Amanda > Recent Status Updates

Is this going to get spicy....?! 👀

In need of a palate cleanser.

I should be shocked! I should be awed! But honestly, I’m just ready for it to be over.... *yawn*.

This is in no way a criticism of the authors’ research or delivery. It’s just…....... *big yawn*… it's tiring. It’s exhausting.

However, for those interested in a literal play-by-play of you-know-who’s first year in office, here ya go. Halfway done, and we’re only discussing June 24t...... *Yaaa...

I should be shocked! I would be awed! ... what I am is ready for it to be over *yawn*

This is in no way a criticism of the authors' research or delivery, it's just......... *big yawn* it's tiring. It's exhausting.

However, for those interested in a literal play by play of you-know-who's first year in office, here ya go. Halfway done and we're just discussing June 24t......... *yaaaaa...

"Harp, despite her best efforts, was not finding the numbers that didn't exist."

The tone is surprisingly neutral and unbiased. I especially appreciate the way the authors provide direct quotes from the president which allows us to draw our own conclusions on his intelligence

The audiobook narrator, Roberto Villavicencio, is so talented and hilarious with all his little voices. Not all of them are enjoyable to listen to, but he brings the key characters to life so well.... ugh I need someone to talk about this book with! So many parallels... so much irony. The author is witty, clever, and funny! Very enjoyable listen to break up some of the more intense historical reads.

...aunque no recomiendo bañarse en el mar, por los desechos industriales, ¡pero hay mucho trabajo en los pozos de extracción!
"Eso es importante... el trabajo nos hace mejores nuevomexicanos," repitió en automático. Es algo que nos decían en la escuela.

👀

Reading (listening to) this for a second time nearly 2 years later with a much more robust understanding of not only the Spanish language in general but the themes and issues surrounding the book, beginning with the Porfiriato. This author is so damn clever and his books are filled with so many mexicanisms... it is a true pleasure to read his work. Ojalá pudiera expresarme así en español para hablar del libro, nimodo

"The Honeyed words pronounced by our lips don't even reach our hearts... How can we hope to love God if we can't even love our neighbors?"

While at first I found the book to be overly lyrical and unnecessarily verbose, I am now coming to enjoy the rich, vivid, poetic writing.

Knowing that the stories about her are verified and well researched makes the read even more enjoyable.

What really strikes me is the creativity of the author's imagination to fill in all the gaps of their day-to-day lives, thoughts, etc. It feels like it truly all happened así

I understand this is a reflection of the magical realism style very popular in Latin America, but I find the language to be too flowery. Trying too hard to be poetic. Also, it is a direct translation, in many cases, of how one would speak in Spanish. This is fine, but if the story is going to be told in English, there are some parts that would flow better and make more sense if it was just translated fully.

Ooooohhhh.... okay, the story is starting to get gOoOoOd.

Let's hope this pacing continues now that I'm starting to see the direction it's heading in... or am I??!

It is so sad it is laughable (I speak from the child's perspective here and may never understand the parent's perspective) that parents can't see that the tighter the grip, the more frequent the punishments, the stricter the expectations, the more the child will rebel and HATE YOU. Ugh it is painful to listen to the intensity of the religious and cultural beliefs. I, personally, am engrossed in the narrative!

I can understand why some people might not enjoy this. Some of the comments say that "nothing is happening in the first half of the book" and "the perspectives in the beginning are too confusing and don't make sense." Luckily, I like the format! I am intrigued to see where the story goes. And personally, I like a slow build more than rushed action, anyway.

"He was floating 10 feet off the ground. After all these years of suffering, things finally seemed to be going his way." Same, bro. Same. 🥹

This book is.... slow. I'm still not sure what the genre even is...? Romance? Mystery? The writing is good enough to keep listening, I'm just really hoping it starts to get better.

Still waiting for it to get good..... ?

First Dungeon Crawler Carl and now Project Hail Mary.... I will never trust Reddit for "the best book ever!" recommendation again.

Smart, witty, and clever. 40 min into the audiobook and I have laughed out loud multiple times already.

Hmmm...... not exactly sure what's happening but invested enough to want to know what comes next.... I think......

Oh, bunny...... you are so weird, but like, in an interesting way.

You get a deep sense that the author might actually be psychotic, yet, like a gnarly car crash, one cannot look away. Enthralling.

This is as much about sales and marketing as it is about beer. Should be read by anyone in the beer industry. Really interesting so far.

I like the food parts but reliving every moment of her mom's cancer diagnosis and death is too much for me. DNF

As someone who has always been fascinated by words, etymology, and language, I am enjoying this story, even if it does feel a bit slow in parts. Kuang showcases her unique and creative mind with the fun invention of silverworking - a mind-bending display of her command of semantics. Fun and interesting premise.

Came for the food but staying for the relatable feeling of dealing with sadness, seemingly alone.

The skill and deftness with which the narrator handles ALL the languages in this book is extremely impressive! Makes for a great experience.

This audiobook is currently on sale for $10 through Google Play Books.

I've never been a fan of Trevor Noah but more than 3 people have mentioned his audiobook to me now so when I saw it available, I decided to give it a shot.

I'm 3/4 of the way through, and at this point, he is still living in South Africa. It seems absolutely WILD to me that he goes from what I'm hearing now to a famous TV host in The US!? Needless to say, I'll be finishing this one... and I might become a fan!