Category: Reviews

Posted in Books, Reviews

Book Review: Nasty Women

Posted on by melissaburgess

Has the political climate in the United States got you down? Wondering what you can do to help? Want to hear from diverse voices who are knowledgeable about the issues at hand and who are living alongside the rest of us, trying to make it one day at a time?

Read this book.

“Nasty Women: Feminism, Resistance, and Revolution in Trump’s America,” edited by Samhita Mukhopadhyay and Kate Harding, is a phenomenal read. I actually stumbled upon this book online a while back, and was excited for the chance to read it. My library didn’t have a copy on order yet, so I did what all good readers who don’t want to spend money at the bookstore do: I suggested it be added to the library’s collection!

Sure enough, it was. After ordering it back in October, I was able to pick it up about a month later and be the first to read this library copy. I am so glad I read this book. It made me feel, well… better. Less hopeless. Stronger. More fierce. More ready than ever to not give up and not back down.

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Posted in Reviews, TV

The Bold Type Is Must-Watch Girl Power TV

Posted on by melissaburgess
The Bold Type / Facebook
The Bold Type / Facebook

What’s not to like about Freeform’s newest show, The Bold Type? (And did I type that in bold to be ironic or not?) Seriously, folks, if you’re not watching this show – you’re missing out!

The Bold Type surrounds the lives of three working women (portrayed by Katie Stevens, Meghann Fahy and Aisha Dee) in New York City, who happen to be best friends and all work at Scarlet magazine. The show’s premise is based on the lives of writers at the real-life Cosmopolitan magazine, and the show is the perfect mix of feminism, fashion, social issues, girl power, journalism, NYC life, romance and friendship.

How often do we see such authentically-portrayed friendships between women on television? These characters – Jane, Sutton and Kat – are so real that it’s easy to identify with them. And though they’re all trying to make it in the world, they’ve put their friendship as a priority, too. At the same time, each character has its own personality.

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Posted in Food, Health & Fitness, Reviews

LUSH Product Reviews: Bath Bombs, Face Masks & More!

Posted on by melissaburgess

The LUSH Cosmetics store closest to my house recently reopened after renovations! This is great news for everyone (well, except my wallet, which will feel the pain.) Naturally, I had to stop by and check out the “new” store and pick up some more items as well!

I bought two items: a new bath bomb, “Lava Lamp,” which I’d never seen in the stores before; and “Mask of Magnaminty” face & body mask. I also picked up a sample of “No Drought,” LUSH’s dry shampoo. Here’s my quick review of these items!

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Posted in A Better You, Books, Reviews

What Can YOU Learn From Minimalism?

Posted on by melissaburgess

“The average American household contains more than 300,000 possessions.”

Read that sentence. Now read it again and really consider it. Astounding, isn’t it?

It’s just one of the tidbits I learned in “Essential,” a book of essays written by The Minimalists. I known I’ve written about these guys before, but wanted to touch base on their book of essays, published in 2015. I requested my library purchase a copy and finally got my hands on it!

At its core, minimalism is about making you think. Rather than mindlessly buying more “stuff,” think about WHY you’re doing it. Rather than stashing things in your closet to collect dust for months, think about WHY you’re doing it. In a world of often-mindless consumption and consumerism, it’s nice to take a step back and think about WHY we own the things we own, WHY we do the things we do, etc.

What value is this [object/person/job/relationship/experience/etc.] bringing to your life?

That’s the question we should all be asking ourselves, and it’s definitely one I need to ask more often. The Minimalists look at that question from a number of perspectives, and in respect to various subjects, in the course of their essays in this book.

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Posted in Books, Reviews

Book Review: The McDavid Effect: Connor McDavid and the New Hope for Hockey

Posted on by melissaburgess

Having followed the hockey career of Edmonton Oilers prodigy Connor McDavid since his entrance into the Ontario Hockey League several years ago, I was certainly interested in picking up the book “The McDavid Effect: Connor McDavid and the New Hope for Hockey.”

Since my library didn’t own a copy, I put in an interlibrary loan request, and the book arrived shortly after from the library at St. Lawrence University. The really interesting thing about this book is how new it is; it was released in October 2016, making it less than a year old. It speaks on a lot of history, but also includes a lot of relevant, very recent information. I don’t know that I’ve ever read such an up-to-date book.

Although the title of this book starts with “The McDavid Effect,” it is not just about Connor McDavid. Instead, it is about McDavid and his path through junior hockey and into the NHL, even through his rookie season, yes; but it is also about the Edmonton Oilers franchise, then and now. It is a captivating story that discusses the history of the Oilers franchise, their glory years, their downfall, and now, the arrival of McDavid and the new hope that it has brought to the city & franchise.

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