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jiujensu's reviews
454 reviews
Salt Houses by Hala Alyan
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
A great historical fiction about home and loss, family and life. It starts with a wedding so i was a little worried we wouldn't make it out of patriarchal themes, but Alyan delivered! We primarily follow one character as a daughter to great great grandmother, the branches of her family throughout the Palestinian diaspora to Nablus, Paris, Beruit, Boston, Amman.The characters are so vivid it's hard to believe we covered so much ground.
You may have heard something about war or something they call "the Palestinian Israeli conflict" or "Israel Hamas war" or the "Palestine question," but this book will bring color to those vague terms and life to people only mentioned as one of 9,400 dead or "collateral damage." Though only fiction, I think the stories that inspired this work will bring understanding of issues minimized or hidden by the headlines.
You may have heard something about war or something they call "the Palestinian Israeli conflict" or "Israel Hamas war" or the "Palestine question," but this book will bring color to those vague terms and life to people only mentioned as one of 9,400 dead or "collateral damage." Though only fiction, I think the stories that inspired this work will bring understanding of issues minimized or hidden by the headlines.
A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
An unexpected, sad, generational story of resilience. Not that i didn't know women or Palestinians were resilient, but it begins in a certain patriarchal way but spreads out hopefully as we get to know our characters.
And i love an author's essay at the end talking about their life, what inspired them, what is autobiographical about their fiction, which this one has.
And i love an author's essay at the end talking about their life, what inspired them, what is autobiographical about their fiction, which this one has.
We Want Freedom: A Life in the Black Panther Party by Mumia Abu-Jamal, Kathleen Cleaver
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
I highly recommend anything by Mumia Abu Jamal. I remember listening to his broadcsts from prison through Democracy Now probably fairly close to my own political awakening. I've been fascinated by the Black Panthers ever since. I love their leftism, sense of everyone on earth's common humanity, dedication to political education as much as taking care of basic needs like children's breakfast. It also covers the split, which has been at times confusing for me to sort out.
He calls it a failure in its aims, but also recognizes finally its legendary status - and says something like it could rise again.
As he says:
"The Black Panther Party may indeed be history, but the forces that gave rise to it are not. They wait for the proper season to rise again."
He calls it a failure in its aims, but also recognizes finally its legendary status - and says something like it could rise again.
As he says:
"The Black Panther Party may indeed be history, but the forces that gave rise to it are not. They wait for the proper season to rise again."
Training Wheels: How a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Road Trip Jump-Started My Search for a Fulfilling Life by Valerie Worthington
emotional
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
5.0
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
dark
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
This is the second book by this author I've read, still not Life Ceremony, the one that was recommended! There is a lot to love, but it's also off beat -- at times, way, way off beat.
I like the detached way some of her characters look at the world and what's expected of us. Like a Nathan Pyle alien cartoon. Some of the more familiar things are how people expect you to get married and have kids, get a job, but the right kind of job, and society throwing out those who don't follow the rules. I don't know to what degree this is a device for examining societal norms or is showing an ND point of view. Maybe it doesn't matter. It's all an examination of the eternal question, "what's normal anyway?"
The character seems puzzled by the weight we assign to things like how she should care about her sisters baby more than some other random baby. I feel like you could launch into some thoughts on how we build family or community. Or you could zoom out and think why we should prefer one nation over another, for example how USians prefer their war criminal country over Russia or something, even feel morally superior, even though it's unwarranted.
Sometimes she goes way off the rails into maybe the psychopathic realm. It's not exactly just sterile logic alone in thinking the way to end an argument is beating someone over the head with a shovel. But nothing nearly as bad as her book Earthlings, which thinking back, i may have rated too low. I think it makes me uncomfortable in a good way.
If I took more philosophy in school perhaps I could make some argument about what point was being made (examining taboos, solving the problem only considering yourself vs others wellbeing - or something similar to the Omelas problem), but I think there's a lot of fun in this store seeming human and teaching Keiko the ropes and value in thinking about those things we as a society automatically praise or assume is normal ("productive member of society") vs what we reject.
I like the detached way some of her characters look at the world and what's expected of us. Like a Nathan Pyle alien cartoon. Some of the more familiar things are how people expect you to get married and have kids, get a job, but the right kind of job, and society throwing out those who don't follow the rules. I don't know to what degree this is a device for examining societal norms or is showing an ND point of view. Maybe it doesn't matter. It's all an examination of the eternal question, "what's normal anyway?"
The character seems puzzled by the weight we assign to things like how she should care about her sisters baby more than some other random baby. I feel like you could launch into some thoughts on how we build family or community. Or you could zoom out and think why we should prefer one nation over another, for example how USians prefer their war criminal country over Russia or something, even feel morally superior, even though it's unwarranted.
Sometimes she goes way off the rails into maybe the psychopathic realm. It's not exactly just sterile logic alone in thinking the way to end an argument is beating someone over the head with a shovel. But nothing nearly as bad as her book Earthlings, which thinking back, i may have rated too low. I think it makes me uncomfortable in a good way.
If I took more philosophy in school perhaps I could make some argument about what point was being made (examining taboos, solving the problem only considering yourself vs others wellbeing - or something similar to the Omelas problem), but I think there's a lot of fun in this store seeming human and teaching Keiko the ropes and value in thinking about those things we as a society automatically praise or assume is normal ("productive member of society") vs what we reject.
Small Game by Blair Braverman
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
5.0
Great book! I loved her nonfiction so I took a risk. Braverman can do both! Sort of about a survivalist reality show... and more of course.
You're Wrong About (podcast) listeners will recognize the Dyetlov Pass and Chris McCandless references. Great shows- makes sense that she was the guest now.
You're Wrong About (podcast) listeners will recognize the Dyetlov Pass and Chris McCandless references. Great shows- makes sense that she was the guest now.
A Girl's Guide to Missiles: Growing Up in America's Secret Desert by Karen Piper
adventurous
emotional
informative
sad
fast-paced
5.0
I'm drawn to these memoirs of women whose stories involve maturing beyond allegiance to God and war as they were taught in childhood. That, and growing up next to the top secret parts of that war machine.
Earthlings by Sayaka Murata
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
4.5
I think the story was compelling - I kept reading past two in the morning to finish this story that just kept getting weirder and weirder. I gotta say I didn't see, not by a long shot, how the horror would keep increasing. I didn't think this was in that genre, lol. It took a turn!
But definitely content warning for rape, abuse, murder, incest and cannibalism. Yikes on bikes. I don't know that I would say I loved the storyline or many of the characters, but I couldn't stop reading it, that's for sure.
On the surface, I suppose it's about unaddressed childhood trauma. I liked (initially anyway) the sort of detached view of everyone doing those very predictable things (school, marriage, kids) calling her town the factory and uteruses and testes components. It was Breakfast of Champions-esque that way. It's good to critique and think about behavior and goals society tells you is correct
There's a very relatable theme about being an alien too. I'm sure we all have felt that way. Some more than others, though. Maybe that comes from PTSD, introversion, or neurodivergence - I think you could make a case for any/all AND either take the alien thing literally or figuratively. Is it horror or scifi? I couldn't tell you.
There were super relatable bits but set in oddly mundane and horrific circumstances, this was a really wild ride.
I think Life Ceremonies was the one recommended to me and Convenience Store Woman is supposed to have similar themes but go less hard. This was the one the library had. For whatever reason.
But definitely content warning for rape, abuse, murder, incest and cannibalism. Yikes on bikes. I don't know that I would say I loved the storyline or many of the characters, but I couldn't stop reading it, that's for sure.
On the surface, I suppose it's about unaddressed childhood trauma. I liked (initially anyway) the sort of detached view of everyone doing those very predictable things (school, marriage, kids) calling her town the factory and uteruses and testes components. It was Breakfast of Champions-esque that way. It's good to critique and think about behavior and goals society tells you is correct
There's a very relatable theme about being an alien too. I'm sure we all have felt that way. Some more than others, though. Maybe that comes from PTSD, introversion, or neurodivergence - I think you could make a case for any/all AND either take the alien thing literally or figuratively. Is it horror or scifi? I couldn't tell you.
There were super relatable bits but set in oddly mundane and horrific circumstances, this was a really wild ride.
I think Life Ceremonies was the one recommended to me and Convenience Store Woman is supposed to have similar themes but go less hard. This was the one the library had. For whatever reason.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Cannibalism, Murder
Moderate: Suicide, Suicide attempt
Myth America: Historians Take on the Biggest Legends and Lies About Our Past by Julian E. Zelizer, Kevin M. Kruse
informative
4.0
None of the myths were a big surprise but who doesn't like a romp through Republican lies and race neutral language that effects a racist outcome. American Exceptionalism and Founding Myths were a good start, American Socialism will surprise the crap out of some, The Magic of the Marketplace and Reagan Revolution were sound debunkings. Family Values Feminism was an important one as well.
Not bad topics, but as someone who keeps up with the news and reads about politics, nothing was super surprising. But it was a really good review of about 20 commonly believed things.
Not bad topics, but as someone who keeps up with the news and reads about politics, nothing was super surprising. But it was a really good review of about 20 commonly believed things.
The Menopause Manifesto: Own Your Health with Facts and Feminism by Jen Gunter
5.0
Along with menopause, she gets into supplements(!) - how they're unregulated, adulterated and unnecessary (unless by prescription for an actual deficiency). And good info on how to do your own research - red flags and such of sorting through medical advice. (Red flag examples - Pregnenolone steal, adrenal fatigue, recommend salivary hormone level test, antivax, do they sell supplements)
Great read. I was raised - or absorbed through the culture - to believe the misogynistic tropes of blaming everything on hormones and women becoming frail, useless, dirty, silly, fat, gross, and weak. Gunter encourages us to think in terms of value, agency, and voice and I'm here for it.
Great read. I was raised - or absorbed through the culture - to believe the misogynistic tropes of blaming everything on hormones and women becoming frail, useless, dirty, silly, fat, gross, and weak. Gunter encourages us to think in terms of value, agency, and voice and I'm here for it.