eralbesu's reviews
428 reviews

Blackheart Man by Nalo Hopkinson
Did not finish book. Stopped at 49%.

I think I ran out of steam for this book. 

The Edge of Water by Olufunke Grace Bankole

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

3.5

This is a difficult one for me to review. I chose this alc because I’m from New Orleans and I was eager to read what sounded like a really moving story that featured my city. And I was loving the story until a certain point, specifically, I was enjoying the story of Amina, Esther and the portrayal of a pre-Katrina New Orleans. 

However, I really struggled with the author’s choice to add wild dogs to her depiction of what occurred at the Superdome. I am a Hurricane Katrina survivor. My father stayed behind at the Superdome. I have other family members who stayed at the Convention Center or rode the storm out at home. There were plentiful terrors that occurred at the Superdome and throughout the city. It was inhumane and unfathomable what my people endured.

I simply cannot understand the decision to add wild dogs attacking people and eating the bodies of the dead.

This felt wholly unnecessary and disrespectful. 

There were no wild dogs at the Superdome, a building that was holding 25,000 residents. Families who showed up to the Superdome with their pets were turned away. Tens of thousands of pets died in that storm due to starvation and people were already victimized by a failing government. Bankole’s decision to embellish this story in this manner was triggering and felt like a slap in the face,

as well as the story of the soldier who jumped.

It completely soured me on the whole story. I began to feel the author was rather careless in using our trauma for her story and up to that point, I was really enjoying how well researched it seemed. This is incredibly unfortunate because up until around 71% of the story, I was set on giving this book 5 stars, but I could not move past this. 

I don’t expect anyone other than those deeply affected by Hurricane Katrina to take issue with this, but it was very upsetting for me. 

As for the narration, the accents were a little stilted, but it was clear enough for me to understand everything that was being said. I also think the cover is beautiful. 

Thank you to Dreamscape Media for the alc. 

Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison

adventurous challenging emotional reflective tense slow-paced

5.0

I dare say, this might be my favorite Morrison I’ve read yet. 

I have many thoughts, but I’m currently trying to figure out all the allegories that went over my head while reading. 

Thank you to Everyman’s Library for my gifted copy!

Leda and the Swan by Anna Caritj
Did not finish book. Stopped at 12%.

The writing style didn’t work for me and the story was meandering from the very beginning. I hate dnf’ing books I’ve already bought but this one wasn’t working. 

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

funny mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

4.5

Wow. So much happens in this book. I gave me a lot to think. The Brotherhood felt very reminiscent of certain political organizations and groupings I see today. Not much has changed since Ellison wrote this book. 

I think I’ll be spending some time with sparknotes after reading this one. 

Nothing Special by Nicole Flattery
Did not finish book. Stopped at 40%.

I tried, but this story just couldn’t hold me attention. 

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

4.0

I’m not a fan of horror, specifically this type of body horror, but I still enjoyed this book. There were two moments in the story that actually gave me goosebumps. This is a pandemic or a covid book, and it was interesting to read about the characters going into that timeframe and having no idea of what was to come. The violent racism described in the book was a bit hard to endure, as well as the gore, but for fans of the genre, I think this will received really well. 

The narrator did a wonderful job and I’ll be recommending this book to fans of horror or readers who are interested in stories set during the pandemic. 

Thank you to harlequin books for the advanced listeners copy! 

Comedic Timing: A Modern Romance by Upasna Barath

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

4.25

This was a cute little romance that felt realistic and sweet, without being overly sweet. This was bi panic in a book. I was rooting for Naina and David and I was interested in Christian and Chloe. Overall, this was a fun read. 

Thank you to 831 Stories for the gifted copy!

The Ones Who Don't Say They Love You: Stories by Maurice Carlos Ruffin

funny reflective fast-paced

3.75

Some stories were stronger than others, but in all the stories, I felt New Orleans. 

The Source of Self-Regard: Selected Essays, Speeches, and Meditations by Toni Morrison

informative reflective slow-paced

4.5

I’m recommending this for any and all fans of Toni Morrison. This collection provides so much insight on how she crafted her characters and developed her stories. There are discussions about her time as an editor which I found very interesting.

It was a bit repetitive at times and more than a few times, Ms. Toni just went completely over my head. I’d specifically like to take a class on her essay, Grendel and His Mother, as well as the titular paper, The Source of Self-Regard, because I don’t always find her work to be the best to study, autodidactically. 

If it was ever not clear to me before, it’s undeniable here, Toni Morrison was a treasure to the literary world and we are all better for her having embraced her gift as a writer. 

Thank you to Vintage Books for the gifted copy!