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moonyreadsbystarlight's reviews
576 reviews
Coffee Boy by Austin Chant
4.5
It ended up being very cute, but it was heavier than I anticipated. Still loved it though!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Transphobia
How Nonviolence Protects the State by Peter Gelderloos
challenging
informative
3.75
Around 3.5 or 4 ⭐️
This has a lot of really great discussion about the issues that come with a hard-line pacifist stance and utilizes a lot of strong examples. Regardless of your political stance, I think it has a lot of really important points.
It has a lot of interesting things to say about how history is represented, as well as the role of privilege in this position as strict pacifism. Many points are made about the relationship of the state to nonviolence, including how the state treats nonviolence, how some nonviolent groups have complied with or enabled the state, and how so many pacifists overlook or completely misunderstand the state and the very real violence it is enacting. It also discusses strategy (or lack thereof) and the issue of the nebulous nature of even the definition of violence
The last 2 chapters were the weakest. The second to last chapter had important points, but they were not as well framed and integrated into the text as a whole. And did not see the chapter on alternatives as fully fleshed out.
Overall, it was a strong read, very interesting, and it's definitely one I will be thinking about for a while.
This has a lot of really great discussion about the issues that come with a hard-line pacifist stance and utilizes a lot of strong examples. Regardless of your political stance, I think it has a lot of really important points.
It has a lot of interesting things to say about how history is represented, as well as the role of privilege in this position as strict pacifism. Many points are made about the relationship of the state to nonviolence, including how the state treats nonviolence, how some nonviolent groups have complied with or enabled the state, and how so many pacifists overlook or completely misunderstand the state and the very real violence it is enacting. It also discusses strategy (or lack thereof) and the issue of the nebulous nature of even the definition of violence
The last 2 chapters were the weakest. The second to last chapter had important points, but they were not as well framed and integrated into the text as a whole. And did not see the chapter on alternatives as fully fleshed out.
Overall, it was a strong read, very interesting, and it's definitely one I will be thinking about for a while.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Colonisation
Moderate: Sexual violence
A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Beautifully written and powerful
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Slavery, and Colonisation
Exodus 20:3 by Freydís Moon
emotional
reflective
I did read this but I no longer feel comfortable recommending anything by this author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Transphobia
Caroline's Heart by Austin Chant
emotional
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Homophobia, Transphobia, and Grief
Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Racism, and Violence
Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell
informative
reflective
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Suicide, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Racism, Sexual violence, and Murder
Minor: Fatphobia
My Name's Yours, What's Alaska?: A Memoir by Alaska Thunderfuck 5000
emotional
funny
fast-paced
4.0
This was a quick, mostly fun read. She discusses so much about her experience with drag and within the drag community (including her time on RuPaul's Drag Race and interactions with queens who had been on the show after leaving). There is so much messiness that she is open about (not just talking about others, but a lot about herself). There are some of tough experiences that she discusses, including hate crimes, abuse, and alcoholism/addiction - but she manages to give some details without it being a super heavy book.
This is very much written in Alaska's voice, which I really enjoyed but if you aren't already a fan (or if you come in expecting more traditional writing style), it could be off-putting. I'm not sure I would have been as into it if I wasn't already interested in her to begin with. There are definitely technical critiques I could give or details I could say that I wanted, but at the end of it, I did read most of it in a sitting and had a fun time doing it, which is why it ended up with a higher rating. I would mainly recommend this to folks who are already interested in Alaska or popular drag queens more broadly.
Other notable CWs are for slurs including the f-slur used in full and a couple that are mentioned but not typed in full as well as racism. In particular, she talks about Sharon Needles' racist depictions in drag and use of the n-word.
This is very much written in Alaska's voice, which I really enjoyed but if you aren't already a fan (or if you come in expecting more traditional writing style), it could be off-putting. I'm not sure I would have been as into it if I wasn't already interested in her to begin with. There are definitely technical critiques I could give or details I could say that I wanted, but at the end of it, I did read most of it in a sitting and had a fun time doing it, which is why it ended up with a higher rating. I would mainly recommend this to folks who are already interested in Alaska or popular drag queens more broadly.
Other notable CWs are for slurs including the f-slur used in full and a couple that are mentioned but not typed in full as well as racism. In particular, she talks about Sharon Needles' racist depictions in drag and use of the n-word.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, and Transphobia
Minor: Vomit
F-slur is used