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MADreads

Posts by Molly W

Tools to get through the everyday bits

Cover of Tell Me More: Stories Abou
A review of Tell Me More: Stories About the 12 Hardest Things I'm Learning to Say by Kelly Corrigan

What are the hardest things to say? Or the things that would help us all if we said them more? Phrases like, "I don't know," "I was wrong," "Tell me more," "I love you," and "You can go." Phrases that enrich lives with active listening and help us through the pain and discomfort of human interactions.

Oct 1, 2018

All girl "Empire Records" plus vigilante fight club

Cover of Heavy Vinyl
A review of Heavy Vinyl by Carly Usdin

I am a proud Gen X-er and the 1995 film Empire Records is part of my lexicon. This graphic novel replicates the independent record store vibe, the staff is all female and it's set in 1998, so for me, it's the coolest. It's also about a girl fight club hiding underneath the record store. And the girl vigilantes must save missing rock stars. Like I said. The coolest.

Sep 5, 2018

Is there ever an acceptable reason to "ghost" someone?

Cover of Ghosted
A review of Ghosted by Rosie Walsh

"Ghosting" according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary is the practice of ending a personal relationship with someone by suddenly and without explanation withdrawing from all communication. Several recent reports tout it as the new toxic behavior. It's cowardly, it's destructive and it doesn't resolve anything.  

Aug 29, 2018

Nurturing friendships and traditions

Cover of The Tea Dragon Society
A review of The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O'Neill

A young blacksmith's apprentice named Greta discovers a lost tea dragon at the market and uncovers the forgotten world of the Tea Dragon Society. The book follows a year of seasons starting with spring and the developing friendships between Greta, the tea dragon masters, Hesekiel and Erik, and a mysterious and shy girl named Minette.

Aug 21, 2018

A walk down the psycho path

Cover of Lying in Wait
A review of Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent

There are people who don't recognize good and bad. They appear normal, even charming, but lack conscience and empathy. They see others as objects to use for their own benefit. They are called psychopaths. They are out there, wandering among us, and there's nothing we can do about it.

Liz Nugent's Lying in Wait is about just such a person. The path to who this person is and what they are willing to do leads the reader on a terrifying maze of twists and turns of shock and second-guessing, and in my case, a little shrieking.

Aug 13, 2018

It's time

Cover of Dear Madam President: An O
A review of Dear Madam President: An Open Letter to the Women Who Will Run the World by Jennifer Palmieri

Not only is this an open letter to the women who will run the world one day, it's also a first-hand account of what it was like to be a part of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign and how future candidates (and all of us) can learn from the way a woman candidate was treated and how upcoming elections will be different.

Aug 6, 2018

Weird and wonderful and somewhat sinister

Cover of The Merry Spinster: Tales
A review of The Merry Spinster: Tales of Everyday Horror by Daniel Mallory Ortberg

I picked this book up thinking it was a collection of darkly mischievous stories based on fairy tales. Perfect! That is just my cup of tea! But there's more to it than that. The Merry Spinster is a collection of stories representing classic children's literature, Grimms' Fairy Tales, Scottish folklore, the Book of Genesis, and more. That's a lot to take on!

Jul 24, 2018

Does mindless consumerism include buying coffee?

Cover of The Year of Less: How I St
A review of The Year of Less: How I Stopped Shopping, Gave Away My Belongings, and Discovered Life Is Worth More Than Anything You Can Buy in a Store by Cait Flanders

I'm at a super busy and tired time in my life, maybe the busiest I've ever been, and I need coffee to get through my day. I work full-time, I keep track of soccer and piano and swimming lessons, I'm constantly folding laundry, making lunch, emptying the dishwasher, cleaning the bathroom, and all the other regular household stuff that we all do. I'm also getting older every minute. Life tires me out! So I'm really weary of financial advisors telling me to give up coffee. But maybe that's what I need to do.

Jun 7, 2018

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