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drwozniak's reviews
513 reviews
Border and Rule: Global Migration, Capitalism, and the Rise of Racist Nationalism by Harsha Walia
challenging
informative
5.0
The Pisces by Melissa Broder
challenging
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
Women vs the void is elite. This is funny and thoughtful. Some of the descriptions of homeless and disabled people were uncomfortable but I’m not sure they were “bad”. It was nice to watch Lucy fumble around and try to come to terms with not hiding from life and all of its mess.
Lots to think about! And many hilarious one-liners me and my partner will be repeating at each other.
Lots to think about! And many hilarious one-liners me and my partner will be repeating at each other.
The Viral Underclass by Steven W. Thrasher
challenging
dark
informative
medium-paced
5.0
Read this immediately. If it’s the only book you read this year, if it’s the only book you ever read again, just make sure you read it.
The most transformative section for me was when the author discussed the criminalization of disease and viral transmission (usually through HIV). I have been guilty in the past (and present) of holding immense anger towards people who seem to have zero regard for spreading preventable illnesses (COVID, RSV, cold, Rinovirus) and this section really helped me work through that. I will still struggle with my anger at individuals but it helped a lot to reframe.
Overall, this did a great job at showing me how to look at how poisonous individualism can be and how even the “my body my choice” narrative feeds into that belief system. A belief system that does nothing to protect people and continues to shift responsibility away from society as a whole. If we are to move forward as a species, we need to look at how we treat illness as a community issue and not an individual problem.
The most transformative section for me was when the author discussed the criminalization of disease and viral transmission (usually through HIV). I have been guilty in the past (and present) of holding immense anger towards people who seem to have zero regard for spreading preventable illnesses (COVID, RSV, cold, Rinovirus) and this section really helped me work through that. I will still struggle with my anger at individuals but it helped a lot to reframe.
Overall, this did a great job at showing me how to look at how poisonous individualism can be and how even the “my body my choice” narrative feeds into that belief system. A belief system that does nothing to protect people and continues to shift responsibility away from society as a whole. If we are to move forward as a species, we need to look at how we treat illness as a community issue and not an individual problem.
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
4.0
I’m thinking I will have to read “the marriage plot” because there is a single line that after reading this, HAS to be taken out of context. I thought I was going to read some nasty voyeuristic “her breasts smiled” nonsense but this was so poignant. And yes there is voyeurism but it works really well for examining the social malaise that is climate change and bad economy and moral panics.
The ending was??? Not my favorite but I’ll just have to think on it more.
The ending was??? Not my favorite but I’ll just have to think on it more.
Thinning Blood: A Memoir of Family, Myth, and Identity by Leah Myers
3.0
I love memoirs. This one was thoughtful and I appreciate the author sharing how they struggle with preserving their identity even as it is stripped from them both systemically and by time.
The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur
2.0
Again, I’m reading because it was a gift.
Not good poetry but whatever there are some good platitudes in here and honestly I can understand why people like it! It’s comforting.
Not good poetry but whatever there are some good platitudes in here and honestly I can understand why people like it! It’s comforting.
The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine by Ilan Pappé
challenging
dark
informative
sad
slow-paced
4.0
I hope [redacted].
Thorough and thoroughly uncomfortable. The sign of a good historical recounting. Not a single thing the West has been involved in has ever benefited humanity and it’s about time we learn that. Morally bankrupt, despicable manufacturers of death.
Thorough and thoroughly uncomfortable. The sign of a good historical recounting. Not a single thing the West has been involved in has ever benefited humanity and it’s about time we learn that. Morally bankrupt, despicable manufacturers of death.
Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
2.0
Is it good poetry? No. But as a self help book it’s much better than most anything else you can buy. I’m just reading because I was gifted it years ago.