hissingpotatoes's reviews
1353 reviews

Writing an Identity Not Your Own: A Guide for Creative Writers by Alex Temblador

3.5

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The content is very good and vitally important. It covers a wide range of stereotypes/tropes/pitfalls to avoid harming marginalized communities. It also goes way beyond those lists to discuss methods for doing your research as a writer, not just in the current climate for how things stand at the moment but how to navigate these issues as they naturally evolve. As a writer I feel much better equipped to approach writing identities not my own in a respectful, nuanced, untokenized way. Many fantastic resources are listed throughout the book.

While the author discusses genres like historical fiction and fantasy, much of the advice/focus seems to be on contemporary fiction. She acknowledges that her information and opinions may not be complete or universal and does a good job of standing by that throughout the book, and sometimes I disagreed with her assertions (especially regarding her list of "tired" romance tropes, which doesn't seem to belong in this book anyway since it doesn't connect to the topic of writing marginalized identities).

Even for an advanced reader copy, I was surprised at how unfinished the book is. It desperately needs a proofreader, there were missing/placeholder page numbers and links, and the digital formatting was atrocious (e.g. tables spanning multiple pages and overlapping other content, making it impossible to read). Hopefully these issues are addressed before publication. 

Sew Eco-Friendly: 25 Reusable Projects for Sustainable Sewing by Debbie Shore

3.0

I like the focus on recycled/reusable fabrics. There's a lot of repetition in the projects (masks, sponges/wipes, bags, gift wrap), and the overall collection feels lackluster. 

How to Find Love in a Bookshop by Veronica Henry

2.5

Fine if you want something easy with a bit of a sad streak throughout. There are way too many POV characters, some of them still being introduced over halfway into the book. All the romances resolve with minimal friction and too simplistically. 

Organizing Solutions for Every Quilter: An Illustrated Guide to the Space of Your Dreams by Carolyn Woods

3.5

A thorough guide to organizing fabric, notions, and other sewing supplies, from deciding what to keep to long-term storage for finished projects. Includes many ideas to meet a variety of needs. 

Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw

3.5

I read this in the middle of the day and got creeped out by the wind making noises outside, so successful horror. I liked the vividness of the descriptive prose and the self-awareness of horror tropes. 

Peony: A Novel of China by Pearl S. Buck

3.0

The description implies it's a love story, but it's really not. This book takes place during the decline/assimilation of Jewish culture in Kaifeng, China in the 1800s and the tensions that result. The afterword about the historical context is helpful. There's a common theme throughout of sadness vs happiness that I found thoughtful. It's odd that Peony, who has grown up in and only known a Jewish household, finds its people and customs so foreign and strange. I know she's the lens by which the reader views the Jewish family, but as a character it doesn't make sense. The midpoint takes a wild turn that I didn't think fit with the tone of what came before or after. The narrator's performance brought otherwise dry or repetitive prose to life. Parts of the book are explored well but I'm uneasy about a Christian missionary writing so intimately about Jewish customs, feelings, and changes.
 

National Geographic Herbal: 100 Herbs from the World's Healing Traditions by Mimi Prunella Hernandez
Did not finish book.

1.0

It's incredible to me that the author goes off about her degrees and training and research and decades of experience and yet includes not a SINGLE citation. This book is a collection of brief narratives about 100 herbs and is only good for historical/anecdotal information about how they've been/are used. There is little to no distinction between historical uses and whether or not the herbs actually do what they're thought to (and in what mediums, e.g. teas vs tinctures, etc). It's especially worrisome that the author includes flower essences as if they're a scientifically valid method. At least there are a few appropriate warnings for contraindications. 

The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo

3.5

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love the atmosphere of this book. It's especially prevalent in the chapters told from Bao's point of view, which are written in present tense. His slow journey pursuing investigations leads him to follow in Snow's wake, piecing together her past path as we discover where she's going from the alternate chapters in her point of view. Throughout it all is the pervading mystery of fox lore, how it morphs and impacts people of varying beliefs, and how it compares to the reality of being a fox in this world. Through beautiful prose, the characters navigate their personal goals against the backdrop of a culturally and politically changing China and Japan.

Snow's intensity of purpose for the first half of the book disappears in a way that the book tries to say was gradual but felt sudden, thematically leaving the reader off-balance.

The title should really be The Fox Lady/Woman, because Snow's role as a wife plays almost no part in the book. The suppression of backstory between the foxes until near the end felt artificial (especially since it was easy to figure out) and didn't have the impact I suspect it was supposed to.

The book's real strength is Snow's and Bao's narratives winding around each other and eventually combining. Bao and Tagtaa's relationship interested and satisfied me the most. If you like slower, atmospheric magical realism with strong emotions, this one's for you.

You might like this if you like: Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon, Serpentine by Cindy Pon, Circe by Madeline Miller, Piranesi by Susanna Clarke 

Northeast Medicinal Plants: Identify, Harvest, and Use 111 Wild Herbs for Health and Wellness by Liz Neves

3.5

Contains woo-woo like flower essences, but the other plant information is useful. The safety precautions are thorough. The book covers identification, wildcrafting methods, herbal medicine preparation methods, and recipes with very easy instructions. Some of the information, like which constituents are extracted best in which mediums, is stuff I've had trouble finding in other herbalism books. Some of the information is contradictory, like warning against using comfrey internally but providing its internal uses and benefits. Includes further reading and resources.
 

The Modern Library Writer's Workshop: A Guide to the Craft of Fiction by Stephen Koch
Did not finish book.

0.5

It's never promising when the blurb sounds super pretentious. Unfortunately for this book that vibe continued to the max inside as well. I can't overstate how much almost every sentence oozes it. The author talks about himself in the highest terms and name/location drops all over the place. He claims "to assemble and integrate...something like a consensus among writers about the basics of their craft," which is hilarious because if you ask five writers for advice you'll get ten different responses. In the introduction he makes a point to say he has "merrily disregarded every distinction between highbrow, middlebrow, and lowbrow taste" as if he's some benevolent writing god and then proceeds to name specific authors he clearly thinks fall into one of those brows (but he doesn't distinguish, so it's not elitist!). The first sentence of chapter one is "The only way to begin is to begin, and begin right now," and the word "begin" is repeated even after that in a long-winded paragraph that says very little and sets the stage for how the rest of the book's advice will be presented. Not for me.