justinlife's reviews
839 reviews

Weathering: The Extraordinary Stress of Ordinary Life in an Unjust Society by Arline T. Geronimus

challenging dark hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.25

UGH! 

that's about all I can say about this one. Ugh. This is a tough read. It's kind of draining when you realize how those at the losing end of societies standards are affected by that physically. Weathering is a concept about the body ages more when faced with societal injustices. The case Geronimus focuses on most in this book is maternal death and birth rates. 

It's jarring. It's uncomfortable and at times depressing. That being said, it's an important book and I feel that most people should read this. It's not too academic that you can't follow along. Seeing how being any of the following can affect health is eye opening in the best way: poor, racial minority, sexual minority, any other sort othering society places. 

Having this knowledge can help us view people with empathy and look at ways to making society more equitable by adding compassion and empathy. Pick it up, prepare yourself, and take what you can to heart. When you have a stacked deck, how can you find ways of managing your body and not over aging it? 

Inland by Téa Obreht

challenging dark slow-paced

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

1.0

It's hard with a book like this b/c I want to be honest with how I felt about it but also recognize the work it took to go into creating this novel. 

My review reflects my opinion. Others might enjoy it, but for me the book left me feeling disappointed. I was disappointed with the stories Obreht chose to tell and also sad b/c it felt like there were many many others she could have told. 

The book follows two characters, Nora, living in Arizona during a drought, waiting for her husband and sons to return and Lurie, who is an outlaw living with the ghosts of his past and the ghosts around him. Nora is one of the most unlikable and unsympathetic characters I've read in a while. I couldn't understand her choices and her refusal to see the present in front her. She was mean and mean spirited and seemed like someone who had to be right. 

Lurie's story was interesting enough but I barely remember a lot of it. Him surviving through the west with his animal made for interesting breaks. 

This book didn't grab ahold of me. It didn't make me want to read it. In fact, it did the opposite. I wanted to put it down at almost every chance. The pacing was weird and by the time the book does get interesting (about 100 pages from the end), I didn't care about any of the characters to really feel the gravity of the situations they were in. 

When the book ended, it just left me feeling disappointed. There was a lot that didn't get resolved. A lot that could have been fun to read. It's like if Obreht has condensed the first 200 pages and to 100 and took some to explore the aftermaths, I would have liked it more. 

The Fireman and the Flirt by A.J. Truman

funny lighthearted relaxing 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

4.0

Overall a fun read. Low stakes, past traumas affecting present day decisions, mending past relationships. 

Easy and breezy.

The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal: Omnibus by E.K. Weaver

lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Relief Pitcher by Lee Blair

funny lighthearted relaxing 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? No

4.0

Not as many eye waggling as the others but excellent character banter. 

Eternal Hoptimist by Lee Blair

emotional hopeful inspiring relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

A solid follow up with more eyes waggling. Great character dynamics and a fun yet spicy read. 

Pitcher Perfect by Lee Blair

hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Overall a fun read with people who waggle their eyebrows all the time. 

Cute, fun, and people overcoming their own anxieties. 

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

dark informative mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I stan the elk head woman. An icon. A legend.

I do not stan the couple of chapters that had so much graphic against women and animals. 

Overall, a really good horror/thriller/suspense.

The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

This was a delightful story that allowed fairy tales to provide a common language for parent and child. Really sweet and pretty. Hard to imagine this is a banned book but alas, the world is cruel. 

A Most Tolerant Little Town: The Explosive Beginning of School Desegregation by Rachel Louise Martin

challenging dark informative inspiring sad tense fast-paced

5.0

This is one of those books that’s uncomfortable to read but worth reading. In this book, we read about the desegregation of Clinton High, years before Little Rock occurred. Martin brings this history to life with brilliant prose and really shows off her skill as a historian and author. She recreates the scenes so viscerally that it feels like we’re there, watching these events unfold. It’s well paced and well researched. This is the best of the narrative non fiction. 

While it’s uncomfortable to face our past, it’s important to read, to recognize, and to remember. We’ve come a long way and ay times we haven’t. Public schools have always been area where a lot of attention is paid when change occurs. 

This is an important book that you should pick up and read. I highly recommend it.