Tag: Book Reviews

Jul 23 – 29, 2023 | Little Sparks #12

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Hello friends!

How was your week? Mine ended in a blast – I watched Barbie with some friends. It was a masterpiece, to say the least. I enjoyed the plot and the feminist agenda. The ending was also brilliant. Some areas could have been improved like everything else in life, but I recommend watching it.

Here’s my reading highlight:

The Fraud Squad by Kyla Zhao
3 stars

I enjoyed the plot, but I don’t think it was executed well. I believe Sam behaved natively though not reflected in her characterisation – I didn’t expect her to be naïve with all her life experiences. The conflict between Tim and Sam felt cliché regarding how their dialogue went. Likewise, how Tim and Sam’s relationship started and shifted was also relatively superficial and thus unrealistic.

The ending was well done – it was hopeful and powerful. It made me think once again that we don’t always have to move up in life, we can also move sideways.

Jul 16 – 22, 2023 | Little Sparks #11

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Hello!

This week was quite eventful. It was Culture Week at my company – the first time– and we had various events.

On Monday, there was a team hike. We had paint and sip Wednesday evening, though the painting was by numbers. Hahaha! Lastly, on Friday, we had a Sports Day. It was a blast, and apart from getting to know the team better, taking breaks from working throughout the week was also lovely.

Here’s my book highlight:

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
5 stars

I went into the book without reading the synopsis, so I thought it was a true story/brand written via oral history. It is not – however, it felt very realistic, and I was deeply immersed in the plot. This is quite significant as I do not listen to rock and roll, nor am I curious about how bands work. I recommend listening to the audiobook because you truly get the experience of a documentary/it being based on oral history. A different person plays each character, and you can hear the music/singing how it’s meant to be.

I appreciated how each character was full and diverse, especially the female characters. Taylor did a great job criticising misogyny and the sexism we know existed during that time, especially for female artists trying to make it in a male-dominated industry through the characters. I also really enjoyed Billy and Camille’s relationship. Their love felt raw, hopeful and beautiful – to build a relationship by giving your unwavering faith in them.

I planned on watching the drama after reading the book, but now with such high ratings for the book, I am worried I will be disappointed by the dramatisation (after all, the book is always better than the movie). I will share if I do end up watching the drama.

Have a great week ahead! 😊

Jul 9 – 15, 2023 | Little Sparks #10

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Greetings!

Yet, another week has passed, and we are now almost midway into July.

How is your summer going so far? Mine has been filled with – apart from books – workouts and new restaurants.

Here’s my reading highlight for this week:

Good Morning, Monster! By Catherine Gildiner
5 stars

Catherine recounts her experience treating five folks. We learn why they went to see Catherine (often not willing), what issues they were experiencing and how they overcame them/are recovering. Catherine describes these five folks as heroes, and after reading about their journeys to recovery, I couldn’t agree more.

Despite the heavy topic, I finished this book in one sitting. The writing was intriguing and hopeful. It makes you think about the power of therapy and the human potential – what we can do with the cards we are dealt with.

TW: rape, suicide (ideation), (drug, emotional) abuse, death (of a child), domestic violence, mutilation, negligence

Jul 2 – Jul 8, 2023 | Little Sparks #9

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Hello!

How was your week?

The weather was really lovely here, so I enjoyed my time outside.

Here’s my reading highlight:

What Happened to You by Oprah Winfrey and Bruce D. Perry
4 stars

This is an exciting book format, cause while it’s an audiobook, it is also a conversation between both authors. We hear Oprah speak on personal experiences and interactions with guests on their traumatic experiences. We also hear actual playbacks from the Oprah Winfrey Show on those experiences. After this, Bruce speaks scientifically, explaining how that traumatic experience has affected their lives and brains.

The book overall highlighted the need for us to move away from “what is wrong with you” to “what happened to you” when discussing trauma.

Jun 25 – Jul 1, 2023 | Little Sparks #8

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Hello!

We are now in July; can you believe it? We are more than halfway through the year.

This week was busy and exhausting. As such, I didn’t spend much time reading.

Here’s the book highlight for the week:

Sula by Toni Morrison
4 stars

This year has been full of new authors on my reading list. This was my first time reading Toni Morrison, and to say the least, I understand why she is such a highly regarded author. I recommend the audiobook since it’s read by Toni herself.

Following Nel and Sula over their lives, it was a heartwarming yet heart-wrenching tale of what it means to be a Black woman in the US.

Trigger warning: suicide ideation, suicide, death (of an infant)

Jun 18 – 24, 2023| Little Sparks #7

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Hello, again!

How was your week? Mine was busy as usual, but an overall productive week.

I watched the movie Indian Horse with my colleagues as part of our activities to commemorate National Indigenous Peoples Day on Jun 21, 2023.  National Indigenous Peoples Day celebrates the heritages, diverse cultures and outstanding achievements of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in Canada – something that I have learned is crucial to do every day I am on this land. I encourage you too to reflect on the land you live in, its history, and its peoples.  

Having read the book before watching the movie, it was interesting to see the depiction and the difference between the two. The movie definitely had more of an educational element with text that provided context to readers before and after the depiction; however, the book was better than the movie (which is common). I felt there was a deeper emotional connection to Saul reading the book than watching the movie.

Here’s my reading highlight for this week:

The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood
3 stars

This was my first Margaret Atwood book, and it was quite the read. It felt like an overly extended rollercoaster ride. While reading, I often thought that certain progressions didn’t feel natural – it felt like a forced dystopian. After finishing the book, it felt like I was reading something very different from what I first got into – it made me wonder if I was reading the same book.

Race and class are significant elements when discussing incarceration, especially in the US, but I don’t think these themes were explored well in the book. Likewise, there was a strong element of misogyny in the book, but at the end, it felt like it was just brushed past.

Nevertheless, I would still like to give Margaret’s writing another try.  

Jun 11 – 17, 2023 | Little Sparks #6

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It’s been over a month since I started this newsletter/book review style, and I am enjoying it. Do feel free to let me know your thoughts!

Here’s my highlight for this week:

A Thousand Heartbeats by Kiera Cass
4 stars

I read the Selection series by Kiera Cass last summer, which was engaging. However, this book was an even better read (apart from being a standalone book) because the female lead had so much more agency.

This book was a fun read for the most part as a fantasy romance with first-person POVs. Unfortunately, there were certain circumstances the main characters were in that I could not look over. Furthermore, some moments in the book made it evident that it was for young readers.

Nevertheless, I found one of my favourite quotes this year – and this quote, alongside the values portrayed in this book, made me give the book four stars.

 “Don’t you know? Love doesn’t look like anything. Love has a sound. It sounds like a thousand heartbeats happening at the same time. It sounds like the rush of a waterfall or the still of the world at daybreak. You can hear it at night, lulling you to sleep, and, in the middle of your darkest days, it breaks through like a laugh.”

Jun 4 – 10, 2023 | Little Sparks #5

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With summer comes the smoke and blaze of forest fires and another reminder of the impact of climate change. I hope you are safe where you are.

Here’s my reading highlight for this week:

Red Rising by Pierce Brown (Red Rising Saga #1)
5 stars

The first time I heard of this book, it was described as The Hunger Games x The Game of Thrones on space. That sounded intriguing though I have never read nor watched The Game of Thrones. In the book, we follow the character of the lowest class in the system in pursuit of more leverage/power from the highest class.

The first few chapters were difficult to get into, but I was hooked after that initial friction. I can happily conclude that picking up the book was a great choice (it was much more captivating than The Hunger Games). There were a lot of brilliant strategies from the characters, warfare, cunning behaviour, and romance.

Although I often forgot that the whole story was taking place in space while reading, I was surprised to learn that this book was written in 2014. I was also reading the book when Apple released their Vision Pro, which felt uncannily like the tools used in the book. It feels like we are close to reaching the conditions in the book, living on Mars after deserting Earth. The book made me ponder much about human nature, what it means to have power, and what rule system is best for equality and equity. I will be picking up the next book in the series!

Do note that there are many triggers; there are many brutal scenes in the book, to say the least.

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
4 stars

As you may tell, this is the second Claire Keegan book I have read. It was also a short story and delved into adoption/parenthood/human nature. I wonder if it’s just a coincidence or if most of Claire’s books are on these topics.

Nevertheless, it was a heartwarming read. The story felt complete despite being short, which, compared to many of the short stories I have read, is uncommon. It made me reconsider my disposition towards short stories, especially as this is my second short story read this year.

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Chat soon!

May 28 – Jun 3, 2023 | Little Sparks #4

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I had a pretty busy week, so I didn’t read much.

However, today has been the best Sunday in a long time. Being outside in the Sun has many wonders. 🙂

Here’s the book highlight for this week:

Invisible Boy: A Memoir of Self-Discovery by Harrison Mooney
4 stars

This book’s core is a story of belonging and searching for belonging. The author touches on many sensitive issues, so several trigger warnings: racism, death, suicide (ideation), molestation, abuse, etc. While reading, I was reminded of certain incidents/experiences I read from Uncultured: A Memoir by Daniella Mestyanek Young and Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese.

One of my favourite phrases from the book was, “Whiteness has all of us speaking in tongues”. I think it speaks true for most people of colour as they try to navigate spaces not originally designed for them and find a sense of belonging.

I finished the book questioning my decision to live where I do. Often, violence is perpetrated under the disguise of aid/help.

See you again next week!

May 21 – 27, 2023 | Little Sparks #3

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I hope it’s a good day where you are.

This week’s newsletter is short. The week flew away – I felt like a leaf constantly being flown away by the breeze when I tried to settle down.

I read:

Foster by Claire Keegan
4 stars

It was a short book, more so a short story.

The readers are exposed to the mind of a young girl as she has realised that she has been given into the care of a couple (that has lost their child) by her father because her mother is soon to give birth. Yet while she stays with this couple, wondering if she has been abandoned, she realised that they are more affectionate and caring towards her than her parents. So when it’s time for her to return home, she feels pretty disappointed.

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Here’s wishing you a better week next!