Jenn

Adored this book. A sweet story with interesting characters that you can't help but root for the whole time. I appreciated that disability and mental health were written with such care and nuance and didn't define them completely. Both characters were aware of themselves and showed a maturity and growth that I feel is rare in a chick lit romance. So good :)

This book was not what I was expecting based on the title. Definitely not instructive or a How To. It's very heady and academic which is I enjoyed for awhile, but really struggled to get through in the end. I kind of wish she just wrote a birdwatching book and wove in the “attention economy” parts as an indirect theme.

I learned some stuff, enjoyed some of it. I'd recommend it if you're feeling patient.

Michelle's writing is beautiful even through such a disturbing and sensitive subject. The book shines at the most memoir moments and that's where the 3 stars come in. I imagine this was incredibly hard to write, and I feel her overwhelm and distraction in the pages. I couldn't find the driving storyline, I think because it jumps back and forth in time so often it does feel like whiplash. I got confused on where we were, when we were, and who we are talking about.

I do think it's worth reading and I would recommend reading it alongside the documentary. The two support each other well.

I'm conflicted, but I have to admit it is inspiring. I believe David Goggins probably is the “hardest man in the world.” But his story is also tragic and it's not a price I personally would want to pay. And that's ok!

Some warnings:

1. The book is very abrasive and crude in spots. It's a lot of manly military talk, and I did not appreciate all of the derogatory comments conflating women and female traits and anatomy with weakness. Come. On.

2. It feels like it can't decide if it wants to be a memoir or a self help book. And I would be very hesitant to read this book as advice.

3.5 rounded down. It's a good book, but be prepared. He's taking souls. I wish him all the best.

I hadn't heard of Rob Bell before Ryan Holiday wrote about this book in one of his newsletters. I'm not a Christian nor religious and probably never would have picked this book up otherwise, so I'm glad he did.

Some parts of the book (and his writing) I struggled with but I did like Bell's interpretation of heaven and hell and how he used the historical context of the times to explain it. That we create our own version of hell (suffering) and heaven (peace and creativity) on earth NOW and that we always have a choice feels pretty stoic and rings true for me. I also loved how he broke down the story of the prodigal son and talked about how you tell a story (even to yourself) matters, that there can be several perspectives at once and that we get to choose which one we want to believe.

Definitely not for everyone, but I wouldn't write it off just because you're not religious.

Tiny but mighty read. This book was perfect for this season of life for me. Just like the tickle in my throat before a cold, I've been feeling the warning pains before burnout sets in. This book is a lovely bit of perspective and hope for whatever ails you. It's not just productivity hacks or morning routine tips either. It will surprise you at it's depth.

I wanted to quit reading this several times. I couldn't find a thread through all of the stories, essays, and poems, and was often left wondering why they were included. Sometimes it came off as name droppy and judgmental. There certainly were some beautiful passages and pages that I underlined, but overall I was disappointed. I'll be choosing another book by her to read next year, this might have just been a bad first book choice on my part.

Meh. The premise sounded interesting- a serial killer couple! But unfortunately it fell pretty flat for me. I know it's first person, but even so it was very “tell” no “show.” It was also super drawn out in non important ways, and things that felt like it should have been a bigger revelation were a sentence and never revisited. I did finish it though, and pretty quickly, so 2.5 stars.

Good read, but oof. The first half hits home and I imagine it would for any one who has been ghosted or ghosted someone. Really pathetic and gutting. The second half had a big twist and a few more that was just kind of “meh” for me. I did have trouble putting it down because I wanted to see what happened, but it was a bit dramatic, frustrating, and unlikely.