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halfass_reviewer's reviews
114 reviews
Miss Major Speaks: Conversations with a Black Trans Revolutionary by Miss Major Griffin-Gracy
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
I think I should let this book; the gravity of it, the meaning of it rest on my mind for a little, but then I'll forget what I read while I'm at work trying to do this review. So I think I'm going to do a review now (@12:32 in the morning) and if I remember anything later I'll come back and update the post.
Let me tell you first how I knew it was meant for me to read this book. I was on Verso's website bored at work scrolling through their catalog when I saw the book for the first time. I rushed to the library's website and we had an audiobook copy of it but it was checked out so I put it on hold. The next morning I received an email from Queer Liberation Library and after setting up an account with them I saw they had the book in their catalog so I knew it was meant to be. Then that night I got home and discovered I had received a package from 'Every Black Girl Is a Best Seller' and guess what book was in there? That's right this masterpiece of an interview was. I started it on Friday and read a section every night before bed. Honestly, I thought it was a collection of essays because I hadn't comprehended the title correctly. Had I known though I would've kept my hold at the library and still listened to it (and I may go back later in the year to do that). Anyway, this was an open and honest (to a certain degree) but it's such a necessary conversation. I felt like I was simultaneously learning about Miss. Major's life while also learning how to be an ally. How to organize. How to be a voice for those who are voiceless. I believe Miss. Major to be one of those aunties that you come to for advice but you also know it could get you in trouble. This book showed why it's important to give (y)our elders their flowers while they are still with us and to a degree Miss. Major talks about that to. I'm not saying that every trans person or trans ally or hell anyone really should read this book, but dammit it wouldn't hurt them to read this.
Let me tell you first how I knew it was meant for me to read this book. I was on Verso's website bored at work scrolling through their catalog when I saw the book for the first time. I rushed to the library's website and we had an audiobook copy of it but it was checked out so I put it on hold. The next morning I received an email from Queer Liberation Library and after setting up an account with them I saw they had the book in their catalog so I knew it was meant to be. Then that night I got home and discovered I had received a package from 'Every Black Girl Is a Best Seller' and guess what book was in there? That's right this masterpiece of an interview was. I started it on Friday and read a section every night before bed. Honestly, I thought it was a collection of essays because I hadn't comprehended the title correctly. Had I known though I would've kept my hold at the library and still listened to it (and I may go back later in the year to do that). Anyway, this was an open and honest (to a certain degree) but it's such a necessary conversation. I felt like I was simultaneously learning about Miss. Major's life while also learning how to be an ally. How to organize. How to be a voice for those who are voiceless. I believe Miss. Major to be one of those aunties that you come to for advice but you also know it could get you in trouble. This book showed why it's important to give (y)our elders their flowers while they are still with us and to a degree Miss. Major talks about that to. I'm not saying that every trans person or trans ally or hell anyone really should read this book, but dammit it wouldn't hurt them to read this.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use, Genocide, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual assault, Transphobia, and Police brutality
Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Death of parent
Love Everlasting, Volume 1 by Tom King, Elsa Charretier, Matt Hollingsworth
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers
fuck this book for making me feel and realize things
on a serious note, this book was... beautiful. it was also thought-provoking and nerve-wracking. This book was a testimony to all Black girls striving for perfection. who run ourselves ragged to achieve it. This book was a dedication to love, to Lesbian love. This was a book about finding yourself and your definition of happiness. About the pieces of ourselves, we must depart with to reach that level. I could say more about this book. I could say so much more, but for what it's worth I'll just say this. I loved this book and I read it right when I needed to. So thank you Morgan Rogers (even though I am expecting a second book by summer, please and thank you).
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
on a serious note, this book was... beautiful. it was also thought-provoking and nerve-wracking. This book was a testimony to all Black girls striving for perfection. who run ourselves ragged to achieve it. This book was a dedication to love, to Lesbian love. This was a book about finding yourself and your definition of happiness. About the pieces of ourselves, we must depart with to reach that level. I could say more about this book. I could say so much more, but for what it's worth I'll just say this. I loved this book and I read it right when I needed to. So thank you Morgan Rogers (even though I am expecting a second book by summer, please and thank you).
Exit Strategy by Martha Wells
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I am so glad that murderbot connected again with his humans (even though he wouldn't admit that's what they are to him). This book, like its predecessors, is another banger and I'm really happy to continue this series. In the same breath, I am a little nervous about starting a full length novel. I think I really only made it this far because the other books had been novellas so even the boring parts moved quickly (or I could skip them without missing too much important information). Yet book number five is already waiting for me!
As We Learn by Grey Huffington
3.5
I'm learning that novelettes are not for me. Or at least novelettes who relay on some kind of world building because ain't no way in less than a 150 pages (not counting the extra for titles and such) that I can get sucked into the world. Now if it was just fucking then really the other 85% of the book was unnecessary. Also besides that I did not like the mmc pov. Was a little... weird. Regardless it was a cute little book and I may continue with the hopes that the series will do better justice to the world building
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Grief, and Death of parent
Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I am in love with this series. I have fallen in love with MurderBot and love that he is like the neighborhood mother who purposely did not have children (go with Dr. Mensah and probably not have to do any life-threatening work) but still somehow 'adopted' children (instead he continuously finds himself in the presence of humans who mean well but are also constantly walking into their deaths and he protects them). I also love that all this Bot wants to do is watch TV. Something about that is hilarious to me. I think it's the fact that if given the choice of what to do when I'm not working or working independently from home I too would binge the same show repeatedly. My only quip at this point (and it's a problem I've had with several science fiction and fantasy books this year) I need maps and/or diagrams of ships. This is such an expansive world and a map or something would help with me visualize it. Seriously half of my reading time is me trying to visualize what these buildings and cargo ships and plants look like. It doesn't even have to be anything expansive just a simple little gray scale map would help tremendously.
Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
adventurous
challenging
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
All Systems Red by Martha Wells
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I'm going to be honest, I was only like 70% sure of what was going on this entire book but I stayed because I love Murderbot. Poor baby just wanted to watch his shows, not talk about his feelings, and keep his humans alive and I got that. And the ending!? F***ing amazing, a little upsetting but f***ing amazing nevertheless. This was honestly a serious I picked up on a whim after putting the newest released book on display at work and I'm so glad I let curiosity win. Already have the second book on hold.