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883 reviews
The Merchant Match by Jenna Bigelow
emotional
5.0
I was not prepared for this to be a five star read. It was just a little free-with-the-newsletter novella (how complicated of a romance plot could it have?). And these characters were present in The Tribune Temptation as solidly ‘Good People’ (what interesting character flaws could we possibly see?).
But this was great! The Roman setting was excellent. Our MCs were both a bit older. Our heroine was a Freedwoman (emancipated Roman slave) and our hero was a honourable wealthy Plebeian. It was all about challenging internalized beliefs about the inequality of different classes—and it was 0% ham-fisted.
Just the right amount of emotion to balance out an otherwise sweet romance. Plus, our hero was shy about how big his 🍆 was. Love that.
But this was great! The Roman setting was excellent. Our MCs were both a bit older. Our heroine was a Freedwoman (emancipated Roman slave) and our hero was a honourable wealthy Plebeian. It was all about challenging internalized beliefs about the inequality of different classes—and it was 0% ham-fisted.
Just the right amount of emotion to balance out an otherwise sweet romance. Plus, our hero was shy about how big his 🍆 was. Love that.
The Tribune Temptation by Jenna Bigelow
emotional
5.0
Spectacular. Give me 14 of them right now.
A historical romance set in Rome? Yay!!
✨ This Roman setting? Excellent. This was not a contemporary romance in a toga—we *were* in Rome.
✨ This marriage of convenience? Excellent. I’m a simple girl. I just want a marriage of convenience where they agree to keep it platonic… but they’re sweating at how much they want to bang each other.
✨ These characters? Literal perfection. I can’t decide what I liked the most: that our heroine had some flaws, how unexpectedly nuanced her feelings about children were, how complicatedly they experienced Roman class distinctions, how even our side character friends were flawed and real… Actually, this is what I liked the most: that our hero was a progressive and ambitious Freedman (emancipated Roman slave) but he wasn’t some cartoonish Robin Hood figure—“he wanted to be seen as respectable, genteel” and we had lots of internalized BS to deal with (for him and for her).
This series is about to become my whole personality.
A historical romance set in Rome? Yay!!
✨ This Roman setting? Excellent. This was not a contemporary romance in a toga—we *were* in Rome.
✨ This marriage of convenience? Excellent. I’m a simple girl. I just want a marriage of convenience where they agree to keep it platonic… but they’re sweating at how much they want to bang each other.
✨ These characters? Literal perfection. I can’t decide what I liked the most: that our heroine had some flaws, how unexpectedly nuanced her feelings about children were, how complicatedly they experienced Roman class distinctions, how even our side character friends were flawed and real… Actually, this is what I liked the most: that our hero was a progressive and ambitious Freedman (emancipated Roman slave) but he wasn’t some cartoonish Robin Hood figure—“he wanted to be seen as respectable, genteel” and we had lots of internalized BS to deal with (for him and for her).
This series is about to become my whole personality.
Slow Down: How Degrowth Communism Can Save the Earth by Kōhei Saitō
reflective
5.0
Obsessed. This is it. This is THE book.
A thorough solution to climate change that would 1) totally work and 2) be both anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist. I feel like I’ve been searching for this book my whole life and now I’ve found it and I don’t really know what to do with myself 😅
It was:
✨ part analysis of all the major economic models on climate justice (the above Aaron Bastani’s included)
✨ part EPIC Marx scholarship
Saito’s critiques were all spot on and I’m in awe of how he took inspiration from unpublished archival drafts of Marx’s later works. It was mind blowing, approachable, and just… right, I think.
Also this is a translated work, originally published in Japanese. And I think it’s a good reminder that maybe we should look outside the Anglo-sphere for solutions to climate change.
A thorough solution to climate change that would 1) totally work and 2) be both anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist. I feel like I’ve been searching for this book my whole life and now I’ve found it and I don’t really know what to do with myself 😅
It was:
✨ part analysis of all the major economic models on climate justice (the above Aaron Bastani’s included)
✨ part EPIC Marx scholarship
Saito’s critiques were all spot on and I’m in awe of how he took inspiration from unpublished archival drafts of Marx’s later works. It was mind blowing, approachable, and just… right, I think.
Also this is a translated work, originally published in Japanese. And I think it’s a good reminder that maybe we should look outside the Anglo-sphere for solutions to climate change.
Fully Automated Luxury Communism by Aaron Bastani
reflective
3.0
This book discussed how technology—particularly renewable energy—is getting so good and so un-scarce that we can almost make everything we need (and want) for basically free and environmentally sustainably.
This book was all about the “could”: we could get enough solar energy to power the whole world for a year in less than 90min, recharging EVs and public transportation could be free, we could have global universal health care, we could sustainably feed a world population even higher than our own, we could eat meat (from cell cultures) or meat alternatives and end animal suffering at the same time etc etc.
But this book lacked an analysis of power. Because, yes sustainable things have gotten cheaper to produce and will continue to do so. But they haven’t gotten cheaper to buy at the same rate. And the world’s richest people have pocketed that difference, which they use to undermine everything this book dreams about.
And yet, I appreciate how angry this book made me. Because a better world is possible, the only thing stopping us is capitalism.
This book was all about the “could”: we could get enough solar energy to power the whole world for a year in less than 90min, recharging EVs and public transportation could be free, we could have global universal health care, we could sustainably feed a world population even higher than our own, we could eat meat (from cell cultures) or meat alternatives and end animal suffering at the same time etc etc.
But this book lacked an analysis of power. Because, yes sustainable things have gotten cheaper to produce and will continue to do so. But they haven’t gotten cheaper to buy at the same rate. And the world’s richest people have pocketed that difference, which they use to undermine everything this book dreams about.
And yet, I appreciate how angry this book made me. Because a better world is possible, the only thing stopping us is capitalism.
The Battle for Paradise: Puerto Rico Takes on the Disaster Capitalists by Naomi Klein
reflective
3.0
I’m torn on this one.
On the one hand, this was a great case study in shock doctrine, disaster capitalism (two concepts coined by Klein), and neoliberal exploitation by the US government and American private sector in the context of hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.
On the other hand, whenever I read Klein discussing local resistance movements I feel like I need a romanticism-to-regular language translator in my brain. Some people love how oo-woo her language can be, though—so make of that what you will.
On the one hand, this was a great case study in shock doctrine, disaster capitalism (two concepts coined by Klein), and neoliberal exploitation by the US government and American private sector in the context of hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.
On the other hand, whenever I read Klein discussing local resistance movements I feel like I need a romanticism-to-regular language translator in my brain. Some people love how oo-woo her language can be, though—so make of that what you will.
Discourse on Colonialism by Aimé Césaire
reflective
5.0
Stuffy nonfiction, this was not. If you love sarcasm and cutting social critique and you hate colonialism and white supremacy—this is your book!
There was so much that I loved in here:
✨ this book did not hold back—it was so sarcastic and we read colonialism for filth
✨ the whole “Who Said It? Colonialism-Apologist or Literal Nazi?” joke throughout—because these people were absurd and they needed to be called out
✨ there was a very post-WWII, reckoning with fascism and extreme racism part to this 1950s book that felt extremely relevant to our ‘does this moment rhyme with the early 1930s?’ anxiety
✨ how history has proved him so right that post-colonialism should involve some amount of Marx (even though Marx was being critiqued for his Euro-centrism at the time)
There was so much that I loved in here:
✨ this book did not hold back—it was so sarcastic and we read colonialism for filth
✨ the whole “Who Said It? Colonialism-Apologist or Literal Nazi?” joke throughout—because these people were absurd and they needed to be called out
✨ there was a very post-WWII, reckoning with fascism and extreme racism part to this 1950s book that felt extremely relevant to our ‘does this moment rhyme with the early 1930s?’ anxiety
✨ how history has proved him so right that post-colonialism should involve some amount of Marx (even though Marx was being critiqued for his Euro-centrism at the time)
I Will Steal You The Stars by Alivia Fleur
emotional
4.0
Ooh this book got me so excited!
It was a short little novella. A childhood friends to lovers story where their intimacy was grandfathered-in to the story’s timeline—a story detail that never gets full marks from me (I need my on-page falling in love).
But the setting! The characters! The language! I’m obsessed. It was so immersive and vibe-y. The accent that came through the dialogue was so unique. I loved that our hero was 5 feet tall but also had so much Daddy energy.
This was just so lovely, I can’t wait to read more from this author!
It was a short little novella. A childhood friends to lovers story where their intimacy was grandfathered-in to the story’s timeline—a story detail that never gets full marks from me (I need my on-page falling in love).
But the setting! The characters! The language! I’m obsessed. It was so immersive and vibe-y. The accent that came through the dialogue was so unique. I loved that our hero was 5 feet tall but also had so much Daddy energy.
This was just so lovely, I can’t wait to read more from this author!
Sinful Mate by Trish Heinrich
adventurous
2.0
Dr. Spock in the streets, freak in the sheets. Star Trek inspired friends to lovers where our human lady was a medical genius. I was ready to love this—and it started out great.
In terms of spice:
👍 aliens who can read your mind by touching you is super fun (also hot)
👎 I think knotting is the most awkward thing I can possibly imagine. The sexy time is over and now they’re just… stuck together? Nightmare fuel
Make of that what you will 😆
That said, the second half of the book lost me. It had one of my least favourite relationship dramas (the “I love you too much to be with you”). We didn’t lean into the culture clash as much as I wanted. There was a villainous monologue I rolled my eyes at. And I never figured out why this was called “sinful mate”(who was the sinner? What religion were we sinning in?)—it bothered me 😆
In terms of spice:
👍 aliens who can read your mind by touching you is super fun (also hot)
👎 I think knotting is the most awkward thing I can possibly imagine. The sexy time is over and now they’re just… stuck together? Nightmare fuel
Make of that what you will 😆
That said, the second half of the book lost me. It had one of my least favourite relationship dramas (the “I love you too much to be with you”). We didn’t lean into the culture clash as much as I wanted. There was a villainous monologue I rolled my eyes at. And I never figured out why this was called “sinful mate”(who was the sinner? What religion were we sinning in?)—it bothered me 😆
Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater
emotional
4.0
This book was lovely. I read it in a day. Loved the mix of regency historical romance and fae magic fantasy. Great characters, cute romance.
I particularly enjoyed the single POV in here. And I thought the ‘half a soul’ metaphor for neurodivergence (which seems like it could be derogatory at first glance) was actually super beautiful and emotional.
For me, it had one flaw though. A major theme in here was a social critique of war, inequality, and child labour—social critiques I love. But this one was way too twee.
If you’ve read this, did you find the social critique twee? (I read a bunch of reviews that found it compelling) But here’s my criteria—and tell me what you think—if the 19th century social critique is less than 50% as gritty as Charles Dickens (who writes silly characters like Wackford Squeers and Serjeant Buzfuz), then it’s very solidly twee.
I particularly enjoyed the single POV in here. And I thought the ‘half a soul’ metaphor for neurodivergence (which seems like it could be derogatory at first glance) was actually super beautiful and emotional.
For me, it had one flaw though. A major theme in here was a social critique of war, inequality, and child labour—social critiques I love. But this one was way too twee.
If you’ve read this, did you find the social critique twee? (I read a bunch of reviews that found it compelling) But here’s my criteria—and tell me what you think—if the 19th century social critique is less than 50% as gritty as Charles Dickens (who writes silly characters like Wackford Squeers and Serjeant Buzfuz), then it’s very solidly twee.
An Unexpected Kiss: A Regency Historical Romance by Alexa Aston
emotional
4.0
Earnest. That’s the word for this book.
Our down-to-earth hottie was surprised to inherit a title. Our diamond of the first water heroine helped him fit in. Found family, being honest with one another, honour, cuteness.
It was so earnest! It felt like a k-drama. There was something really charming and cozy about it. The characters were all likable, everything happened on page, he didn’t think he deserved her, they were pining. It was super sweet.
The writing style was very on the nose and it had one of my least favourite things holding them apart (the ‘I love you too much to be with you’ trope). But I forgive it.