I wish I can write about everyday life as beautiful and soulful as Levy can. Her candid prose and brutal honesty make this book so damn engaging. Her plumbing struggle, for instance, I know exactly what she was going through. Her writing is concise, funny, and heartfelt. Here’s an example:

To strip the wallpaper off the fairy tale of The Family House in which the comfort and happiness of men and children have been the priority is to find behind it an unthanked, unloved, neglected, exhausted woman. It requires skill, time, dedication and empathy to create a home that everyone enjoys and that functions well. Above all else, it is an act of immense generosity to be the architect of everyone else’s well-being. This task is still mostly perceived as women’s work.

I definitely recommend this memoir for both writing style and vivid storytelling.

To celebrate 20 years of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, hip-hop journalist Joan Morgan examines the profound impact the album had on hip-hop feminist and analyzes the misexpectation fans had for Lauryn. As a result, Lauryn, whose music paved the way for the next generation of black female artists and whose style defined black beauty, fell out of the limelight and got into troubles. She could not or did not want to follow up with another album. I wish Morgan delved more into the songs because I had listened to Miseducation twice, but had not feeling it. I need to go back to it for more careful listens. Still, this is concise and informative read on the perspective of black feminist.

Gorgeous illustration, striking lettering, and inspiring message make it a perfect book for kids to read and for parents to savor.

This book provides general guidelines for writing based on the four basic workflow:
prepare, compose, edit, and finish. It’s a helpful read, but I was expecting a more laser-focus approach from A Book Apart. I would like to see specific tips on writing clear, concise copy for user interface, product, and marketing. Maybe it should not be a brief, but a full book to cover more practical details.

A collection of essays on cultural criticism ranging from politics, music, art, and film. Smith’s writing is thoughtful, honest, and personal. My favorite pieces are on Jay Z, Joni Mitchell, and life-writing.

In his practical guide for designing usable and accessible forms, Silver walks readers through 10 different design patterns that focus on the user experience. The book is well written, thoroughly researched, and approachable. The only technical issue is that all the codes presented in the book have no space, which makes the codes hard to follow. Other than that, it is a valuable resource for web designers and developers.

Tập truyện ngắn của nhạc sĩ Tuấn Khanh một phần ba là về đàn bà. Hai phần còn lại là cảm nghĩ của tác giả về sự khác biệt giữa văn hóa thời nay và thời của ông. Những bài tôi thích nhất là viết về nhạc. Còn những câu chuyện về xã hội đọc cũng tạm.

Đọc truyện chị Tư cần thời gian thong thả và chăm chú. Tôi đọc lúc được vài phút rảnh nên bị vắng đoạn. Cách viết của chị khó hiểu nếu không được tập trung. Hai câu chuyện ngắn tôi nhớ rõ nhất đứa học trò yêu cô giáo và người chị coi chừng em. Truyện tựa đề (bài dài nhất trong sách) viết về cách trả thù của người con gái với người cha trọng nam khinh nữ khiến tôi nổi da gà. Tôi sẽ đọc lại tập truyện này thật kỹ khi dư dả thời gian.

As someone who loves comedian, I have not seen any of Tom Papa’s stand-up specials, and yet I find his book entertaining. He writes about family life and parenting in a humorous perspective. A fun read for dads.

In her moving, engaging memoir, Dorey-Stein recounts her first-hand experience as a stenographer in the Obama administration as well as her personal affairs. She traveled the world with Obama, partied hard with a tight group of friends, and fell in love with the wrong guy. She is smart, funny, vulnerable, and emotional. Reading this book makes me laugh, envy, and “Obamasick.” She can fucking write.