Book and Film Reviews

Book Reviews

Audible Reviews

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Interesting story
Took me a while to listen to the whole book. Actually tried reading it years ago, but didn’t get too far in. Really enjoyed listening to the reader. She sounds how I imagine Octavia sounded.

Good story premise. Intrigued enough to listen to other books in the series. Love the tidbits about Earthseed and God being Change.

View all my reviews Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Interesting story. Not the best follow-up and it didn’t quite feel complete, but a good addition to the first.

View all my reviews Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

No rhyme or reason.
This is the third Octavia Butler book I listened to within a year. It is the most disappointing of the three. Time travel as a device is interesting, but what was the purpose of it here? No one’s situation or personality seemed to improve with exposure to the Traveler. The Traveler herself seemed to be clueless as to race relations in both time frames she existed in. This story completely frustrated me; made me angry in some parts and provided no clarity, understanding or satisfaction.

View all my reviews The Diabetes Code: Prevent and Reverse Type 2 Diabetes Naturally by Jason Fung
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

More than I thought it would be!

Diabetes Code and a few others were recommended to me by someone at my gym. We had struck up a conversation and almost immediately began sharing about our diabetes. He said he had cured himself. His a1C had been out of the danger zone for a while. I had gotten myself off meds within a month of an ICU episode and maintained a lowered a1c for nearly 3 yrs. I had been slacking my my eating habits. Diabetes Code was suggested to help me refocus my energy on my care.

It has done just that.

Historical knowledge of diabetes is shared along with stages of what was thought to be cures. Most importantly, describing diabetes as a dietary disease that can be cured by changing how we eat is life altering.

I already understood that I could improve my health by changing how I eat. Immediately upon my release from the ICU after a near death diabetic episode in 2020, I went home and basically removed cereal and grains from my diet. Breakfast became protein rich with salad. High carb items I loved moved from dinner to lunch with a salad. Dinner became a bit of sauteed veggies and a piece of protein.

Within a month or two I took myself off metformin and insulin and haven’t needed either since. What this book has added to my own practical knowledge is a broader explanation of why my food changes improved my numbers and health. The clarity of the information given has me starting an intermittent fasting regimen immediately after finishing the book. Honestly, the way I usually eat isn’t too far from the 16:8 pattern, Refocusing with a plan and understanding will be extremely helpful.

View all my reviews Becoming by Michelle Obama
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A light and a joy!

Listening to Michelle share her story is beyond inspiring. Despite being a public figure for so many years, she managed to share the intimacy of her personhood in her autobiography. Her perspective of her history-making occupation of the White House is important and appreciated. Hearing her frustrations as a young wife and mother juggling a high-flying career and super ambitious husband is something every young woman should make time for.

This will remain in my permanent collection.

View all my reviews The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times by Michelle Obama
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Michelle Robinson Obama comes slightly across as not believing the amazing great fortune of her life. She’s not playing small as much as trying to downplay how great she and her husband are as individuals and what a spectacular couple/team/partnership they are together.

Her Chapter topics are interesting. There are ten chapters in three parts focusing on daily life, relationships, self care and personal integrity.

During the first part her voice sounds void of her. Like someone coached her into a self-consciousness that made the listening experience blah. The blandness of her tone, makes the content worthy of praise for the desire to push through.

In Part 2 she perks up as she begins talking about her close friendships and their impact on her life over the decades.

This is when Michelle starts to seep into her story. We truly hear her, her humor and slight nudges when she talks first about her daughters, then her husband, followed by her mother.

I actually ugly cried while driving when she described coming to an understanding of how well she and Barack fit despite the expression of their life experiences being foreign to them both. She shared how his consistency is a language and communication. Being available to talk with his loved ones no matter where he was in the world and despite the physical distance between. While consistency for her was showing up, being physically present daily. It is such a beautiful illustration of translation within relationships.

View all my reviews Someone Knows by Lisa Scottoline
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Narrators were great! Story, not so much.

Tedious and frustrating to listen to. Completely unbelievable story, characters and ending. Finished it only because it’s a book club selection for a discussion I’m hosting at my home.

Someone Knows was a tedious and frustrating listen which I endured only because I’m hosting the book club discussion for it.

Repetitive dialogue was consistently used as a filler which took the story no where.

It’s not a believable story by any means. The main character meets the other protagonists on the same day which seems to be a day or two before the books main event takes place with a fifth character meeting this group of four. More than forty chapters are devoted to these two/three days, after which the characters don’t see or speak to each other for twenty years. Logically, this translates to no deep or abiding friendship between the main character and the others. Yet the author tries to make a case for loyalty and love to childhood friends. That’s not what they were. They were neighbors who met briefly and didn’t speak again for twenty years.

Honestly, a better story could’ve been had with ships passing in the night.

Additionally, some of the knowledge and activities of the teenagers seem incongruent with their age and the time they were placed in.

View all my reviews Destruction of Black Civilization: Great Issues of a Race From 4500 B.C. To 2000 A.D. by Chancellor Williams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Very interesting stories

Author provides some cultural background for context and insight for various incidents. Overall, not as uniform as I expected but very informative. Will have to listen again to pull more details for my memory.

View all my reviews The American Slave Coast: A History of the Slave-Breeding Industry by Ned Sublette
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Amazing information, detail and perspective!

American Slave Coast was very hard to listen to. The book is harder to read. I began the book with a book club a few years ago. It was supposed to be discussed over three meetings but we barely made it through the first discussion. I put the book down for a while. During Covid19, I revisited with the audio version. I got through the bulk of it while working on my property rehab. I found I had to be somewhat preoccupied to not be overwhelmed by the information. Last year I got into the stock market. That, along with my real estate investment, created a layer of foundational interest that was a bit less personal than being a descendent and detainee of the American slavery system.

Truly despicable stories to listen to, but so very helpful in understanding where we are as a nation. This book has helped me understand the intentional violence against Black people is baked fully into the development of the nation as well as how that violence is applied as an economic tool.

View all my reviews The Ancient Egyptian Roots of Christianity by Moustafa Gadalla
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am new to the study of anything Egyptian. I am a believer in Jesus Christ and very interested in learning more about the influences and roots of Judaism. I would like to find historical context that represents what I believe and live by. This book is an excellent introduction for opening one’s mind to possibilities. It provides great context of Egyptian history during Biblical times, who was ruling, suggestions and support on which pharaohs were actually Biblical figures. Intriguing. Something to explore and study further.

That being said, the author spoke in absolutes. What he shared about Egypt was the truth and pure. What he shared about Christianity was a corruption, mutilated and wrong. He didn’t present his speculation as speculation. It seemed as if he assumed a lot about Christianity that I have never felt to be true from my own studies. In this respect it sometimes felt as if I was listening to someone who had no respect and therefore no true understanding of the faith comprised of Jesus Believers. For example, he appears to think nothing good can come of an altered message. But from listening to him, the things that ringed as true with the Egyptian roots was equally true in Christianity. I don’t see this as a contradiction or fallacy. I see it as a developing understanding of an origin story. What is pure and true will continue to flow and shine through the morass for the true seekers.

View all my reviews Mythology: African Myths, Gods, Heroes, and Legends by Ron Carver
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Interesting Stories

I had hoped to hear more of the stories in full, but appreciate having several to look up for further reading.

I can certainly see how elements from various creation stories fed into Genesis and remain part of a collective understanding of human origin and history.

View all my reviews Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki


Great information and delivery!

Very easy to listen to and understand. I started investing a year and a half ago. Last year I purchased my first investment property to flip. It’s a down market with high cost materials so it’s been scary and difficult. His storytelling calmed my nerves. Most of what he said functioned as reminders and reinforcement of things I know. Which is much appreciated. There were other things I had never considered and things presented with different perspectives.

I will listen to this again at some point.

View all my reviews Spare by Prince Harry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Absolutely beautiful!

Harry is a natural storyteller with a good sense of humor. Working on a much longer gushing review now.

He bashes no one. He barely shares anything about his relatives. However, what he does share of familial interactions is very sad and poignant, unintentionally so, I’ sure.

The arch of his life, identity, growth, maturity, awareness, and manhood is clear and honestly shared. Looking back on the whole story, I’d say he stayed true to a media timeline and themes for his life. The main focus of his sharing was his state of mind and perspective regarding major media stories/attacks about him. It just so happens that these media episodes span his life and relationships.

Harry represented himself well. I do hope he sees himself as a human being who has value simply because he exists regardless of his role in other people’s lives.

View all my reviews Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ by Giulia Enders
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



View all my reviews

Goodreads Reviews

Goodreads Reviews

Harvest Blog Reviews

IngramSpark Reviews – Coming soon

LibraryThing Reviews – Coming soon

Film Reviews

Reviews