My thanks to NetGalley and Tin House Books for an advance copy of this collection of essays that looks at the world through the eyes of a curious person, one not afraid to try something new or something strange in pursuit of understanding the world better, and sharing all that they have learned.

My brother always had a unique view of the world, one that got him a lot of looks, a lot of whispers, but a view that has stayed with him. My brother was a creative person, loved to draw, and loved to make things. His favorite was taking The Family Circus newspaper strips and making new captions for the cartoon. This starting off as fairly jokey, but as he got older became deeper and far more raunchy, most of which I have kept. My brother works in a creative industry using his mind and his view of the world to provide for his kids, both of which are taking after him in different ways. One can tell stories, the other can draw stories. A creative mind means the world isn't always black and white. There are a lot of shades. One wonders why things are supposed to be, why can't a shark have these eyes, and these teeth. Sometimes that creativity allows one to not be bothered by society norms, and try different things. Going to different countries to teach, and to learn, trying to shape balloons into new things. An artist one could say. A. Kendra Greene is that kind of artist, with the added gift of being a great writer, one who loves to learn, and share. No Less Strange or Wonderful is a collection of essays about the world, and about events in Greene's life both small and possibly life changing, and how all these moments make Greene the artist they have become.

The book consists of twenty-six essays all illustrated based on events from Greene's life, but look at the bigger issues that we all face. Life, a little death, love, being partners with someone and losing that someone. Greene discusses travels, teaching in Korea, working in Argentina, exhibits that Greene's has created in museums, and exhibits Greene has seen. Greene wonders about the life of a person who has stolen a taxidermied woodpecker, currently extinct from a museum display, who wrote that the woodpecker was doing well. Attending a balloon twister convention and wearing a dress of balloons designed to look like the dress that Marilyn Monroe wore in The Seven Year Itch. A dress that really changed the way she saw people, and how people saw Greene. The devil makes an appearance, first in Argentina, later in a dying bookstore, as a customer with good taste. A tree travelling down a street. Mixing shark parts to cause explosions. Finding love in an airport garage, or finding out about potentially disastrous medical news. The essays range in size and roam through time, each one illustrated in different ways, helping to tell the story, or explaining through art, what is being discussed.

Some of these essays remind me of life before becoming old and cynical. The way a child would view the world. I don't mean that in a bad way at all. Just the way before the world ruined us, the way I hope my nephews will always see things. When empathy wasn't a word, but a way children always acted, and thought the world worked. I really liked these essays. The mix of surreal, the mix of science and nature. Balloon twister conventions, broken arms from sleet, dressing slothes, and having to lock the house, as one's partner is forgetful to do. The essays twist in different ways, but all showing how amazing the world can be, how weird and different. And fun, if we let it. If we allow ourselves to.

One never knows what one will get in a collection of essays. I'm glad I read this one, I had a lot of fun, learned some stuff, laughed a bit, and had fun. A. Kendra Greene is a very good writer, an artist that I will have to be on the lookout for. I'm glad people like Greene are here, they make life less grey, and more magical.

Brilliant. As if the writing minds of Alice Munro x Kurt Vonnegut x Gabriel García Márquez were magically schmushed together. Philosophical, fantastical and poetic. Absolutely loved this book.

First I want to note that I'm giving this 5/5 for what it's described to be. This is different from my usual reviewing, where it's much more subjective and mood-based. For those who follow my reviews/have a sense of how I review and have similar interests, just note that this isn't really a "I recommend you read this" 5/5, as it wasn't really my thing.

With that out of the way, this was such a beautiful collection. More than once I wanted to print out the illustrations and use them as art for my son's room. I'm curious to see whether this will be more of a novel, or a coffee table book? It could really go either way, if you ask me.

{Thank you bunches to NetGalley, A. Kendra Greene and Tin House Books for the DRC in exchange for my honest review!}