I was prepared to thoroughly love this book. Every day I passed it on my shelves, it called out to me. The cover and title said "read me." I was equally prepared to love it as I was reading it, liking the use of language, feeling the imagery, as the mystery of the two time lines started to slowly make sense. I think this author has a lot of talent and I would like to read her other book, but a main issue with it for me is that the melancholic atmosphere of the novel just never got resolved in any meaningful way for me. The main character's blithe acceptance of her crushes treatment of her and the way she and the other characters come to terms with the the crushing blows of losing children, losing their homelands, losing their place in society, losing parents, losing possible life-long love, is heartbreaking, but only for some of the right reasons (there's something missing). Ideas around testimony and perseverance are explored a bit, but the book feels, in the end, like everyone has just given up. I think the use of dance and crochet, was meant to be symbolize those balms that are needed to heal wounds just enough to keep on going, but, it just doesn't end up feeling like it's enough. It seems like the message of "live, just live" is in conflict with another of "fight, keep fighting" and therefore the ending just seem to know which way to go.

I thought this one was fun to read but not great. The plot was interesting. It was paced well and the characters were likable. The writing was clear, but not literary or imaginative, and it was edited almost to perfection (which I appreciate as I find tons of errors in almost all books and find it very annoying). I think for the right audience, it would be a hit, for me it missed the mark. The character dialog was a bit stiff, and I just didn't buy the scientific bits. I am not a scientist myself and I appreciate that the book is fiction, but I just can't see there being so simple a fix for such complex problems. I do appreciate the hopeful message of the book although I can see how many right-wing leaning people may see the message as propaganda.

I really enjoyed this. As a person who has never been to the Sierras, it is a nice beginner's guide to some of the natural wonders of the area. I would have liked for it to be longer, but I believe it to be a good size for someone just dipping their feet into the nature of the area. I could see this doing well in gift shops of outdoor hot spots in and around the area (i.e. camping, hiking, scenic areas). I really appreciated that it had areas for not just birds and mammals, but also insects, plants, and other natural wonders like "snow fleas" and a rock that came from an unusual place. Fun for the amateur naturalist about this area.

I appreciate this book and find it readable and a worthwhile read. I connected to the author's stories in many ways. The writing was decent and I like that she didn't try to come off as more flowery or intelligent. Often a non-fiction book benefits from a direct approach and I think this was absolutely the case here. I am proud of the author and people like her that can learn and grow through the traumatic events of the past and although she and I are different in many ways, I do feel inspired by her words. I sincerely hope she keeps trying to bring good to the world and never succumbs to letting depression win. I think she spoke very bravely and honestly and I thank her for helping others.

I enjoyed this novella. The point of view is from a woman who is neurodivergent and clearly not interested in many of the typical things that people get enjoyment from. She has a very hard time finding a purpose for herself. It explores her relationship with other more typical people as well as a person who is also not typical in his thinking but in a different way than she. It also explored some of the differences in men's and women's treatment in Japanese society. I have to say that although I am a pretty open-minded person, this story did help me see things from the main character's point of view, and helped me understand some of the challenges that someone in her shoes would be facing. I like a book that does that.

I absolutely loved this book. It is so funny and hits just the right balance of rounded characters who are not perfect but still capable of redemption. This is the book to read when you need to feel the imperfect beauty of life. I absolutely recommended for every reader, even if you don't normally read heartwarming books or funny books because it is not saccharine, just tender! And the perspectives of the few animals in the book just adds to the enjoyment and helps the reader to see some of our human foibles ever so clearly!

I found this book pretty bad and the story overall pretty meh. The characters were blah, the dialog was blah, the editing was poor with many misplaced question marks, and some grammatical mistakes. I specifically found some annoying things to be characters that are introduced suddenly and without finesse, magic that didn't make sense (even in a magic system), issues that had previously been too hard to handle suddenly being resolved with barely and inconvenience (ie. btw -- how could fixing the slashed tires of an out-of-control, panic-striken ghost be a good thing for the living or dead). Upon introduction, an entity that has specifically been called not a ghost and with much emphasis, is later referred to as a ghost. I just couldn't stay interested and found myself not being able to take this seriously.

I am not the target audience for this book because I do not usually read YA, and I would consider this a YA novel. That being said, I decided to give it 4 out of 5 stars because as a parent of teenagers, I would be proud to have them pick this up. It is an interesting story that sheds light on some very important historical events and the feelings of many of the Catalan people; namely the effect of Franco's dictatorship of Spain and the subsequent efforts of the Catalan public to regain the independence that was taken during Franco's reign. It is a complicated issue for anyone, but seeing it through the eyes of a teenager who is also dealing with romance, friendship complications, future school and career interests, and family obligations, helps show that whenever and wherever these conflicts occur they have a very real impact on the people that are there and that one day a similar situation could need to be responded to in one's own part of the world. I think contemplating these issues is great for young people and this would be a good choice for a YA book club. The characters were all pretty straightforward. I usually like a little more complicated characters but I think this was a good choice for YA where the politics is the main issue and they weren't overly saccarine (which would have surely ruined a good thing).

I was primarily trying these out because of the mindfulness aspect, not as a work of literature. That being said, the writing is not good, and the mindfulness lessons suffer as a result. I really like the idea of the book but imo the poetry does not flow nicely and seems like it is trying too hard to be deep to really feel genuine. I think that the questions at the end of the poems are more useful but the poems didn't help me remember them or add to them in any way. Word usage is poor too. An example is when the noun "casket" is used in poem 14. Why would you use a casket to write about anything other than death. Other times words are left out or nonsensical, like when in poem 6, it says "Real-life heroes and legitimate mates Who miss spotlights and decorates" this sentence doesn't make sense to me and seems silly. One thing you definitely don't want to feel when you are trying to change your life through mindfulness is silly. It just isn't a book I could take seriously.

I really enjoyed this engaging novel about family, independence, and love. I really connected to the characters and it explored an idea that I have thought about many times--what if the lynch-pin of the family was suddenly not there anymore. In many families there is that one person who just seems to hold everything and everyone together-for better and sometimes for worse. The dynamic is paradoxically needed, blameless, and harmful all at the same time. This is a book about the complexities of family life and growing to adapt around them. I was touched by it. The writing was evocative yet straightforward. This was my first from Brasket and I will read this writer's work again.

I really enjoyed reading about Margaret Bryan who was interested and talented in mathematics and the sciences and how she made her way through the patriarchy of the Georgian history, class dynamics, and gender equity. Liberality had to be taken with the account since there is a lack of historical accounts of the woman herself. But I can easily imagine that she and other progressively-minded women of her time (ie. Jane Austen, Princess Caroline, and many others) certainly held views that did not match up with those of the majority. I also found Margaret's kindness and open-mindedness in her relationships as a friend, mother, and lover compelling. Don't skip the Epilogue and the section entitled "The Endless and Unnecessary Battle for Gender Equality" I learned a lot from that.

I found the novel interesting and there were some good, not obvious plot twists. There were a few weak areas. Here are my Pros: I like how complicated some characters are while others seem to long only for a simple life, the sparse clues to indicate that history will somehow be influencing the next generations lives, the idea of gifts being both privileges and burdens, the nods to sexuality being more complicated than appearances dictate, the contrasting tones of the sex scenes, the trauma witnesses are left with, and the idea of self-hatred for things that are not under one's control.
Cons: There are some awkward turns of phrases that left me unsure of the intended meaning, the motivations and feelings of the characters seems muted somehow. I don't know how to describe it but I am not sure I fully bought into how quickly most of the characters were mollified. Overall, it is a very good novel and makes me want to explore the play it was based on.

This poetry collection is not for me. The poetry seems childish. Some of the rhymes don't seem to convey a deep feeling, just seeming to rhyme for rhyme's sake. I found the ideas intriguing at first until the same handful was explored over and over again. The rhthym and meter is off in places and many words (ie pride) get used redundantly.