February Book Review
Welcome to my February 2024 Monthly Reading Wrap-Up!
Before diving in, check out last month’s reading wrap-up here.
My reviews will have a fluid structure, reflecting my genuine thoughts and feelings about each book. Some reviews will delve deeply, teeming with opinions, while others will be more succinct. This diversity in my reviews is precisely the reason I embarked on this book review journey. I'm passionate about reading and craved a space where I could articulate my reflections without restraint.
This month, I delved into five books, presented in the sequence I read them. As is customary for me, there's a blend of fiction and nonfiction titles.
Reviewing Doppelganger has left me in a bit of a quandary. As I sit down to articulate my thoughts, my mind draws a blank. Was the book bad? Absolutely not. Yet, for some reason, it failed to leave a lasting impression on me or impact my soul in any meaningful way.
I'll chalk this one up to it being a "me" problem—I must not have been in the right headspace to truly Get Something™ out of this book. Doppelganger is a thought-provoking exploration of identity, self-discovery, and the uncanny journey of confronting one's double in an unexpected twist of fate. This narrative promises to delve into the complexities of how our lives might intertwine with someone who shares our mirror image, challenging the essence of individuality and connection. Despite my personal experience with Doppelganger not being particularly impactful, I'm fully aware that this book has the potential to resonate deeply with other readers. Literature, after all, is a highly subjective experience, and what fails to spark interest in one person can profoundly move another. Given the book's intriguing premise and the skillful storytelling it likely possesses, I have no doubt that there are readers out there who would find it captivating and enriching. My lack of connection with the book is a reminder of the diverse tastes and perspectives that make reading such a unique and personal adventure for everyone.
Finally! Something original and fresh, and oh so tasty! I devoured this book so quickly, unable to read it fast enough.
Ali, if you're reading this, make sure to add it to your list.
It's a fantastic blend of thrilling intrigue with satisfying twists and turns, making for a genuinely enjoyable read. Just like how Wrong Place Wrong Time had a sci-fi element that set it apart from typical thrillers, My Murder does the same with a crowd-pleasing theme – cloning! Have you ever watched the show Living with Yourself starring Paul Rudd? Picture that meeting Ian Reid's Foe, and you've got My Murder. (Paul Rudd, if you happen to come across this, I’m begging you for a second season.)
Anyways, My Murder was wonderful. I absolutely loved it.
A++
5 stars.
The pacing was perfect, keeping me on the edge of my seat throughout. The characters were well-developed, and the plot kept me guessing until the very end. If you're a fan of suspenseful thrillers with a unique twist, My Murder is a must-read.
I was thoroughly impressed with Only Say Good Things by Crystal Hefner. Celebrity memoirs are my bread and butter, and anything related to the late 2000s-early 2010s holds peak interest for me. I was a big fan of the show Girls Next Door, although I was more familiar with my girls Holly, Bridget, and Kendra than with Crystal, who came a bit after my time. Until a few months ago, I knew very little about Crystal. That changed after I watched the Hulu 13-part docuseries Playboy, which exposed the sexism and violence that has plagued the Playboy brand for decades. Now, Crystal Hefner—Hugh Hefner's wife of 5 years before his death—adds her story to the growing genre of our society critically analyzing recent cultural history, especially in light of how women are treated by men in power and the media.
For decades, Hugh Hefner was portrayed as a loving, harmless, grandfatherly figure. However, to those in his inner circle—namely his numerous girlfriends, who were 60+ years his junior—the reality of life in the Playboy Mansion was as dark and depressing as one might expect. Living without personal freedom under the control of a manipulative old man was the norm. Crystal's memoir offers a wonderfully personal voice, making readers feel as though they are receiving a highly conversational and intimate account of her life.
If I had to rank it among the other half-dozen or so celebrity memoirs I've read in the past couple of years, I would honestly place it at number 2, right after Paris Hilton's—yes, even ahead of Britney Spears' or Elliot Page's memoirs.
Also, I read it in about 36 hours. It truly was that captivating. 5 stars.
P Lydi Fun Fact #8342: I am obsessed with skincare (and I mean obsessed). I spent 2 weeks begging my parents to let me give them a facial—for fun. (They finally caved, and yes, it was fun!)
But anyway, I consider myself well-versed in the skincare world. I could tell you highly specific information about ingredients, products, brands, and the tea in the skincare community and culture at large. So, I was extremely interested in this biography about Emily Weiss and the behind-the-scenes rise of her hugely successful and influential skincare/makeup brand, Glossier.
Surprisingly, though I had obviously heard of Glossier, I knew actually very little about the brand itself. Not surprisingly, this book was awesome, and I loved it. It read like a documentary, brimming with facts, timelines, receipts, and a truly interesting perspective on a 10+ year journey to success. The author, a journalist who has spent years reporting on beauty culture and interviewing Emily Weiss, offers an intimate and personal look into her life and business decisions. Numerous interviews with former employees and board members further illuminate the inside culture of this wildly influential brand and how innovative marketing techniques and bold hiring strategies led them to become an era-defining brand.
This book was so good it almost influenced me to buy something from their website, but I stopped myself because I'm still too poor for a $20 brow product when my $4 Wet ‘n’ Wild works just fine. If anybody from Glossier is reading this, I would not say no to free products—I would love to become an influencer, okay?!
Anyway, 5 stars.
We're only a little over two months into the year of our Lord 2024, and I can already declare with confidence that Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver is securing a spot on my list of favorite books for the year. A big shout-out to my mom for recommending it, insisting, "you have to read this." I said “Yes, Ma’am” and promptly added it to my library hold list.
Now, I've tackled some hefty reads in my time. I've navigated through the "Big Boyz," the "Meaty Boyz," and the "Thicc Boyz." Yet, Demon Copperhead stands out as the thickest and meatiest of them all. And let me clarify, I'm not merely referring to its page count of 550 pages—I've read books well over twice that length. I'm talking about its breadth, its depth, and its emotional resonance. The narrator's voice in this book is incredibly strong. The characters don't just leap off the page; they bound; they radiate. As a reader, I was thrust into the throes of every page, every line. I felt as if I were sitting in the room with him, holding his hand, and smelling every sharp bite of the Appalachian wind. This book offers a literary experience that has settled into the very depths of my soul.
Demon Copperhead serves as a masterful example of how literature can be used as a vehicle to profoundly address the human experience and convey deeply compelling and important themes. The plot is a modern retelling of David Copperfield (which I haven't read), shining a light on institutional poverty, cyclical intergenerational trauma, and the children and people who are let down and suffer under those in power. Needless to say, it was fantastic. This, to me, is the essence of what literature is meant to achieve. 5 stars.
We are quickly approaching the one-year anniversary of this blog :) Time sure does fly when you’re having fun. Plus, this post is the first one I have posted since starting my new job at a library, so I now feel extra qualified to discuss ~literary topics.
How has your 2024 reading been going so far? Let me know in the comments below. Stay tuned for more reviews and recommendations. Caio.
