I really appreciated reading an FBI procedural mystery featuring a Latina protagonist that worked to elevate BIPOC women in law enforcement. “The CiphI really appreciated reading an FBI procedural mystery featuring a Latina protagonist that worked to elevate BIPOC women in law enforcement. “The Cipher” was firmly in the genre fiction camp, and with that, there were some things that seemed to work out too neatly, but hey. What do we read mysteries for but to feel like the good guys will always outwit the bad ones? ...more
Could have done without the author trying to draw parallels between Parton’s life and her own. For me, it made a fun, light and occasionally insightfuCould have done without the author trying to draw parallels between Parton’s life and her own. For me, it made a fun, light and occasionally insightful read of a compelling American cultural figure less enjoyable. ...more
What happens to a people when trauma becomes normalized? When powerlessness persists for decades? When your choice is between a brutal, corrupt, indifWhat happens to a people when trauma becomes normalized? When powerlessness persists for decades? When your choice is between a brutal, corrupt, indifferent and ineffective government and a brutal, corrupt and viciously effective shadow regime of organized crime? When your homeland and home are no longer safe for you and your family? When your most powerful neighbor both enables the shadow regime with its insatiable demands while simultaneously shutting you out and turning a blind eye to the causes behind your desperation to leave?
These are the questions I went into "Grieving: Dispatches from a Wounded Country" with. They were answered, but not how I expected them to be. I'd thought that this work would be nuanced and detailed, a journalistic expose insightfully unpacking of the violence in Mexico; nailing together an indictment of the Mexican Government, the cartels, and the international community, foremost being the USA.
Instead, this is a poet's reflection on her homeland, a compilation of encounters about that which maims and scars us, body and soul. I was struck early on by a strange similarity of tone to Elaine Scarry's "The Body in Pain", and felt validated when Garza herself commented on Scarry's work in several essays. "Grieving" is a book of fleeting moments that tap on a visceral pain, but refuse to be sucked under by it. Garza's writing is a refutation of academic depersonalization, and she instead chooses to openly acknowledge her stake in her subject, owning her emotions. Her essays are intimate, informal, and fragmentary. At times, I found this frustrating, but in the end I embraced her choice of putting emotional honesty and anguish at the forefront of something that is so often politicized and miscast as a "war on drugs".
There are no neat conclusions, no promises of solutions or better futures depicted in "Grieving". This is a testimonial, a promise to keep fighting not because there's hope, but because to not fight is to accept the unacceptable. I have tremendous admiration for the Mexican people, and most especially the Mexican journalists, writers and activists like Garza who speak up about what is happening there. They do so knowing they may very well be killed, but they do it anyway because silence hasn't saved their friends and family from senseless acts of violence. It is this spirit that keeps the promise of hope alive, and I am grateful for the opportunity Cristina Rivera Garza offers us to bear witness. ...more
As a romance, "Spoiler Alert" was solid, but nothing that grabbed me especially strongly. As a romance prominently featuring a fat woman completely atAs a romance, "Spoiler Alert" was solid, but nothing that grabbed me especially strongly. As a romance prominently featuring a fat woman completely at home in her own body and confident in herself, it was excellent. The underlying themes of self-acceptance and pushing back on those--including our parents--that will only accept us on their terms, not as we are, were strong and affirming. Really, who doesn't need a good dose of that medicine from time to time? Books like these are why I've embraced the romance category. No other fictional genre does as much to promote radical acceptance, working through trauma, and positive, consensual, feminist sexuality. If you've yet to read your first romance, go find one. I would recommend this one for fan-girls, Game of Throne nerds, and people who carry the stigma of having been labeled fat. ...more
In what way to do government-sponsored human rights serve to justify continued colonization? How does the language of trauma enforce a continued stateIn what way to do government-sponsored human rights serve to justify continued colonization? How does the language of trauma enforce a continued state of victimization, stifling self-determination? In the face of continued occupation with few truly meaningful acts of reparations, how do Indigenous communities heal wounds which go back generations? How does neoliberalism subvert and co-opt all talk of human rights on an international scale, with Indigenous communities bearing the real cost of economic development? How can Indigenous communities take back their self-sovereignty?
These are among the core questions Dr. Dian Million explores in "Therapeutic Nations". This is a book meant to jar us out of our complacency about the current state of Indigenous communities here in the US, Canada, Australia and beyond. The issues explored goes beyond those communities, pushing into what values we wish as people to carry forward in our relationships with each other and to the earth. Dr. Million is rigorous in her research and use of language, using academic-speak as a scalpel which which she eviscerates the current model of relations between governments and Indigenous communities. I strongly recommend this book to all those interested in indigenism, trauma, and human rights. ...more
Witty and fun, I love that Talia Hibbert seems to be on a mission to give voice to people who don't fit neatly into any one box. Was it lyrically writWitty and fun, I love that Talia Hibbert seems to be on a mission to give voice to people who don't fit neatly into any one box. Was it lyrically written with a breathtakingly original story? No, it was a romance, and completely enjoyable in its own right. ...more
This book is fucking funny. And heartwarming, raunchy as hell, smart, well-written and fun. A smile came onto my face during the first couple pages anThis book is fucking funny. And heartwarming, raunchy as hell, smart, well-written and fun. A smile came onto my face during the first couple pages and rarely left for the rest of the time I was reading it. Talia Hibbert takes gender stereotypes and throws them on their noses as the vulgar, workaholic, commitment-phobic PhD student Dani Brown meets the romance-reading, wears-his-heart-on-his-sleeve ex-Rugby player turned security guard Zafir. The usual romance novel tropes are there in spades, but that's what makes it a romance--you wouldn't have a mystery without a murder, sci-fi without space, and you don't have a romance without tropes and a guaranteed happily ever after/happy for now.
If anyone out there wonders why read romance when the world is filled with beautifully written novels that explore the subtleties of human nature and the world, then I would hand them this book. In it, as English doctoral candidate Dani gives Zaf grief for his reading preferences, Hibbert launches a solid defense and explanation as to what makes the genre relevant and--dare I say it?--important. Sometimes we just need to believe that everything will be ok, and that people will work through their shit and heal the wounded bits of their psyche as they grow into relationship with another person. Love is important, and books that make us value it shouldn't be maligned or written off as being "for women". There is a latent misogyny in the status that romance novels have in the literary world, one which would have us believe that love and relationship aren't as important as...well, nearly every other genre.
Right fucking on. This is EXACTLY what I was looking for as I wondered what the hell to do about institutionalized racism and my part in it. What a plRight fucking on. This is EXACTLY what I was looking for as I wondered what the hell to do about institutionalized racism and my part in it. What a pleasure to receive teachings from angel Kyodo williams Sensei, Lama Rod Owens and Dr. Jasmine Syedullah during this time. ...more
What an absolutely lovely book. To bask in the peak of summer in a rural English village, and wander around the countryside while visiting pagan ruinsWhat an absolutely lovely book. To bask in the peak of summer in a rural English village, and wander around the countryside while visiting pagan ruins encapsulated in an old church...that was what lured me in, but the complex humanity of the characters kept me going. "Seven Summer Nights" is a truly wonderful romance that fully embraces the life-affirming fantasy of the genre in the most literal terms without ever being trite or shying away from the ugliness that exists in the world. Highly recommend it. ...more
Reading "Split Tooth" at the same time as Mircea Eliade's "Shamanism", and right after Bathsheba Demuth's "Floating Coast", I'm seeing nuances that I Reading "Split Tooth" at the same time as Mircea Eliade's "Shamanism", and right after Bathsheba Demuth's "Floating Coast", I'm seeing nuances that I would have otherwise overlooked. Listening to Tagaq's music, watching her videos, now reading her book, there is a mysticism in her work that is undeniable and sublimely gritty. This book delivers a content that sweeps through the life of a woman who starts off ordinary, then becomes swept up by the transcendent.
I did not think that this book was at all overrated. How many of us have lived in the Arctic? How many of us have had our community and way of being ripped apart and reassembled into a ghost of its original, bringing with it terrifying vices and people who would exploit resource you have at your disposal? How many of us have lived in the whiplash aftermath of colonization, a member of a group of people you are told are 'lesser', and should be ashamed of the way of life of your ancestors? How many of us have reclaimed the sacred rites of our ancestors with a fury that is as authentic as it is beautiful? I would like to challenge those who tried to critique this book, saying it was overhyped to think in these terms, then revisit it with a mind open to both heartbreak and an ecstatic proclamation of selfhood flying in the face of adversity.
The imagery Tagaq uses to capture life growing up in the Arctic is extraordinary. Everyday childhood struggles contrast with sexual abuse so rampant that there is no question of telling someone or not. There is no authority to tell, with the adults all but absent from the frame, lost to alcohol, drugs, and other tools of colonial suppression. And in the background, a world so vast, so terrifying and awe-inspiring and elemental that it defies standard description and begs for poetry.
So go ahead and rate this lower than five stars. Add a clever reason why you think Tagaq's prose didn't live up to some subjective gold standard. Bypass any feelings of guilt about the genocide our country and ancestors perpetuated. Just know that there is more to a work of art than the execution--there is the context. And in this case, to ignore context is to be complicit in the silencing of a people that our country has been trying to silence for generations....more
Guiltily, I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this. I'm a geeky-smart lover of food, so Charlotte Holmes was a character that I both related to and likGuiltily, I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this. I'm a geeky-smart lover of food, so Charlotte Holmes was a character that I both related to and liked. Not for anyone looking for a literary read, or highbrow in their Holmes expectations. ...more
This isn't a self-help book, or a book about psychology. It's a memoir. I went into this relatively ignorant of who Amanda Palmer was, and now I know.This isn't a self-help book, or a book about psychology. It's a memoir. I went into this relatively ignorant of who Amanda Palmer was, and now I know. The actual "Art of Asking" plays a supporting role. I did learn some stuff, and I'm better for having read it, but it's not what I expected.
While I was listening to it, I made a list of things Amanda Palmer is, and things she isn't. Here's what I came up with:
Subtle A therapist A researcher Apologetic Modest Unhappy Lazy Musically my cup of tea Critical of social media/the digital age private Self effacing socially awkward mean ungrateful
I can see why former fans might have issues with her--she's built her career based on her ability connect with people, and she highlights it to a degree that comes across as more than a bit self-mythologizing. If you were a fan and didn't have that experience of her, you might feel cheated in some way. As someone with little investment in her, I found her relatively relatable and inspiring. Yeah, she's not going to highlight her off-days, tout her stable, middle class upbringing, pedigree liberal arts education complete with belonging to an exclusive society, or any of the other life privileges that allowed her to plunge headfirst into a life of art and self-expression, but I found her lack of modesty refreshing. It's so easy for women to be overly critical of themselves and delve deeply into their flaws, so hearing a confident, self-assured women speak about herself in a positive, unapologetic way, felt good.
If you're feeling like you need a pep talk in confidence, love and connection from a fierce and interesting woman who likes to talk about herself, this is your book. If you want a self-help book written by a psychologist and verified by facts rather than anecdotes, then look elsewhere. She's a rock star, not a researcher, and it's easy enough to tell from the cover what you're getting into.
One beef I do have came to mind after writing this: Kristin Hersh has been working with fans to be funded and directly release her music to them since the early 2000s. While Amanda Palmer doesn’t say she’s the first to do this, she’s a little overly impressed by herself, as if she were a pioneer in this respect. The amount she raised was indeed impressive, but props should be given to the trailblazers when they’re due....more
I bought this for my daughter, but I think it will be some many years before we read it in full to her. Dark and disturbing, it makes sense that this I bought this for my daughter, but I think it will be some many years before we read it in full to her. Dark and disturbing, it makes sense that this is what Ferrante would write for a children's book. This is a book that hints at the troubling side of humanity, the one we usually work to protect our children from. Ferrante, deft as always in her understanding of the shadow side of the psyche, delves into it in a way that children will understand. Jealousy and fear are the dominant notes, and allusion is made to assault. Unlike Ferrante's adult works, she allows a happy ending, but it doesn't erase the troubled journey the doll protagonist has undergone. I can imagine that this book might a useful therapeutic tool if working with children who've gone through trauma, but I'm not a mental health professional. I'm curious to see how my daughter will react to it, but that won't be for a while now......more
Listened to this in audiobook format. It was entertaining, and kept me engaged while doing some spring cleaning, but didn't bowl me over. I like NovikListened to this in audiobook format. It was entertaining, and kept me engaged while doing some spring cleaning, but didn't bowl me over. I like Novik's take on the fantasy genre, however, with her Slavic, fairy tale aesthetic and the feminist/environmentalist twists that she prevents from being completely anachronistic. I look forward to reading her future works, as both this book and "Spinning Silver" were wins as far as entertainment reading goes for me. ...more
It’s fine series as an intro level feminist YA fantasy, and I think it’s important to realize that Pierce was a trailblazer in this genre. I would be It’s fine series as an intro level feminist YA fantasy, and I think it’s important to realize that Pierce was a trailblazer in this genre. I would be happy if my daughter read this, but I wouldn’t recommend it to adult readers unless they read a lot of fantasy as a teen and want some nostalgia. ...more
Solid reworking of the myth from a subtly modern female perspective. The author clearly is well versed in Greek mythology—that was obvious before evenSolid reworking of the myth from a subtly modern female perspective. The author clearly is well versed in Greek mythology—that was obvious before even looking at her biography. Having loved Greek mythology growing up, I enjoyed the story and the intimate portrayal of the mythic characters. Joseph Campbell said that the stories of the gods verbalize the tensions within us, and this perspective stayed with me through the reading of this novel as an obvious and insightful truth. Highly recommend it. ...more
There's something at once satisfying and wanting about "All the Lives I Want" in that it has depth, but never goes deep enough. It's unabashedly both There's something at once satisfying and wanting about "All the Lives I Want" in that it has depth, but never goes deep enough. It's unabashedly both a celebration and critique of celebrity culture, a feminist think piece, and a memoir all in one. Alana Massey has without a doubt lead an life as interesting as her subjects, and wields a perspective that is whip-smart, fierce, vulnerable, funny and thoughtful. However, her insights are often partial, rarely developing to completion. She mentions once in passing that she used to covet an eating disorder, and touches on the topic of EDs multiple times in celebrity culture as well as her own size 000 wardrobe, but leaves it at that. I enjoyed reading each chapter like I enjoy clicking on celebrity gossip articles in the Guardian or New York Times, but unlike an article, which by nature is a partial exploration of a much larger topic, I expected more from the book as a whole. It feels like Ms. Massey, who appears to be of an age to be considered a millennial, is still developing her philosophy and ethos, and doesn't quite know yet what she's ultimately trying to convey to the reader. I look forward to hearing more from her both as a feminist and pop culture thinker, but found this book to be frustratingly incomplete in how her ideas are explored versus the potential they have. ...more
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