Title: Yes Please
Author: Amy Poehler
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Summary: Amy Poehler, of SNL, Parks and Recreation and Upright Citizen's Brigade fame, has written a book. What else do I need to say?
Review: I have a crush on Amy Poehler. How could you not? She's so funny and seems down-to-earth and like somebody you'd love to be friends with. Also, she's from Burlington! I listened to this book on CD, so not only did I get to read a book she wrote, I got to listen to her read it too. Win-win!
While the book was interesting and had lots of stories of her progression to fame and essays on her thoughts on motherhood and other topics, it wasn't double-over-laughing funny. That's the primary reason I didn't give it 5 stars. Also, I was perplexed when she discussed her insomnia in one part and then described her ability to sleep anywhere in another part. Maybe that's not fair but I have high standards for my crushes. Still, very enjoyable.
Showing posts with label non-fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label non-fiction. Show all posts
Friday, December 12, 2014
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Book review: The Race Underground
Title: The Race Underground
Author: Doug Most
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Summary:This book details the development of the Boston and New York Subway systems.
Review: This is a non-fiction book. I don't read many non-fiction books these days. In my mind these require more brain power. Perhaps this is true, perhaps it isn't. In this case, there were so many different characters involved, it was hard to keep track of at times. Anyway, this was a really interesting book. There were times I almost gave up--after the Boston subway was completed and New York still hadn't started their own I couldn't help but think, "so where is this going?". But in many ways the development of the New York subway was even more interesting than the Boston part. I think anybody that lives in either Boston or New York will enjoy reading about what the cities looked like back at the turn of the century.
Author: Doug Most
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Summary:This book details the development of the Boston and New York Subway systems.
Review: This is a non-fiction book. I don't read many non-fiction books these days. In my mind these require more brain power. Perhaps this is true, perhaps it isn't. In this case, there were so many different characters involved, it was hard to keep track of at times. Anyway, this was a really interesting book. There were times I almost gave up--after the Boston subway was completed and New York still hadn't started their own I couldn't help but think, "so where is this going?". But in many ways the development of the New York subway was even more interesting than the Boston part. I think anybody that lives in either Boston or New York will enjoy reading about what the cities looked like back at the turn of the century.
Friday, March 21, 2014
Book review: Escape from Camp 14
Title: Escape from Camp 14
Author: Blaine Harden
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Summary: An amazing (and true) story of a North Korean man's escape from a prison camp to the United States. Shin Dong-hyuk was born in one of North Korea's prison camps. He's the first known person that was born and raised in one of these camps that escaped and lived to tell about it.
My review: I think this is my first review of a non-fiction book on this blog. I'm not averse to non-fiction at all, I think I just have a perception that they require more concentration and so I'm hesitant to commit to them because I don't have a lot of energy or concentration by the end of the day. But I read this based on a recommendation from a friend and I couldn't resist at least trying it.
This book was fascinating for some many reasons. One, it shows the strength of the human spirit. Two, I knew that North Korea was hardly Shangri-La, but I don't think I was truly aware of the atrocities and the terrible camps.
This book is not upbeat to say the least. I had to switch between this and The Last Anniversary at times. That being said, it was still great, if only for the description of life within the camp. The details on his life in America were a little vague, but the rest was fascinating. Highly recommended.
Author: Blaine Harden
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Summary: An amazing (and true) story of a North Korean man's escape from a prison camp to the United States. Shin Dong-hyuk was born in one of North Korea's prison camps. He's the first known person that was born and raised in one of these camps that escaped and lived to tell about it.
My review: I think this is my first review of a non-fiction book on this blog. I'm not averse to non-fiction at all, I think I just have a perception that they require more concentration and so I'm hesitant to commit to them because I don't have a lot of energy or concentration by the end of the day. But I read this based on a recommendation from a friend and I couldn't resist at least trying it.
This book was fascinating for some many reasons. One, it shows the strength of the human spirit. Two, I knew that North Korea was hardly Shangri-La, but I don't think I was truly aware of the atrocities and the terrible camps.
This book is not upbeat to say the least. I had to switch between this and The Last Anniversary at times. That being said, it was still great, if only for the description of life within the camp. The details on his life in America were a little vague, but the rest was fascinating. Highly recommended.
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