Book-Reviews on Og Maciel's Journal

A Reader's Take on The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

A Reader’s Take on The Subtle Art Art of Not Giving a F*ck

It’s been a while since I’ve written any kind of book review, and mostly it’s because I often feel that when I try, I don’t have the right framework to offer a solid commentary on what I liked, what I didn’t, and why I would—or wouldn’t—recommend a book. When I talk about books that mattered to me or touched me in some way, I usually end up describing them through how they made me feel. I don’t always know how to break things down in a more “literary” way—structure, motifs, themes, and all that—so I tend to refrain from reviewing books at all.

October Reading Wrap-Up: A Month of Chaos, Comics & Quiet Pages

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Photo by Thalia Ruiz on Unsplash

This month of October has been… a very busy one at work, and as a result, I didn’t spend nearly as much time reading as I usually do. Between all the additional stress and prep work required to handle some unexpected complications, I also managed to do a fair amount of writing, so something had to give.

When I wrapped up September, I said I wanted to read some scary books, maybe lean more into sci-fi and less into non-fiction, mostly because I felt like I needed a break from the real world. And if that was true in September, oh boy was it even more true in October.

The Books That Carried Me Through September 2025

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I had told my wife and kids that this September was going to be the month where I’d read all of Shakespeare’s Tragedies, Comedies, Histories, and Romances, starting with “The Tempest” which I’ve read a few times before. It started out slow, as I reacquainted myself with the “thous,” “wonders” and “wherefores,” but after a few pages I was back in the swing of things.

An Unexpected Detour

Instead of moving to “Hamlet” as planned, my wife suggested I read “Hamnet” by Maggie O’Farrell. She didn’t like it much, but I gave it 5 stars. The novel’s exploration of Shakespeare’s family life and the death of his son Hamnet was deeply moving.