NOTE: Contains discussions about terminal illness. This is the memoir of the year for me. I know it is a bold statement to make considering it is only March and there are nine more months still to go, but I just loved this memoir by Julie Yip-Williams. This memoir spoke to me on so many … Continue reading
Tag Archives: review
(Re)-defining survivor/victim stories: a review of amanda lovelace’s new poetry collection
Her third collection aligns with her previous works and centres on themes of self (re-)discovery, how to find your own voice again, and the struggle with remembering and letting go of the past. Continue reading
Being Muslim in America: a review of Ayser Salman’s memoir “The Wrong End of the Table”
Ayser Salman’s memoir The Wrong End of the Table is a story of awkward childhood-teen antics and trying to figure out who you are when you have so many different cultures pulling you in different directions. Salman arrives in the U.S. with her family after they leave fascist Iraq in the 1980s. Figuring out who … Continue reading
A review of “Maid”: we need to talk about the working poor
Stephanie Land’s memoir comes at an extremely important time in the world’s social and political climate. The very existence of her memoir is in direct defiance of the shame and stigma surrounding poverty. When I saw this memoir appearing in my social media feeds I was extremely excited to know more from Land. Although her … Continue reading
A review of “The Two Hearts of Eliza Bloom”: loving outside your faith
Beth Miller’s novel posits the question: What happens when you love someone outside of your faith? There are thousands of answers to this question, and arguably loving the ‘wrong’ person is something humans seem pretty good at since we have been doing it for centuries. The Two Hearts of Eliza Bloom is in many ways … Continue reading
“Mindfulness and Its Discontents”: why we need to rethink mindfulness
Mindfulness has become a buzz word in the last few years. The term has taken on so many different meanings in the West and is all at once meditation, letting go of your ego, getting to know your inner self, practicing kindness, learning to let your thoughts go, sitting still for a long time, not … Continue reading
Life Lessons from Michelle Obama’s “Becoming”
Michelle Obama’s memoir is a bestseller for all the right reasons. Regardless of your political affiliations and opinions, this book reflects a new era in politics. The lines between politicians and the contemporary notions of celebrities are becoming more and more blurred. The way that we consume, critique, and engage with politics and celebrities is … Continue reading
“The Boys Who Woke Up Early”: a reminder of America’s complicated past and present
When I read books, sometimes I know exactly what I want to highlight in my review and other times, ideas and themes from the novel need time to grow and develop in my mind like an oyster and its pearl. The latter was very true for my reading of A.D. Hopkins The Boys Who Woke … Continue reading
A Review of J.M. Monaco’s “How We Remember”
CONTENT WARNING: discussions of sexual assault, cancer, death by suicide, and drug/alcohol abuse. As a passionate researcher in memory studies I am always drawn to books, both fiction and nonfiction, that draw on and play with the way we remember collectively and individually. J.M. Monaco’s novel is an exquisitely painful exploration of collective remembering within … Continue reading
Escapism in Ottessa Moshfegh’s “My Year of Rest and Relaxation”
Disclosure: This page may contain affiliate links. Clicking through for additional information or to make a purchase may result in a small commission. “Who hasn’t—sometime—wanted to escape? But from what? To where? And once we have arrived at the good place, is this the end of the desire to move? Or does it stir again, … Continue reading
You must be logged in to post a comment.