Review: Pearls Gets Sacrificed: A Pearls Before Swine Treasury

Pearls Gets Sacrificed: A Pearls Before Swine Treasury by Stephan Pastis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I know, I know. Pastis' whole schtick is making fun of people and we are supposed to always take it with a bit of irony. But sometimes, for me, it seems to cross the line into just plain mean. I hope his work doesn't go the way of Get Fuzzy, which became so mean that I stopped reading it.

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Review: Das große Los

Das große Los by Meike Winnemuth
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am enjoying this book a lot. It is a bit of a struggle for me, as it has been 50 years since I was a foreign student in Germany, but I have worked hard to keep up with some of my German, so I am understanding most of it.

Lots of interesting questions: where in the world would I go if I had the opportunity to spend one month in each of 12 cities? What would be a perfect day for me? How should I spend the time I have in this life?

This isn't just a travel book, although it is that, it is an exploration of self through travel.
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I have now finished this book and I enjoyed it a lot. I am sure I didn't understand everything, but I found her adventures and her musings about them interesting as well as instructive. I hope to make similar choices - to try new things, to re-invent myself when I want to. In a way, I am doing that now that I am thinking of myself as officially retired. Writing music, even if it turns out to not go anywhere, is my current adventure. It is enough to want to do it - being good at it is not required.

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Review: Love, Aubrey

Love, Aubrey by Suzanne LaFleur
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this book in one day. One of the things that captured me, I think, was the realness of the voice of the main character, Aubrey.

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Review: The Truth About Twinkie Pie

The Truth About Twinkie Pie by Kat Yeh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book has a too cutesy cover for me, which would have normally turned me away from it. Luckily, the book itself has more to it than that. It is not a classic for me, but it is much more worthwhile than I expected - coming of age story for more than the MC.

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Review: Where I Belong

Where I Belong by Mary Downing Hahn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

During the first part of this book, I thought many of the characters were very stereotyped and lacking empathy for the MC. Interestingly, after I have finished it and am now reflecting on it, I am seeing this as very astute reflections of his own perceptions. The characters in his life gain more depth and nuance as he is able to see them better.



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Review: WuMo: Something Is Wrong

WuMo: Something Is Wrong by Mikael Wulff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Some of these really hit the mark. Enjoyed.

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Review: Not Funny Ha-Ha: A Handbook for Something Hard

Not Funny Ha-Ha: A Handbook for Something Hard by Leah Hayes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a straightforward book, addressing in simple form a very limited topic: medical and surgical abortion. It doesn't espouse a point of view, but rather explains several key things to expect when a woman decides to have an abortion. I will never need to use the information personally - I am beyond that stage in life, but I am glad that this book exists.

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