moonyreadsbystarlight's reviews
576 reviews

Heartstopper Volume 5 by Alice Oseman

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4.0

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Prisoners' Books at the Nablus Public Library by Maggie Schreiner

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informative

4.0

Lots of pictures along with a brief history and current discussion of the state of education in Israeli prisons - and Palestinians' determination to continue their education despite the lack of support. This includes references and some further reading 
Palestinian Artists: In History & Today by Gliese Art Collective

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informative

4.0

This short introduction mentions a several types of art and an artist within each. There is also a brief summary of the horical context and discussion of the meaning behind each part of the Palestinian flag. 
Overdue Books: Returning Palestine's "Abandoned Property" of 1948 by Hannah Mermelstein

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5.0

This zine summarized parts of the history of these books and research that has been done to identify where they were from despite poor documentation. This is interspersed with a few stories from people directly impacted by this sort of looting. It was easy to read, informative, impactful, and included a number of resources to continue learning. 
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Other Ever Afters: New Queer Fairy Tales by Melanie Gillman

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adventurous reflective fast-paced
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

Very neat! These subversive queer fairy tales are simple but well-done. 
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Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff

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emotional reflective
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes

5.0

This focuses on Bug, a kid whose Uncle dies at the beginning of the summer before middle school. While there is a lot about grief and friendship, there is also a lot about self-discovery. The descriptions of gender dysphoria and social discomfort hit so close to home for me. 

I did feel like some of the mystery part felt more obvious to me, but perhaps it would be different for its intended audience
(but to be fair, I'm thinking about the bit after they get the Oji board message. And while it's onvious from the outside what the message was, him being clueless is 100% realistic. I, too, have overlooked clues about my gender that are painfully obvious) While the end where everything goes super smoothly coming out at home and school isn't realistic per se, it is really wonderful and so vital to see stories without queer trauma
Really the only big issue I had was the lack of care with the Oija board. Always say goodbye and don't do it alone, kids!
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For Black Trans Girls Who Gotta Cuss a Mother F❖❖❖❖❖ Out When Snatching an Edge Ain't Enough by Dane Figueroa Edidi

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reflective

5.0

Beautifully shows joy and pain but above all, the divine. It's a celebration of ancestors and community, while also sharing in grief and getting at what causes the pain, calling people in as well. A wonderful call back to the original text but a sacred text all on its own. 
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Meet Behind Mars by Renee Simms

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challenging reflective
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.5

A bit of a mixed bag, as I find a lot of short story collections. The writing itself was strong, and a lot of the characters were strong, especially considering they are short stories. These are definitely stories to sit with and look back on a few times to really see all the pieces of. I would be very interested in seeing a full novel by this author.
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The Spirited Kitchen: Recipes and Rituals for the Wheel of the Year by Carmen Spagnola

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informative inspiring reflective

5.0

I really like her sort of philosophy and attitude around rituals. I've read the chapter bits (though obviously not ALL the recipes - that's just not how recipe books are to be read). Used it a bit as reference some of this year, looking forward to incorporating some of the things from this more next year.
Fortunate: Tarot Poetry by Kim Rashidi

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reflective

5.0

I've used this for probably a year and a half or more at this point as a reference when I use tarot cards. So I haven't read it cover to cover, but I've read most if not all of it. I love what it adds when I use it in my readings.