Life in Plastic

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this audiobook of Forever Barbie: The Unauthorized Biography of a Real Doll by M. G. Lord

Love her or hate her, we all know Barbie. With the movie catapulting her to the top of the zeitgeist last year, this nonfiction released a 30th anniversary edition with additional content.

Lord’s writing is a mix of intellectual and snark. The narrator, Robin Weigart, strikes the perfect balance, adding just enough personality to incorporate Lord’s dry wit but maintaining an even delivery that works for the more academic information. It occasionally gave me flashbacks to my sociology classes in undergrad.

The depth and breadth of it all was staggering. Lord dug deep to find both the history and cultural impact of Barbie and her friends. Being the unauthorized biography let Lord cover it all. Handler’s second career in mastectomy prosthetics? What got Handler in trouble with the law? Sex, art, body modification, race, politics? She covers it all.

Because the history hasn’t changed, it’s all relevant and interesting. I wish Lord had the time to give the last 30 years the same deep dive as the original text. It was fun, fascinating, and a little weird (Looking at you chapter 10). 5/5

May TBR

Another month where I try to catch up on my ARCs.

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

My book club’s pick for May.

Dog Smart: Life-Changing Lessons in Canine Intelligence by Jennifer S. Holland

A nonfiction I scored on NetGalley about one of my favorite things in the world: dogs.

Forever Barbie by M. G. Lord

I was approved for an ARC of the updated eaudiobook.

Funny, You Don’t Look Autistic by Michael McCreary

Another audio gift from NetGalley.

April Wrap-Up

A diverse mix of genres this month and multiple ARCs.

If You Can’t Take the Heat: Tales of Food, Feminism, and Fury by Geraldine DeRuiter

An excellent memoir in essays. I say more here 5/5

Extinction by Douglas Preston

A fun, if ridiculous, thriller. I say more here. 3.5/5

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

I really enjoyed this. I say more here. 4/5

Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One More Page Before Lights Out by Shannon Reed

A memoir that will be appreciated by readers everywhere. Just skip the audiobook. I say more here. 5/5

The Book of Mothers: How Literature Can Help Us Reinvent Modern Motherhood by Carrie Mullins

Enjoyable and insightful literary criticism. I say more here. 4/5

The Nightmare Box and Other Stories by Cynthia Gómez

A fantastic collection of short horror with themes of social and racial justice. I say more here. 5/5

DNF

Walk of Ages: A Generational Journey from Mt. Whitney to Death Valley by Jim Andersen and Withanee Andersen

I love an adventure in nature. What I didn’t love was wondering where the authors were January 6, 2021. I say more here.

What’s in the Box?

Thank you to BookSirens and Cursed Morsels for this eARC.

Gómez centers the Latin identity of her characters and each story is better for it. When people talk about representation mattering and the power of own voices, this is what they mean. 

Reminiscent of The Twilight Zone, each story has an undercurrent of social and racial justice. Many were inspired by actual events which only adds to the horror of each tale. This is the kind of horror that unsettles you and makes you sit with parts of yourself you don’t often meet. 

Highly recommend. Fantastic storytelling. If you liked Out There Screaming edited by Jordan Peele, you’ll like this. 5/5

Like It’s Hard

I forget where I saw the clip of a regressive talking head befuddled about what’s so hard about pregnancy.

Symptoms can include but are not limited to:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Indigestion
• Heartburn (yes, all of those are different)
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Urinary incontinence
• Bowel incontinence
• Food allergies
• Food intolerances
• Absence of prior food allergies or intolerances
• Headaches
• Migraines
• Congestion
• Muscle cramps
• Insomnia
• Sprains
• Swelling
• Hernia
• Joint dysfunction
• Sciatica
• Broken tailbone
• Anemia
• Larger ring size
• Larger shoe size
• Gestational diabetes
• Permanent diabetes
• Sleep disorders
• Fatigue
• Trouble breathing
• Irritability
• Broken ribs
• Nutrient deficiencies
• Heightened sense of smell
• Heightened hearing
• Sensitive skin
• Back pain (mild, moderate, or severe)
• Pelvic pain (mild, moderate, or severe)
• Lightning crotch
• Increased libido
• Decreased libido
• Acne
• Bleeding gums
• Nosebleeds
• Blurred vision
• Hypertension
• Nerve damage
• Carpal tunnel

All of these symptoms can stick around for 2 years or more after giving birth. Some can stick around forever. This list is in no way comprehensive but just what I remember from my pregnancy and what I’ve heard from others.

I’m still dealing with chronic pain and resulting sleep problems. I gave birth in December and she’s sleeping better than I am. Let’s make draconian anti-choice laws the subject of dystopian fiction again.

Why We Read

Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One More Page Before Lights Out by Shannon Reed had me at hello. It’s got some of my favorite colors on the cover and it’s a book about being a reader.

It was a fun mix of essays about her personal relationship with books and reading, experiences teaching literature, and essays poking fun at certain genres (signs you’re a parent in a YA novel).

The title was a bit of a misnomer. It’s essentially a memoir in essays from a bookish life. I expected it to be more scholarly and informative based on the title. This may be partly due to listening to the audiobook. The connection between the book title and the chapter titles (to make us cry) didn’t click until I saw them all listed.

I enjoyed Reed’s more casual and personal approach in her writing. Another failure of the audiobook (for me) was that the narrator was drier and more formal in her delivery than Reed was anywhere in her writing.

Once again, I’m finished with a book I really enjoyed and don’t have a ton to say about it. Partly motivated by sleep deprivation, partly because Reed’s memoir will just speak to most readers on a very personal level.

Mooooom!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my eARC of The Book of Mothers: How Literature Can Help Us Reinvent Modern Motherhood by Carrie Mullins.

Mullins definitely went some places I wasn’t expecting. I found her comparing Mrs. Bennett to a Real Housewife very apt. Using Mrs. Weasley as an ode to harried moms was an excellent choice.

Mullins does a good job representing intersectional stories about motherhood and how it differs from our stories about white mothers. A couple of essays didn’t delve quite as deep but most were interesting and insightful. For all the history across these works, they all were tied in to struggles modern moms deal with.

It’s also very accessible. If you didn’t spend your undergrad dabbling in comparative literature, this will still make perfect sense to you. An excellent gift idea for bookish moms for Mother’s Day. 4/5

TTPD React

Midnight saw the drop of 16 songs but by the time kids got me up in the morning, it was up to 31. I learned my lesson from Midnights and waited to download it.

It took a while for me to give it a close listen but here are my thoughts.

Fortnight (feat. Post Malone)

Telling a bit of a messy story. It hovers somewhere between her cottage core era of telling other stories and her own heartbreak. It’s giving Revolutionary Road vibes.

The Tortured Poet’s Department

Any song about self-sabotage I assume is about Matt Healy. Catchy and clever.

My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys

Catchy. Similar vibes to Bad Blood. Not lyrically her best work but fun.

Down Bad

Meh. Would have been a vault track another time. Lots of women will be blasting this during their gym workouts though.

So Long, London

I’m pissed off you let me give you all that youth for free

The peril of dating a musician? You will end up in their songs.

But Daddy, I Love Him

Returning to her country roots and calling out Hypochristians. I didn’t like this much initially but it’s grown on me.

Fresh Out of the Slammer

I gave this another listen and it still didn’t make much of an impression on me.

Florida!!! (feat. Florence + the Machine)

My friends all smell of weed or little babies

I was holding my 4 month old when I heard this lyric. Excellent vibes. Welch’s entire verse is fantastic. Very fun.

Guilty as Sin?

Interesting, poetic, and curious. I wonder who inspired it.

Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?

I LOVE this one. Ominous and creepy.

I Can Fix Him (No, Really I Can)

Fun and messy. I’m a fan.

loml

A sad love song. Not a standout.

I Can Do It with a Broken Heart

The lyric video is all footage from the Eras tour. Anymore shade on Joe, he’ll need a flashlight. Her work ethic and ambition is indefatigable.

The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived

I just want to know if rusting my sparkling summer was the goal

A revenge ballad. I live for calling out bad men.

The Alchemy

A love song with some not so subtle nods to Kelce.

Clara Bow

The perils of being an it girl. I like it

The Black Dog

Old habits die screaming

Solid song about heartbreak.

Imgonnagetyouback

Fun plays on words. Similar attitude to Blank Space but not as good.

The Albatross

Devils that you know raise worse hell than a stranger

A ‘loving me is complicated’ song. Not bad but not memorable.

Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus

Decent sad song. Not bad but not great. I suspect it’s about Matt Healy.

How Did It End?

Another sad song about the demise of a relationship. Good but it sort of fades into all the others.

So High School

Cute song about falling in love. Lyric video has arena lights. Giving Kelce vibes.

I Hate It Here

Meh. Would have been a vault track another time.

thanK you aIMee

Telling your bully to suck it. Makes me think of Fearless and Speak Now. The nod to Kim Kartrashian is the kind of petty I love.

I Look in People’s Windows

Enjoyable song about heartbreak. Bit of a filler track.

The Prophecy

The frustrations of being single again. I like it.

Cassandra

Very interesting. I wonder what the inspiration was for this one. I have some guesses but it’s hard to say.

Peter

The boy who never grew up. She’s know Healy for 10 years so I suspect this one is for him.

The Bolter

Harkening back to the cottage core era telling another story.

Robin

Childhood innocence on a track that would have gone into the vault.

The Manuscript

It’s giving Jake Gyllenhaal and All Too Well. Interesting place to come back to at the very end.

“And so I enter into evidence my tarnished coat of arms my muses, acquired like bruises my talismans and charms. The tick, tick, tick of love bombs. My veins of pitch black ink. All’s fair in love and poetry”

Critics have called this raw and unpolished. I can agree it’s not her best work. Many tracks are lyrically underwhelming and forgettable. I found Midnights underwhelming too but some songs eventually grew on me. I’m sure that will happen where too.

With such a rabid and devoted fan base, I worry there will come a time when people won’t be critical or she won’t hear it. She’s not at this place yet. I hope it never comes. She’s a smart woman. As long as she pays attention, she should avoid this trap.

If this is the music she needed to release, I can respect that. 2023 and 2024 were big years for Swift personally and professionally. After the content machine she’s been the last few years, she’s earned some mess and chaos.

I’d give this a 3/5. It’s not great, not terrible and enough tracks are winners that I’m not mad.

All’s Fair(y)

Have you ever really liked a book and not had a helluva lot to say about what makes it good?

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries was on my radar but I wouldn’t have picked it up if it weren’t for some time if it weren’t for my book club. The person who suggested it is not a big genre girlie like me either.

The main character has subtle coding for possible ASD or some flavor of ND. She’s very unemotional, logical, and socially awkward. Her previous paramour was overtly ASD and she loved that. Changelings or being half fae was often used to explain ND centuries ago. It makes sense a character whose brain works differently would better understand creatures like the fae. There was also a casually queer side character. I loved that bit of representation and no one was fussed about it.

I liked the world, the magic, the characters both human and fae. I’m glad this is the start of the series. The ending was satisfying for the arc of the this story but left plenty of room for more. I’d like to see how the wider world is with fae being real and acknowledged. The writing is good and exactly what I’d expect from first person historical fantasy. It’s very reflective of the character’s voice and has a hint of the style from that time period.

It’s well done and lots of fun. I look forward to diving into the rest of the series. The second book came out this year and the third will be out next year. 4/5

Not Quite Extinct

I lucked into a copy of Extinction by Douglas Preston from NetGalley.

It started as a thriller in the spirit of Jurassic Park. In a beautiful place in Colorado, an eccentric billionaire decided to de-extinct Pleistocene megafauna. All is well until high profile guests are taken, presumed dead.

Unsurprisingly, the corporation behind it was up to more nefarious things than resurrecting giant ground sloths. When the big bad is revealed, it feels less summer blockbuster and more SyFy channel original movie. People also do some remarkably stupid things to further the plot along the way. There are organized homicidal maniacs running amok but we wouldn’t want to stop the Hollywood studio from filming.

In the positive, it was very readable, fast paced, and fun. Exactly what you’d want for a summer read. I enjoyed it but it definitely stretched my willing suspension of disbelief a little too far. 3.5/5

TW for violence and descriptions of cannibalism. If you can handle an episode of Criminal Minds, this should be fine.