Book Review: Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey

Title: Greenlights

Author: Matthew McConaughey

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography

Pages: 289

Publisher: Crown

Year Published: 2020

Format: Audiobook

"I've been in this life for fifty years, been trying to work out its riddle for forty-two and been keeping diaries of clues to that riddle for the last thirty-five. Notes about successes and failures, joys and sorrows, things that made me marvel and things that made me laugh out loud. How to be fair. How to have less stress. how to have fun. How to hurt people less. How to get hurt less. How to be a good man. How to have meaning in life. How to be more me.

Recently, I worked up the courage to sit down with those diaries. I found stories I experienced, lessons I learned and forgot, poems, prayers, prescriptions, beliefs about what matters, some great photographs, and a whole bunch of bumper stickers. I found a reliable theme, an approach to living that gave me more satisfaction, at the time, and still: If you know how, and when, to deal with life's challenges- how to get relative with the inevitable- you can enjoy a state of a success I call "catching greenlights."

So I took a one-way ticket to the desert and wrote this book: an album, a record, a story of my life so far. This is fifty years of my sights and seems, felts and figured-outs, cools and shameful. Graces, truths, and beautifies of brutality. Getting away with, getting caught and getting wets while trying to dance between the raindrops.

Hopefully, it's medicine that tastes good, a couple of aspirin instead of the infirmary, a spaceship to Mars without needing your pilot license, going to church without having to be born again, and laughing through the tears.

It's a love letter to life.

It's a guide to catching more greenlights- and to realizing that the yellows and reds eventually turn green too.

Good luck."

My Rating: 3.5/5

I didn't know what to expect from this memoir, but it was certainly fascinating to hear about how this incredible author a) got his start and b) how he varied in his work while c) what he believes behind it all. In my teens, I mostly watched Matthew McConaughey in romantic comedies, and I had seen him in a few more dramatic roles since then, but hearing about his methods and also how he travelled and is a little bit of a hippy, was surprising. I had a good time reading it, but it wasn't a favourite, I would recommend if you want to know about the man behind the actor, or maybe need a kick in the ass to go and chase your dreams. Fun, entertaining and in some ways inspiring I enjoyed it overall.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Becoming by Michelle Obama

Title: Becoming

Author: Michelle Obama

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Memoir, Nonfiction, Adult

Pages: 426

Publisher: Crown

Year Published: 2018

Format: Audiobook (own a hardcover)

"In a life filled with meaning and accomplishment, Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era. As First Lady of the United States of America- the first African American to serve in that role- she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history, while also establishing herself as a powerful advocate for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world, dramatically changing the ways that families pursue healthier and more active lives, and standing with her husband as he led America through some of its most harrowing moments. Along the way, she showed us a few dance moves, crushed Carpool Karaoke, and raised two down-to-earth daughters under an unforgiving media glare.

In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her- from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world's most famous address. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has lived it- in her own words, and on her own terms. Warm, wise and revelatory, Becoming is the deeply personal reckoning of a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied expectations- and whose story inspires us to do the same."

My Rating: 4.5/5

I would like to start this review by saying that I am a Canadian Citizen and I have never lived in the United States, but by being neighbours with the United States I do know a bit about their politics. Not a ton, but a small amount. Probably more than most American's know about our political systems. That being said this book isn't only about politics. It's about finding who you are, striving through controversy, and using your voice for those who do not have one. I think that Michelle strikes a lot of hope into young people across the world. Seeing a woman who is able to bring about change with such poise isn't easy, but before reading this book she always appeared without flaw to someone like me. But knowing that she's just a human as well, is soothing in a way. Knowing that we are all capable of speaking up, and making change, but also knowing that everyone needs to be giving a fighting chance to seize opportunities that some are just handed (alumni at colleges, people living in the suburbs with the financial ability to move to better areas with better schools, etc.). This is just a quick summary of my thoughts. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Dear Justyce by Nic Stone

 Title: Dear Justyce

Author: Nic Stone

Series/Standalone: Dear Martin (Book #2)

Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult, Realistic Fiction

Pages: 288

Publisher: Crown

Year Published: 2020

Format: Audiobook

"In the stunning and hard-hitting sequel to New York Times bestseller Dear Martin, incarcerated teen Quan writes letters to Justyce about his experiences in the American prison system.

Shortly after teenager Quan enters a not guilty plea fro the shooting death of a police officer, he is placed in a holding cell to await trial. Through a series of flashbacks and letters to Justyce, the protagonist of Dear Martin, Quan's story unravels.

From a troubled childhood and bad timing to a coerced confession and prejudice police work, Nic Stone's newest novel takes an unflinching look at the flawed practices and ideologies that discriminate against African American boys and minorities in the American justice system."

My Rating: 4.5/5

I'm starting this by saying that black authors do not write books to educate white people, nor should they. So if aspects of this book or other books from p.oc that deal with realistic fiction (ex. not fantasy or science fiction) or nonfiction books make you have questions, do your own research! This book follows a character from the first book, Quan. A teen who is charged with the murder of a police officer and his story. The things that he experiences throughout life and how he ends up where he is (both his own choices and those in place by society). The only reason this book didn't reach a five out of five stars for me is that I wanted just a bit more. I would also love a novel about Doc and his life, and Martel. I look forward to reading more from the author and would recommend this to anyone interested in the subject matter. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny 

Book Review: Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennet

Title: Foundryside
Author: Robert Jackson Bennet
Series/Standalone: Founders Series (Book #1)
Genre: Fantasy, Adult
Pages: 512
Publisher: Crown
Year Published: 2018
Format: Audiobook

"Sancia Grado is a thief, and a damn good one. And her latest target, a heavily guarded warehouse on Tevanne's docks, is nothing her unique abilities can't handle. 

But unbeknownst to her, Sancia's been sent to steal an artifact of the unimaginable power, an object that could revolutionize the magical technology known as scriving. The Merchant Houses who control this magic-- the art of using coded commands to imbue everyday objects with sentience-- have already used it to transform Tevanne into a vast, remorseless capitalist machine. But if they can unlock the artifact's secrets, they will rewrite the world itself to suit their aims.

 Now someone in those Houses wants Sancia dead, and the artifact for themselves. And in the city of Tevanne, there's nobody with the power to stop them.

To have a chance at surviving-- and at stopping the deadly transformation that's underway-- Sancia will have to marshall unlikely allies, learn to harness the artifact's power for herself, and undergo her own transformation, one that will turn her into something she could never have imagined."

My Rating: 2.5/5

I found that this work was really hard to get into. Maybe that is due to the fact that I haven't read many Adult Fantasy works but this one took me a while to be interested in what was happening in the story overall. This also could be due to the fact that I really need to care about the characters in a story to continue on with the novel and truly care about where the plot was going. It wasn't until the last 2 hours that I felt something strong for our main characters and our side characters. There is a ton of world-building in this story and I understand why because the magic system is very different from other things I've heard about and needed a lot of explanation for the reader. I do wish that we could have gotten a bit more show and a little less tell, that being said I understand why the author had to use the tell method more often with such a complex magic system. I would recommend the audiobook for anyone who struggles with name pronunciation because when I was typing this books description I didn't expect any names to be spelt the way they were. Is this only a me problem?

I did like the plot of the heist and the plot twists were amazing! I'm still unsure if I will continue on with the next book in the series, for now, I"m curious but content to wait it out. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

Title: Dark Matter
Author: Blake Crouch
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Genre: Science Fiction, Adult, Thriller
Pages: 342
Publisher: Crown
Year Published: 2016
Format: Audiobook

"Jason Dessen is walking home through the chilly Chicago streets one night, looking forward to a quiet evening in front of the fireplace with his wife, Daniela, and their son, Charlie- when his reality shatters.

It starts with a man in a mask kidnapping him at gunoint, for reasons Jason can't begin to fathom- what would anyone want with an ordinary physics professor?- and grows even more terrifying from there, as Jason's abductor injects him with some unknown drug and watches while he loses conciousness.

When Jason awakes, he's in a lab, strapped to a gurney- and a man he's never seen before is cheerily telling him 'welcome back!'

Jason soon learns that the world he's woken up to, his house is not his house. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born.

And someone is hunting him."

My Rating: 4.5/5

I think that I knew too much about this book going in. My biggest suggestion is to go in blind. Just trust that if you like sci-fi you will likely like this. I did know one aspect of the story just at the beginning but after that, I was surprised by where the plot went .  I think that this author does a great job of describing scientific theories without getting too complicated. I think that this should also definitely be described as a thriller. I loved the characters and their growth. I also think that the climax of the plot was extremely well done. The premise itself is so interesting and I was intrigued at every twist and turn.  I couldn't have guessed where this plot was going to go. Overall I enjoyed this book and would love to read more works from this author.

Thanks for reading,
Sidny