happiestwhenreading's reviews
1414 reviews

Barbie is having a moment! While I was never a Barbie girl myself, I heard an author interview on the Thoughts From a Page podcast and I knew I wanted to learn more about Barbie's backstory. I'm always intrigued with that side of how small ideas become big ideas - especially ones that change the world! I don't have a business brain and I'm not a marketing guru, but somehow stories like this always catch my attention.

The actual development of Barbie was fascinating to me and Rosen gives us all the details. Barbie is 1/6 the size of a regular human, but creating clothes that would fit her properly and still show off that figure proved to be challenging. The right plastic that the doll was made out of caused a lot of trouble, and even Barbie's hands had to be shaped just right so the clothes would go on and off. While Barbie's figure caused quite a lot of controversy, it was never about her looks that motivated her creator (Ruth Handler), it was giving girls a way to imagine a future for themselves. This was the 1950s, so girls were basically aspiring to be stay-at-home moms, but Ruth wanted them to know they could be anything they set their minds to! It's actually quite inspiring, despite the outrage from the women's movements.

Unfortunately, as seems to be the case with all things related to Barbie, there are several men involved that just can't help but to steal the show. Jack, another co-creator of Barbie, was a wild card. What started off as a great relationship, eventually turned into a lot of trouble. In interviews, Jack would claim the credit for Barbie and erase the work that Ruth put in. It was disheartening how the success of Barbie became overshadowed by Jack's desire for attention.

But true to her true nature, Ruth rose above the scandal and drama that engulfed Mattel and started another successful company creating prosthetic breasts for breast cancer survivors. Barbie and Ruth were incredible women who changed the world when men dominated and I'm really glad this book was brought to my attention. 

Unfortunately, books about surviving and overcoming rape are becoming all too common. And while this story is certainly about that, it’s about so much more.

The assault itself is never described in great detail, but the aftermath is. I have heard of a rape kit, but had no idea what it entails. I didn’t know that victims were put on various medications to prevent pregnancy and diseases. I didn’t know how hard it is to preserve your rape kit should you decide to press charges later. After her experience, Nguyen fought endlessly (even giving up her career dreams) to change national laws surrounding the preservation of rape kits. All of that information was informative and insightful.

But the part I loved and will never forget about this book was the side story of 30, 22, 15, and 5. Through the use of allegory, Nguyen creates these 4 characters that are her at key ages of her life. They go on a dreamlike journey, through 5 realms: denial, anger, bargaining, sadness, and acceptance. This journey helped Nguyen accept her tough childhood and shifted her perspective so that she could move forward in a positive direction with her life.

The lessons are applicable to all of us…and it was masterfully crafted! In fact, I went back and read just those chapters in succession. These chapters are profound and I kind of wish I could buy them as a novella for my shelf!

I wish these kinds of books weren’t even necessary to write, but because they are, I appreciate the ones that add to the conversation and give hope to the survivors. This one certainly does that.

This is a "window" book into the challenges of living a life with a bipolar disorder diagnosis. Maddy is a student at NYU when she unknowingly enters a manic stage - up all night, high energy, feeling like she's on top of the world and nothing can stop her. But it ends in dramatic and dangerous fashion, finally alerting her family to a serious crisis on their hands.

After Maddy crashes down and she's spent several days in a mental hospital, she has a diagnosis, medication, and a new way of life to navigate. The medications are side effects, but as they start working, Maddy thinks she's fine and no longer needs them. Again, the cycle causes her to crash, and she must start all over again.

All of these episodes finally teach Maddy what she knows in her gut: this will be a new way of living for her. She must manage the symptoms with her medication, and learn to live her life. Her dream is to be a stand-up comedian, but the hours and environment cause a lot of concern for her family. 

It is a hard year for Maddy and her family. But Lisa Genova gives her readers such insight into the complications and made me feel so much for Maddy. I was rooting for her - despite the setbacks and the comebacks. Maddy's family and friends that cared for her and demonstrated their unconditional love for her are what kept her wanting to succeed - and that was really a beautiful part of the book. It's a reminder that you never totally know what's going on in someone else's life, so it's best to lead with grace and compassion. 

This is a perfect example of reading a book at the right time. I tried this one several times (once digitally and once on audio) and neither time worked for me. Thanks to the finished copy from One World, I finally sat down with my hard copy and could not put it down!

Challenging, reflective, and informative, I highlighted damn near the entire book. While some of what Coates tries to tackle is over my head, it instills in me a desire to keep reading, keep grappling, and keep assessing the flaws I personally have in my worldview. The essays presented show us that we're all a work in progress and that life is a continual journey to be better - not only for ourselves, but for our friends, family, neighbors, and humanity as a collective whole.

I appreciated that Coates grappled with his own flaws and misconceptions - just as he challenged his readers to do. He is extremely vulnerable and nuanced in his reflections, and it felt like I was given permission to do the same. Coates lays out a solid argument for each of us to challenge the narratives we're told, and demonstrates how those narratives don't always tell the whole - or true - stories. 

A Gorgeous Excitement (didn't know about the reference of the title until this book!) is a drug-filled, party-induced coming-of-age story centered in NYC in the 1980s. It is loosely based on the "Preppy Murder" case of 1986, and the author's personal connection to that murderer. 😳

It's Nina's last summer before leaving for college and she has two main goals: avoid her mother and lose her virginity. Between managing her mother's declining mental health and chasing her crush around town, by the time summer is over, it will have ended in murder.

This is for sure a slow burn character study. There isn't a ton of action, and there were times I was bored and considered DNFing. However, something about the writing and the nostalgia of a childhood ending kept me reading. I do feel like I was transported in this novel to a time where things were simpler, but also not (if that makes sense). There were so many 80s references - food, music, fashion, drugs - that that might be part of the nostalgia I felt. 

In all honesty, I kept waiting for the climactic event to happen. It is very near the end, so that was disappointing to me. I feel like it became an afterthought - almost like the author forgot to include it - so she threw it in. I would have liked to see how this affected the characters and how they navigated through it.

Overall, this novel is slow - if you don't like that, I don't think this is the book for you. But if you're willing to just sink in and enjoy some great writing, I think you should give this one a try!

“JJ provided me with an immersive education about the humanity concealed behind prison walls, regardless of someone’s innocence or guilt, and how much more humane the system should be. And he also taught me something else: how easy it is to find an innocent person behind bars.”

My husband loves Dateline and 48 Hours; we rarely miss an episode. As we were watching it one night, I did a double take - I was positive I knew the guy they were interviewing. When they said his name, I told my husband, “I went to high school with that guy!”

As we listened to what the episode was about, it saddened me greatly the reason he was on tv. His father’s wrongful murder conviction had been overturned after spending 27 years behind bars. His son played a huge role in freeing him and the story brought tears to my eyes.

The Sing Sing Files is about six different prisoners wrongfully committed in the same prison in NY. It is an eye-opening read that really changes the way one looks at our justice and prison systems. Much like Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson, this book hurts to read, but is also so necessary so that we can work as a collective whole to try to change the systems for the better.

Everything about this reading experience was further enhanced by the author chat that @kellyhook.readsbooks and @beachesbooksnbubbles put together with @danslepian and @jj4justice . I highly recommended heading to their YouTube channel to watch!

This is the hardest review I’ve had to write in quite awhile. While I’ve only seen rave reviews of this one, it left me feeling very annoyed and frustrated. I am definitely an outlier with my opinion because this really is a bookstagram darling at the moment (I hough I do anticipate more dissenting opinions as more people read it after it’s release on Mar 4).

Let’s start with the good: I LOVED the writing! Hall transported me to the pastoral countryside where Frank and Beth tended their herd of sheep and lived a simple life. I felt deeply connected to this part of the story as it really reminded me of my own dad who tends to his mama cows and calves the same way Frank loves his sheep.

What I disliked the most about this book were the characters, their decisions, and their lack of growth. This book deals with a lot of tough themes (unrequited love, enduring love, guilt, shame, regret, and forgiveness), and while @runningandreading and @novelvisits really helped me see new perspectives, I ultimately don’t understand them. Frank is by far and away my favorite, but by the end, his weakness and inability to stand up for himself left me frustrated.

As I said earlier, I will be curious to see how this holds up as more people read it!

This is a slow burner mystery about a set of twins - James and Johnny Golden - one of them is dead and the other is determined to figure out why. Atmospheric and beautifully written, I was captured from the first page. 

 

People need to be aware that this is, as previously mentioned, a slow burn. If you’re expecting a fast-paced page turning thriller, you will be disappointed. To find success with this one, I think you need to allow yourself to sink into the pace, appreciate the entire set up Young is trying to achieve, and immerse yourself in the wooded setting. The mystery unravels slowly, and it ended in a totally unexpected way. 

 

While The Unmaking of June Farrow will remain my favorite of Adrienne Young’s books for now, I am always impressed with how she makes me feel part of the story. Almost like I am an actual witness to the characters and their lives - right beside them, walking the path. She is a talented writer and I look forward to her future books.

Haiwen and Suchi grew up together in the same neighborhood of Shanghai. Instantly forming a connection, it is inevitable that they will spend their lives together. But when Haiwen enlists in the Nationalist army, the war separates them for years. Suchi never hears from Haiwen again, and through choices outside her control, eventually moves forward with her life. After a chance encounter 60 years later, Haiwen and Suchi are finally able to piece together what happened all those years ago. 

 

At its heart, Chen’s debut novel grapples with intense themes: home, identity, and belonging. Chen showed me a history I knew nothing about - from the Chinese Civil War to the Cultural Revolution to the collective Chinese diaspora - there is longing and loss permeating on every page. Meticulously researched, Chen portrayed the complexities of modern Chinese war and politics and the effects on its people brilliantly. She captured the loss and confusion so well. When I finished, I couldn’t help but think that this is yet another story that demonstrates the true cost of war on ordinary, everyday citizens. 

 

In addition to the portrayal of Chinese history, I was equally invested in Haiwen and Suchi’s story. I rooted for them and hoped they would be able to overcome the odds stacked agains them. Admittedly, I was a little frustrated with the narrative structure and feel like that choice - thought unique and brave on Chen’s part - did mess with the pacing a bit. Overall though, a memorable read that I highly recommend!

By far and away, my favorite experience with this book was the audiobook production! Reminiscent of Daisy Jones and the Six, the cast of characters made this story come alive. Former ice skating competitor, @johnnygweir, absolutely stole the show!! 

 

Initially, I wasn’t interested in this story - I like ice skating enough, but don’t really know a whole lot about it - but then I started seeing rave reviews! For the first 50%, I was all in - finding reasons to do chores around the house - wanting to listen to it as fast as possible. Then somewhere along the way, the steam ran out of my engine and I began having to force myself to finish. 

 

I think the drama started to be a bit much for me, I began liking Katarina less and less (by the end, I really couldn’t stand her at all), and I was frustrated by some of the turns the story took. Regardless, I do not regret the experience because the audiobook truly is top notch. I’m not sure I would have finished had I read the print version of this one, so trust everyone when they tell you audio is the way to go!