents came despite not knowing this is where they will raise their children. Some not knowing how they will do it alone.
I was devastated to find out this book was published after the author's death. The acknowledgement was beautiful. He put elements of himself and his experiences in these stories. I love the title Afterparties. Glad I read this in a couple of days for the book club....more
Ok I'm sure I listened to this book last year or the year before. But I don't remember much of it. Going to give it another listen as the topic is fasOk I'm sure I listened to this book last year or the year before. But I don't remember much of it. Going to give it another listen as the topic is fascinating and oft ignored. We prioritize education as the great equalizer. Having worked with students from disadvantaged backgrounds and being one from myself, that is what we’re told by our teachers. If you were a kid from poverty and you got a full ride from an Ivy League vs paying tuition and room at the local state school, which one would you choose? But what about the culture shock? And being forced to lose one’s authenticity and culture. I think I gave this book 3 stars when I initially read it; but maybe some books aren’t read until the right time (or reread). I think the ETHICAL question the author poses is important: what’s the point in moving up or gaining the world if you lose your soul in the process? During my 4 years in school and a couple after away from home, I lost out on spending time with my mom. But I also realized that my experiences growing up were abnormal and “wrong”. I shouldn’t have done this or my friends should have done this… but we lacked resources and did the best we could. I left my community (it also got gentrified) and I rarely go back because I changed how I should spend my free time. Going to listen to this book again in my downtime and come back with a deeper lens....more
Full disclosure: I read this book after watching several episodes of the Apple TV show. The book is rather short at around 10 hours of listening time.Full disclosure: I read this book after watching several episodes of the Apple TV show. The book is rather short at around 10 hours of listening time. Bought it directly on Audible for about 13 bucks. I didn't enjoy the show much so I decided to speed through the book. Here's my one liner review: reads like a thriller with the box and science being the glaring obvious deux ex machina and the end all be all. There were a few memorable lines I can see myself treauring over the years such as (paraphrase) "What could've been is not an inverse but all of the infinite possiblities between the two absolute extremes." The book reads like a thriller (no issues with that) but feels like it was meant to be sold for a movie adaptation. The science in the sci fi feels anemic and underdeveloped. There were a few glaring plot holes and the final denoumont felt cheesy. I was going to read Recursion but going to hold off......more
I read this book years ago. A beautiful sublime collection of Korean poetry that is different from what was produced during this time in Korea. CapturI read this book years ago. A beautiful sublime collection of Korean poetry that is different from what was produced during this time in Korea. Capturing the stillness and the movement of life itself. I bought this book then to work on my Korean reading comprehension; I forgot how much Korean has changed and how prevalent Hanja or Chinese characters were back then. However, the book presents a dual page format of the original Korean/ Chinese text on one side and English on the other. I found this book again as I was cleaning and planning to go through it again. This is a great book for reading in the woods....more
I'm going through the collected anthology of all 5 volumes plus additional content compiled and published by Vanishing Inc. As a performing magician aI'm going through the collected anthology of all 5 volumes plus additional content compiled and published by Vanishing Inc. As a performing magician and a lifelong comic reader, this book is amazing! Wiseman is also famous for his work on the science of magic and the paranormal. I've read a few of his papers during my research days. I also haven't read a comic as interactive as this either. Overall, a great comic that is informative, beautiful and enjoyable. The perfect trio. Got nominated for an Esiner too!...more
I watched the movie when it came out years ago and then listened to PHM and finally decided to give the OG the Martian a listen. There are two versionI watched the movie when it came out years ago and then listened to PHM and finally decided to give the OG the Martian a listen. There are two versions of the audiobook, only the Will Whedon version is available now. You can still look for the CD version with RC Bray. The movie is good but the book is better in explaining the thought process of Mark Watney. The book is about Watney being stranded on Mars and MacGuyvering his way out with engineering ingenuity and scientific wizardary. Man vs elements; the human desire to survive through cleverness. The book is thrilling in the number of possible realistic problems Watney encounters. The book is "hard sci-fi" but uses science as an element and drives the plot. This book does read like an actual NASA mission. The book is longer than PHM and is only about a single character. But why not 5 stars? Weir's books have a formula of a single character + an insurmountable problem = scientific answers/ solutions. It is highly enjoyable but I do feel like the character development and/or supporting characters don't really exist. Maybe I'm not being eloquent enough in trying to describe what I feel like is missing. Character development isn't the right word but maybe the right word is one dimensional. PHM does get better at this but the ending denouement feels watered down.
Overall, I still highly enjoyed this read despite having seen the movie. Plus the humor was great....more
Is this book perfect? No but is it the best boot I've read this year? Yes; it's also a good drinking game, taking shots everytime he mentions "For a lIs this book perfect? No but is it the best boot I've read this year? Yes; it's also a good drinking game, taking shots everytime he mentions "For a little while." Makes me want to move back to rural Alaska. His short story the Hermit's Tale is one of my favorite short stories. His stories have the rural American feel; the mixture of rough beauty of the land and the people that live on it. Which is a true reflection of how he lives. While, I found some of the stories to be short and cruel to both animals and humans, I realized that's how it is. While some of Bass's stories have that nostalgic factor, most feel empty. But it does make me long to return to that life in rural America. Only if my lower back and neck agreees LOL. I'm about 31 percent through. Currently at 3 or 4 stars depending on the rest of the stories.
I'm on chapter 16 of 26. I love the audiobook! It has original music as well as being narrated by the author. I love the story Swans. Yes, his stories do blend together after reading through multiple of them. But it's like good maple syrup or fine whiskey. The small sips and pours excite and satisfy our palate but too much of anything dulls the taste. Great book although you have to like Bass's style. I believe while most of the stories are from his older publications, there are around 5 new stories near the end. But as for me, this was one of the best audible purchases for myself. Update, I put this book on speaker while hiking Pikes Peak. This is one of the best audiobooks I've ever bought, the other being Hannah Gadsby's autobiography....more
I admit, I've been a watch person for years. I remember my uncle giving me Casio or Armitron or Timex watches every birthday. I wore the ironmans and I admit, I've been a watch person for years. I remember my uncle giving me Casio or Armitron or Timex watches every birthday. I wore the ironmans and the calculator watches until the straps fell off. Watches something I would wear until they broke. But I still don't know when "it" clicked. Maybe college? Maybe high school? Regardless, I've had and sold many of my watches over the years. But I think I finally can rationalize my love of watches. Watches (or horology) is one of the very few 'mature technologies' we have. The balance spring-escapement-mainspring system has not changed since the 1700s (with slight changes ex. Daniel's Coaxial and Seiko's Dual Impulse). What people forget also is watches and timekeeping hand in hand with capitalism changed industry forever. We were able to create an exact but also arbitary division of the day that could be tracked. The nature of work and life changed forever. In a way, a watch is anacrhonistic; a phone syncs to atomic time and has infinite functions. But for me watches, have been the epitome and the embodiment of human spirit and ingenuity. People forget the paradigm for watches changed after the quartz crisis (revolution). Before, watches were tools; something you would have to tell time. Whenever it would need servicing, you would go to a watchmaker. But now watches are equated as luxury goods. We idealize the people that wore these timepieces during the times when they had to. Divers wearing their overengineered dive watches underwater, pilots wearing their chronographs.
Although I do think it should be more gender neutral (and contain watches from everybody) I realize historically watches were one of the only jewelry/ accesories that men could wear and style. There is a quote from this book I love, "You wear the watch, don't let the watch wear you." It's funny because you can't buy time but you can buy something that tells you the time. And maybe that paradox is what draws people to these anacrhonistic, expensive machines with gears that tell the time. Also, nothing wrong with quartz watches. The Seiko Tunas with the 7c46 movements have thier rightful place in dive watch history. Would you look at the time? That's it for today. Maybe one day when I'm old and wealthy I'll look down on my Arnold and Son Nebula 38mm and think about all the time and money I donated back to the world and smile. ...more
I technically finished the book, as this second edition added two new stories: Amnesty and Book of Martha. One time I was stranded in Anchorage for a I technically finished the book, as this second edition added two new stories: Amnesty and Book of Martha. One time I was stranded in Anchorage for a day and I spent that time visiting bookstores and libraries. At a giant used bookstore, I read the graphic novel version of Kindred. Wow, that ending. But also, discussed this book with the book club. Later I acquired a copy of Parable of the Sower but did not finish it. I stumbled upon this short collection anthology and read "Positive Obsession" while waiting to check out.
Wow. The stories in this book are followed by an afterword with her comments. I've always found it so fascinating how after asking for good sci fi recs, few lists contain any authors who aren't white men. Nothing wrong with the ABC's of sci fi (in fact I love and reread a lot of the classics) but others like Le Guinn (still haven't read her fiction but Left hand is next) and Butler and Okorafor exist. Sometimes their work isn't considered hard enough for "hard sci-fi." I disagree completely because we're forgetting the essence of sci fi itself by the arbitary distinction between hard and soft sci fi. This review isn't about that.
There are 5 short stories (3 of them are sci fi), 2 essays, and two more additional stories. I felt the two Near of Kin and Crossover didn't fit the theme initially but the afterword have more context to its addition. For example, Crossover is her first work she sold during the Clarion workshop. It was also inspired by her time doing "terrible little jobs" and waking up at 2 or 3 in the morning to write. I love how she draws inspiration from all depths of experiences even negative quotidian daily experiences. Her story Speech Sounds was inspired by her taking the bus and seeing a fight breakout on the bus. That short story won the Hugo. As someone that also doesn't drive and takes the bus, I felt her experience of seeing the fight breakout. But I didn't create a short story that explores themes of ability and communication and isolation in apolcalyptic settings. Also, the eponymous story Bloodchild is the first story in the book. Wow. It's body horror and sci fi all wrapped up. This too was inspired by a random small insignificant experience of a fear of insects Butler had. She turned that into an evolved first contact turns into continued contact story about aliens and humans. This is what happens after the first contact to a group of human survivors. What she does with the themes of tradeoffs and symbiosis is hauntingly beautiful; afterall, we all have to pay rent.
Her two essays are short but wise. It befuddles me how she can state she hates writing short stories and describes herself as boring. How? "Forget sinpiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you're inspired or not... Continued learning is more dependable than talent." Wow. How can someone call themselves boring and unsinpsired after writing such words? I truly wish I took a class with her. As I write this, I still have two stories left. But let me tell you, this is some intersectional sci-fi; Butler embodied intersectionality before it became a buzzword. From a childhood of believing herself to be "ugly, stupid, clumsy and socially awkward" while dealing with undiagnosed learning disabilities and racism/ sexism to writing these masterpieces, I'm speechless. She deserved the MacArthur Grant and after clearing out my reading list I'll be adding Fledgling and Lilith's Brood to my list.
Yeah just finished the other two stories. Yeah... Amnesty was a tough read (because of its themes). It's wild how Butler was able to see the web and thread these short stories from events that people ignore. Anyways, I've been reading some heavy, heady, weighty stuff for the last 2or 3 years. Going to take it easy from now on and wrap up my reading list and migrate over to magic studies. ...more
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