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dhiyanah's reviews
499 reviews
Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Amelia Nagoski, Emily Nagoski
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
How to Draw Adorable: Joyful Lessons for Making Cute Art by Carlianne Tipsey
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
4.5
Palestine +100: Stories from a Century after the Nakba by Basma Ghalayini
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
3.0
A collection of sci-fi short stories that grapple with the question, what would Palestine look like 100 years after the 1948 Nakba? The stories were outwardly dark and some very intriguing, each illustrating challenges that directly ricocheted back to the present while clinging to a past that's desperately trying not to be erased.
Whatever strange concoction or tricky challenges the authors came up with for their characters to endure here felt faint in comparison to the real-life bombardment that Palestinians have endured for nearly 100 years, now. I think that may be the very point of this dystopian collection.
What struck me was an underlying tone of hope that seemed embedded in many of these stories - that even if the imagined or near future were to be full of the same dread, the fight to reclaim one's right to live will also keep going on.
Whatever strange concoction or tricky challenges the authors came up with for their characters to endure here felt faint in comparison to the real-life bombardment that Palestinians have endured for nearly 100 years, now. I think that may be the very point of this dystopian collection.
What struck me was an underlying tone of hope that seemed embedded in many of these stories - that even if the imagined or near future were to be full of the same dread, the fight to reclaim one's right to live will also keep going on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Misogyny, Suicide, Xenophobia
Moderate: Child death, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Abortion
Freedom Is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement by Angela Y. Davis
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
A clear, and careful collection of analysis, insight, and sharing that allows the reader to find their footing within wider momentums and movements towards liberation. Though mostly US-centered, we see how the tangled web of Western exploitation is spread out globally, uniting our struggles for freedom in this way. The author offers us a vibrant sense of grounded awareness, encouraging communal strength throughout this collection.
Angela reminds us also to thread carefully when it comes to creating idols out of individual revolutionaries, lest we forget the collective effort that's key in breaking the chains and harmful dynamics of imperial structures. It takes more than just individual reach, charisma, or presence. It takes us as a global community learning from and protecting each other through this journey of struggle, resistance, and empowerment. A highly clarifying read to understand the power imbalances impacting us all, and a great primer for understanding the abolition movement's priority of harm reduction.
Angela reminds us also to thread carefully when it comes to creating idols out of individual revolutionaries, lest we forget the collective effort that's key in breaking the chains and harmful dynamics of imperial structures. It takes more than just individual reach, charisma, or presence. It takes us as a global community learning from and protecting each other through this journey of struggle, resistance, and empowerment. A highly clarifying read to understand the power imbalances impacting us all, and a great primer for understanding the abolition movement's priority of harm reduction.
Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter by Liz Wiseman
Did not finish book. Stopped at 86%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 86%.
Gave this my best shot. Picked this up after a recommendation about navigating corporate workplaces, something I have a naturally difficult time with as this type of work environment directly clashes with my neurovariant functionality. There were a few helpful tools in this. I appreciate the diminisher-multiplier perspective and the examples of strategetizing around it when working with large groups of people. I couldn't get through the book itself, though, as the language was highly ableist and therefore very limited in what it can offer given the contexts of this present time. It seems suited to someone able to be in cut-throat work environments that think of people as numbers rather than human beings.
The Mountain Is You by Brianna Wiest
Did not finish book. Stopped at 38%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 38%.
While there were some useful summaries in the book, the overall focus here was very much based on the kind of self-care praxis that centers neurotypicality and the single narrative of 'you can change your life by changing your thoughts.' I've tried this framework before but given the complex, interconnected world we navigate - and the multi-dimensionality of identities - I found it very limiting and unsustainable. Not for me.
Ten Myths about Israel by Ilan Pappé
challenging
informative
medium-paced
5.0
An important and accessible read to understand what has been happening to Palestine and why it can be difficult see it for what it is - a colonial project that has always involved genocide and displacement. I appreciate that the language used here isn't as heavy as expected so that even if you're not used to academic or analytical texts, it's still possible to follow the insights presented here. In the introduction the author writes that what he presents to us here can be contextualized to understand how political projects might utilize manipulation tactics in order to normalize and sustain abuse and cruelty cycles - I found this to be true. It provides a clarifying lens that can be applied to many momentums of oppression and disempowerment. Being able to see the trickery is a crucial step in repelling and resisting the inhumanity of it. A highly relevant read for these times.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Racism, Colonisation
Moderate: Violence, Xenophobia, War