historyofjess's reviews
2117 reviews

The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This is a difficult read, especially at the outset, as you acclimate to not only the time period but the geographic location—both of which are not commonly written—but it's an incredibly rewarding, if challenging read. There is a lot of tragedy and sadness here, but the author is masterful at creating nuanced characters that I became quickly attached to. Even the antagonists, who are guilty of some awful things and make really bad choices, are fleshed out in such a way that I had some sympathy for the world they were caught up in and the things that lead them there. Just a beautiful, tragic and emotional novel about the impact of tragedy on a community and the violence of patriarchy.

Let This Radicalize You: Organizing and the Revolution of Reciprocal Care by Kelly Hayes, Mariame Kaba

hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

4.0

This had been on my list for awhile and it shot to the top after the events of the election. I feel like this is a volume I'll come back to, searching for thoughts and inspiration in the coming years as I figure out what my place in this new world is. I really appreciate how this book is both about being activated to do difficult work that you may never see grand results from, while also being very hopeful about the future that will come. I'm anxious to check out the companion workbook to see what other insight these very inspiring women have to offer.

The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates

informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.5

There's always something special about reading the works of Ta-Nehisi Coates. It's not just that he's a great writer but also that he has such an interesting way of thinking and looking at the world and that the way he brings that to the page is, itself, incredibly unique. As a writer, myself, I found this book incredibly compelling as it's written as a series of essays to his students and is, very much, about writing. While much focus has been given to the last essay in the book, about his trip to Palestine and his education on the living conditions of Palestinians—framed by his own reckoning with how he had written about Israel and Palestine in the past—it's unfortunate that that one part of the book (brilliant and substantial though it is) has overshadowed the other chapters, which are equally introspective and inspiring, and all of which build on each other.

By the Fire We Carry: The Generations-Long Fight for Justice on Native Land by Rebecca Nagle

challenging dark informative medium-paced

4.0

Having really enjoyed Nagle podcast, This Land, I'd been looking forward to this book and it did not let me down. Nagle blends the historical with the personal as she discusses how her own family is tied back to the Trail of Tears and then further links that to current events that still challenge Native peoples for their land. It's educational and, unfortunately, continues to be relevant storytelling as this push and pull goes on.

My Lady Jane by Jodi Meadows, Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This was such a fun read and I'm anxious to dip into the others in the series based on how refreshingly entertaining this was. The plot itself wasn't especially compelling, but I just a really great time hanging with these characters and the tone of the novel and the whimsical voice of the narrator just made it an absolute joy.

The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman

adventurous dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

I struggled with this, as I often seem to do with Arthurian novels. No matter how many different takes on the Arthur mythology I try out, they all just kind of seem to drag for me. There were parts of this book that I really enjoyed, in particular the in-depth backstories of the lesser knights of the Round Table. But the main storyline really started to drag for me by the latter half of the book and I was having a hard time keeping focused as I read it. It's possible I would have enjoyed this more if it was shorter, but then I fear that all of the stuff that I really liked would've actually been what ended up on the cutting room floor, in favor of the main narrative. Shrug, I guess. Just not much my thing.

Year of the Witch: Connecting with Nature's Seasons through Intuitive Magick by Temperance Alden

inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.5

I was surprised by how much I clicked with this book. Alden approaches witchcraft from the perspective of an intuitive/folk witch, which means she encourages you to make your craft your own, as she reaches from folklore and the history of witchcraft/Wicca to talk about different areas of the craft, with a particular, though not exclusive, focus on the cycles of the year. And this all culminates with her encouraging you to create your own wheel of the year that fits your experiences.

Race Rules: Navigating The Color Line by Michael Eric Dyson

hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

3.25

Given that this book is almost thirty years old, I was surprised by how relevant a lot of this still was. Sure, the opening chapter on the O.J. Simpson is more than a little outdated, but Dyson's focus on male-dominated anti-racist movements needing to be more inclusive of women and queer folks is incredibly refreshing.

Greyboy: Finding Blackness in a White World by Cole Brown

emotional reflective medium-paced

3.0

I found that Brown was a much better storyteller when he was telling the stories of those around him (largely the women in his life) than he is at telling his own. I found him difficult to relate to, which I think has a lot to do with the privilege he grew up in, but I perked up when he turned his lense on the stories of his mother, his sister and the women he was in love with (though the latter can get a bit caught up in his own feelings about them). 

The Beginning and End of Rape: Confronting Sexual Violence in Native America by Sarah Deer

challenging dark informative medium-paced

3.25

Even though this book holds a lot of the trauma and brutality of its subject at arm's length, it's still a very rough read, but I really appreciated the latter section of the book that focused on ways of approaching the rape victims and perpetrators in a way that showed compassion for victims and also an attempt to rehabilitate or seek recompense from those that commit this particular kind of violence, without falling into the same traps that the white carceral system does.