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hounded's reviews
65 reviews
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
5.0
Honestly a beautiful book all around! I loved the writing style, I loved the characters, I loved the complextities of all of the story. The hearbreak felt so real and the people felt so real. The action in it was some of the most harrowing I've read in a long time. The audiobook narrator was out of this world amazing! I could not have asked for a better book! A good narrator along with the dialogue was some of the best I've ever heard ever!!!!! Look forward to reading this again some time
The Seep by Chana Porter
2.5
This book had a fun concept and cool world building. But everything felt so rushed and everything was just plainly laid out for you. I felt no parts in the book will really stick in my memory unfortunately. I'm sure some of my dislike is just from personal taste so that's why I'm giving it a little higher because it is overall a quick and fun read!
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
4.25
I love you Octavia Butler!!!
Another good book by her that I really enjoyed. I would say it's not my favorite Octavia Butler work but I liked it!
The story was so grim and devastating that I'm still reeling from the 1st half of the book and the launch of intensity it puts you in.
Then all the themes of starting over, conforming, rascism, classism, capitalism, family, trust, and god so much more. It really set you in a realistic world...
I do think the 2nd half is a bit lacking. I was hoping for more plot less characters but nonetheless definitely happy I read it and would suggest it to anyone who likes Octavia Butler
Another good book by her that I really enjoyed. I would say it's not my favorite Octavia Butler work but I liked it!
The story was so grim and devastating that I'm still reeling from the 1st half of the book and the launch of intensity it puts you in.
Then all the themes of starting over, conforming, rascism, classism, capitalism, family, trust, and god so much more. It really set you in a realistic world...
I do think the 2nd half is a bit lacking. I was hoping for more plot less characters but nonetheless definitely happy I read it and would suggest it to anyone who likes Octavia Butler
The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine by Ilan Pappé
4.75
Very comprehensive and accessible writing! I'm so glad I've read it to truly have a better understanding of how long Israel has been doing this.
It did feel a bit.... both sides of the matter which I just didnt feel right about but overall good and a reccomended read.
My favorite part of it all that I am holding on to is when talking about the evergreens planted to make it look more like europe is the quote (Not exact):
"People said that the evergreens did not thrive on this land often becoming so weak that they'd split in two by an Olive tree growing through it."
It did feel a bit.... both sides of the matter which I just didnt feel right about but overall good and a reccomended read.
My favorite part of it all that I am holding on to is when talking about the evergreens planted to make it look more like europe is the quote (Not exact):
"People said that the evergreens did not thrive on this land often becoming so weak that they'd split in two by an Olive tree growing through it."
Glory: A Novel by NoViolet Bulawayo
5.0
This book is amazing!
The jumps between the cartoonishly silly politicians to the people then back to the antics was such a good set up for this plot. It made you laugh at first then showing you the effects on the people (animals) that come from those politicians actions was soo heavy. I could see so many people I know and have met in these characters. I felt like a part of the community in Jidada, from hearing the interview like segments. To the actual twitter threads written out! I've never felt like I was a part of a book but this one made me feel like it.
Not to mention the beautiful writting style itself. I'm shocked how many people didn't like the repetition? It read like poetry and gave such a good weight to the words when it was needed. I'm specifically thinking about the quote:
"We'd be cheering one moment, and then we'd remember all those the regime had claimed- the tortured, the jailed, the exiled, the disappeared, the dead, the dead, the dead, the dead- and wail."
and the part where it's "I can't breathe" for so long.
It just hits you over and over making the situation feel all too real.
I love this book with all my heart and could go on and on about it. It was exactly the book I needed to read right now and had the ending I hope to experience one day.
Please read Glory
The jumps between the cartoonishly silly politicians to the people then back to the antics was such a good set up for this plot. It made you laugh at first then showing you the effects on the people (animals) that come from those politicians actions was soo heavy. I could see so many people I know and have met in these characters. I felt like a part of the community in Jidada, from hearing the interview like segments. To the actual twitter threads written out! I've never felt like I was a part of a book but this one made me feel like it.
Not to mention the beautiful writting style itself. I'm shocked how many people didn't like the repetition? It read like poetry and gave such a good weight to the words when it was needed. I'm specifically thinking about the quote:
"We'd be cheering one moment, and then we'd remember all those the regime had claimed- the tortured, the jailed, the exiled, the disappeared, the dead, the dead, the dead, the dead- and wail."
and the part where it's "I can't breathe" for so long.
It just hits you over and over making the situation feel all too real.
I love this book with all my heart and could go on and on about it. It was exactly the book I needed to read right now and had the ending I hope to experience one day.
Please read Glory
Lakewood by Megan Giddings
4.25
wow I am so disturbed by this book. It was so good....
It was such a good and terrifying statement on trust in doctors and the systemic racism that is in the healthcare system. I felt the terrible feeling of dehumanization from medical staff very deeply and it made the book all that more difficult to get through. I really liked this type of horror and an amazing unreliable narrator I feel like I haven't experienced in a long time! Strongly suggest this book but read with catuion. I already don't trust doctors but now I'm even more like 😵💫
It was such a good and terrifying statement on trust in doctors and the systemic racism that is in the healthcare system. I felt the terrible feeling of dehumanization from medical staff very deeply and it made the book all that more difficult to get through. I really liked this type of horror and an amazing unreliable narrator I feel like I haven't experienced in a long time! Strongly suggest this book but read with catuion. I already don't trust doctors but now I'm even more like 😵💫
American Gods: The Tenth Anniversary Edition: A Novel by Neil Gaiman
1.0
I was really let down by this book :( The concepts are amazing but then instead of a good story about how diffrent cultures that come to america and how they live and are preserved here even after many many years. But All I got was a overly complicated fantasy mess that didn't make sense and just felt pointless.. not to mention sooo long it made reading it agonizing!
Plus not to mention the many many many! Racists stereotypes. THeres so much in here where it definitely reads like an English man wrote it....
and of course obvious contempt for women. As not a single woman in this story had a main role nor did they have anything more to them then "attracted to shadow" or basically a housewife.
The last reason I rate this book so low is the bootlicking. "Good cop from a small town does no wrong" trope that never sat right with me. Especially at the start of the book it showed horrible cops being themselves so this surprised me. But I'm sure it's some type of "One bad apple ruins the bunch" type of thought process :/
Plus not to mention the many many many! Racists stereotypes. THeres so much in here where it definitely reads like an English man wrote it....
and of course obvious contempt for women. As not a single woman in this story had a main role nor did they have anything more to them then "attracted to shadow" or basically a housewife.
The last reason I rate this book so low is the bootlicking. "Good cop from a small town does no wrong" trope that never sat right with me. Especially at the start of the book it showed horrible cops being themselves so this surprised me. But I'm sure it's some type of "One bad apple ruins the bunch" type of thought process :/
Men Who Hate Women by Laura Bates
4.0
Was very enlightening! I had known a ton about the subject of incels and pick up artist but this showed me really how deep it goes. It also helped me a lot in not feeling crazy about all these things I felt llike I and only a few others noticed. Another thing that made me so glad to read this book is the fact now I have the words to articulate a lot of the feelings and thoughts I have had on men and the online manosphere.
However major problem I have with the book is the intense want for incarceration and saying the police need better training to deal with these kind of things. Which with the entire book was not a perspective I anticipated! All this talk of men and the abuse they cause over women but yet supports the police? Like how did you do all this research and not once stumble upon the insanely high domestic abuse rates that police officers have?? Then say they need to learn to help women more? She talked politicians but thought the police would be better?
It was very strange being hit with that take in this otherwise amazing book! And luckily the police stuff was only about a chapter or two so I can look past that to suggest it to people otherwise! I will be suggesting it to people as it is incredibly thorough otherwise :)
However major problem I have with the book is the intense want for incarceration and saying the police need better training to deal with these kind of things. Which with the entire book was not a perspective I anticipated! All this talk of men and the abuse they cause over women but yet supports the police? Like how did you do all this research and not once stumble upon the insanely high domestic abuse rates that police officers have?? Then say they need to learn to help women more? She talked politicians but thought the police would be better?
It was very strange being hit with that take in this otherwise amazing book! And luckily the police stuff was only about a chapter or two so I can look past that to suggest it to people otherwise! I will be suggesting it to people as it is incredibly thorough otherwise :)
Galápagos by Kurt Vonnegut
4.0
Man I forgot how much I liked this book. The style of writing really makes it feel like you are burning through it and all the characters no matter how big or little of a part they play feels so real and important (As is the point of the story)
I also learned this time around that That Kilgore Trout is the same author that's mentioned a lot in Slaughterhouse 5! Which was such a fun thing to learn!
Definetly give it a read and enjoy it <3
I also learned this time around that That Kilgore Trout is the same author that's mentioned a lot in Slaughterhouse 5! Which was such a fun thing to learn!
Definetly give it a read and enjoy it <3
Dawn by Octavia E. Butler
4.0
Octavia Butler!!!! She is so so amazing! I am not usually this heavy of a sci-fi fan but I loved this book and I am so so excited to read the rest of the series! Octavia butler really loves to write stories with unique societies and how the mingle with the world we know now! It always makes for an interesting read and I had so much fun listening to the audio book narrator as well!
I loved the aliens and the aspect of humanity and just the build up more and more as it went on! So good! I have no clue where the story is going next but I can't wait!
I loved the aliens and the aspect of humanity and just the build up more and more as it went on! So good! I have no clue where the story is going next but I can't wait!