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ashlightgrayson's reviews
757 reviews
Mujeres de la Biblia: Un devocional de estudio para un ano sobre las mujeres de la Escritura by Ann Spangler, Jean E. Syswerda
Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.
DNF 02/28/2025. I think devotionals are just not for me. This one was lying around among my mom's books, and I have just not picked it up since. I just want to sit down and read it all at once and devotionals aren't really for that.
El miedo nos hizo fuertes / Fear Made Us Strong by Alexis Valdés
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
4.0
He seguido a Alexis Valdes desde que era muy joven. Actualmente también sigo a su hija, Ámerica Valdes, que es actriz y cantante. Cuando vi que habia escrito un libro no me aguanté la curiosidad. Valdes tuvo un padrastro muy abusivo por muchos años. Esta etapa de su niñez es un gran enfoque del libro. También habla de los familiares que lo impactaron bastante durante su juventud. No habla mucho sobre su carrera o vida adulta. Yo honestamente lo prefiero así porque me permitió conocer a Alexis el muchacho e ir mas allá de su imagen pública.
El libro te transporta al mundo de un niño travieso, inteligente, pero con mucho amor y dolor en su vida. Desafortunadamente, Alexis y su familia pasaron muchos malos momentos cuando su madre se casó con su padrastro. Era un señor con mucha ira. Le pegaba a Alexis para disciplinarlo. Odiaba al padre de Alexis y a Alexis por ser hijo de una relación previa. Siempre habia un ambiente de miedo en la casa. Es increidble como personas que crecen en casas así pueden tener tan buen sentido del humor. Entre los momentos de miedo y tristeza Valdes encuentra la manera de hacerlo a uno reir. Habla de travesuras y amistades que tuvo en el colegio. Elabora con momentos en las que escribia cartas a una estación de radio en Polonia. Se siente el amor que él recibio de su padre, madre, y su tia, Ámerica. Nombró a su hija Ámerica por su tia a quien quería tanto. Los momentos bonitos que describe con esas figuras en el libro mientra vivia en Cuba me recuerda mucho a momentos con mi familia.
Alexis nunca nombra a su padrastro. De alguna manera se siente como si eso es una representación de que ese señor ya no tiene poder en su vida. En sus propias palabras él explica el porque tomo esta decisión. Tardó mucho tiempo la madre de Alexis en abandonar esa relación tóxica. Es un ejemplo de lo que le pasa a muchas familas en estas situaciones. El miedo a lo que puede pasar si abandonan al abusador los mantiene atrapados. Me alegro mucho que Alexis y su familia encontró eventualmente libertad de ese vínculo con su abusador.
Se nota que escribir este libro es una señal de que Alexis ha sanado muchas heridas de su juventud. Deseo que aquellos que han sido víctimas del abuso encuentran esa paz. Leer este libro es una experiencia optimista y creo que bastantes lectores encontrarán mucha alegria en completarlo.
El libro te transporta al mundo de un niño travieso, inteligente, pero con mucho amor y dolor en su vida. Desafortunadamente, Alexis y su familia pasaron muchos malos momentos cuando su madre se casó con su padrastro. Era un señor con mucha ira. Le pegaba a Alexis para disciplinarlo. Odiaba al padre de Alexis y a Alexis por ser hijo de una relación previa. Siempre habia un ambiente de miedo en la casa. Es increidble como personas que crecen en casas así pueden tener tan buen sentido del humor. Entre los momentos de miedo y tristeza Valdes encuentra la manera de hacerlo a uno reir. Habla de travesuras y amistades que tuvo en el colegio. Elabora con momentos en las que escribia cartas a una estación de radio en Polonia. Se siente el amor que él recibio de su padre, madre, y su tia, Ámerica. Nombró a su hija Ámerica por su tia a quien quería tanto. Los momentos bonitos que describe con esas figuras en el libro mientra vivia en Cuba me recuerda mucho a momentos con mi familia.
Alexis nunca nombra a su padrastro. De alguna manera se siente como si eso es una representación de que ese señor ya no tiene poder en su vida. En sus propias palabras él explica el porque tomo esta decisión. Tardó mucho tiempo la madre de Alexis en abandonar esa relación tóxica. Es un ejemplo de lo que le pasa a muchas familas en estas situaciones. El miedo a lo que puede pasar si abandonan al abusador los mantiene atrapados. Me alegro mucho que Alexis y su familia encontró eventualmente libertad de ese vínculo con su abusador.
Se nota que escribir este libro es una señal de que Alexis ha sanado muchas heridas de su juventud. Deseo que aquellos que han sido víctimas del abuso encuentran esa paz. Leer este libro es una experiencia optimista y creo que bastantes lectores encontrarán mucha alegria en completarlo.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Homophobia
Knowing God by J.I. Packer
Did not finish book. Stopped at 21%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 21%.
This book fell by the wayside years ago and I haven't gone back to it. I probably will eventually, but probably not anytime soon.
Stories with Intent: A Comprehensive Guide to the Parables of Jesus by Klyne R. Snodgrass
Did not finish book.
Did not finish book.
I thought I was eventually going to get back to this, but it's a dense read and it's been a few years. We're just going to DNF for now and see if we revisit it in the future.
Ascension by A.S. Fenichel
Did not finish book. Stopped at 71%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 71%.
I stopped reading this one and have not been reading romance as of late, so I think I'm going to call it quits for now. Maybe I shall return to this later, but definitely not any time soon. It was a good story while I was reading it, though.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Pride by E.M. Leya
Did not finish book. Stopped at 53%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 53%.
I started reading this when I had Kindle Unlimited and then just never went back to it. I have now mostly lost interest in going back. I have not been gravitating towards romance in general. It may be a while before I read romance at all, so maybe I will pick this up in the future. That, however, will not be any time soon.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Emma by Jane Austen
I was having trouble getting into this book I feel like I wasn't I'm the mood for it at the time. Will be picking this back up at some point.
Witchshadow by Susan Dennard
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This plot just continues to become more intricate. This book is more plot heavy and less character focused. I do recommend reading Sightwitch before picking up this installment if you haven't. It gives a lot of context for the history of the paladins and explains their existence as they start popping up within the story. There are a lot of characters to keep track of in this series, so I would recommend reading all of the books back-to-back as well.
I had moments in the story where I had to backtrack a few paragraphs because there was so much happening. Dennard uses a lot of subtle subtext to drive the narrative. She veers away from hand holding and mostly counts on the reader putting two and two together to figure some things out. I prefer this approach personally, than having an author overexplain things that can be concluded if you're just paying attention.
We get a tremendous amount of time with Aeduan and Iseult. A lot of characters that have never met before finally meet in this installment (it's about time). There are also some interesting relationships that form from that. My favorite dynamic was probably Leopold with Iseult. Iseult is just so intuitive and is easily able to see through Leopold's charming facade. Leopold has cultivated a persona in order to survive. Iseult on the other hand, has never fit in and has never tried to pretend to be something she is not. Some of the best dialogue in the book occurs between those two characters and it was so unexpected.
We spend some time with Iseult and Aeduan, but if you are looking forward to a lot of romance you may be disappointed. There is a lot of slow burn buildup and tension between Iseult and Aeduan, but there are no outright romantic scenes. I appreciate that we did not steer too far from the plot long enough to really focus on it. As much as I like some good romance in a story like this, it would have felt disigenous to me to have them spend more time canoodling than fighting to survive.
This isn't a political intrigue novel, but it sure felt like one with how many characters had overlapping schemes with various different goals. I really liked this aspect of the plot. There are more shifting points of view than ever in this one. However, they always all come together in the end to make and adventurous and cohesive main plot. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. Waiting for it to be published is what is really going to be a pain.
I had moments in the story where I had to backtrack a few paragraphs because there was so much happening. Dennard uses a lot of subtle subtext to drive the narrative. She veers away from hand holding and mostly counts on the reader putting two and two together to figure some things out. I prefer this approach personally, than having an author overexplain things that can be concluded if you're just paying attention.
We get a tremendous amount of time with Aeduan and Iseult. A lot of characters that have never met before finally meet in this installment (it's about time). There are also some interesting relationships that form from that. My favorite dynamic was probably Leopold with Iseult. Iseult is just so intuitive and is easily able to see through Leopold's charming facade. Leopold has cultivated a persona in order to survive. Iseult on the other hand, has never fit in and has never tried to pretend to be something she is not. Some of the best dialogue in the book occurs between those two characters and it was so unexpected.
We spend some time with Iseult and Aeduan, but if you are looking forward to a lot of romance you may be disappointed. There is a lot of slow burn buildup and tension between Iseult and Aeduan, but there are no outright romantic scenes. I appreciate that we did not steer too far from the plot long enough to really focus on it. As much as I like some good romance in a story like this, it would have felt disigenous to me to have them spend more time canoodling than fighting to survive.
This isn't a political intrigue novel, but it sure felt like one with how many characters had overlapping schemes with various different goals. I really liked this aspect of the plot. There are more shifting points of view than ever in this one. However, they always all come together in the end to make and adventurous and cohesive main plot. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. Waiting for it to be published is what is really going to be a pain.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Violence, and War
Minor: Gore
Love Not Found, Vol. 3 by Gina Biggs
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The art for this comic is stunning as usual. I love how all of the bright colors bring the story alive. My favorite part of this volume was seeing the development of Ivy, Holly, and Aster. The relationship between Holly and Ivy has changed, but I think at this point it definitely stems beyond platonic. I was very happy we got to explore that and hope that we continue seeing those relationships develop. Aster's family is also wonderful. Tulip is such a gem. It's good to know that there are other people besides Abeille who are touch positive in this world while also being respectful of other people's boundaries.
I wasn't very happy with Poppy's behavior in the last volume, but by the end of volume 3 Abeille and her are in a much better place. There is a lot of character development for both of them. One of the things I love about this series is that the characters are flawed, but still have redeeming qualities. They are like a large friend group that feels like family. I cannot wait until the next volume comes out so that I can add it to my collection. I'm looking forward to how all of their relationship continue to develop. This was one of the best volumes so far.
I wasn't very happy with Poppy's behavior in the last volume, but by the end of volume 3 Abeille and her are in a much better place. There is a lot of character development for both of them. One of the things I love about this series is that the characters are flawed, but still have redeeming qualities. They are like a large friend group that feels like family. I cannot wait until the next volume comes out so that I can add it to my collection. I'm looking forward to how all of their relationship continue to develop. This was one of the best volumes so far.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book is an exploration of depression, mental health, and the restrictive expectations placed on women in society. The main character, Esther, is a semi-autobiographical stand in for the author and you can definitely see the parallels if you know about Sylvia Plath's life. The narrative is an exploration of a privileged woman's deteriorating mental health. I emphasize Esther's privilege because a lot of Esther's experience is informed by her privilege as a white woman. I will elaborate.
Esther does suffer various forms of oppression such as the expectations of marriage and having children that society imposes on her. Furthermore, Esther often ruminates about having sex and relationships. She is aware of the double standard there is for women and men when engaging in sexual activity. All of these issues are part of much of the female experience. However, in the context of women of color and queer women Esther's struggles are very narrow in scope. Esther is very depressed and it's clear from the way she often feels dissapointed by the relationships around her as well as her cirumstances. As the book progresses, her mental health deteriorates and she ends up staying in a psychiatric hospital. Her stay ends up being completely funded by by an anonoymous sponsor. The fact that she has access to pschiatric care at all and on top of it has it fully funded is very privileged. Most people, either due to race or socioeceonomic reasons, would not have access to that level of care. I think there is definitely space to explore the stories of white women like Esther. However, I think the limited scope of this experience must also be acknowledged.
I can't help but feel that Esther is also heavily informed by Sylvia Plath's internalized racism. There is an instant in the book where she is in the psychiatric hospital and there is a black janitor that Esther describes very negatively. It falls into many racist stereotypes pertaining to the lack of intelligence of black people as well as their likeness to animals. It's jarringly racist and even the dialogue Plath uses for the black janitor feels like something pulled out of a minstrel show from the 1800s. There is another instance in the book when she is looking at herself in the mirror and is not happy with what she sees. The description she uses for the image she sees in the mirror is "smudgy eyed Chinese woman". I don't think I need to explain the prejudice there. She just uses these negative comparisons often enough that it's hard not to notice.
Despite the shortcomings of the book, I still found the story interesting and worth a read. I think it is a good representation of the state of mental healthcare during the 1960s. The outdated treatments are hard to read about at times. A lot of people suffered through treatments like electroshock therapy with no benefit. It offers insight into the neglect that a lot of women with mental illness probably felt at the time. To this day, as far as we have come there is still a lot of stigma related to mental health for both men and women. I wish Sylvia Plath had lived long enough to write more than one novel, but I'm happy that we at least have this novel as well as many of her poems and essays to remember her by.
Esther does suffer various forms of oppression such as the expectations of marriage and having children that society imposes on her. Furthermore, Esther often ruminates about having sex and relationships. She is aware of the double standard there is for women and men when engaging in sexual activity. All of these issues are part of much of the female experience. However, in the context of women of color and queer women Esther's struggles are very narrow in scope. Esther is very depressed and it's clear from the way she often feels dissapointed by the relationships around her as well as her cirumstances. As the book progresses, her mental health deteriorates and she ends up staying in a psychiatric hospital. Her stay ends up being completely funded by by an anonoymous sponsor. The fact that she has access to pschiatric care at all and on top of it has it fully funded is very privileged. Most people, either due to race or socioeceonomic reasons, would not have access to that level of care. I think there is definitely space to explore the stories of white women like Esther. However, I think the limited scope of this experience must also be acknowledged.
I can't help but feel that Esther is also heavily informed by Sylvia Plath's internalized racism. There is an instant in the book where she is in the psychiatric hospital and there is a black janitor that Esther describes very negatively. It falls into many racist stereotypes pertaining to the lack of intelligence of black people as well as their likeness to animals. It's jarringly racist and even the dialogue Plath uses for the black janitor feels like something pulled out of a minstrel show from the 1800s. There is another instance in the book when she is looking at herself in the mirror and is not happy with what she sees. The description she uses for the image she sees in the mirror is "smudgy eyed Chinese woman". I don't think I need to explain the prejudice there. She just uses these negative comparisons often enough that it's hard not to notice.
Despite the shortcomings of the book, I still found the story interesting and worth a read. I think it is a good representation of the state of mental healthcare during the 1960s. The outdated treatments are hard to read about at times. A lot of people suffered through treatments like electroshock therapy with no benefit. It offers insight into the neglect that a lot of women with mental illness probably felt at the time. To this day, as far as we have come there is still a lot of stigma related to mental health for both men and women. I wish Sylvia Plath had lived long enough to write more than one novel, but I'm happy that we at least have this novel as well as many of her poems and essays to remember her by.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Sexual content