Category: Book Reviews
Oddball
Oddball by Sarah Andersen, 3/5
The fact that this collection of comics made me lol instead of rofl is a testament to how much I’ve changed as a person over the last few years. What used to be extremely relatable to me as an anxious, single, bookish introvert, has become less so as my sense of identity has shifted more towards being a wife, mother, and active member of the local martial arts community. That said, Sarah Andersen is still hilarious and the amount she can communicate with a few squiggly lines is incredibly impressive.
Why I read it: I visit sarahcandersen.com once in a while to catch up and saw that I was behind a couple books.
12 Rules for Life
12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan B. Peterson, 4/5
Jordan Peterson is, in my opinion, one of the most brilliant thinkers and lecturers of the 21st-century in his field and, if he were a more intentional writer, I believe he would deserve a place with the immortal greats of philosophy. Unfortunately, instead of utilizing the writing process to distill and clarify his ideas, he settles for more or less transferring his thought processes straight onto the page. The result is very uneven in tone, bouncing wildly between folksy storytelling and esoteric musings that challenged even my well-trained attention span (exhibit A: Ornithology: An Introduction). It took three tries for me to make it through this book, but I was rewarded by Peterson’s fearless acceptance of the most terrible aspects of human existence and the deeply satisfying integration of that chaos into a perspective that ennobles the common man and makes one want to pick up a sword and fight dragons.
Rule 1: Stand up straight with your shoulders back.
Rule 2: Treat yourself like someone you are responsible for helping.
Rule 3: Make friends with people who want the best for you.
Rule 4: Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today.
Rule 5: Do not let your children do anything that makes you dislike them.
Rule 6: Set your house in perfect order before you criticize the world.
Rule 7: Pursue what is meaningful (not what is expedient).
Rule 8: Tell the truth–or, at least, don’t lie.
Rule 9: Assume that the person you are listening to might know something you don’t.
Rule 10: Be precise in your speech.
Rule 11: Do not bother children when they are skateboarding.
Rule 12: Pet a cat when you encounter one on the street.
Why I read it: I became familiar with Peterson when he achieved viral popularity a few years ago.
2024 Stats
In 2024, I read thirty-eight books, twenty-five of which were nonfiction, eleven fiction, and two poetry.
I read 3 book written in the 1700s.
1 book written in the 1800s.
1 book written between 1900-1949.
7 books written between 1950-1999.
26 books written between 2000-2024.
Books that I rated 1 star: 0 (0%)
2 stars: 8 (21%)
3 stars: 13 (34%)
4 stars: 7 (19%)
5 stars: 10 (26%)
Of Men and Mountains
Of Men and Mountains by William O. Douglas, 3/5
This simple, wholesome memoir is a love letter to Washington state’s Cascade mountains and the character-building, spirit-refreshing experiences while exploring them that had a profound effect on Supreme Court justice William O. Douglas throughout his life.
Why I read it: I snagged it from my mother-in-law’s donation pile and read it at night to combat pregnancy-induced insomnia.
Gulliver’s Travels and Baron Munchausen
Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift and Baron Munchausen by Rudolf Erich Raspe, 2/5
When I finally get around to reading an enduring classic, it is usually fairly obvious what timeless merits ensured its survival. In the case of Gulliver’s Travels, however, I was surprised to find it exceedingly dull and tediously obsessed with the author’s now-obscure political feuds. Perhaps the most entertaining aspect of this 1888 edition is the unfiltered disapproval evident in the editor’s preface and biography of Jonathan Swift, who apparently played rather fast and loose with the ladies (at least by the standards of the time) and did not shy away from the occasional crass flight of literary fancy. The editor baldly states that he “has not disguised his want of affection for the character of this hero” (10) and is “unable to make the biography a eulogy” (10). He continues further to claim that “The greatest difficulty in the analysis of Swift’s literary character is to discover by what depravity of intellect he acquired a taste for loathsome and filthy ideas, from which every other mind shrinks with disgust” (50). Adding further insult to injury are the numerous footnotes pettily highlighting instances of incorrect grammar in Swift’s at-that-time 162-year-old work. The whole effect was so judgy, self-righteous, uptight, and just stereotypically Victorian that, in retrospect, where I expected to find a commentary on 18th-century morals and issues, I instead encountered an unintentional commentary on 19th-century ones.
The second part of this book consists of the bafflingly ridiculous tall tales of Baron Munchausen, in two volumes. I did not enjoy this unillustrated edition as much as the other that I previously reviewed.
Why I read it: Gulliver’s Travels has been on my to-read list for ages, but I didn’t realize I owned a copy until I was searching for a boring book to combat pregnancy-induced insomnia.
Birth Skills
Birth Skills: Proven Pain-Management Techniques for Your Labour and Birth by Juju Sundin with Sarah Murdoch, 5/5
Juju’s approach to natural birth differs from most in that she does not encourage idealistic expectations or a skeptical view of modern medical interventions. Her focus is not on helping women achieve an unmedicated birth, per se, but on empowering them to understand the process and cope with pain the best they can, regardless of final outcomes. I believe this healthy approach might help those with perfectionist and control freak tendencies (like myself) to avoid some of the mental anguish and trauma associated with “unnatural” birth experiences that may fall far short of their expectations.
These birth skills were originally meant to be imparted through a multi-week, interactive, in-person class, so the fact that I speed-read the book shortly before my baby’s due date was clearly not ideal. However, thanks to the author’s straightforward style and intentional use of repetition, I felt like I had a decent understanding of the main principles and hoped to avoid an epidural by using movement, breathwork, mantras, visualization, and a birthing comb. Perhaps I have a very low pain tolerance or was not fully invested in the techniques–I certainly was not well-practiced–but I did not end up coping well with the pain of active labor. Vomiting from contractions that felt like being stabbed in the abdomen with a red hot poker, I was thankful for even the temporary relief a faulty epidural provided. The fact that I absolutely crumbled under what felt like unbearable and excruciating pain is humbling, but just because I literally cannot imagine how it would have been possible to endure the experience unmedicated is no reflection on this book and the positive effect it has had on numerous women’s labor and birth experiences.
Why I read it: a recommendation from an Instagram comment.
Ornithology: An Introduction
Ornithology: An Introduction by Austin L. Rand, 2/5
On the surface, this 1960s paperback about bird science meets every criteria for Most Boring Book Ever Written. Despite finding it to be surprisingly readable (no doubt because birds are intrinsically bizarre), it is difficult for me to imagine that anyone else in the entire world has read this book in the last twenty years.
Why I read it: The comically boring title caught my eye in the thrift store and I bought it specifically to send me off to sleep on difficult nights. It worked perfectly.
Flatland
Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin A. Abbott, 4/5
This bizarre little story is told from the perspective of a two-dimensional “Flatland” dweller, whose visits to one-dimensional “Lineland” and three-dimensional “Spaceland” encourage the reader to consider how very plausible it is that there exist in reality unlimited additional dimensions, of which humankind is arrogantly ignorant.
Why I read it: my dad lent it to me and I had heard of it before (I can’t remember where).
How to Win Friends & Influence People
How to Win Friends & Influence People: The Only Book You Need to Lead You to Success by Dale Carnegie, 3/5
In today’s saturated self-help market, it takes a little imagination to understand just how novel and influential this first-of-its-kind work must have been, back in 1936. Carnegie’s “principles” are practical and based on a commonsense understanding of psychology that, though now well-worn, have stood the test of time. Charming anecdotes illustrate the following principles:
Three Fundamental Techniques in Handling People
Principle 1: Don’t criticize, condemn or complain.
Principle 2: Give honest and sincere appreciation.
Principle 3: Arouse in the other person an eager want.
Six Ways to Make People Like You
Principle 1: Become genuinely interested in other people.
Principle 2: Smile
Principle 3: Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
Principle 4: Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
Principle 5: Talk in terms of the other person’s interests.
Principle 6: Make the other person feel important–and do it sincerely.
Win People to Your Way of Thinking
Principle 1: The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.
Principle 2: Show respect for the other person’s opinions. Never say, “You’re wrong.”
Principle 3: If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.
Principle 4: Begin in a friendly way.
Principle 5: Get the other person saying “yes, yes” immediately.
Principle 6: Let the other person do a great deal of the talking.
Principle 7: Let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers.
Principle 8: Try honestly to see things from the other person’s point of view.
Principle 9: Be sympathetic with the other person’s ideas and desires.
Principle 10: Appeal to the nobler motives.
Principle 11: Dramatize your ideas.
Principle 12: Throw down a challenge.
Be a Leader
Principle 1: Begin with praise and honest appreciation.
Principle 2: Call attention to people’s mistakes indirectly.
Principle 3: Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person.
Principle 4: Ask questions instead of giving direct orders.
Principle 5: Let the other person save face.
Principle 6: Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement. Be “hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise.”
Principle 7: Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to.
Principle 8: Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct.
Principle 9: Make the other person happy about doing the thing you suggest.
Why I read it: a recommendation from my sister.
A Penny Saved is Impossible
A Penny Saved is Impossible by Ogden Nash, 3/5
This collection of poems on the topics of work and finances is still surprisingly relevant and features the linguistic inventiveness and charm that fans of Ogden Nash will expect.
Why I read it: a thrift store find to add to my collection.
OmniRambles 