Mini Galley reviews

The Canterbury Sisters by Kim Wright

Format: eGalley

Pages: 336

Series: NA

Source: NetGalley

Genres: General Fiction

Publisher: Gallery Books

Publication date: Expected on May 19th, 2015

I asked and received this book through NetGalley for free. This review is not sponsored nor influenced in anyway. Thanks to Gallery Books.

Thoughts: I asked for this book right after I finished A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, hoping for a lighter subject, a nice "sherbet" book as I call them, since A Little Life was so emotionally charged. The book delivered exactly what I was expecting...to the point that was extremely predictable.

The book tells the stories of 9 women that are doing a pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Canterbury. In the spirit of Chaucer, through their journey each woman will tell a story of love and at the end there will be a winner declared. The main character, Che, has just lost her mother and to make things worst her boyfriend brakes up with her through a letter. Her joining the pilgrimage was a last minute decision trying to fulfill the last promise she made to her mom. Now, I don't have a problem with books like this being predictable, but I expect them to at least do their research properly. 1) In the first page there's the explanation of the main characters "Che", saying that it was related to the "Cuban" revolutionary. Ernesto "Che" Guevara was Argentinean, and while he got the Cuban citizen at a certain point, before dying he refused it, dying as an Argentinean. At least mention both facts? 2) Someone referenced in the book moves to a country South America: "ColUmbia I think?". You can probably say that this was an innocent typo, but for the record the country is ColOmbia, with an O. 3) Girl lost her phone, that apparently has no password whatsoever, even though she has all her info there. She is worried someone might use her cards...yet she never calls her bank or does ANYTHING to prevent possible fraud.

I wished the book would've more solidity to compensate for things like this, but since the story felt so typical, instead of being immersed by the story I kept being attracted to details like those, making it a just ok book for me. 

Mama Cried by Talia Haven

Format: PDF

Pages: 12

Series: NA

Source: Author

Genres: General Fiction

Publisher: Sheehan and Haven

Publication date: January 7th, 2015


I was asked to review this book by Deborah DeVore.

I was contacted directly to read and review this book and considering it was 12 pages I figured why not. Indeed it was a short read...and I am still trying to figure out what exactly the meaning of it is. It's the story of Jenny, a little girl that will have to make a very big decision in order to move on. I can't tell you more, without spoiling it, and I realize that is not much, but remember, it is only 12 pages. But they were 12 very confusing pages. There are a lot of holes in the story and while I think I got what the background story was, I am still trying to figure out what the message of the book was.

This is your life, Harriet Chance by Jonathan Evison

Format: eGalley

Pages: 304

Series: NA

Source: NetGalley

Genres: General Fiction

Publisher: Algonquin Books

Publication date: Expected on September 8, 2015

I asked and received this book through NetGalley for free. This review is not sponsored nor influenced in anyway. Thanks to Algonquin Books for the book.

First impression

It's rare that I get to review books this far ahead from their publishing date, but I was lucky enough to be accepted for This is Your Life, Harriet Chance. Since it's not the final version I will not use any quotes. The reason why I asked for this book was that it had a blurb by Maria Semple, author of Where'd You go, Bernadette, a book I enjoyed. This and the description: an old woman, going on an adventure while confronting her past and her present. I am very happy I asked for the book even if it wasn't as funny as I thought it would be. It has a darker tone than Bernadette and while this is not a bad thing, I came to the book with a different expectation. But I grew fond of Harriet and fell for the jumping in time narrative.

Final thoughts

As I mentioned, while the book did remind me of Semple's book, probably with the narrative style, this one had for me way less funny sides while keeping a dark humor. The author jumps in time with Harriet, so you can see her as a newborn, a teenager, a newlywed but almost never in a linear narrative. Harriet will be in her cruise cabin at 79 and the next chapter will be a flashback of her first office party in her early 20s.

For most of the book, the reader is kept in the dark about Harriet's past, only getting tiny glimpses that she herself is revisiting. Some things (big things that I won't give away, because spoilers) will be revealed at the same time for the reader and Harriet and so her tone changes a bit, she no longer sounds impassive, like just remembering, but much more emotional.

I kept debating whether this was a 3 or a 4 for me. You see, it was a good read, a fast read, with a lot of things going on but not on a messy way. However, I finally settled for a 3 because I was left with the sensation that something was missing from the end of the story, something that would round up the whole thing better. I hate saying this type of things, because it can sound like I think I could've done better, and that's not what I mean. I can't say what is that thing that feels missing for me, I can only tell you that's the case.

I would definitely recommend this book to others, mostly people who liked the style of Where'd you go, Bernadette and people who enjoy slowly getting to know the main character, by little pieces. 

Hausfrau: A Novel by Jill Alexander Essbaum

Format: eGalley

Pages: 336

Series: NA

Source: NetGalley

Genres: General Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher: Random House

Publication date: March 24, 2015

I asked and received this book through NetGalley for free. This review is not sponsored nor influenced in anyway. Thanks to Random House for the book.

First impression

So many people were talking about this one, so when I saw it on NetGally (and also look at the cover, so gorgeous) I immediately asked for it. Jill Alexander Essbaum has a very captivating style that makes you want to keep reading; makes you want to know what happens next. In that sense, the book was great. The plot was interesting too as well as the setting. But (and you knew there was a but coming) I did not enjoy the main character one bit. I am perfectly ok with unlikable characters, Gone Girl being a perfect example of this, where both Nick and Amy are completely unlikable, but they are enjoyable. I found myself wanting the story to be told from someone else’s perspective, other than Anna’s and that’s what made this a 3/5 book for me.

Final thoughts

Anna Benz is a housewife (a Hausfrau) in Switzerland. She has the “perfect” life, a handsome and successful husband, 3 loving, healthy, beautiful kids, a house…but she is bored. She hasn’t adapted to her new environment, and has fallen in a tedious routine, that she tries to break by going to German classes (suggested by her therapist). But is not good. The only thing that seems to take Anna out of her stupor is lovers: she collects lovers.

The writing in this novel is simple beautiful and enticing. That is what kept me going. The author builds a rhythm that grabs you and takes all along, wanting to know more, walking through the disorganized thoughts of Anna’s head. As you read, you find yourself in the busy days in Zurich, in the train, in her walks. The building of the environment is so well done.

But then I just couldn’t enjoy Anna. Is not that she is unlikable (she is, but that is not the problem) or that she seems sad and selfish most of the time. No, a character doesn’t have to upbeat or even likable for me to enjoy the reading. It was just that, I could not enjoy getting in Anna’s skin. I would found myself jumping to paragraphs where other were being depicted, or even the angle was posed on the situation itself, but no on Anna.

I can definitely see myself reading more by the author, again, she has a wonderful narrative. I would recommend this one to several of my friends actually, there is something beyond Anna that makes me want other people around me to read it so I can discuss it even more. 

Spinster: Making a Life of One's Own by Kate Bolick

Format: eGalley

Pages: 246

Series: NA

Source: NetGalley

Genres: NonFiction

Publisher: Crown Publishing

Publication date: April 21, 2015

I asked and received this book through NetGalley for free. This review is not sponsored nor influenced in anyway. Thanks to Thomas Nelson Fiction for the book.

 First impression

It’s hard to say which is more exhausting: the sheer arbitrariness of knowing that her one true love could appear out of anywhere, anytime, and change hr fate in an instant (you never know who is around the corner), or the effortful maintenance (manicures, blowouts, bikini waxes, facials) that ensures she’ll be ripe for the picking when it happens

These words, set in the very beginning of the book caught my attention and with it set the tone for a book that I thoroughly enjoyed. I was afraid that the book might be a book dedicated to throwing marriage out of the window as just “bad” and how glorious it is to be single, and nothing else. I was very happy to see that Bolick, does not make it sound like being single is the only way, or that women deciding to marry have it wrong or viceversa. Rather it is the telling on how she came to find what worked for her, her inspirations, her questioning on why the connotation of single hood on a woman is immediately associated with “something missing” or why the term spinster has such bad association. Based on her own life experience, Bolick gives a very interesting view on being single for the long term.

Final thoughts

Why is it that there is so much pushing to get married? The whole industry behind weddings, engagements and at the end, marriage sometimes feels overwhelming. Instead, in her book, Kate Bolick talks about wonderful women who were amazing on their own, and at the same time tells the reader how she got to a point on her life where she is perfectly comfortable in her skin, as an unmarried woman, and why, shall it be your decision to do so, you should be perfectly fine with it too.

While women have come a long way in a lot of accounts, it would seem that the idea of you always needing someone else is almost inevitable. Not so much if you area man, although I have seen the pressure on both sides. The idea that you can be happy without being in a couple still feel foreign and somehow, unrealistic. This book make me think so much about single hood, which sometimes felt weird, considering I’ve been in a relationship for more than 5 years now and we are presently engaged. But, the question that kept coming as I read this book, was: Would I be fine if for some reason we break up? Well, off course I would be sad, but I would be ok. Even more telling was realizing how many of my friends might not be, if they would become a “spinster”.

Bolick doesn’t spend the book talking about the evilness of marriage, or even being in a couple. She has been part of a couple and has been happy in it, but she mostly shows how it is perfectly possible to be equally happy being single. With splashes of the rest of her life such as the death of her mother, the big move to New York, and a huge break up, she tells her journey as it is: the journey that took her to love her single hood.

As with any big part of one’s identity, the idea of being single and what it represents changes through her life, and that was probably one of the things I enjoyed the most in the book: how her perspective changed and grew as different moments in her life were taking place and as she met her inspirations. I learned of women I had never heard of, women who were comfortable with themselves and loved their single selves.

I would recommend this book to almost anybody. The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is because it can get very academic some times, and hence a bit heavy in certain passages.

The Isolation Door by Anish Majumdar

I asked and received this book through NetGalley for free. This review is not sponsored nor influenced in anyway. Thanks to Lake Union Publishing for the book. The expected publishing date is November 25.

First impression

The first novel of this author, inspired by her owns experience with a mother with schizophrenia, the book’s description really felt like what I was looking for; something different, a drama and even better, one inspired by real events. While in this sense the story certainly gives you a unique point of view it felt to me that there was a lack of flow, and certain event just felt abrupt and some characters were underdeveloped, even though they would at first seem quite relevant. I think this are all “problems” due to the fact that it is a first novel but the potential is definitely there and I believe we will have more news from Mr. Majumdar.

Final thoughts

Neil Kappor is the main voice in this story; at 23 he is just starting drama school and he is trying to start this new life without the influence that her mother’s schizophrenia has had on anything else. He doesn’t count with the full support of his father, a university professor, who is afraid that going into drama school will only affect Neil in negative way and even push him to be develop the same illness as his wife. Neil will go to school determined to show him different and in this path he will also fall in love with Emily. As the story advances Neil will have to learn that everybody has problems in their lives and that hiding them doesn’t solve them.

The book started great, very touching and compelling. However, as Neil goes to school and meets new people and gets into “the college life” it began to feel like any other story about a boy getting to college. At certain points it even felt like the schizophrenia story was forgotten. And then you have Emily and the other “friends” Neil gets. They all seemed so messed up and yet could be oh so very boring and predictable. While I believe the idea was to exactly show that everyone has something to deal with, throwing a bunch of broken characters but only showing the cracks seemed superfluous and at times unnecessary. I would’ve preferred less characters and more development of the main ones. I barely got to know the father, or Auntie or for that matter Neil or his mother.

I haven’t been exposed directly to someone with a mental illness such as schizophrenia; when I approached the book I was not expecting to learn about the illness, but rather what it is to live with it or with someone with it. Unfortunately by the end of the book I didn’t get that. Very little family dynamics, only presented as memories, and even then they were very sporadic. I wish we would’ve had chapters about the mother, before and during her stay at the hospital, which by the way, seemed terrifying.

Towards the end it read more like a coming of age story, which is not bad, but again, I approached the book expecting it to be more about the mental illness and less about Neil finding himself through drama school. I would’ve also liked a bit more of the Bengali culture.

Three Daughters: A novel by Consuelo Saah Baehr

I asked and received this book through NetGalley for free. This review is not sponsored nor influenced in anyway. Thanks to Lake Union Publishing for the book. The expected publishing date is November 25.

First impression

When I first saw this on NetGalley it grabbed my attention almost immediately; beginning with the gorgeous cover and then reading that it was a three generation saga of Palestinian women. I had to read it!. I have to admit that when I saw it was 720 pages I was a bit overwhelmed, but I was so interested in the story I told myself to just start reading. While I am happy I did, after finishing it I still feel the book could've been considerably shorter.

Final thoughts

The story begins with the story of Myriam, from 1882 to 1920. She is the first daughter in this trigenerational story. Daughter of Jamilla and Mustafa who happens to be deaf. Her fair skin and reluctance to speak marks her as the odd one, and then when she finally speaks she has a very deep voice, which doesn't help her. She will feel ostracized by her own mother, but she will have the opportunity to go to school learn not only to speak but also to write a bit. She is the first step into improving (to my eyes) the conditions of the women in her clan. Myriam will give birth to 4 kids, the last one being Nadia (the second daughter) who will go even further in her education and way in live, having the last daughter: Nijmeh. I don't want to give anything away, but both Nadia's and Nijmeh's stories are way more than what you might think.

That said, since every daughter in the story was going further, at least education wise, I was expecting this to be more relevant in their outcomes. Don't get me wrong, it did have certain relevance, but inevitably the women in the story seemed to be framed by the man they would marry or get involved with. I though Nadia was going to be a stronger character but then she gets pretty much swayed away and for me it felt like a flickering light going out.

I mentioned that the book could've been shorter. Once again, this is just my opinion. You see, a lot of times the story would go on the branches; several situations would be developed to all of the sudden get closed abruptly. For a book this long there were many sudden changes that at times felt out of nowhere. In the same chapter I would be confronted with side stories that didn't bring that much to the main story, yet will take a big part of the chapter while at the same time there would be a completely change of character that felt random and awkward.

It was certainly a lovely story, and if you are looking for a multigenerational story set in the middle East this would be perfect for you.

Secret of a Thousand Beauties by Mingmei Yip

I asked and received this book through NetGalley for free. This review is not sponsored nor influenced in anyway. Thanks to Kensington Books for the book. The expected publication date is November 25, 2014.

First impressions

Look at the beautiful cover!! I will be honest with you today and say the first reason I had to ask for this book was the cover. And then I saw that the book takes place in China during the 1930s when a lot of contrasting situations were taking place. For example The Nationalist party with the end of the Warlord era while on the other side you have people still clinging to the overthrown Qing dynasty and their ancient traditions. Mingmei Yip tells the story of Spring Swallow, a young woman who seems to be marked with bad luck very early on. The author sets such a beautiful backdrop of the changing China and a changing woman determined to not letting her fate to be determined by others.

Final thoughts

This was such a sad book to read. Poor Spring Swallow couldn't catch a break! Promised in marriage before she was born, she is forced to become a ghost bride, which means marrying the spirit of her promised dead fiancé. Forced by tradition to take a path like this she decides to run away. She joins a group of embroiders, lead by Aunty Peony. All of the girls seem to have miserable pasts, but is Aunty Peony who becomes a mystery since she won't talk much about herself, only order and teach the girls.

But the pain in Spring Swallow won't end after she escaped. She will love and lost again, not only lovers but friend and family. And through it all we see China changing bit by bit and I think the voice of Spring Swallow was really well adjusted to see these changes as a foreign. Since she was accustomed to her ways of a tiny village, she discusses the changes and the implications of them.

The book has a slow pace but this is not necessarily a bad thing when the subjects discussed are foreign for the reader; it allows terms and notions to set in and then to concentrate on the story itself. I loved the dynamics between characters; they were well constructed and read nicely and so the outcome between each character was well rounded at the end.

Die I will Not by S.K. Rizzolo (John Chase Mistery #3)

I asked and received this book through NetGalley for free. This review is not sponsored nor influenced in anyway. Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for the book. The books is expected to be published on November 4th, 2014

First impression

This happens to me more often that I would like to admit...I start a book and I realized that is part of a series. But I decided to continue with it, because it was a crime book, setting in Georgian London! As it turns out the main story, the murder of a prominent editor could stand alone, but it wasn't as excited as I was hoping for. On the other hand the story of Penelope Wolfe seemed interesting, but unfortunately a lot of back-story was just hinted and so I was at lost there.

Final thoughts

First the things I enjoyed: the setting and description of it was very nice. The author definitely does a wonderful job putting your mind in the Georgian era, not only with fashion descriptions but the streets, situation and even in the dialogues.

I could feel that Penelope is quite a strong character and there are hints to her past, but off course you are supposed to know the nuances of it because you have read the previous books.

If I concentrate in the mystery itself, while I cannot say that it was predictable I wasn't grabbed by the story in a way that I would've try to guess beforehand who had committed the murder.

I would probably suggest this to other that really like Georgian set pieces, with the caveat that they should read the previous two books before. Maybe if I had better knowledge of the recurrent characters I would've drifted less often from the book and enjoyed the mystery part a bit more.

Pandora's DNA: Tracing the Breast Cancer Genes Through History, Science, and One Family Tree by Lizzie Stark

I asked and received this book through NetGalley for free. This review is not sponsored nor influenced in anyway. The book is expected to published on October 15.

First impressions

I wanted to read this book mostly because a couple of years ago my aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer and so I wanted to have more information about. This book reminded me of what I was expecting to get when I read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, except that in this case it would be tinged with personal experience.

Final thoughts

It can be difficult to let other people help you, to let the people who love you see you weak and in need of support

When I read nonfiction it is very important for me to have my expectations clear. In this case I was expecting a self perspective of what it means to carry a gene that increases your chances of developing breast cancer, with a bit of info about the research on the subject. And I am happy because that is what I get.

This is not a book just about the history of cancer, not even breast cancer, it is the story of Lizzie Stark and how a mutation affected her whole life and her whole family. Often people will think that this type of malady only affects the women in the family, and while most of time it will only be the women who develop a tumor, this doesn't mean that it doesn't take a toll on the men around them.

I found Stark's voice very touching and honest. She had no problem sharing the fact that she was scared, angry and how her decisions were affecting her personal life. She made wonder of all the things my aunt felt like she couldn't share in order to "protect" us and it made me see her in a whole different light. I her case, it was unrelated to a genetic mutation, but she also had to deal with treatments and the possibility of losing her breasts.

When a book like this manages to make you walk in the author's shoes I call that a success.

The French Executioner by C.C. Humphreys

I asked and received this book through NetGalley for free. This review is not sponsored nor influenced in anyway. Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark for the book.

First impression

I am a sucker for historical fiction, particularly for the Tudors. I don't know what it is, but I really enjoy reading about that particular time. I requested this book knowing that Anne Boleyn wouldn't be the main character but rather Jean Rombaud, her executioner. I was utterly disappointed to see that Boleyn barely makes an appearance though.

The book was full of battles and fights, which would've been fine with me if I had a bit more of the historical descriptions that I was hoping from. The story, while interesting, could've been set in any other period of time and it wouldn't change much. This book was unfortunately not for me.

Final thoughts

Don't get me wrong. The book is very well written and the characters had an interesting background...ti was just not what I was expecting from a book with Anne Boleyn in the cover. Jean Rombaud has a compelling back story but for me it was not enough to carry the story and why would he embark on this mission.

The historical part leaves very early in the story and is replaced from more fantastical and action feeling. Once again, this is well developed, but it was not what I was craving from when I read the description of the book.

Removing my disappointment towards the story itself I have to say that it is very well written. If you are looking for adventure you are going to have it; it is fast paced, the sword fighting is vivid, the bad guys are despicable and you will end up cheering for the good guys.

While is not the most accurate historical adventure I've read, the settings are well described and you can feel most of the time as you are in a medieval time piece. Once again, I have to say, the main part of the story could've been taken out of the historical context, and in my opinion, it wouldn't have suffered.

I don't think I will continue with the series, for I felt that it ended on a good note for Jean. If you are looking for an historical, fast pace adventure this might be for you though. The publisher's are allowing a US giveaway, just leave a comment down telling me what is your favorite historical fiction. The winner will be selected randomly at the end of the week. Stick around for a guest post of the author about his choice of main character.

Mademoiselle: Coco Chanel and the Pulse of History by Rhonda K. Garelick

I asked and received this book through NetGalley for free. This review is not sponsored nor influenced in anyway. Thanks to Random House for the book.

First impression 
 
I've always been interested on the lives of women that had somehow (for good or for bad) changed the course of history. Coco Chanel is one of these women. I've already read The Gospel according to Coco Chanel and loved it, so given the opportunity to get to know more of her life beyond the pearls I couldn't let it pass. As I finished reading Mademoiselle I have for certain learn more about the person she was and how she got to the position she ended up, however I was not expecting so much information on the lovers she had and other people around her.

Final thoughts

I really enjoyed the first chapters, where we learn about her childhood, shedding a lot of light on her character as well as her perseverance to become a success. However, as the she grew older and hence started having men in her life, at times it felt like this was the only subject. I understand that being who she was it is hard to separate her life from that of her companions but since I was expecting a bit more of the world around her and no the men around her this came as extra information that, while well researched and interesting at times, would not help me know the character of Chanel better. And then again, when it came to Igor Stravinsky it almost felt like a brushing by for him. All other men got almost full chapters and him? He felt like an extra thought.

With a title such as "The Pulse of History" I was expecting to learn (or re learn at times) about her role during the wars, and in this I was not disappointed. The book shows a whole different Chanel than the elegant, always poised woman I've had in my head for long time. Reading about her being ruthless not only with herself, but everyone around her, particularly with her own family made me see her on a completely different light. I assumed that rising to as much as she did was not easy, and I assumed she had to step on a lot of toes...but man, she was so cruel at times.

The book, as I mentioned, it is very well researched. Unfortunately, since this was only a uncorrected proof the footnotes were not already inserted on the corresponding page, but they are all there, along with a complete bibliography. It also includes a fair amount of graphic information, not only with pictures but documents and other.

The other reason why I gave this book only 3 out of 5 is because several times it felt repetitive and even redundant on its views and anecdotes about Chanel. While I understand that with a nonfiction book is not an option to have plot twists, repeating the same story in several chapters gets boring. 

A Sudden Light: A Novel by Garth Stein

I asked and received this book through NetGalley for free. This review is not sponsored nor influenced in anyway. The book is expected to be published on September 30, 2014

 

First Impressions

"When a boy tries to save his parents’ marriage, he uncovers a legacy of family secrets in a coming-of-age ghost story" These are the opening line of the description of the book at NetGalley. I like coming of age stories, and throwing a bit of ghost stories seemed like an interesting mix.

However, by the time I finished the book I ended up with a bitter taste in my mouth. The book tried to go a bit all over the place but it never took me away. I was sadly never engaged by the characters pr the story.

Final thoughts

The book is told in the voice of Trevor, a 14 year old that is now on the old family house, with his dad in a quest to try to convince his senile grandpa to sell the family's property. Living with the grandfather is his aunt Serena, whom he has never met before. His mother is in England in the meantime, taking a bit of time off since his parents are having some relationship problems.

If the book would've concentrated on one or maybe two things I think the potential of the story would've been achieved. However, in my opinion, the author tried to merge too many elements. The coming of age of Trevor is clouded by the psychological mystery going on with the aunt, plus the ghost of his grandmother AND his great great-uncle and the issues of his father and the aunt's boyfriend, and the grandfather's illness and...So much things going on! At a certain point it is mentioned that apparently Trevor is gifted, but this information is thrown there like extra information without giving the story any extra flavor. 

Ironically for a story that takes so many twists and turns, these end up being predictable and hence a lot of times I would find my mind drifting off the story.

While the story was definitely not my cup of tea I have to say that it was well written; the prose and the cadence of the work were very well structured. For me was just a problem of engaging with the story and the characters.

ARC Aucugst Wrap UP/ NetGalley Month

So what happened with this awesome event? Well, I am happy to say I managed to finish and review 4 whole ARCs!!!! This was the perfect push I needed and hence I am also joining the NetGalley Month hosted by Tay at Chicks that Read.

Here you have the list of books I read/review this past month. I will not do a to be read list for NG month, since I am not sure which ones I should tackle first, but rest assured, I will keep you posted!

ARCs Read during August:

• The Winter People by Rebekah L. Purdy 
• The Tumble Inn by William Loizeaux 
• How we Learn by Benedict Carey

ARCs Reviewed during August:

• Blood Diva by V.M Gautier
• The Winter People by Rebekah L. Purdy 
• The Tumble Inn by William Loizeaux
• How we Learn by Benedict Carey

How We Learn: The Surprising Truth About When, Where, and Why It Happens by Benedict Carey

I asked and received this book through NetGalley for free. This review is not sponsored nor influenced in anyway. The book is expected to be published on September 9, 2014

First impression

And it's when the brain lives with the studied material that it reveals its strengths and weaknesses-its limitations and immense possibilities-as a learning machine.

This is a non-fiction, full of facts little book that will give you an update on the past and most recent theories about learning. While it remains close to the research, the author does a wonderful job in vulgarizing the subject and then showing what we can use from this research and how in order to help us in our own learning experience.

Final thoughts

With simple diagrams and even fun exercises, the author takes you on a review of how our understanding of learning has changed in a fairly short time. How the brain responds to different methods of studying and how the ways we learn things affect the way we will later be able to call back such information.

Without lingering too much on neurological terminology the author manages to present the structure of the brain and how this "learning machine" storages all the information we give it, even if it is for a short period of time. He also brushes on education and psychology theories of learning and even with the role of sleep as a tool for retention of knowledge.

Because this was an ARC version, not yet ready for publication, some of the images were not available on my version, which made the experience to be cut short, and the footnotes seemed to be misplaced so sometimes wouldn't know what a certain sentence was related to.

If you are looking for an introductory book to the subject, this seems to be a good option. Very good work on the vulgarization and it gives you plenty of references if you feel like continuing your reading.