Reviews and Comments

Not usually a comic book reader but enjoyed this; also read the second in the series (with a laughable but fun Irish superhero), I think it sets up well for future stories and am looking forward to the rest of the series.

I feel bad rating this so low when it is such an important story to have told. It reads like someone dumping data (as she describes later on) - this happened then this happened then this happened then this happened. I almost DNF due to the stacking nature of one awful thing after another, but persisted out of respect for the fact it’s a true story and the events weren’t told for shock or awe, but to bear witness.

I confess I skim read through this - there were some stand out descriptions; of Paris during the Tour de France during lance’s pre fall from grace peak, or New York after September 11th, of what it feels like to have symptoms of PD square in the public eye. Michael J Fox is a great writer and his chapter on faith is wonderful and could potentially sit as a stand alone book. I enjoyed travelling back to the optimism of the early 2000s USA. Not sure if he has written anything since but I probably would read something of his again. Great dude.

A very clever, silly, book that is more about family than murder. I still can’t figure out who died on page 250 though (actually I think after a few days I’ve figured it out. The person doing it wasn’t speaking at the time though)

Gay AF (a bit too intense but I guess that’s what teenagers are like). Amazing descriptions of the ocean journey, to the extent that I think it could be a school text - in terms of understanding the white migration experience.

A love letter to growing up in NZ in the 80s and 90s… a timely moment to reflect on the trauma of March 15, White Island and how much Covid hurt New Zealand, even without the loss of life; this is a book about leadership, sure but also the deep worth of meaningful collaboration. Really excellent book and I highly recommend it.

Brene browns approach to things is so revolutionary and effective at changing things that I think I am approaching this book in a context where things have already shifted somewhat and some of the excellent things she has to say is a bit “well, duh”. I found some bits really helpful, and took photos of pages especially with tips for being in the grunt of a hard conversation, but a lot of the book danced around a corporate world I’m just not familiar with. She also alludes a lot to her faith without naming what it is, which I am not sure is good or bad; just a little incomplete I guess? As a composite book with ideas from other books, I wonder if going back to the other books will be better. Glad I read it but not sure I’d recommend this specific book despite really backing her work.

One of those bookshelves in a shared accomodation on an island in the hauraki.

Became a comfort book over the months afterwards- clearly written by someone who cared about the stories that he was being told. Has tapped into/made me low key obsessed with eels now…

Really enjoyed this audiobook; only bit I lost enthusiasm for was the last couple of chapters where the thesis was that humans themselves were domesticated, and an argument that genetic engineering may help rewild again - I guess the fact that got my hackles up is more of an indication the book is written well but I wasn’t expecting that. Really interesting.

Utterly immersive, and clever without you needing to be clever to follow along. First un-putdownable book I have read in some time. Insightful and complex and light and sad and happy. So glad to have read it.

I wanted to like this book, it was easy to read and had a forward, propulsive style. But the wife as saint character felt two dimensional, and the autism as savant once managed felt like a trope too. Some cool ideas and good structure, but just felt… preachy and misanthropic which is a shame.