A witch trial in Pennsylvania in 1929? I had no idea. I also didn't expect Stephanie Clifford/Stormy Daniels to make an appearance. (She makes a prettA witch trial in Pennsylvania in 1929? I had no idea. I also didn't expect Stephanie Clifford/Stormy Daniels to make an appearance. (She makes a pretty good living as a tarot reader.)
Vivid and compassionate writing. I will look for more by this author....more
Gorgeous art, confusing plot. I'm still not sure what happened. Feel free to explain it to me if you've read it.Gorgeous art, confusing plot. I'm still not sure what happened. Feel free to explain it to me if you've read it....more
Informative but mostly lighthearted account of how Black and Brown people have been portrayed in English-language horror movies. Things have gotten beInformative but mostly lighthearted account of how Black and Brown people have been portrayed in English-language horror movies. Things have gotten better but there are still double standards and omissions. The author explains that Black people deserve portrayals in all genres of movies doing all types of things, just as characters of other races do. I burst out laughing when the author brought home this point by saying, "Black people like Etsy too."...more
I was in tears by the end of this book about the passengers and crew of a doomed cruise ship overwhelmed by Covid and turned away from port after portI was in tears by the end of this book about the passengers and crew of a doomed cruise ship overwhelmed by Covid and turned away from port after port. I knew that there was controversy over cruise ships at the start of the pandemic, but I didn't know that crew members and a few passengers languished on board for weeks on end, that rescue missions ended up aborted, and that Argentina refused reentry to its own citizens....more
"The screaming was much louder than I had anticipated." —Cassidy Hutchinson, former special assistant to the president, describing what it was like to"The screaming was much louder than I had anticipated." —Cassidy Hutchinson, former special assistant to the president, describing what it was like to stand outside the Oval Office
This had way more horror-movie elements than I had anticipated.
Summary: Cassidy Hutchinson says she chose a life of public service to advance the policies she believed in (which she cannot or will not describe except in the vaguest terms), to increase bipartisanship (in what turned out to be one of the most partisan administrations in U.S. history), to support her colleagues (who overworked, assaulted, insulted, and abandoned her), and to live the values of her parents (whom she despises, and with good reason).
Horror-movie elements:
• Little-kid Cassidy feels sad when her dad repeatedly breaks his promises to her and her little brother, but then her dad tells her that he has left her and brother a special surprise for them in their mailbox. She unwraps the foil package and finds two deer hearts, still warm, dripping with blood.
• Teenage Cassidy wakes up in so much pain that she pees in her bed. She calls both parents and begs for help, but they refuse. One doesn't want to be disturbed while on vacation, and the other one has been sh¡tty to her for her whole life. Neither of them believes in doctors, whatever that means. She drives herself to the hospital and is immediately treated for appendicitis.
• On January 6, Rudy Giuliani sexually assaults her. Her description of his cold fingertips creeping up her thighs is nauseating. I found myself wishing that she had belted him with one of the binders she was always carrying, so he would have crumbed into dust.
• Matt Gaetz exists.
Funny parts in a serious book:
• Donald Trump gives her hairstyling tips. She submits to his will, but the results don't flatter her. (Now that I think about it, that last sentence describes this whole book.)
• Mark Meadows's staff accidentally gets him drunk. While he's out sick with Covid, they leave White Claws in his fridge and forget to remove them. He comes back and pounds a couple of them (the White Claws, not the staffers) because he is Southern Baptist and has never previously had a drink in his life and doesn't know from White Claw. He offers a third can to his colleague, a Latter-Day Saint, who is Not Pleased. The whole thing is acutely embarrassing and Meadows manages to avoid Trump until sobering up.
• Debbie Meadows (Mrs. Mark) is so stupid that she tells Hutchinson to forbid Mark from burning things in his office fireplace. He's done this so often that his suits all stink and she can't keep up with the dry cleaning. It never occurs to Deb to wonder why Mark is burning stacks and stacks and stacks of documents at work.
• Governor Ron DeSantis is such a self-obsessed ninnyhammer that Hutchinson scolds him for asking for special favors and wasting everyone's time, and he apologizes profusely.
• There is a thwarted attempt to pardon Kimberly Guilfoyle's gynecologist.
Unanswered questions:
• What is Cassidy Hutchinson going to do with the rest of her life?
• Is her father actually mentally ill, or does he just feign mental illness when someone asks for help or expects him to be responsible about something, or is he just a complete sh¡tstain with no redeeming qualities?
• Have her family members abandoned her since she published this book, or are they not capable of reading it?
My verdict: The first 15 percent of this book, which covers Hutchinson's childhood and young adulthood, is weak. I don't know if she just couldn't bear to talk about her childhood or if the editors didn't leave enough time for this part to be fleshed out fully. Her descriptions of working in the White House are interesting and compelling. Her descriptions of her testimony and its aftermath are a little bit self-aggrandizing, but on the other hand she was only 25 when she wrote the book and had been through a lot. It is appealing to see someone actually learn from history—during her crisis, Hutchinson becomes obsessed with former Nixon aide Alexander Butterfield and models her actions and demeanor on his.
Hutchinson seems like a hard worker and a hard drinker. I hope she finds better friends and colleagues and is able to lead a peaceful life. She has bought herself a dog, which is a good start....more
The author is a fan rather than a critic, so while I enjoyed her writing style and her enthusiasm, I didn't find this book helpful. It's a bit laundryThe author is a fan rather than a critic, so while I enjoyed her writing style and her enthusiasm, I didn't find this book helpful. It's a bit laundry-listy. ...more
Enthralling. I knew there were scandals, but I didn't know how many there were. At one point one of the players in this saga assembles a list of thirtEnthralling. I knew there were scandals, but I didn't know how many there were. At one point one of the players in this saga assembles a list of thirteen scandals related to the Nixon administration, including the Chennault Affair, illegal campaign donations, the secret bombing of Cambodia, Agnew taking bribes in the White House, the burglary, the cover-up, and so on. He shows the list to a former Nixon staffer and asks if they left anything out. "I think you've got everything," the guy says, "except the tax evasion." (In the early 1970s, Nixon tried and failed to evade half a million dollars in taxes.)
I can't believe Nixon insisted, after he resigned in disgrace, that Watergate was Martha Mitchell's fault. That man was a son of a bitch.
I know there's only so much that can fit into a 700-page book about this many scandals, but I was surprised that Pat Nixon is barely mentioned and there's no mention that her husband beat her. As if we all didn't hate Dick Nixon enough. There's more about the wife beating here: https://www.history.com/news/pat-nixo......more
ABSOLUTE BARNBURNER. I put this one on my reading list because it came highly recommended and because it had what I think is an intriguing first senteABSOLUTE BARNBURNER. I put this one on my reading list because it came highly recommended and because it had what I think is an intriguing first sentence: "It's the chicken pox that makes me sure--my husband is having another affair." By the time I admired the cover (the version I have has a drawing of a coyote's face on it) and opened the book, I had forgotten what genre it is. Maybe a novel of manners about highly educated people in the suburbs? Nope. Anyway, I plunged into this one and didn't want to come out. The ending is a little bit more open than I'd like, but it's still very satisfying. Excellent character development and plot, plot, plot for days. I'll look for more of this author's work....more
White nationalism is not a monolith, and neither are the women who believe in it. Some of them are very focused on religion (which can be different foWhite nationalism is not a monolith, and neither are the women who believe in it. Some of them are very focused on religion (which can be different forms of Christianity or Mormonism or Paganism or entirely new religions such as Odinism), others on being a "tradwife," and still others on scapegoating Jews or Black people or Brown people. Some want to be famous, and others want to work behind the scenes. Honestly, I would be less disgusted with them if they were all just straight-up grifters who would say or do anything to bilk the rubes. But some really do believe in white nationalism—either because they admire its principles or because they think it's the best deal they can get with the money, status, looks, and resources that they have. These women are extremes, but some of their messages get into the wider culture and get repeated by people who consider themselves liberal and tolerant. And then sometimes they get mad when white supremacist males tell them to shut up and get back in the kitchen! Who could have guessed that these men could be so mean and cruel and unsympathetic?????
This book made me sad, but it's worthwhile reading because it's important to know who and what is out there....more
Recommended by a teacher friend. Hilarious. Lots of action and a little spookiness, but it's kind of training-wheels spookiness. Recommended by a teacher friend. Hilarious. Lots of action and a little spookiness, but it's kind of training-wheels spookiness. ...more
I hope this is as close as I will ever get to a louse. Informative and funny book about nobody's favorite houseguest.I hope this is as close as I will ever get to a louse. Informative and funny book about nobody's favorite houseguest....more
Out of all the people Melania Trump could have said "You know I love you?" to, I'm astonished that (according to the authors) she said it to . . . ChrOut of all the people Melania Trump could have said "You know I love you?" to, I'm astonished that (according to the authors) she said it to . . . Chris Christie.
This is a superb book. It's well sourced, convincing, and deeply interesting. The pages just flew by. And I don't understand why I read it. I lived through the Trump administration, and I've already read a ton of books about it. I've read books by Yasmeen Abutaleb, Jeffrey Toobin, Joshua Green, Michael Wolff, Michael Cohen, Mary Trump, and Rick Wilson. I read the Stephanie Grisham memoir. My goodness, that woman cared more about UFOs than about her DUIs. I read part of the Sarah Huckabee Sanders memoir. My goodness, for a woman who grew up in a governor's mansion, she's easily impressed by hamburgers and chandeliers. ANYWAY. There was no need to read another Trump-related book, and I did. I guess I still can't believe it happened? And I'm scared it will happen again.
Meanwhile, Joe Biden is president, and he's led a fascinating life, and I have zero interest in reading even one book about him. And I haven't read anything by either Obama. Go figure.
This book is larded with insults, but this one may be my favorite: "After one too many entreaties from Sean Spicer, who served in the Navy Reserve, Mattis reportedly told him, 'Sean, I’ve killed people for a living. If you call me again, I’m going to fucking send you to Afghanistan. Are we clear?'"...more
I laughed so hard at the last line. In fact, I enjoyed it enough to read it twice. I think this would be a hit at storytime, but as you can tell from I laughed so hard at the last line. In fact, I enjoyed it enough to read it twice. I think this would be a hit at storytime, but as you can tell from the title, the subject matter is quite dark....more
This book taught me that I am drawn to horror movies about grief and loss, such as The Babadook, Hereditary, and It Follows. I enjoy some other horrorThis book taught me that I am drawn to horror movies about grief and loss, such as The Babadook, Hereditary, and It Follows. I enjoy some other horror movies, including slashers like Prom Night and The Funhouse, but they don't stick with me the way the grief-and-loss ones do. I never really thought about horror movies as having specific subcategories. I don't think I've ever seen any of the movies in the rape-revenge category because I generally avoid movies that include rape (male or female). I've also enjoyed monster movies (including vampires and zombies), found-footage movies, and body horror. And I love horror movies that are clever about combining horror and humor, such as Shawn of the Dead.
I tried this book as an audiobook and an ebook and preferred the ebook.
The author includes information about recent and not-so-recent scientific studies about horror movies specifically and about fear, anxiety, and bonding in general.
The classic banned book, reimagined by a self-taught Brazilian artist named Fido Nesti. Interesting to see what Nesti communicated visually and what hThe classic banned book, reimagined by a self-taught Brazilian artist named Fido Nesti. Interesting to see what Nesti communicated visually and what he retained as uninterrupted text. Color palette is effective. ...more
I don't think I've ever made this recommendation before: If you don't have time to read the whole book, just read the appendix. It is a series of specI don't think I've ever made this recommendation before: If you don't have time to read the whole book, just read the appendix. It is a series of speculations on crime in the future.
• What will happen when there's a murder in outer space? • What rights will space colonists demand—plentiful oxygen? video or audio entertainment? the right to contact people on Earth? • What will happen when someone brings woolly mammoths out of extinction? What will happen when somebody brings Neanderthals out of extinction? • Could a sex robot be programmed to kill someone? • Could a scientist use someone's DNA (from their garbage) to create an infectious disease that would kill only that person?
OK, so that's fascinating, but the main focus of the book is on the history of science. Specifically, it's short biographies of scientists who committed horrific legal and/or moral crimes. These include:
• trading in slaves to make enough money to collect rare plant and animal species, many of which are still in museums today • killing people and selling their bodies to medical students • denying penicillin to people with gonorrhea and pretending to treat them so they don't know to seek help elsewhere • directing that a boy whose penis was destroyed in an accident should be raised as a girl and given female hormones • conducting vicious, long-term, extraordinarily destructive psychological examinations of 22 young men, one of whom later became the Unabomber • failing to test tens of thousands of samples in drug prosecutions, leading to wrongful convictions and to mass releases of improperly convicted people, some of whom were violent—all to make herself look good to her supervisors and peers
I enjoy the author's writing style so much that I'm tempted to read this again just to try to pick apart how he does it. ...more
3.5 stars, rounded up. Vivid characters. Confusing beginning. Unfortunately, things don't get scary (to me) until about 60 or 70 percent of the way th3.5 stars, rounded up. Vivid characters. Confusing beginning. Unfortunately, things don't get scary (to me) until about 60 or 70 percent of the way through the book, and I was looking for a horror novel. Another reviewer said that this has lots of gore but few scares, which I think is accurate....more
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