Take a photo of a barcode or cover
baguettekelly's reviews
238 reviews
All Fours by Miranda July
dark
reflective
slow-paced
4.75
This book is a thought provoking exploration of middle age and menopause and the expanse of life afterwards. The main character is not particularly relatable or likable but she is interesting. Miranda July is a master at turning a weird feeling into a narrative.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Medical trauma
Kingdom of Rage: The Rise of Christian Extremism and the Path Back to Peace by Elizabeth Neumann
dark
informative
3.5
I’m trying to read more to understand our ~current political moment~ this year, and this book was an interesting step along that quest. The first half of the book gives an insightful overview of how the US got to this place of Christian extremism, and the significance it holds in the global landscape of terror. The second half uses biblical sources to argue against radicalization. I’m already not planning on doing domestic terrorism so I didn’t find it too affecting, but I think this could be a powerful read for its target audience.
Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
Probably 100 pages too long, but I’m glad I stuck with it. Ties things up in a very satisfying way.
It Lasts Forever and Then It's Over by Anne de Marcken
dark
emotional
slow-paced
3.5
Quick little one-sitting novella about being forlorn and also undead. Takes place in the PNW which I loved.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
We Believe the Children: A Moral Panic in the 1980s by Richard Beck
challenging
dark
slow-paced
3.25
Captures a thought provoking phenomenon and the ideological moment in which it happened. The inside look at how our justice system can fail everyone all at once will stick with me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual violence
All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker
Did not finish book. Stopped at 55%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 55%.
This book is boring, bloated, and features a cast of flimsy one-dimensional female characters whose lives revolve around a guy who does not GAF about anyone but Grace. I could not read another chapter about Harvard girls throwing themselves at Patch’s feet while he robbed banks for charity and painted at a virtuosic level. I wish the story were Grace’s life and perspective rather than 700 pages of an emotionally parasitic man taking advantage of the friendship of a sweet smart girl. Idk what you’re all on about with this one.
The Night by Rodrigo Blanco Calderón
challenging
dark
I don’t feel like I can give this a star rating as I found a lot of it dense and inscrutable, but I also don’t speak Spanish and didn’t know anything about Darío Lancini before picking it up. The interweaving of superficially unrelated stories is very impressive, and I was certainly interested the whole time, but without context it never really came together for me. I think this book perhaps does not lend itself well to translation.
New Animal by Ella Baxter
2.25
People don’t talk or act like this and I found this book a bit hard to get through. Good reminder that if you’re thinking of doing BDSM as a coping mechanism, you should probably just go to therapy, though
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Death of parent
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
emotional
mysterious
3.75
I appreciate that this book has a sci fi premise but is not sci fi - it very much focuses on the human element of hypothetical time travel. The writing is beautiful and compelling. I wish the twist was……twistier? The story would’ve been just as good without it.