candelibri's reviews
2086 reviews

Two Spirit-: Stories, Sex and the Ceremony Behind it All by Alycia Two Bears

reflective medium-paced

3.5

Ask the Brindled: Poems by No‘u Revilla

medium-paced

3.0

I went in with very high hopes for this collection, but found the majority escaped my understanding. While the explorations of Revilla's queer identity come through, the ways it, I guess, conflicts (?) with her and her family's identities as Hawaiian natives is where I felt adrift. The connections were not clearly drawn (for me, a non-native) so I was not particularly moved one way or another. 

I found the notes at the back very helpful in explaining phrases in Hawaiian and giving cultural and political context, but, first appearances aside, it doesn’t seem that it’s what these poems are directly addressing. I may revisit in the future, to try again, but I think I will want to read some more Hawaiian literature before I do. 

Junebat by John Elizabeth Stintzi

reflective medium-paced

3.5

Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.75

The first 100 pages of this novel are beautiful and totally grabbed me. At that point, I got the hype, I understood why everyone was raving over this book. I liked the prose and the sobriety writing was beautiful too - very raw.

But once I hit that 100-page mark, we just started to meander: the POV slips, the narration gets…lazy? The banal conversations and extracts from Cyrus's book were just not engaging. The dialogues were flat (especially between Zee and Cyrus) and often rang hollow. The sense of the intimacy between the characters that I felt in the beginning was gone. 

The premise of Cyrus and Orkideh speaking was so interesting and yet so little comes of it! I was so invested when they met at the beginning of the book but they ultimately don’t have a single meaningful conversation. How do you fumble the most interesting plot point in the entire plot?! Just….so unfulfilling. 

Ultimately, beautiful writing, excellent premise but the middle fell flat and the ending felt rushed. Just didn’t do it for me.

The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer

hopeful inspiring fast-paced

4.75

What Iranians Want: Women, Life, Freedom by Arash Azizi

adventurous hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

4.25

A really excellent intro to Revolution in Iran. While it doesn’t deep dive into how each protest germinated, formed and began, it certainly focuses on the more recent ones and mentions other catalysts that should urge you to look further. Wonderful primer for those looking for a starting point into Iran and the political landscape it is now. 

How the Boogeyman Became a Poet by Tony Keith Jr.

emotional hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

4.75

This was beautiful. I also loved the photos scattered throughout of the author growing up. Lovely personal touch. 

Weightless: Making Space for My Resilient Body and Soul by Evette Dionne

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

Any aspiring medical professional should read this. 

Ten Bridges I've Burnt by Brontez Purnell

dark emotional reflective fast-paced

4.25

Pale Colors in a Tall Field: Poems by Carl Phillips

medium-paced

4.0