johnsj01's reviews
520 reviews

From Here to the Great Unknown by Lisa Marie Presley

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5.0

 Listened to this one, it was very well done. Couldn’t stop listening. Sad and moving, Riley did a great job getting this together and sharing an insight to her and her mothers’s life. 
Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin

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4.0

 I read this book in 3 days, I really liked it. I liked the different points of view and the formatting of the “Aviva” chapter. Pretty accurate portrayal of the double standards of men vs women in politics and especially during a scandal. The amount of slut shaming women receive vs men over the same things and often other women doing the shaming. Only reason I didn’t give this 5 stars is that I’m not sure how I feel about the ending…I wanted to know what happened next. 
I Shouldn't Be Telling You This (But I'm Going to Anyway) by Chelsea Devantez

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3.0

 I had never heard of Chelsea but I think her memoir was overall, enjoyable to listen to. I didn’t have an issue with the “redacted” stuff, I think it was a powerful decision to highlight what people who experience DV have to go through…she could not tell her own story in her own words the way she wanted because of the concern of protecting legal ramifications against the said abuser. Now that’s crazy. 
I'm Laughing Because I'm Crying by Youngmi Mayer

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fast-paced

5.0

 Great memoir. So interesting to get the view into Korean culture and the effects of generational traumas. Her ability to recognize the traumas of her parents and not judge them but be totally honest, I admire that. 
Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport

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informative reflective fast-paced

4.0

 
Your time = their money



The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee

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slow-paced

2.25

 Hard to rate this one. It took me 2 years to read because of its “textbook” nature regarding genetics, science, etc. The author did a good job making it laymen but it still was pretty dull most of the time. But interesting to learn the history and evolution of treatment. 
An American Sunrise by Joy Harjo

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medium-paced

4.0

 Lovely, thought provoking collection.
“Sunrise occurs everywhere, in lizard time, human time, or a fern uncurling time. When dark -
We instinctually reach for light food, we digest it, make love, art, or trouble” 
Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby

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fast-paced

3.75

 Fast read, action packed. Flawed characters that have some growth arcs. The “who done it” was fairly easy to pick up on. Ending a bit “tidy” for all the mayhem and destruction that happened in this book.