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labyrinth_witch's reviews
549 reviews
Envelope Poems by Emily Dickinson
inspiring
relaxing
fast-paced
3.0
I love Emily Dickinson’s poetry. And while the poems in this book will not be as put-together as a collection of her work, seeing the at she wrote on envelopes and other paper scrapes is inspiring. This week I have been reading art books about doing art on every things you can find (as opposed to fancy sketchbooks that scare you with their pristine pages). I think a lot of how Emily Dickinson decided her clothes needed to fit her life- pockets for these paper scraps and a pencil, so she could also create and manifest her internal poetry. It’s also lovely to see how she was playing with ideas and lines, scratching out words or stacking different word choices. It’s almost like you can see her mind thinking, and it’s such a treasure. We so rarely get to see the process rather than the finished product.
Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-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
4.0
This was a delightful tale made more enjoyable by being the story of Gabriel St Vincent’s father from Devil in Spring. I love it when authors do generational worlds. But particularly for the St. Vincent men- they have a bleeding heart for peculiar but insistently autonomous women. When you read Sebastian falling in love with Evie, then Gabriel fall for Pandora - you’re like, “aw, like father like son.” Which is why Sebastian knew Pandora would steal Gabriel’s heart before he knew what was happening. Also love how Sebastian comes to life in this story and how he changes. This was a good “hero must be worthy of the heroine” tale. Enjoy!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Painting Calm: Connect to Nature Through the Art of Watercolour by Inga Buividavice
informative
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
5.0
This is a very lovely, small book that makes painting botanicals feels like a stress relief rather than more pressure. Covering types of brushes, brush stokes, and watercolor techniques the books is beautifully illustrated with her own work and focused on the creative journey.
What I found most valuable was her sections on color theory and creating color harmonies, how to construct a botanical composition, and the exercises that have you practicing these two skills. She also shows you how to make a botanical mandala. She also has a lovely small section about keeping a botanical watercolor sketchbook which is inspiring.
The books includes her colors inside the front and back flaps, which is a nice touch. She also include further reading, YouTube channels, and podcasts in a resource section in the back to help one continue to evolve as an artist.
Quick read <3 hours.
What I found most valuable was her sections on color theory and creating color harmonies, how to construct a botanical composition, and the exercises that have you practicing these two skills. She also shows you how to make a botanical mandala. She also has a lovely small section about keeping a botanical watercolor sketchbook which is inspiring.
The books includes her colors inside the front and back flaps, which is a nice touch. She also include further reading, YouTube channels, and podcasts in a resource section in the back to help one continue to evolve as an artist.
Quick read <3 hours.
Motherlands: How States Push Mothers Out of Employment by Leah Ruppanner
informative
medium-paced
4.0
This is a short comprehensive addition to feminist welfare state theory. A quantitative study, Ruppanner challenges the idea that the U.S. is a monolithic liberal welfare state. Instead, using a variety of metrics, regression, and factor analysis she finds that states are made up of both liberal welfare and social democratic welfare practices. She proposed a new welfare state typology where most states fall either into gender-empowered states or child-care regime states. A few score high on both, forming an ideal type. A few score 0 on both, forming a policy-void type.
Her findings are interesting because they challenge popular normative ideas about what supports mothers and what does not. Gender-empowered states cluster on the coasts. Child-care regimes cluster in the Midwest and South. Policy-voids in the mountain region.
Assuming that high rates of maternal employment is the desired goal (lower dependency on male-partner earnings and thus more social mobility to leave domestic abuse and prevent maternal poverty) childcare-regimes have the highest maternal employment and gendered empowerment have the lowest maternal employment.
Since gender progressive policies are tied to the employment contract, they are only really helpful if you can maintain employment. Ruppanner finds that without affordable and accessible childcare resources from birth to school-age, mothers cannot maintain employment.
Read the whole study for more interesting finds. Might be a slightly difficult read if you are not familiar with statistical models. Geared toward state legislators and feminist welfare state theorists. That being said, the conclusion chapter does an excellent job of summarizing all these interesting connections if you are pressed for Also a great resources if you are planning to have kids and trying to decide the best place to live.
Her findings are interesting because they challenge popular normative ideas about what supports mothers and what does not. Gender-empowered states cluster on the coasts. Child-care regimes cluster in the Midwest and South. Policy-voids in the mountain region.
Assuming that high rates of maternal employment is the desired goal (lower dependency on male-partner earnings and thus more social mobility to leave domestic abuse and prevent maternal poverty) childcare-regimes have the highest maternal employment and gendered empowerment have the lowest maternal employment.
Since gender progressive policies are tied to the employment contract, they are only really helpful if you can maintain employment. Ruppanner finds that without affordable and accessible childcare resources from birth to school-age, mothers cannot maintain employment.
Read the whole study for more interesting finds. Might be a slightly difficult read if you are not familiar with statistical models. Geared toward state legislators and feminist welfare state theorists. That being said, the conclusion chapter does an excellent job of summarizing all these interesting connections if you are pressed for Also a great resources if you are planning to have kids and trying to decide the best place to live.
This Earl of Mine by Kate Bateman
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Alchemy of a Blackbird by Claire McMillan
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
This book is historical fiction of the life of Remedios Varo, including Lenora Carrington, two of the three witches of surrealism. Beautifully written, this book will draw you into the world and make it hard to put down. Even more than the prose, the structure will captivate you. The story is told using Tarot cards in a way I have never seen perspective-switching done before. Because of this structure you have the pleasure of seeing the same scene and events through the eyes of multiple characters. For me this enriches the narrative. It makes you feel how different people must experience you even as you experience them going about your life just being yourself.
This story captures what it like for women experiencing men who fancy themselves intellectuals, women who want to desire themselves, the way women form life-long friendships, and the journey into your own authentic experience of life. It is a book that will linger in your heart long after you turn the last page.
Then you will go down a rabbit hole of Varo art, finding podcasts and reviews of her work. It will captivate you even as you consider she didn’t come into herself until her middle-age years.
And then you will get yourself a tarot deck and wonder which card describes you.
Enjoy.
This story captures what it like for women experiencing men who fancy themselves intellectuals, women who want to desire themselves, the way women form life-long friendships, and the journey into your own authentic experience of life. It is a book that will linger in your heart long after you turn the last page.
Then you will go down a rabbit hole of Varo art, finding podcasts and reviews of her work. It will captivate you even as you consider she didn’t come into herself until her middle-age years.
And then you will get yourself a tarot deck and wonder which card describes you.
Enjoy.
The Duke's Secret Cinderella by Eva Devon
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I really enjoy how Devon writes her male characters- she truly understands how being noble, taken seriously, would be enacted. At the end, it’s very clear that what is romance to women is being listened to. Her female characters are witty, intelligent, and resourceful. This was a quick read, but enjoyable.
Childfree by Choice: The Movement Redefining Family and Creating a New Age of Independence by Amy Blackstone
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
Overall, this provides a great overview of the childfree movement. It will challenge your ideas of motherhood, womanhood, and sexual division of labor- both of household work and fertility labor. I would have liked a better explanation of what she means when she says “pronatalism” and some of the studies cited would have been biased by the nature of who was initiating the study. I’m not sure I’m entirely convinced by her argument of what “causes” the childfree choice, but it does provide a lot to consider.
You Are Not a Before Picture: How to Finally Make Peace with Your Body, for Good by Alex Light
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
One of the best books I’ve read on disengaging from diet-culture and a critical look at the body positivity trend. Helpful steps and resources throughout.