Review: Brass Canaries

Brass Canaries by Gwendolyn Clare
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Brass Canaries by Gwendolyn Clare really moved me.  I feel a strong desire to buy up all the delicate brass canaries now.  

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Review: Little Brother™

Little Brother™ by Bruce Holland Rogers
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Little Brother™ by Bruce Holland Rogers is exactly what I look for in my holiday stories or in most science fiction really.  I like an AI with personality.  

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Review: In The Late December

In The Late December by Greg Van Eekhout
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In the Late December is a short story by Greg Van Eekhout.  In it, you learn just how important Santa's job really is.

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Review: Please Like Me [But Keep Away]

Please Like Me [But Keep Away] by Mindy Kaling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Please Like Me (But Keep Away) is part of the Nothing Like I Imagined essay series by Mindy Kaling.  As an introvert that people think is an extrovert,  I really related to this essay.  It is easy to think someone in the spotlight enjoys being the center of attention and surrounded by people.  Not always the case.  I'm not sure I appreciated her giving away all the tricks we use to avoid people.  Now, they know how to thwart us like B.J. did to you on his 40th birthday, Mindy!  If you're an introvert or have social anxiety, this one's for you.  

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Review: Outpost: Life on the Frontlines of American Diplomacy: A Memoir

Outpost: Life on the Frontlines of American Diplomacy: A Memoir by Christopher R. Hill
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I don't read many non-fiction books about my work.  I like fictionalized accounts about the State Department and diplomacy because I enjoy seeing how much they get right or wrong.  It's always funny to read an outsider's impression of your life.  I'll admit that I bought Outpost: Life on the Frontlines of American Diplomacy by Christopher R. Hill because I've met him (around Chapter 16).  Ok, I didn't just meet him.  I spent several days with him while he was on official business in Chengdu, China.  Organizing his visit and going to meetings with him was like being the roadie for a true rock star.  I'm kind of sad he didn't even mention me as I'm sure I had a lasting impact on his life.  Certainly eating Sichuan food so spicy to be deemed "inedible" is as memorable as negotiations with North Korea.  

Chris Hill is an impressive guy with a sense of humor.  Plus, he's nice.  Those are not qualities you find in every senior government official.  Maybe one.  Maybe two.  But all three?  Chris Hill is a unicorn.  His book didn't disappoint me either.  This is not a dry, wonky read.  It's engaging and accessible to the non-diplomat.  You get a real sense of what life is like for those of us on the frontlines and a peek behind the curtain of diplomacy.

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Review: We Are Never Meeting in Real Life

We Are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

While reading Samantha Irby's We Are Never Meeting in Real Life, one of my cats passed away.  Up until that point, I was really enjoying her humor and tell-it-like-it-is storytelling.  I like an author who keeps it real.  Like really real.  Like ok maybe that was too much information real.  But then I suddenly wasn't in the mood for comedy.  I was torn because I didn't have much of the book left and yet my heart wasn't really in it.  I decided to push forward, and it just happened that the next chapter up was about her own cat, Helen Keller.  I cried until I was so dehydrated that I couldn't produce another tear and finished the book.  

If you have Midwest roots but a razor wit, think people are the problem not their pets, are tired of societal beauty standards, or are just plain tired,  I recommend this to you.

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Review: Big Shot

Big Shot by Mindy Kaling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Big Shot is part of Mindy Kaling's Nothing Like I Imagined series of essays.  In it, Mindy learns a great lesson about charity that I think many people could benefit from.  It was the perfect thing to read during the "giving season."  

Bonus points for the gift given to those of us who stay through all the credits.

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