callanisreading's reviews
196 reviews

Circe by Madeline Miller

4.0

Circe, a Titan goddess, stands apart from the Pantheon in this epic tale of her life during the age of heroes. Distanced from other deities, Circe contemplates the mortal condition -- tangling with legendary gods, monsters, and humans in the process. As she revisits classical tales through the eyes of a goddess, Miller artfully integrates modern morality and ancient myth.

Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia

4.0

Across countries and generations, nine Latina women unwind the threads that bind them. Searching for her own freedom, each tests the ties between past and present. Rendered in achingly tender detail, Garcia’s debut novel explores family, trauma, and longing to be seen, and understood.

Awards for Good Boys: Tales of Dating, Double Standards, and Doom by Shelby Lorman

4.0

Lorman relates her insights about our culture of “doing the least” in this whip-smart anthology of essays and comics. With boundless humor, she spotlights “good boy” behaviors so ubiquitous as to be almost invisible. This quick read pushes us to hold good boys accountable, and laugh along the way.

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

4.0

Cora, a young woman from Georgia, traverses the United States to evade those who aim to enslave her. On her journey, she encounters the myriad shapes and horrors of slavery, pushing her to contemplate the meaning of freedom as an African-American woman. Propelled by taut, clear prose, this harrowing saga explores a cruel American past and highlights the ways brutality persists in the present.

Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay

5.0

In this heart-rending memoir, Gay relates the story of her body: a fortress, a cage, a record of her hunger. Gay’s hunger resonates deeply with readers of all bodies and encourages reflection about how we each move through the world. This stunning reflection leaves me in tears, feeling seen and a little less alone.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

4.0

Kathy meditates on her past as a student of Hailsham, an idyllic English boarding school tucked into the countryside. In reflection she reveals complexities of her childhood - a youth of secrets, romance, and tragedy. With curious prose that propels readers deep into a world of memory, Ishiguro asks readers what makes life worth living.

The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

4.0

In this anthology of poetic essays, the Prophet speaks to the people of Orphalese on the day of his departure, imparting wisdom as his farewell gift. Through spiritual verse, he waxes philosophical about the substance of life: ranging from pain to beauty, love to death. Peppered with beautiful imagery, Gibran's masterpiece offers readers a mirror through which they might reflect on their relationship to the Prophet's timeless wisdom.

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

4.0

In prose that reads like poetry, Little Dog unravels his childhood as a queer, Vietnamese boy in Hartford, Connecticut. As he recounts the three great loves of his youth, Little Dog meditates on the connection between beauty and pain. Vuong defies conventions of structure and narrative in this debut novel to deliver a fictional boy who touches something real.

Libertie by Kaitlyn Greenidge

4.0

Libertie grows up in awe of her mother, a free-born Black doctor determined to care for her community. While Libertie searches for her own realization of freedom, she confronts a reality for which her mother did not prepare her, enduring racism, colorism, and sexism from all sides. Greenidge invites nuanced meditation on love, freedom, and vision in this gorgeous, layered, coming-of-age story.

Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong

5.0

Hong meditates on her experiences as an Asian-American woman, blending cultural critique with memoir to add nuance to the story of American racism. She reflects on the dissonance between the American dream and the realities of marginalization — and all the shame, anger, and sadness this inconsistency inspires. With tender, contemplative prose and historical insight, Hong urges us to confront uncomfortable truths about race in America.