butch's reviews
111 reviews

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

id say the book lived up to the hype. the interweaving of narrative was well done and engaging. i can safely say that my understanding of trauma has shifted significantly. some aspects gritted me politically, but that didn't take away from the work the book was doing

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Self harm, Rape, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Gun violence, Drug abuse, Drug use, Domestic abuse, and Adult/minor relationship

Bullshit Jobs: A Theory by David Graeber

medium-paced

2.25

The Long Term: Resisting Life Sentences Working Toward Freedom by Erica Meiners, Alice Kim, Jill Petty

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

5.0

an absolutely necessary read

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

challenging emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Loveable characters? No

4.0

this was absolutely wild from start to finish im still trying to wrap my head around it

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

3.5

Disposable Domestics: Immigrant Women Workers in the Global Economy by Grace Chang

challenging informative reflective tense medium-paced

5.0

devastating how relevant Chang's work and analysis remains today and how much worse it's gotten. grateful for her analysis and care.

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer

challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

really just a stunning book. as a settler, learning about indigenous relationships to the earth has definitely challenged my perceptions. the ways Kimmerer explores reciprocity and kinship were warm and grounding.

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

adventurous dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

i ended enjoying this book more than i thought i would. in the beginning i was getting very tripped up with the extensive new terminology, but i became more absorbed as i went. genly and estraven's relationship was really beautiful to explore and see develop in the story 

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson

challenging dark informative sad medium-paced

3.0

wilkerson's strength in this book is her detail and storytelling, which are both incredibly insightful and meaningful. however, her analysis falls short without an understanding of racial capitalism and global colonialism/imperialism. the lack of critique of obama, the democratic party, and western european countries (outside of nazi germany) makes evident how far she is willing to take her point. the boiling down to individualism (to a degree) without the understanding of how racial/global capitalism and imperialism are completely at odds with the goal of ending caste/racism is a tad insulting. 

Washington Bullets by Vijay Prashad

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

im am truly grateful for all of vijay prashad's work and dedication. washington bullets provides an incredible overview of american/cia inhumane violence and destabilization globally through coups, assassinations, economic and legal exploitations. these exploits have destroyed countless lives and movements. anti-communism has been an absolute plague on the world and vijay weaves the threads of the global american web in a masterful and precise way.