Sunday, January 15, 2023

The Sunday Post #321

This post contains affiliate links. I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.


The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book ReviewerReaderbuzz, and Book Date.




The Sunday Post #321





On The Blog Recently







In My Reading Life





Last week, I finished Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. I loved this book. Five stars for Rocky the alien.

Project Hail Mary is a fast-paced science fiction novel about a man who wakes up from a coma and discovers that he's alone on a spaceship. His crewmates are dead. He has no idea why he's on the ship or what he's expected to do. As he frantically searches for answers, he slowly remembers that Earth's sun is infested with alien algae, and he's been sent to a distant star in the hopes of finding something that kills space algae. Fortunately (and unfortunately), he learns a lot more than he expected on his journey.

Read this book if you like plot twists because there are a lot of them. It's actually an impossible book to review because there are so many twists. Everything I want to say is a spoiler. The characters handle each twist with humor and optimism. It's kind of inspirational. These people are very, very determined to live. Every time they start to feel hopeless, they refocus and try a different way of solving their problems. Nothing is easy in space!

My only complaint is that the author isn't great at coming up with unique characters. The characters in this book are pretty much identical to the characters in his previous books. That's a small complaint, though. Don't let it stop you from reading this one. It's really good!







Let's go from one extreme to the other. Project Hail Mary was an easy 5 stars. In Order To Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey To Freedom by Yeonmi Park is a lot more complicated. I didn't like it, which is a terrible thing to say because it's a memoir. I feel like I'm judging somebody's life. Maybe this is why I don't read more nonfiction.

The author was born in North Korea and didn't have an easy childhood. When she was 13, her and her mother escaped into China and became victims of human trafficking. They jumped from one bad situation into an equally bad situation. It's a brutal story to read.

Aside from the difficult subject matter, most of the book is fine. The writing isn't great, but I can forgive it because the author doesn't have the same education level as other writers.

I think the pacing is too fast. I kept wishing the author would slow down and give more details. I wondered how she learned Mandarin faster than the other kidnapped refugees, and why she was so valuable to human traffickers that they were willing to "go to war" for her, and why her mother allowed a 13-year-old to make so many important decisions for the family. I wanted more information!

Then, a paragraph at the end of the book slightly ruined everything for me. The author admits that her story has changed multiple times. She gave different accounts to different journalists. Instead of telling the truth, she told reporters what she thought they wanted to hear. She says, "I was reacting, improvising like a jazz musician playing the same melody a little differently each time, unaware that there might be people out there keeping score."

My brain went in two directions with this. First, I said, "She obviously lived through something traumatizing. Of course she's not going to spill her secrets to every reporter who asks a question." The second part of me went, "Nooo! North Korea is a vault wrapped in propaganda. Changing your story will muddy the waters and cast doubt on the stories of other refugees." The North Korean government is going to grab these inconsistencies and use them to discredit survivors and keep people trapped.

I don't know what to think about this book. I'm not mad that I read it, but I can't recommend it to other people. I lost trust in the author. How do I know I'm reading the real story right now? Does it even matter if I'm reading the real story?






In The Rest Of My Life



Five things that made me happy last week:

  1. Setting up my 2023 planner. I'm hoping that being more organized will make life easier. When work gets busy, I quit reading and blogging. Then I'm sad. I need to be better about time management.
  2. New pens! My dad bought me new colorful pens because I was whining about my black and blue ones. I prefer writing in pink and purple, like a child.
  3. I did shockingly well with eating healthy last week. I didn't eat any chocolate at all. I'm usually a chocolate-every-day person.
  4. I tried something new. I went to a weightlifting class, even though I'd never lifted weights before. The trainer was very patient with me. The next day, my body hurt so much I could barely get out of bed. (That part didn't make me happy.)
  5. Thank you to everybody who read my Best Books Of 2022 post or my 2022 Reading Stats post. They're my favorite posts of the year to write.






Occasionally I Have Thoughts











Take care of yourselves and be kind to each other. See you around the blogosphere!











33 comments:

  1. I love working on my planner - and I also love different colored pens. I have a set of Tul pens that are all different colors and I love them. Lol.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Doesn't everyone want to write in pink and purple when they can? I miss those days when I would hit up the Hallmark and buy all my Sanrio stationary accessories. Good times. Good for you trying new things. I have heard that the only way to increase your metabolism is to increase the amount of lean muscle you have. It's a great addition to your exercise regime.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I eat chocolate every day too! But just a little square of black (Belgian of course) chocolate LOL

    ReplyDelete
  4. I do my planner in pencil. (Oddly, I bought a Blackwing Matte pencil in Montana last summer that I love. I want to buy more, but each pencil is a couple of dollars each.) I definitely like to keep my journal in color, though.

    I'm definitely saving Hail Mary for my next long car trip. I think it will be perfect.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love getting my new blogging calendar at the beginning of the year! I've been slowly eating all the chocolate chips in my house, so...

    ReplyDelete
  6. I am a chocolate every day person. I just can't give it up. Really, my problem is sugar/sweets in general. I might check out Hail Mary. That is interesting!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Good for you on the weightlifting! I do like going to the gym; there is something immediate and satisfying about the soreness the next day. I've got to start going again.

    I am so glad you loved Project Hail Mary; I did too.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I've read other memoirs in which the authors fudged with the absolute truth for effect. One reason I don't read much of this genre.

    https://bookdilettante.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  9. How can anyone survive with out colored pens (or highlighters?!)? Congrats on the weight lifting class. I keep saying I am going to get healthy but then keep procrastinating! Good luck with staying the course, have a great week!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I love pens. I have one I would freak out if I ever lost it lol. Even if it runs out of ink.,.. I'm attached to it ha. Hail Mary sounds like something I'd like. Believe it or not I've never read any of his books.

    ReplyDelete
  11. That sign is so funny, I'm a chocoholic!

    I've been in a reading rut for the most part of the last 2 years so I'm hoping this year will brind me out of it.

    I collect pens, you can never have too many!

    I used to excersize everyday and lift weights. Now I get my exercise at work.


    ReplyDelete
  12. I need to read something by Andy Weir. I also need to find an exercise class or something as well. Once I started using a planner with my blog, I got so much better about being on track and not messing up what I needed to read for a review. This year I'm using it to help me get back to reading the books I already have, I hope. Hope you have a good week!
    Lisa Loves Literature

    ReplyDelete
  13. That's too bad about the N. Korean memoir. You're right, it's hard to tell what is true and what is fabricated. I lived in S. Korea for a year and went to the demilitarized zone and could see N. Korea and always wondered what was going on over there.

    ReplyDelete
  14. i'd really like to read the Andy Weir books and I think I own 2-3 of them.

    Anne - Books of My Heart This is my Sunday Post

    ReplyDelete
  15. My planner is all online in an Excel spreadsheet but I DO use different colors of type because.....well who wants to look at an all black & white screen?? Not every book is going to be a favorite, but we have to keep trying new ones, because you just never know. But I'm glad you got a great experience with Hail Mary - it's definitely a fave of mine too.
    Terrie @ Bookshelf Journeys

    ReplyDelete
  16. I would also be upset with the ending of "In Order to Live".

    ReplyDelete
  17. When I saw you had In Order to Live on here, I was worried--I felt like I was the only person who didn't think this was a phenomenal book. I pretty much felt exactly the way you did about it.

    Yeah, the post workout pain is no fun! I took a break from strength training over the holidays and this week has been...painful!

    Have a great week! - Melinda @ A Web of Stories

    ReplyDelete
  18. I totally get you about quitting reading and blogging when things get stressful cause I do that too! I really hope the planner helps you out! I still haven't found a good balance to things myself

    ReplyDelete
  19. I fully understand being sore after a workout. Here's hoping you get used to it soon.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I haven't read Andy Weir and need to try him some day. Congratulations on a day without chocolate. I can't recall every having one. Come see my week here. Happy reading!

    ReplyDelete
  21. I haven't eaten chocolate in weeks, and I miss it so much! But I do feel healthier. I hope you enjoy reading this week.


    My It's Monday! What Are You Reading? post.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Stick with the weightlifting ... it's awesome but just do it gradually to build up. I still need to read the Hail Mary book. Have a great week.

    ReplyDelete
  23. January is pink and blue and purple in my planner!

    ReplyDelete
  24. I love organizing my planner and my reading schedule. Oooohhhhh color pens! I like that idea. Hope you have a great week!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Your body hurt so much you couldn't get out of bed? Sounds like you did it right. Lol. And that North Korea story... Whoa. To hear that she embellished it and changed it based on who she talked to? No. That's not how memoirs work. Sigh.

    ReplyDelete
  26. I love pens and can never resist pretty ones. Right now I have a set of themed Disney Villian pens and they are my favorite. That's too bad about the North Korean memoir. I'm fascinated by North Korean refuge stories but I think I would have serious issues with this one as well. Even before you mentioned that the author had issues with inconsistencies with her story I was questioning it based off the other issues. Good luck with your time management! It's definitely a struggle. Have a great week!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Good for you to get organized and planners are the way to go! I love digital planners and spreadsheets to keep me organized. Too bad about the memoir. I hope you’re having a great week!

    ReplyDelete
  28. It sounds like you're really getting organised! Yeah, I get sad too when I can't read or blog. Also, writing in pretty coloured pens isn't childish... if it is, oops! That makes 2 of us! ha ha ha.
    Have a great week x

    ReplyDelete
  29. Yes, Project Hail Mary is really good. The end makes me hope for a type of sequel!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Glad you liked Hail Mary. I should put it on my TBR list. Here's my latest:
    http://www.lyndonperrywriter.com/2023/01/review-of-feast-of-fools-anthology.html

    ReplyDelete
  31. Project Hail Mary is on my list. I even have it in a category to read this summer along with Sue Jackson for the Big Book Summer Challenge. I've added In Order to Live to my list because I have a Korean daughter in law, and try to learn as much as I can about the country. Have you read The Waiting by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim? It's a graphic novel that addresses the separation of families when Korea was divided into two. I also appreciated Grass by the sam author. It deals with the Korean Comfort Women.

    ReplyDelete
  32. There was a hardcover copy of Project Hail Mary at the thrift store I visited a couple of weeks back and now I could kick myself for not picking it up. I'll request it at my library. I can fit in an audiobook easier anyhow.

    I need to do more strength training. It's good for balance and helps you burn more calories. Yes, you are sore at first! Yeah, not gonna read In Order to Live. It sounds completely depressing and I don't like that you don't know what is truth or fiction when it's supposed to be non-fiction.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Ooo…I loved Project Hail Mary too! Hope you had a wonderful week!

    ReplyDelete