butch's reviews
117 reviews

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.5

loved listening to the audiobook for this with two narrators, one for Red, one for Blue. such a devastating and lyrically beautiful read. though it bit confusing at times, the function and concept of time travel and threads in the story was fascinating and an engaging backdrop for the protagonists. 

Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H

challenging emotional reflective tense fast-paced

4.25

the organization and thematic use of vignettes threaded together with explorations of scripture and spirituality were incredibly compelling and connected varying experiences in their life together. the vulnerability and courage are deeply evident in Lamya's writing and reflection. while they did not detract from my overall enjoyment and appreciation of the book, i think some phrasing around social justice issues was overly buzzword-y and their characterization of their date with another butch person came off as disrespecting of butch-butch attraction and relationships in my reading.

Viral Cultures: Activist Archiving in the Age of AIDS by Marika Cifor

challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

How We Go Home: Voices from Indigenous North America by Sara Sinclair

challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

Family of Secrets: The Bush Dynasty, the Powerful Forces That Put it in the White House & What Their Influence Means for America by Russ Baker

challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

im very appreciative of the work and care and effort Russ Baker put into this. i have so many words that I can’t even begin to put down about how much this family and its network have honestly damaged and pillaged a lot of the world. id highly recommend giving this book a read

Lakewood by Megan Giddings

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

whew this had me on the edge of my seat and felt just extremely relevant to a whole host of histories and our present moment. i don't delve into horror or sci-fi much, but id definitely recommend giving this a read.

The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde by Audre Lorde

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

all i can say is that im so grateful for Audre Lorde's life and work. her impact is always felt.

Women and Revolution: The Living Example of the Cuban Revolution by Arelys Santana, Asela de Los Santos

hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.5

a great primer for the more extensive book Women in Cuba: The Making of a Revolution Within the Revolution (which I’ll be reading next!) that gives context and perspective to the work. 

The East Was Read by Vijay Prashad

challenging informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.25

a multi-faceted variety of personal essays examining the role and influence of Soviet socialist media and culture on contributors’ lives and their respective communities that I found to be challenging in a productive way. there were conflicting emotions and experiences throughout, but I enjoyed the specificity each writer brought to the table. 

Bit Tyrants: The Political Economy of Silicon Valley by Rob Larson

funny informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

a thorough analysis of multiple facets of Big Tech that doesn’t hold back. it’s pretty incredible how much the narratives surrounding these corporations have been utterly warped (ie. origins of tech and government funding), like everything else this godforsaken country touches. though this came out in 2020 it already feels like the industry has shifted more in the year or so since, especially with so many of these CEOs setting their eyes on space and other horizons.