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alexenjoysthings's Reviews (383)
I honestly love The Epic of Gilgamesh as a story and was really interested in a graphic novel adaption. The art felt very appropriate for the story. I think there were points where the translation skewed too modern, adding a heteronormative and sexist slant.
adventurous
challenging
fast-paced
It is very rare to find an anthology where I enjoy each story, but this one somehow did it! Each story was unique with very strong narrative voices and each had a different approach to the apocalypse that overall showed modern concerns like climate change, bigotry, the class divide, and A.I. I highly recommend this collection.
This was an excellent collection of lesbian history and I learned so much! It was occasionally a bit textbook, but the personal anecdotes did override that.
dark
emotional
mysterious
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a very ambitious book that had an overall very interesting plot, but fell flat upon execution. The constantly shifting timeline was fun, but made for a very confusing narrative. My main issue with the novel, however, was an underlying misogynistic tint to the characters. The main character, Anna, has major "not like other girls" energy, which is hinted to be because she might be 2 Spirit. However, her attitude juxtaposed to her sister, Grace, who is very much the slut archetype, made it feel more like misogyny than queerness. I believe the author was trying to say how it's easier for "promiscuous" girls to get trafficked, but it just fell flat in my opinion. I really enjoyed the ambiguous nature of fantastical elements and the writing was very descriptive.
funny
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
This was a very cute book that focuses on living a more authentically human (and therefore messy) life. It's full of great advice, DIYs, and info about the "goblin" lifestyle. It's a very easy read.
This was such a unique experience to read (perfect for purple readers iykyk). The art style is stop-motion based and it really lent itself to the overall story. The inclusion of different indigenous languages throughout was beautiful. I learned a lot about indigenous history from this book and I feel touched by the narration. Amanda Strong is truly an artist.
It was a little on the nose at first, but definitely found it's footing quickly. I think it's a perfect continuation of the individual Avatar comics we've been getting and one of the better ones. I am begging that Azula's redemption arc is done in a trilogy or at least not in one comic. She deserves a big journey.
fast-paced
Mako is the least interesting character ever, but somehow Kiku Hughes (of the amazing Displacement graphic novel) managed to make him a real boy. This story really added to the lore of the Avatar world in a way that felt so natural and I hope is expanded on in the future. It was especially great to read after Ashes of the Academy and juxtapose the Fire Nation right when it's re-building versus when the world is so different. I love Mako and Bolin's brotherly energy in the comic and learning more about their family was spectacular (especially that twist!). I really enjoyed this comic and I hope Kiku is included in more Avatar projects!
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
I agree with another reviewer that said that this memoir reads like a novel. Sara Glass has a way of making her own life story so thrilling to read and I was constantly wondering what would happen next. It was a great way to learn more about the different Orthodox communities and I appreciate narratives that don't denounce the entirety of their religion when they were in one particularly bad sect. I love memoirs by queer people with different life experiences because it is so easy to think of our family as having a singular experience and stories like this remind me to look outside of myself and remember to include all groups of people in my queer activism.
reflective
fast-paced
Now that we are in the second Trump presidency, I've found myself reaching for books from his first stint to reflect on how things have changed and how we can remember the lessons we learned the first time. Thick is a book I've had on my shelf for several years and I think was perfect for this kind of reflection. I often struggle with essay and short story collections because I find the quality of each story to be so variable, but Thick did not have this problem. The essay I found most impactful was "Girl 6" in which Dr. McMillan Cottom explores how often prominent intellectual Black women are tokenized and how Black women are not able to be mediocre. Girl 6 juxtaposed perfectly with her early essay "Dying to Be Competent." I also particularly adored "In the Name of Beauty," where Dr. McMillan Cottom shares deeply personal stories about how difficult it is to be lacking pretty privilege. Overall, it was an amazing essay collection that I think everyone should read, especially those of us in the margins.