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Riding High in April
"A Running List of the Best Books of 2021"—POPSUGAR
"Bookclub picks of Fall 2021."—SheReads
"Books to Read Based on Shows You Bingewatch"—Women.com
"Fifteen New Books to Read on your Summer Vacation"—Brit & Co.
Taut and richly layered, Riding High in April is a powerful evocation of our contemporary tech moment, a revealing exploration of resilience and the pursuit of something unattainable, and a moving story of love, friendship, and letting go.
“When a man moves to Asia to fulfill his dreams of creating the ultimate open-source network platform, the woman he loves follows him, only to realize her life is entirely different on the other side of the world. Both a love story and an examination of the tech industry, Riding High in April by Jackie Townsend is a remarkable tale of the cost of innovation.” (PopSugar)
“Timely, supremely relevant, and a great read.” (Dan Lyons, New York Times best-selling author of Disrupted: My Misadventures in the Start-Up Bubble)
“Townsend vividly depicts the singular cultural ethos of the tech world that peculiar combination of microscopically diligent engineering and dreamy aspiration and deftly dissects its global variations.” (Kirkus Reviews)
“Riding High in April captures that sense of riding the tech razor’s edge, of an aspirational yearning where the constant chase for success never quite satisfies. Realistic, authentic, and thought-provoking.” (Lainey Cameron number one Amazon best seller and award-winning author of The Exit Strategy)
“A tale of global migrants and spanning Silicon Valley, South Korea, Japan, and India, Riding High in April reminds us how international and connected our world of hi-tech is, yet at the heart of technological breakthroughs are the complex human connections that endure."―Rajika Bhandari, Ph.D., author of America Calling: A Foreign Student in a Country of Possibility.
"Bookclub picks of Fall 2021."—SheReads
"Books to Read Based on Shows You Bingewatch"—Women.com
"Fifteen New Books to Read on your Summer Vacation"—Brit & Co.
Taut and richly layered, Riding High in April is a powerful evocation of our contemporary tech moment, a revealing exploration of resilience and the pursuit of something unattainable, and a moving story of love, friendship, and letting go.
“When a man moves to Asia to fulfill his dreams of creating the ultimate open-source network platform, the woman he loves follows him, only to realize her life is entirely different on the other side of the world. Both a love story and an examination of the tech industry, Riding High in April by Jackie Townsend is a remarkable tale of the cost of innovation.” (PopSugar)
“Timely, supremely relevant, and a great read.” (Dan Lyons, New York Times best-selling author of Disrupted: My Misadventures in the Start-Up Bubble)
“Townsend vividly depicts the singular cultural ethos of the tech world that peculiar combination of microscopically diligent engineering and dreamy aspiration and deftly dissects its global variations.” (Kirkus Reviews)
“Riding High in April captures that sense of riding the tech razor’s edge, of an aspirational yearning where the constant chase for success never quite satisfies. Realistic, authentic, and thought-provoking.” (Lainey Cameron number one Amazon best seller and award-winning author of The Exit Strategy)
“A tale of global migrants and spanning Silicon Valley, South Korea, Japan, and India, Riding High in April reminds us how international and connected our world of hi-tech is, yet at the heart of technological breakthroughs are the complex human connections that endure."―Rajika Bhandari, Ph.D., author of America Calling: A Foreign Student in a Country of Possibility.
256 pages, Paperback
Published August 24, 2021
4 people are currently reading
1393 people want to read
About the author
Jackie Townsend
6 books40 followersBefore becoming a full-time writer, Jackie received her MBA from UC Berkeley and worked as a management consultant in the Bay Area alongside her husband, who worked in Silicon Valley and other parts of the world before starting and running his own tech company. Their careers, both exciting and exhausting, fuel Jackie’s novels and essays, as does her travel and exposure to foreign cultures. A native of Southern California married to a native of Italy who carries around a big hole in his heart for home, her themes revolve around displacement, crossing borders, belonging (or not belonging), loss, and love. You can find her living in New York City with her husband, sometimes. Riding High in April is her fourth novel.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
December 14, 2021
3.5/5
I'm surprised that by the end I found myself saying "I liked it"!! It was a heavy book both on my mind and my soul, it felt like I took forever with it!
It is a realistic novel about the tech world, a lot of technical terms that sometimes needed to be looked up. Tech startups, successes and failures, ambitions and dying dreams, ...
What I loved most is Marie & Stuart's relationship. It felt grounded and real and at same time cute. Stuart and his dream team.
It just felt real. An insider into the tech world, the dreams to change the world and the sacrifices they have to take to conquer the world.
I listened to the audio version but I think maybe the written version would have been more suitable for this one!
I received this audio-book thanks to NetGalley and the publisher in exchange of a review.
I'm surprised that by the end I found myself saying "I liked it"!! It was a heavy book both on my mind and my soul, it felt like I took forever with it!
It is a realistic novel about the tech world, a lot of technical terms that sometimes needed to be looked up. Tech startups, successes and failures, ambitions and dying dreams, ...
What I loved most is Marie & Stuart's relationship. It felt grounded and real and at same time cute. Stuart and his dream team.
It just felt real. An insider into the tech world, the dreams to change the world and the sacrifices they have to take to conquer the world.
I listened to the audio version but I think maybe the written version would have been more suitable for this one!
I received this audio-book thanks to NetGalley and the publisher in exchange of a review.
dnf-shelf
December 9, 2021How I read this: Free audiobook copy received from a publicist
DNF @ a third of the audiobook
I'm not sure what this book is about. It's only talking about business. I've never before read a book about business, and honestly, it's news to me this exists, because I can't fathom wanting to read about "getting shit done" and "board meetings" after you've done exactly that all day in the office. But to each their own - and I conclude the book was simply not for me. Since I didn't finish it, I will not rate it.
There is, however, one small and funny thing I have to mention. The narrator reads "Jeju island" as "Zheezhoo island" (it's pronounced "Jeju", exactly as you'd read it in English as it's spelled...) It's embarrassingly funny because a lot of the book revolves around being in Korea, and it's SO EASY to actually look this up. The narrator has a job to read the book and doesn't even think to look it up? That's not the only thing... He also ridiculously mispronounces the Japanese "gaijin" and even the city name "Nagoya". Like how can you mispronounce that? Look it up!!! There's tons of easily findable videos with "how do you pronounce x", not to even mention tons of otaku content that you could easily find within 5 minutes on YouTube... Being an audiobook narrator and not looking it up just looks so ridiculously unprofessional for me. Like, it's your job. Why not spend those 5 minutes on Google..? Other than that, the narration was fine, but this really irked me.
I thank the publicist for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
Book Blog | Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
DNF @ a third of the audiobook
I'm not sure what this book is about. It's only talking about business. I've never before read a book about business, and honestly, it's news to me this exists, because I can't fathom wanting to read about "getting shit done" and "board meetings" after you've done exactly that all day in the office. But to each their own - and I conclude the book was simply not for me. Since I didn't finish it, I will not rate it.
There is, however, one small and funny thing I have to mention. The narrator reads "Jeju island" as "Zheezhoo island" (it's pronounced "Jeju", exactly as you'd read it in English as it's spelled...) It's embarrassingly funny because a lot of the book revolves around being in Korea, and it's SO EASY to actually look this up. The narrator has a job to read the book and doesn't even think to look it up? That's not the only thing... He also ridiculously mispronounces the Japanese "gaijin" and even the city name "Nagoya". Like how can you mispronounce that? Look it up!!! There's tons of easily findable videos with "how do you pronounce x", not to even mention tons of otaku content that you could easily find within 5 minutes on YouTube... Being an audiobook narrator and not looking it up just looks so ridiculously unprofessional for me. Like, it's your job. Why not spend those 5 minutes on Google..? Other than that, the narration was fine, but this really irked me.
I thank the publicist for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
Book Blog | Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
September 4, 2021
Audiobook review
Wow, that was one heck of a ride! Definitely a good listen that sounded so realistic I kept forgetting it was a novel. I’d recommend it to others who like startup and Silicon Valley reads. Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.
Content Warning: death, suicide and mental illness.
Wow, that was one heck of a ride! Definitely a good listen that sounded so realistic I kept forgetting it was a novel. I’d recommend it to others who like startup and Silicon Valley reads. Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.
Content Warning: death, suicide and mental illness.
April 26, 2022
I am sure this is a case of 'it's me and not you' but I found this book very hard to get through. I did it as an audio and maybe as a physical book, I would have enjoyed it more. But as an audio, I found it hard to follow along in to the world of tech. I didn't find the friendships or the relationship compelling enough to feel drawn in to the story. I found the location/setting to be interesting but I just didn't love this one. I wish I had.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
December 28, 2021
Summary: A freelance writer faces some crucial life choices as she joins her software entrepreneur partner of fifteen years in Asia as he tries to launch an innovative open-source platform.
Stuart is a software entrepreneur has developed an innovative open source platform enabling people to securely network in the “cloud.” He teams up with a classmate, Niraj, from India to form a company to pursue clients and venture capital, a move that has taken them to South Korea, pursuing a contract with a telecom as well as the first round of venture capital funding.
Marie, his partner of fifteen years has a gift of finding the words to help companies explain their products. She sets all that aside to join Stuart in Asia. She tells him, “I don’t want to be apart anymore.” Yet Stuart keeps leaving as he pursues contracts, deals with his business partner’s meltdown in a family crisis, the betrayal of co-workers, and ultimately that of Niraj. She follows as he tries to put out fires, and has several encounters that force her to question the premise on which her life the last fifteen years has been based.
The narrative is punctuated with episodes of Marie’s swimming. It is her attempt to teach a fearful young girl to swim and consulting with a swimming guru, that confront her with a realization about her own life and how she has made decisions.
Stuart has those moments that could be moments of insight. A heart to heart with a Japanese investor speaking to him about his health. A bite by a deadly tokay that became infected. His father’s loving words to him amid the father’s declining physical and mental health.
But the pursuit of the dream, the ability to solve problems, the inability to fail, and the refusal to settle for…what? The house on a beach with Marie?
It’s a story about two people approaching midlife faced with choices about the second half and what these will mean for their relationship. But this central thread seems to get obscured with highly technical dives into the world of open-source software, networks, clouds, and data and the opportunities for fortunes or failures. At first, I thought this was a tech thriller, but the story unfolds amid a seemingly endless round of meetings, pitch decks, the ordinary business reverses and betrayals, the crises and the pivots.
And this seems to be the problem with the execution of this story. The “deep dive” into tech seemed to be so fascinating to the author that the reader scratches one’s head trying to figure out what kind of story one is reading. Then it dawns on you that it is about the choices of growth (or not) of two people and what those choices will mean.
And that is an interesting idea, one many couples face as they move from the first half to the second half of life. Perhaps the “deep dive” reflects how one or both may become so obsessed with their work, their dream, that they lose sight of the other or even of themselves. But I can’t help but wonder how many readers will wade through the tech parts of this book and how many others who geek out on the tech will be disappointed that this was not the tech thriller they might have hoped for.
____________________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer Program in exchange for an honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Stuart is a software entrepreneur has developed an innovative open source platform enabling people to securely network in the “cloud.” He teams up with a classmate, Niraj, from India to form a company to pursue clients and venture capital, a move that has taken them to South Korea, pursuing a contract with a telecom as well as the first round of venture capital funding.
Marie, his partner of fifteen years has a gift of finding the words to help companies explain their products. She sets all that aside to join Stuart in Asia. She tells him, “I don’t want to be apart anymore.” Yet Stuart keeps leaving as he pursues contracts, deals with his business partner’s meltdown in a family crisis, the betrayal of co-workers, and ultimately that of Niraj. She follows as he tries to put out fires, and has several encounters that force her to question the premise on which her life the last fifteen years has been based.
The narrative is punctuated with episodes of Marie’s swimming. It is her attempt to teach a fearful young girl to swim and consulting with a swimming guru, that confront her with a realization about her own life and how she has made decisions.
Stuart has those moments that could be moments of insight. A heart to heart with a Japanese investor speaking to him about his health. A bite by a deadly tokay that became infected. His father’s loving words to him amid the father’s declining physical and mental health.
But the pursuit of the dream, the ability to solve problems, the inability to fail, and the refusal to settle for…what? The house on a beach with Marie?
It’s a story about two people approaching midlife faced with choices about the second half and what these will mean for their relationship. But this central thread seems to get obscured with highly technical dives into the world of open-source software, networks, clouds, and data and the opportunities for fortunes or failures. At first, I thought this was a tech thriller, but the story unfolds amid a seemingly endless round of meetings, pitch decks, the ordinary business reverses and betrayals, the crises and the pivots.
And this seems to be the problem with the execution of this story. The “deep dive” into tech seemed to be so fascinating to the author that the reader scratches one’s head trying to figure out what kind of story one is reading. Then it dawns on you that it is about the choices of growth (or not) of two people and what those choices will mean.
And that is an interesting idea, one many couples face as they move from the first half to the second half of life. Perhaps the “deep dive” reflects how one or both may become so obsessed with their work, their dream, that they lose sight of the other or even of themselves. But I can’t help but wonder how many readers will wade through the tech parts of this book and how many others who geek out on the tech will be disappointed that this was not the tech thriller they might have hoped for.
____________________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer Program in exchange for an honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
December 23, 2021
"Inside the rising tech microcosms of Seoul, Singapore, Japan, and India, far from the mendacity of Silicon Valley, a serial tech entrepreneur pursues a last-ditch attempt to build something great: COMPASS, an open-source network platform that Microsoft has labeled “reckless.” At stake are his reputation, his dwindling bank account, and his fifteen-year relationship with the only woman he’s ever loved—a woman in the midst of reckoning with who she is and what really matters to her in the face of the narcissism and destructiveness of the technology world. She shows up in Seoul in a big, bold move to be with him—only to find that living in Asia reshapes her in intangible, unexpected ways.
Taut and richly layered, Riding High in April is a powerful evocation of our contemporary tech moment, a revealing exploration of resilience and the pursuit of something unattainable, and a moving story of love, friendship, and letting go."-Amazon description
I'm really sad to be giving this book a 1 star review but I have tried multiple times to read (listen to) it and I cannot push through. It's not that the book itself was bad, there is just a lot of technological slang I do not understand which made it hard for me to follow and the narrator kind of irked me out. There were some mispronounced words too, specially names of cities which further made me get lost.
I hate DNFing books, and I believe if I had read it instead of getting the audiobook I might have been able to finish it but the plot just wasn't for me. Maybe it might be more interesting for people in the field, who can understand everything better.
Taut and richly layered, Riding High in April is a powerful evocation of our contemporary tech moment, a revealing exploration of resilience and the pursuit of something unattainable, and a moving story of love, friendship, and letting go."-Amazon description
I'm really sad to be giving this book a 1 star review but I have tried multiple times to read (listen to) it and I cannot push through. It's not that the book itself was bad, there is just a lot of technological slang I do not understand which made it hard for me to follow and the narrator kind of irked me out. There were some mispronounced words too, specially names of cities which further made me get lost.
I hate DNFing books, and I believe if I had read it instead of getting the audiobook I might have been able to finish it but the plot just wasn't for me. Maybe it might be more interesting for people in the field, who can understand everything better.
November 24, 2021
💭 ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ:
I had good hopes for this one as it felt like it would be a groundbreaking story about a couple doing their last big investment. However, I've found that it was very technical and although there was a bit of a story in there it didn't really come out. The characters weren't really relatable, except for Marie. As somebody not coming from the Tech world I found it quite hard to follow. Overall, I just think that the title, the cover and the synopsis don't really give a good impression on what the book is about. This just wasn't for me, but if you're interested in a Tech start up this is definitely worth the read.
⭐️⭐️
🤓 ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
Silicon Valley Startup
Technical books
ꜱʏɴᴏᴘꜱɪꜱ:
𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩 𝘮𝘪𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘮𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘦𝘰𝘶𝘭, 𝘚𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘦, 𝘑𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘢, 𝘧𝘢𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘰𝘯 𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺, 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵-𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵: 𝘊𝘖𝘔𝘗𝘈𝘚𝘚, 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯-𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘔𝘪𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘰𝘧𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘥 “𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴”. 𝘈𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘶𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 15-𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 - 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘥𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘶𝘱 𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘦𝘰𝘶𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘣𝘪𝘨, 𝘣𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘮 - 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘈𝘴𝘪𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦, 𝘶𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴.
I had good hopes for this one as it felt like it would be a groundbreaking story about a couple doing their last big investment. However, I've found that it was very technical and although there was a bit of a story in there it didn't really come out. The characters weren't really relatable, except for Marie. As somebody not coming from the Tech world I found it quite hard to follow. Overall, I just think that the title, the cover and the synopsis don't really give a good impression on what the book is about. This just wasn't for me, but if you're interested in a Tech start up this is definitely worth the read.
⭐️⭐️
🤓 ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
Silicon Valley Startup
Technical books
ꜱʏɴᴏᴘꜱɪꜱ:
𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩 𝘮𝘪𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘮𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘦𝘰𝘶𝘭, 𝘚𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘦, 𝘑𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘢, 𝘧𝘢𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘰𝘯 𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺, 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵-𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵: 𝘊𝘖𝘔𝘗𝘈𝘚𝘚, 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯-𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘔𝘪𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘰𝘧𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘥 “𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴”. 𝘈𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘶𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 15-𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 - 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘥𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘶𝘱 𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘦𝘰𝘶𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘣𝘪𝘨, 𝘣𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘮 - 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘈𝘴𝘪𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦, 𝘶𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴.
November 16, 2021
Riding High in April is the story of a couple, Marie and Stuart, who have found themselves in the big tech world of Asia. Stuart is consumed with his work and Marie seems to be along for the ride. The book tackles the meaning of success, the toll it takes on our relationships, and our mental health.
While the premise of this book is intriguing, I just could not get into it and ultimately did not finish. I listened to the audiobook and I do think that perhaps if I had read it on the page it would have grabbed me more, there was too much tech jargon and the narrator just didn't captivate me so I found myself not retaining a lot of what I was listening to.
I've been seeing more and more tech startup books pop up, and for them to really bring me in they need to be either comical or thrilling. Unfortunately, this wasn't the wild ride that I was hoping for, however, I do think it would be a great book for someone who is familiar with big tech startups and Silicon Valley coming into it or someone who wants to get to know more about the industry.
Thank you to NetGalley for the free audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
While the premise of this book is intriguing, I just could not get into it and ultimately did not finish. I listened to the audiobook and I do think that perhaps if I had read it on the page it would have grabbed me more, there was too much tech jargon and the narrator just didn't captivate me so I found myself not retaining a lot of what I was listening to.
I've been seeing more and more tech startup books pop up, and for them to really bring me in they need to be either comical or thrilling. Unfortunately, this wasn't the wild ride that I was hoping for, however, I do think it would be a great book for someone who is familiar with big tech startups and Silicon Valley coming into it or someone who wants to get to know more about the industry.
Thank you to NetGalley for the free audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
August 28, 2021
Dive into the world of tech with Riding High in April, where success and happiness are ephemeral, and visions of reinvention and changing the world rule lives.
The storytelling, set across Asia, has an almost otherworldly quality to it. Marie seeks solace and to escape the realities of feeling disconnected from the world through her swimming, while Stuart is angsty and neglects the woman he loves in the service of what he sees as the greater good.
Riding High in April captures that sense of riding the tech razor’s edge, of an aspirational yearning where the constant chase for success never quite satisfies. Point perfect on the tech lingo, the dialog is taut and realistic.
Like a tech insider, Townsend accurately portrays the thought processes of tech world where relationships are sacrificed to the greater good of changing the world, and the collateral damage that can take place as a result.x
Realistic, authentic, and thought-provoking.
The storytelling, set across Asia, has an almost otherworldly quality to it. Marie seeks solace and to escape the realities of feeling disconnected from the world through her swimming, while Stuart is angsty and neglects the woman he loves in the service of what he sees as the greater good.
Riding High in April captures that sense of riding the tech razor’s edge, of an aspirational yearning where the constant chase for success never quite satisfies. Point perfect on the tech lingo, the dialog is taut and realistic.
Like a tech insider, Townsend accurately portrays the thought processes of tech world where relationships are sacrificed to the greater good of changing the world, and the collateral damage that can take place as a result.x
Realistic, authentic, and thought-provoking.
October 19, 2021
Riding High in April by Jackie Townsend was an enjoyable read. I have to admit that I was leery at first. I am not a major tech. person. My only connection to the Silicon Valley, was attending a niece's wedding a few years ago. However, even without a strong tech. background, this novel was easy to follow. In fact, the personalities of the characters could be found in any profession. There are the characters that are genuine, that those that are deceitful. Ms. Townsend does a wonderful job of describing the novels characters, setting and plot. Even though the story is fiction, the plot and actions of the characters are very realistic. The personal and business relationships between Stuart, Marie, Narij and Liam made this novel an interesting read, and gave me a better understanding of how the tech. industry works. I would recommend this novel for anyone that is in the tech. industry, or anyone that is interested in the field.
October 31, 2021
I listened to the audiobook of Riding High in April. It follows the story of tech entrepreneur who is following his dreams in the Asian tech market. Hi longtime girlfriend follows him there and both are irrevocable changed. The book is very heavy on techno speak which I believe woudl make the average reader put the book down - too difficult to follow. Since I can speak that language, I persevered. It was a little tedius at time and I felt like I was back at work in the '90's. they story was all biz dev. There were big gaps in the story with people who were supposedly main characters that just fell off the pages. Jackie Townsend obviously know the tech industry. The rabbit hole they go down is totally accurate. I just don't now that UI was invested enough to care.
My thanks to NetGalley for the ALC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
My thanks to NetGalley for the ALC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
November 6, 2021
This one was a new genre for me but I decided to give it a try.
I am not a tech-freak and sometimes felt a bit overwhelmed by this. I felt like an outsider in these parts of the story.
I paticularly enjoyed that the book is set across Asia where Marie seeks solace and tries to escape her reality. Her partner Stuart, a tech entrepreneur is angsty and neglects the woman he loves and tries hard to get his grip on the Asian market.
I listened to the audio-version which made me finish this story. The narration was a pleasure to listen to even if I was not too gripped by the story itself.
Thanks #NetGalley #Books Fluent for an listening copy in exchange for my honest review.
I am not a tech-freak and sometimes felt a bit overwhelmed by this. I felt like an outsider in these parts of the story.
I paticularly enjoyed that the book is set across Asia where Marie seeks solace and tries to escape her reality. Her partner Stuart, a tech entrepreneur is angsty and neglects the woman he loves and tries hard to get his grip on the Asian market.
I listened to the audio-version which made me finish this story. The narration was a pleasure to listen to even if I was not too gripped by the story itself.
Thanks #NetGalley #Books Fluent for an listening copy in exchange for my honest review.
November 30, 2021
I quite enjoyed this story and the twists and turns of an uneven career in the world of tech startups. As someone who's now on her 3rd startup in her 3rd industry, I recognize those highs, lows, and cohesiveness of the small-team format. I also appreciated Marie and Stuart's non-traditional relationship and how that evolved over time. I did have some trouble following along with the relationships and importance of some of the ancillary characters, as sometimes happens in an audiobook versus in print, but it didn't leave me perplexed or missing key aspects of the story.
I was given a copy of this audiobook free of charge in exchange for my unbiased review.
I was given a copy of this audiobook free of charge in exchange for my unbiased review.
April 28, 2022
This book offers something really rare: an authentic portrayal of the ups and downs of building a fledgling tech company. Rather than glorifying or vilifying tech founders as so many books do, Townsend offers a sober, realistic narrative of the stress, euphoria, twists, tribulations, and uncertainty of founding a company -- not only for the founder him/herself, but for their family and loved ones. I found it incredibly relatable and credible based on my own career in tech, and highly recommend it for anyone who has (or is considering) founded or worked at a start-up.
October 24, 2021
Riding High in April is a story set in Asia whose characters are struggling making their start-up dreams a reality. I wasn't sure I have knowledge of "Silicon Valley related information" to be able to understand this story, but I was able to follow the storyline just fine. The characters storylines are complex, yet realistic and captivating. The plot is so plausible, it was as if the story was real and happening all around me. Highly recommend.
November 1, 2021
This one was just ok for me
Not a subject matter I’m particularly interested in but also I feel like with some more zest it could have captured my attention a little better.
I loved the book being set across Asia. What I didn’t love was the mispronunciation of several Japanese words or locations (listened to audiobook)
The book takes you on a journey into the tech industry and how deals are navigated and people are often dispensable
Not a subject matter I’m particularly interested in but also I feel like with some more zest it could have captured my attention a little better.
I loved the book being set across Asia. What I didn’t love was the mispronunciation of several Japanese words or locations (listened to audiobook)
The book takes you on a journey into the tech industry and how deals are navigated and people are often dispensable
October 6, 2021
I wanted so badly to love this book but despite my perseverance I just couldn’t get there. A beautiful setting and Silicon Valley success story couldn’t make up for unsavoury characters and overkill on the technical jargon.
Maybe if I was a bit more tech savvy but as I am not This one fell flat for me.
⭐️⭐️ 2 stars with a 14+ rating
Maybe if I was a bit more tech savvy but as I am not This one fell flat for me.
⭐️⭐️ 2 stars with a 14+ rating
November 29, 2021
The book is a must-read if you are interested in the behind-the-scenes of an IT start-up and leaving Silicon Valley. Throughout, the story is told through the eyes of Simon, a start-up venturer obsessed with open-source, and Marie, his wife and the real star of the show. The way this book was written was really pleasing to me. My problem is that I'm not the right audience.
December 2, 2021
Really couldn't get into this one. It sounded very interesting, but in the end it was tech heavy and I found the character development was lacking. The main relationships didn't quite click and therefore the storylines just fell flat. Won't lie, zoned out through a lot of it but really wanted to finish it.
Thank you NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
October 30, 2021
This book was... interesting. It felt flat. There was nothing that drew me into the story. However, I had an overall feeling of pity for all the characters. I'll give it three stars - it's not a bad book, I just didn't find it engaging.
December 7, 2021
This was a very different kind of book and genre I normally really but I really enjoyed. While listening to the audiobook I could imagine what was happening.
The book was very interesting and I was hooked all the way through it.
I would recommend it to people whose interest is caught by the back cover.
The book was very interesting and I was hooked all the way through it.
I would recommend it to people whose interest is caught by the back cover.
October 18, 2021
Couldn’t really get into the audiobook. Was a little too slow for my opinion. May try again.
December 14, 2021
Unless you know a lot about tech, coding and start ups, this book will be in a foreign language. The narration is bored and there is no actual story.
December 16, 2021
This one started out really good. I was fascinated by the tech aspect (I always enjoy something new) and the Seoul location was intriguing. But the male lead talked about things in a way that a man never would.
Plus the progressivism was just out of control - racist tech? misogynistic men ruining board rooms? I finally threw in the towel at 16% the male lead's friend Larry turned out to now be Lori. Oy vey.
Plus the progressivism was just out of control - racist tech? misogynistic men ruining board rooms? I finally threw in the towel at 16% the male lead's friend Larry turned out to now be Lori. Oy vey.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 29, 2021
I really enjoyed diving into the lives of these relatable characters who struggle to make their startup dreams come true. It was also fun to travel around the world vicariously - since travel hasn't been an easy option recently. The writing was clever and engaging. A fun read for anyone who works in tech, is curious about the tech world or just wants to travel via this novel.
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