i started this to revisit a book i know i read for 6th or 7th grade english class, expecting to dnf it because of ableism and outdated writing. what ii started this to revisit a book i know i read for 6th or 7th grade english class, expecting to dnf it because of ableism and outdated writing. what i didn't expect was to fly through this in one sitting! and yeah, there was use of the r-slur and bullying toward the main characters, but the friendship in this book was so wholesome and i actually also loved the suspenseful elements that unfolded. partially through this book i remembered how it would end, so it must have stuck with me subconsciously over the years. and dang it's a bittersweet ending. but i loved that there were so many new things i picked up on as an adult that i'm sure i missed as a preteen....more
this book was my favorite in third grade. i remember we went to go see a history teacher down the hall who would read one chapter of this to us each dthis book was my favorite in third grade. i remember we went to go see a history teacher down the hall who would read one chapter of this to us each day, and i left her class desperate to know what happened next. i've owned it as an adult for a couple of years, and after deciding to pick up some old childhood favorites this month, this was one of the first ones on the roster to revisit for the first time in over a decade. as expected, i was just as hooked as i was as a 10 year old, and i'm surprised at how many details i remembered.
i finished the book close to tears, also as expected, and literally within minutes of finishing i wrote an email to the author explaining how much i appreciated this book as a child and as an adult.
this is the only book i remember reading in 5th grade, though i'm sure there were many others. i revisited it tonight as something quick to help lift this is the only book i remember reading in 5th grade, though i'm sure there were many others. i revisited it tonight as something quick to help lift me out of a month-long avoidance of reading, and it definitely brought me back in time and i was able to appreciate this book as an adult. i don't know if this book will still carry the same impact for young readers as it did for me since the world is much more different with social media (and child privacy in mainstream media lol), but the last two chapters got me sniffling....more
I definitely would not have read this had it not been for class, but I'm so glad I did. As often as it goes off on tangents about whaling and4.5 stars
I definitely would not have read this had it not been for class, but I'm so glad I did. As often as it goes off on tangents about whaling and details I don't care about, somehow those chapters are short enough to not lose my attention entirely, and they always rounded back to a relevant point that made them integral to the story rather than background information. I think Ishmael and Ahab are two tremendously developed characters. I'm eager to delve into my research on this book because there's a lot of interesting and relevant themes to work with.
One last thing: Starbuck deserved better. That's all I'll say....more
If I hadn't been reading this for class and skim reading it at 4 AM in a panic to find lines to talk about during class, this would definitely be fiveIf I hadn't been reading this for class and skim reading it at 4 AM in a panic to find lines to talk about during class, this would definitely be five stars. But of all the classics I've read--especially essay collections that are usually dry--this one was actually immensely enjoyable! Thoreau created such a complex and interesting blend of social commentary, memoir, and call to action. It revealed a lot about myself that I need to improve on, and it also brought new perspectives of appreciating nature that I hadn't considered. My favorite quote in the entire book--though there are DOZENS I highlighted--was this:
The stars are the apexes of what wonderful triangles! What distant and different beings in the various mansions of the universe are contemplating the same one at the same moment! . . . Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other's eyes for an instant?...more
i would like to meet one (1) person who understands any of this.
there’s some good one liners that i agree with, but most of this book just sounded lii would like to meet one (1) person who understands any of this.
there’s some good one liners that i agree with, but most of this book just sounded like a crackhead conspiracy theorist standing on a street corner and yelling WE ARE ALL A TRANSLUCENT EYE THAT CONNECTS US TO THE SPIRIT OF THE UNIVERSE like wut......
far too philosophical and spiritual for me. i much prefer works about the sublime....more
I read this for class and it's decently interesting, but not really anything new. I think if anything, a book on the history of emojis would have beenI read this for class and it's decently interesting, but not really anything new. I think if anything, a book on the history of emojis would have been cool, but this whole book is about how popular emojis are and how they affect our language and i'm just like ..... yeah..... i know......
So I see how this appeals to my elderly professor, but for me, I wasn't wowed....more
This book wasn't bad at all and there wasn't anything I particularly disliked about it, it just feel very flat for me. The main character is sorting tThis book wasn't bad at all and there wasn't anything I particularly disliked about it, it just feel very flat for me. The main character is sorting through identity issues because her father died in Vietnam before she was born so she's trying to learn about Vietnam to unveil some of the secrecy behind her father. I think there were some really cool threads in this book that were pulled together, and it definitely has something to say about femininity and war, but I couldn't really connect with Sam and idk. I can't put my finger on why this one didn't really grab me; it was just alright. Not boring, not badly written, just not nearly as good as The Things They Carried, which was the book we read right before this one that blew me off my feet....more
This is one of the most important books I've read not only this year, but of all time. Absolutely captivating filled with quotes on EVERY page that maThis is one of the most important books I've read not only this year, but of all time. Absolutely captivating filled with quotes on EVERY page that make me stop and think. This isn't just a book about war, it's a book about writing about tragedy and coming to terms with loss and PTSD and losing friends and every single story was meaningful and symbolic and just shocked me with the sheer amount of truth and power. I know most people who say they've read this read it for a class, but if you haven't picked up this book, PLEASE do so. It will literally change the way you think about war, and it's so damn clever yet heart wrenching....more
This book was so gorgeous, I think I would have loved it had I not been speed reading/skimming it for class. I just missed so much and was so3.5 stars
This book was so gorgeous, I think I would have loved it had I not been speed reading/skimming it for class. I just missed so much and was so confused by it in the end, which is sad because it is a REALLY interesting and eye-opening story about Native Americans, written by a Native American. The criticism of colonialism and white men taking the natives' land and just being so violent in the first place to start wars was really intriguing to read about from this perspective, and I think it's really valuable material. Again, I just had a really hard time comprehending what was happening, and the fact that this skips around in time didn't help. Maybe when I reread it (I bought a copy for myself), then I'll be able to pick up on more and raise my rating, because it genuinely is a beautiful book and I thought Tayo's inner conflicts and his thought process was brilliant....more
Just really, really, really not my style of book. It's told from a soldier's account, so the description of his days and activities was very 1.5 stars
Just really, really, really not my style of book. It's told from a soldier's account, so the description of his days and activities was very monotone and this book lacked a lot of depth and personality. It was brutal and important to recognize the tragedy he experienced, but this book was just incredibly racist, even though that was the normal attitude toward the Japanese during WWII. Additionally, I was just really shaken and disappointed at the attitude of "As soon as we escape, we're gonna re-enlist to get revenge!" I disagreed with the entire concept, and although I sympathize with the struggles they went through, I really didn't enjoy the callous and condescending voice of Dyess.
(Also i'm so confused why we're reading non-fiction in a literature course???)...more
I read Act 1 through Act 4 then definitely gave up. This is the hardest play to comprehend because the vocab was really under-explained, and I really I read Act 1 through Act 4 then definitely gave up. This is the hardest play to comprehend because the vocab was really under-explained, and I really didn't like any of the characters. I saw the play when my school did a production of it but they twisted it to have Harry Potter references, and even then it was confusing and weird. I'm just not a fan....more
edit: it’s been about a month since i’ve read this and i’m increasing my rating to 5 stars. the plot of this book and the main character’s thoughts haedit: it’s been about a month since i’ve read this and i’m increasing my rating to 5 stars. the plot of this book and the main character’s thoughts have just stuck with me so much, and after finishing an 8 page paper about this book it just made me fully comprehend how genius it all flows together. highly recommend.
4.5 Stars.
My war literature professor is just out here trying to make me cry, huh?
This book was beautiful. It's gruesome and explicit, and at times highly uncomfortable, but it's not just a book about raw killing with no message. The main character has such a fleshed out backstory and inner conflict and I was rooting for him throughout the entire book and just had so much empathy for him even though we're two completely different ethnicities and I've never had to be in a war. I'm usually not a fan of a book being told through flashbacks, but this integrated it nicely and kept me interested enough in knowing what was going on in the past so that they end up where they are.
It's a tragic book, but I totally guessed the ending. The reason I took off half a star is because I think I wanted more finality in the ending, and there's still a few things I have questions about that went under-explained. Also, there were so many different flashbacks that sometimes the locations and experiences got muddled since all the trenches were very similar. Also, almost every character in this that I liked died, so it's fINE....more
Sindu visited my class to speak about her experience growing up in Sri Lanka during the civil war, and we reaI wish this was longer. It was gorgeous.
Sindu visited my class to speak about her experience growing up in Sri Lanka during the civil war, and we read 2 stories from this book that were amazing, and so I borrowed the rest of the book from my professor. I think every person should read it.
It discusses war, feminism, racism, classism, her relationship with a transgender man, and often blends these together to create a narrative of her life. I'm blown away by how much I loved this and I wish it were more widely known about....more
I think it can go undisputed how misogynistic this is, but in a way, its ability to anger me was impressing? Idk. The content sucked, but I think it sI think it can go undisputed how misogynistic this is, but in a way, its ability to anger me was impressing? Idk. The content sucked, but I think it sucked for a reason. I don't think Shakespeare hates women and thinks they're inferior to men, yet I wish this had more of a comeback arc. I loved when Katharina was sassy and angry and at the end of the book she ended up so subdued, and I was waiting for her to snap back, but she never did. I'm disappointed. ...more
I liked the dialogue in this one a lot more than the first one we read for class (A Comedy of Errors). I love the whole "girl poses as a guy in order I liked the dialogue in this one a lot more than the first one we read for class (A Comedy of Errors). I love the whole "girl poses as a guy in order to trick misogynists into letting her participate in their society" trope, and I just in general loved Olivia and Viola as characters, so I was super into this. My only complaint is that the ending wraps up too swiftly for me and a few of the plotlines were just kinda smooshed into one grand finale, but I was left wanting more.
Not the best Shakespeare I've read (but I mean, NOTHING compares to hamlet), but still an enjoyable read that I didn't dread picking up....more
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