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robinks's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
5.0
I’ve been enjoying all of Powles’s works, especially as a fellow mixed-race person. I loved how well-researched these essays were, and the ties Powles was able to make back to her own lineage and experiences. The references to pop culture also resonated with me (I think the author and I are similar in age).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Colonisation, Animal death, and Grief
Minor: Gun violence, Death, Mass/school shootings, and Misogyny
kairhone's review
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Colonisation and Racism
solenodon's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Colonisation
frankieclc's review against another edition
I realised this just isn’t what I wanna be reading rn and nature based memoirs might not be for me
Content Warnings
Moderate: Colonisation
rebeccaquinton's review
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Colonisation
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
Small Bodies of Water is a very personal collection of memoir-centric essays in which the author explores topics like identity, belonging and home. Various bodies of water in which the author has swum play a big role in this book, as does food. The writing was beautiful but overall it was a bit too fragmentary, introspective, focussed on the search for deeper meaning, and esoteric for my personal taste.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Colonisation
thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
3.0
ive never read a nature book before so this is new territory, but powles creates sth unique in small bodies of water by blending memoir, nature, food into a relaxing, reflective read on identity, migration, and cultural roots.
the book is at times too slow and the description of plants and nature arent of keen interest for me, and many of the chapters seemingly blend into one another. however, i still enjoy this book, particularly the author's rumination on chinese characters and their deeper meaning; relatable sense of nostalgia and longing for family and the past, when things seemed simpler; and how they - along w/ nature and the titular bodies of water - all serve as her anchor in a life often uprooted and in a world where borders are increasingly closed off from one another.
the book is at times too slow and the description of plants and nature arent of keen interest for me, and many of the chapters seemingly blend into one another. however, i still enjoy this book, particularly the author's rumination on chinese characters and their deeper meaning; relatable sense of nostalgia and longing for family and the past, when things seemed simpler; and how they - along w/ nature and the titular bodies of water - all serve as her anchor in a life often uprooted and in a world where borders are increasingly closed off from one another.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Colonisation, Racism, and Animal death
Minor: Death and War
venetiana's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Colonisation, Death, Eating disorder, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Racism, and War
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