daumari's reviews
1189 reviews

 4.5, but I'm actually going to round down on this one. I liked it, but I'd also say Six-Thirty the dog is maybe the most likeable character (followed by Madeline though I can see how her precociousness could be off-putting).

At times, I almost felt like I was reading satire of the era with all of the blatant sexism Elizabeth faced because it read cartoonishly over-the-top to me, though I do think that's part of fiction, to exaggerate experiences. Also maybe of-the-period but took me out a bit: this is southern California; where are the Latin@s and Asian folks?? (I know, white folks tend to hang out with their own but we do flip through povs of women watching Supper at Six- maybe some of those families were brown, who knows).

But, I do like Elizabeth's abrasiveness and insistence on things being correct and meritocratic (even if societal structure is not). She strikes me as a little neurodivergent and I'm not sure if that's intentional (Bonnie Garmus's goodreads question replies indicate she was aiming more for classical stoicism). I think part of why this book is so popular is because the message of being taken seriously resonates with a lot of women even today. We STILL see thinkpieces about the value of domestic labor (though I think there's a wider recognition that childcare and rearing are fulltime jobs- see Essential Labor: Mothering as Social Change). When Elizabeth's spiraling in the newborn haze, Harriet reassures her that nothing is wrong and that also rung true.

Calvin's origins did remind me of The Girls Who Went Away: The Hidden History of Women Who Surrendered Children for Adoption in the Decades Before Roe v. Wade, and I felt like this aspect could've been baked a little bit longer as it abruptly was revealed in the end. 

 Lent to me by Janey from book club, but also recommended by a bunch of my friends as well! I really liked this, especially Grace slowly figuring out who he is and his mission over a drip feed of amnesia (where he seemingly still has his skillset but memory is slower to return), as well as making an unexpected pal to help figure out how to save their homes. I REALLY liked all the technical aspects of this, like the effects of pressure, time dilation, xenobiology, etc.

Looking forward to eventually seeing

Ryan Gosling make friends with a giant spider buddy

Gorgeous mixed media art, and a story to revisit when H learns the concept of sharing.