thebacklistbook's reviews
288 reviews

The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World, by Desmond Tutu, Dalai Lama XIV, Douglas Carlton Abrams

hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective slow-paced

3.0

This book is an extended conversation between the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu. It is frankly a miracle that they had the time to put this together. It is also a miracle that the plane took off before the earthquake gripped the region. This book is a compendium of advice on how to be joyful.

Beautiful Country, by Qian Julie Wang

dark informative reflective tense slow-paced

3.0

This book chronicles an all too common immigration experience. Ms Wang and her family fled oppression during a time when legal immigration was even harder than it is now for the Chinese. She chronicles a life of racism, inadequate healthcare, fear, and neglectful parenting.  

Listen To Me, by Tess Gerritsen

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This one is done in multiple points of view. In this book it was handled very well, without switching to often. This particular novel focuses on Angela Rizzoli.

Angela believes firmly in see something, say something. So much so that she cries wolf often enough that Jane starts ignoring her calls, right when there really is something.
This book is very well plotted and paced. I really enjoyed my time with it.

The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism, by Vincent B. Leitch, John P. McGowan, Jeffrey L. Williams, William E. Cain, Barbara Johnson, Laurie A. Finke

challenging informative reflective slow-paced

2.0

This is a philosophy text and was read for a course. I found the analysis portion dense and less than informative in some cases. It was used mainly as a jumping off point for ethical dilemma construction. 

The Vampire Diaries: The Fury and Dark Reunion, by L.J. Smith
Did not finish book. Stopped at 96%.

Well. You win some, you lose some. Almost made it through this. These books are just terrible in my opinion. The further I got the worse it was. 

Princess in Training, by Meg Cabot

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Princess in Pink, by Meg Cabot

emotional funny lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This one was vaguely entertaining this go around. Finally Mia can move past whining about prom. Maybe she will have some growth in the next one too. 

The Happiest Man on Earth: The Beautiful Life of an Auschwitz Survivor, by Eddie Jaku

challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.0

Eddie (pronounced Addie) Jaku (jay-koo) takes us through his experience of the Holocaust. He shares loss, love, and joy of life. Please read this book. It is educational and poignant.

I Know A Secret, by Tess Gerritsen

challenging dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

This one was a real stretch. The plot was all over the map. Serial killer in present linked to 20 year old satanic panic daycare case. And too many red herrings to shake a stick at. 

Curly Girl: The Handbook, by Michele Bender, Lorraine Massey

funny fast-paced

1.0

This book had such polarizing reviews I had to read it myself. It reads like a terrible coming out manual. Aside from that there are sections of good advice and atrocious advice within. Rule number one is keep hair hydration in balance. This is good. The suggestion of finding a botanical conditioner and saturating your hair with it is not. This will result in 2 things: thinning from blocked follicles, and rotting (when combined with the gel/mousse on wet hair tip).

If you want to invigorate curls all you need is 1 part natural healthy conditioner that works for your hair to 3 parts water in a spray bottle (this is leave-in conditioner the custom way). For me, I do a coconut oil and cornstarch or baking soda deep conditioner monthly in the summertime. The part about avoiding silicones and waxes is good. The part about using a microfiber towel/t-shirt/pillowcase to dry hair doesn't make any sense.

My hair takes four hours to air dry if, and only if, I scrunch it in a cotton absorptive towel first. if I used one of the books options here my hair would take more like two days to dry. I usually just gently squeeze it out before leaving the shower then blot it with the towel. The tip about brushes is not quite right. Some hair textures can't be brushed. Others can. I can only brush my hair after it's dry. If I do it wet I lose more hair and have more pain. Also on no planet should styling product be put on wet hair, it will rot over time. Ultimately you know your hair better than a stranger does.

PS. If you deal with dandruff like I do (my hair is hella thick), wash your hair more often concentrating on the scalp. massage as long as you can stand it. Do a massaging water wash first, followed by a cleansing wash with your non clarifying shampoo.