paperportals's reviews
111 reviews

The Beauty
- The writing. Simple, straightforward, easy to relate to.
- The illustrations. Shares real experiences and people's stories that are quite compelling and radical, so they naturally get your attention. Some are very realistic!
- The way passages in Scripture is interpreted and explained. New things to learn, always, and great ways to prove his main points.

The Babel
- I'm always extra careful about quick and seemingly "easy" transformations in life and behavior, despite knowing similar stories from people I actually know. However, I know that these incredible and drastic transformations don't happen to everyone who follows Jesus, and to write as if it's the norm might do more harm than good to young believers.
- The title is something I'd reconsider, too. Yes, of course we all want to live a blessed life, but wouldn't it make more sense to develop a hunger for the Giver rather than His supposed gifts?

The Recommendation
- Easy to read, relatable, and there's a certain depth to this short and small book than other Christian titles I've picked up last year. 
- If you are dejected and need (kind and realistic stories of) refreshing in your walk with the Lord, I recommend this.
- If you are curious about a life energized by faith, this book will be a good point to start with. :)

The Beauty

- Extremely clear target audience. Early into reading this book, it occured to me that I was not its primary audience. Rodsky is a wife and a mother, and she speaks about carving out a creative (unicorn, in this universe) space with that precise lens. I'm glad her voice is heard in this audiobook, too; even though I could not relate to it directly, it did give me a glimpse into a different world (one I appreciate even more thanks to reading this book). Go go go moms!

- Discussions on women being the primary caregiver. I didn't expect a mini-crashcourse on the imbalance of parenthood between men and women, but a good chunk of the book focused on these realities and I was pleasantly surprised. Good to say this stuff!
 
- Case Studies. Rodsky gave several discussions on people who are "already on the other side" (herself included, of course), so it's nice to see that real case studies - but would be nicer to see trying, failing, trying again in more concrete terms.
 
- Communication techniques. Associated with case studies, this part of the book was pleasantly surprising, because she gets in the weeds of how women can communicate their needs respectfully - and get results - from their husbands, children, etc.

The Babel

- Like most self-help books, this can all be kept in the theoretical. One truly needs to apply.
- I felt that this was way longer than necessary.

The Recommendation

Pain is usually a great motivating factor for creative change, but pick this book up and let it play in the background if you want that creativity itch alive, not dormant. This might just be the self-induced restlessness needed to jumpstart your path in rediscovering your inner artist, especially if you're a mother. :)

The Beauty:

- Structured and easy to follow. When books possess a clear outline behind it, without ever revealing the outline outright, I'm an immediate fan. Shows that there's a certain thoughtfulness and regard for the reader.

- Simple and involved writing voice. If you're into books that present lyrically while simultaneously like the author is just having a casual conversation with you, this is it!

- Literary goodness. I didn't know about King Lear, but this book was so wrapped up in Shakespeare, the Wizard of Oz, the Chronicles of Narnia, and so many other works of literature (like poetry!), what a treat for readers. And you don't have to be person of faith to be a lover of great stories.

- Clear target audience.  I immediately wanted every preacher to have access to this book. But on second thought, this'll work for storytellers in general (which is all of us, hm?)

- Personal impact. I was reminded why Jesus' story is so beautiful to me and so core to who I am as a human being. My conviction was challenged, increased, and deepened. Thank you, Sir.

The Babel:

- "Gospel as comedy" and "Gospel as fairytale" were not written as strongly as "Gospel as tragedy"
- I didn't think Beuchner sustained the impact he landed in the first couple of chapters

The Recommendation:
Looking for beautiful sentences, sensible reasonings, excellent elaborations and illustrations, literary references about an undeniable story? 

Wondering why the gospel changes everything (and why it is the tragedy of tragedies, the comedy of comedies, and the fairytale of all fairytales combined?) 

This book is for you. 🫂

This is my first Murata, and what a curious story.

Nevermind that I usually prefer to read fiction via physical books instead of audio ones; I was gripped by this story, and didn't know where to place myself: Do I like it? Am I scared? Is this going to take a very dark turn very soon? 

I read this in tandem with a friend who wanted to read it during a long car ride from Wales to England. I don't think I would've picked it up on my own. But I'm glad we went through it and I'm glad I went through it blind. 

The Good:

- Keiko as a character! (Her voice and her thoughts are vivid and fleshed out. I remember asking my friend a couple of listening minutes in, "Is she... is our narrator a psychopath?") But a sociopath is more likely. 

- The themes! (Societal norms, the world that shapes us, being "reborn", humans as social creatures, diverse while simultaneously homogenous...)

- The deep dive into a place of great familiarity for city dwellers: the convenience store! (I enjoyed getting to feel 'behind the counter' and the author talked about how convenience stores in her head are all about "sounds"? Loved that.)

- The writing! (Obviously, as my first Murata, I didn't know what to expect. But having finished this book, I do think that it's a classic case of a simple, forgettable storyline becoming remarkable because of good, sensory, 1st POV writing. I've never been in the head of someone with a mental disorder - well, I've read some Edgar Allen Poe and D.H. Lawrence, so maybe that's not true - but Keiko might be the one I felt for the most.)

The Bad:

- None of the characters are likeable! (Keiko, the book's protagonist and objective "outcast", will turn out to be the character you root for among a host of other more "normal" everyday people, so interacting with the cast can be tiresome...  but that's testament to good writing? The author makes Keiko feel like the more "normal" character, despite her undiagnosed (?) behavior)

- I wish this book explored Keiko's background and what could be done for people like her who are scared of being "found out"; would've been nice to gain insight on what Keiko would deem as help or freedom (so maybe some scenes with her talking to a specialist or a professional would've helped?)

Overall, not the kind of book I'd reach for, but would still recommend for the experience. It helped articulate a lot of societal norms, especially for women, in my head that I've long sensed but had not scrutinized. Murata has, and we're blessed that she wrote about it. 

It may be more pronounced in Japanese society, but trust that Filipinos will definitely relate to the invisible script and pressures we've so casually taken on as "normal". 

The Good
- super present / current / relevant
- real scenarios in our polarized world today
- representing 2 sides of the political parties
- delves deeper than just our politics
- great representation of good people trying to do good work
- parenting perspectives too (authors are 2 white women, however, so take that how you will)
- definitely made me want to be a better citizen, and encouraged me of the possibility of doing so no matter where I am

The Bad
- Might be better to read in text, not audio
- I had this sinking feeling if thiz was just their podcast turned into audibook

The Good:
- Thought it would be trivial and surface-level (audiobook cover is to blame), ended up being a solid reinforcement of beauty, necessity, and hard-won critical thinking
- Described books in a way that really resonated with me and make me feel more alive

The Bad:
- lots and lots of book recos
- felt like a long-ish youtube video of someone who really loves books and loves / recos the same books I love (okay, so not necessarily a bad rhing, per se, just not very widening in terms of recos since we have the same taste?)
- Recos were limited (mostly) to Western authors

Very encouraging though! Was pleasantly surprised by this one

I really loved O'Leary's Flatshare and was excited to get into The Roadtrip, but I seem to have a knack of only loving the first book I read from romance authors. 

The Good

The Not-So-Good

I'm glad the Flatshare was my first book from O'Leary :) If this was the first book I read, I don't think I'd pick her up again, not for me. 

".. and again I felt a kind of apprehensice dread pass over me, some thing I still feel sometimes when I remember that moment, something to do with the dead reading the dead and how that was the fate of all of literature." 

(Language was beautiful, but most of the time I felt confused because of the lack of any semblance of a plot. It felt like peering through someone else's hazy dreams.)

Easy read, and might be more specific to a certain demographic (Ms. Geri knew to speak to a specific audience, those with similar backgrounds) although there are certain themes such as boundaries and knowing yourself that are universal. 

I like that this book in some ways speaks to a deconstruction of what a faithful, Bible-believing woman ought to look like. Cheers to Geri for fighting for a life she can live in. :)

Finally found time to sit and finish this. I'm so glad this book defeated what seemed to me an endless reading slump - and effectively challenged me to keep reading. Never stop.