castle_samj's reviews
54 reviews

The Other Significant Others: Reimagining Life with Friendship at the Center by Rhaina Cohen

Did not finish book. Stopped at 48%.

One issue with this book was that the book club finished it months ago, and I was playing catch-up. I restarted the book, but quickly remembered why I had paused it; this thing is a wild ramble with little direction. It reads like a series of loosely jointed short essays, and while some of the personal stories are interesting, they are relatively untamed and have too much content unrelated to the current topic.
There ARE some wonderful little nuggets in here, and maybe it won't be such a laborious read to others that are new to the concepts (and haven't recently finished 5 other books on the subject).

Akata Woman by Nnedi Okorafor

Go to review page

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Down with the System: A Memoir (of Sorts) by Serj Tankian

Go to review page

adventurous challenging informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.0

I don’t think much of the generic concepts from the book are particularly unique, but I love how much attention and value Serj brings to topics like meditation, activism, and belonging. I hope this inspires other readers to critically think about their place in the world and how it relates to others. How can you improve the world today?

Hello World: How Algorithms will Define our Future and Why We Should Learn To Live With It by Hannah Fry

Go to review page

challenging informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.25

The Anxious Person's Guide to Non-Monogamy: Your Guide to Open Relationships, Polyamory and Letting Go by Lola Phoenix

Go to review page

medium-paced

3.5

While the information seems valid, the delivery felt impersonal and rigid, clinical even. I believe this stems largely from the author sourcing the content from personal experiences or interactions with others. Such content included valid warnings for expectations of communities, which I have not experienced but are clearly part of the author’s history. It’s worth acknowledging that there is explicit denial of the author’s expertise, and even requests that the reader seek additional information from alternative sources. Overall, this provides another valuable perspective around polyamory that might help explain concepts in new ways.

Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience by Brené Brown

Go to review page

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

4.0

This is quite a journey, and worthy of study. While some of the topics are suitably explored, others are mentioned and seemingly glossed over with less enthusiasm. Overall, this is a thought provoking and challenging read.

Network Effect by Martha Wells

Go to review page

adventurous challenging informative slow-paced