Your Song Changed My Life by Bob Boilen

Summary of the Summary of the Summary

A simple and interesting, though inconsistent, examination of many musical artists across different genres. 

Summary of the Summary

Bob Boilen, host of NPR's All Songs Considered, spends his days playing and reviewing new music from established and up and coming artists alike. In his new book, he uses his music knowledge and connections to interview artists about the song that "changed their life." In theory, it sounds like a good idea, but in execution, Boilen falters a bit. The biggest problem I found was that the idea of one song changing an artist's life is a flawed question to begin with, as what does that even mean?

I suppose Boilen was using the question as an open-ended opportunity to allow artists to share what musicians inspired them and how their musical journey has been shaped by other music. But what he runs into are artists who don't have a clear "inspirational song" or whose song that changed their life has

Books That Take You In Depth of the Headlines

It's a mixed up, muddled up, shook up world and it seems things are constantly uncertain. If you were to only watch the news, you'd have a very dim view on humanity and think our world is in the worst place it's ever been. While there is debate to be had on whether or not we are actually in the most tumultuous time ever, one can't help to notice that there are certain topics that recur in the headlines over and over again. Topics such as North Korea's antics, racism, rape culture, etc. The problem is, television news programs and journalism can rarely go into depth about the causes, roots, and intricacies of these issues. In this gap of information, it's easy to make misconceptions or be misinformed about what is actually going on. This list serves as a catalogue of books I have read and can personally recommend to give you more information and go more in depth of the headlines you might be curious about. 

Missoula by Jon Krakauer 

It's hard to avoid the fact that rape culture is systemic in the United States. Like the majority of the topics in the news, it's not a new issue, but it has been brought further into the spotlight in recent years as speaking out about the issue has become less taboo. It seems to be one of the U.S.'s inherent problems that has come to the forefront in recent years. 

Joining in the conversation is Jon Krakauer, who in his most recent book puts a magnifying glass to the town of Missoula, Montana, home to the University of Montana and its popular football team, the Grizzlies. Krakauer takes a look at the environment the town and the school have created in regards to rape.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Summary of the Summary of the Summary:

An entertaining story that lacks the originality of the novels.

Summary of the Summary:

I wanted to like it. I tried to go in with a leveled mindset with no biases or expectations, whether positive or negative. And the truth of the matter is, if held to its own, it is an entertaining and fun story. I think it would be incredible to see performed on the stage. As a play, it's great. As a part of the Harry Potter canon, it's repetitive. It's unoriginal. It's pure nostalgia. 

The story seems to pick out some of the most popular elements from the Harry Potter novels and the most well-known character traits, and expands on them. The characters we know from childhood, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, have been turned into caricatures of themselves. On stage, it's probably necessary to display personality. Reading it in relation to Rowling's original works, it comes across as crass and a disservice to her imagination. Where it does excel as in the built-from-the-bottom-up characters of Scorpius Malfoy and Albus Potter, who are smartly written as the children of famous characters. 

The most important thing I've been reminded of when discussing my thoughts on The Cursed Child is

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Summary of the Summary of the Summary:

A simply told story about discovering your potential.

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Don't be turned off by the marketing, claiming this is "a heartbreakingly romantic novel" and whose tagline is "they had nothing in common until love gave them everything to lose..." (excuse me while I vomit). If you're anything like me, prepare to be pleasantly surprised. Me Before You is a delightfully (mostly) cliche free story about one shoehorned character discovering her potential with the help of a wealthy quadriplegic man. Oh, and there's a tad bit of a love story thrown in, but really, that's inconsequential. Following the story of a woman desperate for a job, who ends up becoming the caretaker of a quadriplegic who used to be your typical jetsetting, woman bedding, good looking businessman. Although their relationship gets off to a rocky start, in typical novel fashion, they soon develop a lovely friendship of

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Summary of the Summary of the Summary:

Post-apocalyptic study on identity and human connection.

Summary of the Summary:

Emily St. John Mandel's novel weaves a web of characters surviving a post-flu pandemic U.S., whose connections are revealed throughout. While some early effects of the pandemic are told, and we hear some on how these characters survived, the majority of the novel takes place as small scattered communities try to reconstruct society. At its core, St. John Mandel has attempted to write a study on human behavior and how the world around influences it. She succeeds, to a degree, interspersing flashbacks to way before the world crumbled, demonstrating how relationships succeed or fail based on their surroundings. There is

Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari & Eric Klinenberg

Summary of the Summary of the Summary:

A fun and informative read outlaying the differences between dating now and in the past.

Summary of the Summary:

Apparently a lot has changed in the dating world since the time of our parents, and even our grandparents. Aziz Ansari, and his sociologist friend Eric Klinenberg, explore this idea through the scopes of dating styles, cultures, methods, and more. Most of the information is a no-brainer, information you've probably already figured out yourself, but with a scientific backing. Nonetheless, it's interesting to read it all compiled together, mixed together with personal stories from interview subjects and amusing anecdotes and metaphors from the wit of Ansari himself. If you've watching Ansari's Netflix show, Master of None, then you've heard the majority of the information in this book, just in a

Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín

Summary of the Summary of the Summary:

A beautifully calm story about love, loss, and identity. 

Summary of the Summary:

There are no cliffhangers or any suspense, and it certainly isn't a cliffhanger, but there is something so beautifully calm about Colm Tóibín's writing, it just flows off the page and into your mind like a classical song. Reading his book Brooklyn was like eating a bowl of velvety ice cream, it all just went down so smoothly. His writing is a great advantage to the story, as it is fairly uneventful. The story trucks along well enough and there are plot points, but it is not a thriller and the plot is essentially a following a girl as she adjusts to a new life in America. Overall, the novel does carry some interesting themes of love and identity, and how the two can

Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick

Summary of the Summary of the Summary:

North Korea is a terrible place to live.

Summary of the Summary:

Through interviews with North Korean defectors, Barbara Demick paints a horrifying picture of life within the reclusive state. From famines and black markets, to forbidden loves and abandoned children, the stories the once loyal citizens tell are absurd and stranger than fiction, yet heart-breaking and eye-opening. The events discussed follow 15 years, including the famine in the 90's, the death of the country's founder, Kim Il-sung, and the rise of his son, Kim Jong-il. Written in a journalistic style,

Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff

Summary of the Summary of the Summary:

An intriguing and twisting tale examining the duplicity of marriage.

Summary of the Summary:

Lauren Groff weaves a tale of marriage in two different parts: one from the husband's point of view that expels the wonders of fate making everything possible; and the other from the wife's, who understands how the world works and how to make it work for her. The first half drags a bit, creating an almost infuriating character who can't do wrong and everything works out for in the end. But then we begin the "Furies" section and everything we knew before is flipped on its head as we learn the seemingly true story behind it all. Reminiscent of Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl,

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

Summary of the Summary of the Summary:

A lot of people died on Everest in 1996.  This is one man's page-turning account of the events.

Summary of the Summary:

In one of his most well-known works, journalist and author Jon Krakauer tells his version of events that led to the deadliest season on Mt. Everest (until 2015). Through thorough storytelling coupled with intriguing characters and an exciting premise, the author weaves a tale that keeps the reader enthralled page by

Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi

Summary of the Summary of the Summary:

Quirky, quiet, charming

Summary of the Summary:

A quiet tale of a girl who escapes her abusive father by settling in a small Massachusetts town and marrying a local man with a daughter. Allusions to fairy tales are scattered throughout, but seemingly in contrast to the story at hand which is anything but a fairy tale. Anticlimactic twists are

My Must-Read Essentials

Every reader has their favorite books, and I am no different. But most of the time my reasoning for something being my "favorite" doesn't translate to words. It's just a feeling, an indescribable enjoyment I had while reading, a presence that still lingers long after I've finished the last page.

On the other hand, there are what I would call "must-reads": the books that I recommend to others for specific reasons. Some of these also fall under my favorites, but for all on this list I have tangible reasons for wanting to share these with everyone I know.