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alexblackreads's reviews
846 reviews
When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir by asha bandele, Patrisse Khan-Cullors
4.0
I loved the first half of this book when Khan-Cullors was discussing her childhood. The way she tied her specific experiences into system oppression and her current day activism was brilliant. I genuinely found the first half masterful and so worthwhile.
The second half lost me a little. It was fine, but it wasn't anything special and I struggled to care more than I should have. Like it wasn't bad, but I was significantly less invested than the beginning.
I would definitely recommend this book, though. Well worth it for the first half alone and she discussed a lot of her activism which I found very interesting.
The second half lost me a little. It was fine, but it wasn't anything special and I struggled to care more than I should have. Like it wasn't bad, but I was significantly less invested than the beginning.
I would definitely recommend this book, though. Well worth it for the first half alone and she discussed a lot of her activism which I found very interesting.
The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X by Les Payne, Tamara Payne
4.0
This is a biography of Malcolm X, so it was always going to be interesting just by nature of the subject matter. But the writing of this was stunning. Payne's word choice is so painfully deliberate it made me want to cry. It was stunning. I loved every second of the writing.
He also did such an amazing job researching. The book is so detailed and full of information about Malcolm's childhood and teen years, the good and the (frequently) bad. It's a fantastic biography.
The only thing I struggled with was that I didn't previously know much about Malcolm X and I feel like I still don't have a great grasp of his views. I definitely want to read more about him.
I recommend this so much. Fantastically written and absolutely fascinating. One of the best biographies I've read.
He also did such an amazing job researching. The book is so detailed and full of information about Malcolm's childhood and teen years, the good and the (frequently) bad. It's a fantastic biography.
The only thing I struggled with was that I didn't previously know much about Malcolm X and I feel like I still don't have a great grasp of his views. I definitely want to read more about him.
I recommend this so much. Fantastically written and absolutely fascinating. One of the best biographies I've read.
Exhalation by Ted Chiang
4.0
Ted Chiang is just as good as everyone says! Interesting and insightful short stories, most of which I loved. I struggled a little bit with his writing style which he uses to create distance, but it worked really well with his concepts. Overall they were fascinating and gorgeous, and he has such interesting ideas on humanity, language, and agency. Well worth the read and I'm looking forward to picking up more from him.
Deep Creek: Finding Hope in the High Country by Pam Houston
5.0
This is maybe the best book I've read this year. I read one of Houston's essays in an anthology a couple years back and enjoyed it, so I picked this book up to see if that essay was a one off. It wasn't. This was an absolutely gorgeous collection.
Her writing is stunning. She has such a strong voice and her descriptions of her ranch and the surrounding wilderness were breathtaking. The way she tied her her past into her present on the ranch was nothing short of masterful.
This book is sad in so many ways, but it's hopeful in even more. I've never felt so good after reading something so sad. She can make me cry while simultaneously making me feel that it's going to be okay. She speaks with such love about so many things that you can't help but love her back.
She wrote one essay about her babysitter who practically raised her and it broke my heart. Her parents were abusive and she credits that babysitter with teaching her love and kindness. It made me cry.
Diary of a Fire was a stunning piece of work. I mean this whole book was, but that particular essay was written about a wildfire that threatened Houston's ranch, as well as much of the state. Her fear is palpable and she weaves in factual information about wildfires in the most gorgeous way. It was heartbreaking and heartwarming in equal measure.
But the book wasn't all sad. She's so funny and smart and it was just a brilliant collection. I'd recommend this to anyone for any reason. It was fantastic. It's rare I feel that an author is a new favorite after only one book, but I want to read everything she's ever written.
Her writing is stunning. She has such a strong voice and her descriptions of her ranch and the surrounding wilderness were breathtaking. The way she tied her her past into her present on the ranch was nothing short of masterful.
This book is sad in so many ways, but it's hopeful in even more. I've never felt so good after reading something so sad. She can make me cry while simultaneously making me feel that it's going to be okay. She speaks with such love about so many things that you can't help but love her back.
She wrote one essay about her babysitter who practically raised her and it broke my heart. Her parents were abusive and she credits that babysitter with teaching her love and kindness. It made me cry.
Diary of a Fire was a stunning piece of work. I mean this whole book was, but that particular essay was written about a wildfire that threatened Houston's ranch, as well as much of the state. Her fear is palpable and she weaves in factual information about wildfires in the most gorgeous way. It was heartbreaking and heartwarming in equal measure.
But the book wasn't all sad. She's so funny and smart and it was just a brilliant collection. I'd recommend this to anyone for any reason. It was fantastic. It's rare I feel that an author is a new favorite after only one book, but I want to read everything she's ever written.
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
4.0
I loved Gyasi's writing style. It was beautiful and she did such an amazing job of capturing emotion and ideas. It's one of those books that's just infinitely quotable because the language is gorgeous and powerful.
I struggled with the short chapters and how little time we spent with each character. We follow two two sisters and their descendants, each getting a single chapter. The chapters were about 25 pages a piece and that's just not a lot of time to get to know a person and their life. I wish we'd had more time with them because I really wanted to sit with each new character and get to know them and their life. I felt like as soon as I was really getting into each chapter, it would end and that was it for the character. I really wish it had been longer.
It also at times felt kind of purposeless. The first chapter was fantastic and the last two were so powerful, but in between I wanted a little bit more. It was so well done, but it felt like it was missing that final piece to tie it all together. Gyasi showed how much she could do with the final chapters and I wanted more of the book to showcase that. It may simply have been a time issue.
But I devoured this. Start to finish I was obsessed and I never wanted to put it down. It deserves all the praise it gets and I'm so looking forward to reading more from Gyasi.
I struggled with the short chapters and how little time we spent with each character. We follow two two sisters and their descendants, each getting a single chapter. The chapters were about 25 pages a piece and that's just not a lot of time to get to know a person and their life. I wish we'd had more time with them because I really wanted to sit with each new character and get to know them and their life. I felt like as soon as I was really getting into each chapter, it would end and that was it for the character. I really wish it had been longer.
It also at times felt kind of purposeless. The first chapter was fantastic and the last two were so powerful, but in between I wanted a little bit more. It was so well done, but it felt like it was missing that final piece to tie it all together. Gyasi showed how much she could do with the final chapters and I wanted more of the book to showcase that. It may simply have been a time issue.
But I devoured this. Start to finish I was obsessed and I never wanted to put it down. It deserves all the praise it gets and I'm so looking forward to reading more from Gyasi.
Eva Luna by Isabel Allende
4.0
Truthfully, I'm not entirely sure what this book was, but I really enjoyed it. The writing was beautiful, and I really loved the characters and story.
I do wish more of this was specifically about Eva Luna. The scope of the book was so wide that I frequently lost the threads we were meant to be following. I wasn't always certain what following a specific character accomplished, and after finishing the whole novel it still doesn't make sense.
Allende at times devolves into the weird and unreal, which is something I can struggle with. Sometimes it was beautiful and other times I felt my interest waning. This story was so political I did find myself wish it was a little less magical and a little more real. In general, that's just how my tastes trend, though. I would like to see how I feel about that style in a different Allende book.
But it was beautiful. It was enthralling from page one and the parts I loved I really really loved. This has made me much more interested in reading more from her.
I do wish more of this was specifically about Eva Luna. The scope of the book was so wide that I frequently lost the threads we were meant to be following. I wasn't always certain what following a specific character accomplished, and after finishing the whole novel it still doesn't make sense.
Allende at times devolves into the weird and unreal, which is something I can struggle with. Sometimes it was beautiful and other times I felt my interest waning. This story was so political I did find myself wish it was a little less magical and a little more real. In general, that's just how my tastes trend, though. I would like to see how I feel about that style in a different Allende book.
But it was beautiful. It was enthralling from page one and the parts I loved I really really loved. This has made me much more interested in reading more from her.
Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay
4.0
This is my second of Gay's books and it was definitely an easier read that Hunger. Where Hunger was painful (though wonderful), this book was insightful and necessary. She's just so smart. Like you can know how intelligent someone is objectively, but to just keep experiencing it over and over in each essay it kind of hits you over the head. Like my god this woman is just brilliant.
Every essay was interesting and she covers a broad range of topics, some explicitly about feminist topics and others more indirectly related. They're often funny and all incredibly nuanced. The only thing I struggled with was that some of the essays are about specific media (she has one on Tyler Perry, one on Sweet Valley High, etc) and when the subject was unfamiliar to me, I really struggled. She discussed a few books I didn't know and I was entirely unable to follow her train of thought.
This is a must read for people interested in learning more about feminism, and in my opinion it's a really great place to start for beginners. I believe Roxane Gay is becoming an auto-read author for me.
Every essay was interesting and she covers a broad range of topics, some explicitly about feminist topics and others more indirectly related. They're often funny and all incredibly nuanced. The only thing I struggled with was that some of the essays are about specific media (she has one on Tyler Perry, one on Sweet Valley High, etc) and when the subject was unfamiliar to me, I really struggled. She discussed a few books I didn't know and I was entirely unable to follow her train of thought.
This is a must read for people interested in learning more about feminism, and in my opinion it's a really great place to start for beginners. I believe Roxane Gay is becoming an auto-read author for me.
The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio
4.0
This was so beautifully written. Villavicencio has such a way with language and storytelling. She does such an amazing job with capturing portraits of undocumented immigrants as well as sharing her own story in ways that merged together seamlessly.
It's funny and bitter and angry and hopeful, and most of all it feels real. Highly recommend.
This will be going on my list to reread at some point because the way Villavicencio plays with language, I do think I'd appreciate it my physically. I love experimental creative nonfiction, and I don't think that aspect worked well for me via audiobook.
It's funny and bitter and angry and hopeful, and most of all it feels real. Highly recommend.
This will be going on my list to reread at some point because the way Villavicencio plays with language, I do think I'd appreciate it my physically. I love experimental creative nonfiction, and I don't think that aspect worked well for me via audiobook.
Sex Cult Nun by Faith Jones
3.0
This was interesting but fine. It didn't blow me away. I was intrigued all the way through, but it was a little bit of a struggle. Books like this don't usually take me more than a week to finish. I just wasn't always feeling inclined to pick it up.
I enjoyed hearing about her childhood, but I wish we'd gotten more of an overview of the cult. She had basically one chapter on the history and then everything we learned was through her childhood eyes. I wish she'd expanded on the broader view a little more.
It also kind of lost me toward the end. I believe she is a motivational speaker now, in addition to other careers, and the end of the book kind of turned into her selling her ideas on how to empower yourself. I'm sure it's fine if you like that kind of thing, it just wasn't for me.
I dunno. This book was fine. If you're interested in learning what it's like to grow up in a cult, this is a really fantastic book. There wasn't anything wrong with it, but I didn't really love it either.
I enjoyed hearing about her childhood, but I wish we'd gotten more of an overview of the cult. She had basically one chapter on the history and then everything we learned was through her childhood eyes. I wish she'd expanded on the broader view a little more.
It also kind of lost me toward the end. I believe she is a motivational speaker now, in addition to other careers, and the end of the book kind of turned into her selling her ideas on how to empower yourself. I'm sure it's fine if you like that kind of thing, it just wasn't for me.
I dunno. This book was fine. If you're interested in learning what it's like to grow up in a cult, this is a really fantastic book. There wasn't anything wrong with it, but I didn't really love it either.
After That Night by Karin Slaughter
4.0
I had to adjust my expectations going in. I thought this book was going to be about Jeffrey. It was not. Which is fine. I made some bad assumptions based on the description. That's on me. Once I did adjust, this was fantastic.
The writing is amazing. The characters are amazing. I devoured it so quickly. The story is fun and dark and twisted and it's definitely Karin Slaughter at her best.
In terms of what I didn't like, I wish there'd been more Will Trent. I love this series for Will. Sara is great and all, but this didn't feel like Will Trent book. I hope the next one in the series focuses a lot more on him. And then I had an issue with Sara's friend group. With everything we've learned about Sara from both this series and Grant County, I just didn't believe Sara was friends with this people. They were obviously gross and awful from the beginning. It didn't fit with her character. I don't care too much, but that was something I found myself questioning.
The only thing that was kind of odd in this book was the lack of Covid. Like I don't think everything has to be about Covid now or whatever, but this book felt so current. It felt like it was set this year. Only the lack of Covid gave it this almost alternate universe vibe. That's not a negative, just a little weird thing I noticed.
I dunno. Go read it. I love Karin Slaughter.
The writing is amazing. The characters are amazing. I devoured it so quickly. The story is fun and dark and twisted and it's definitely Karin Slaughter at her best.
In terms of what I didn't like, I wish there'd been more Will Trent. I love this series for Will. Sara is great and all, but this didn't feel like Will Trent book. I hope the next one in the series focuses a lot more on him. And then I had an issue with Sara's friend group. With everything we've learned about Sara from both this series and Grant County, I just didn't believe Sara was friends with this people. They were obviously gross and awful from the beginning. It didn't fit with her character. I don't care too much, but that was something I found myself questioning.
The only thing that was kind of odd in this book was the lack of Covid. Like I don't think everything has to be about Covid now or whatever, but this book felt so current. It felt like it was set this year. Only the lack of Covid gave it this almost alternate universe vibe. That's not a negative, just a little weird thing I noticed.
I dunno. Go read it. I love Karin Slaughter.