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libbysbookshelf's reviews
707 reviews
Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow
Did not finish book. Stopped at 28%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 28%.
Gratuitous and badly handled child abuse and domestic violence.
In Defence of Witches: Why Women Are Still on Trial by Mona Chollet
IN DEFENCE OF WITCHES: WHY WOMEN ARE STILL ON TRIAL by MONA CHOLLET translated by
French 🇫🇷
This book is my new personality. I loved it so much because it reinforced some of my existing beliefs but also introduced new ideas and made me think in new ways. And it reminded me how fucking cool witches (read:women) are. What more do you want from a book?
Oh, and this shade of green and this cover image make me so happy.
#witchandproud #book #nonfiction #monachollet #witches #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookreview #bookrecommendations #bookrecommendation #bookreader #bookreviews #bookreviewer #bookrecs #bookreading #bookreviewersofinstagram #bookreviewers #booklover
French 🇫🇷
This book is my new personality. I loved it so much because it reinforced some of my existing beliefs but also introduced new ideas and made me think in new ways. And it reminded me how fucking cool witches (read:women) are. What more do you want from a book?
Oh, and this shade of green and this cover image make me so happy.
#witchandproud #book #nonfiction #monachollet #witches #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookreview #bookrecommendations #bookrecommendation #bookreader #bookreviews #bookreviewer #bookrecs #bookreading #bookreviewersofinstagram #bookreviewers #booklover
After Sappho by Selby Wynn Schwartz
AFTER SAPPHO by SELBY WYNN SCHWARTZ
I’ve been putting off this review because I don’t know how to do this gem justice.
So instead of a proper review, I’ll just gush. This book is a love letter to the sapphists of the 19th and 20th centuries. I mean sapphists to be those women who study the work of Sappho and those who share her love and attraction for other women. The most famous in the book is Virginia Woolf, but, since reading this, I have so many other writers to add to my list.
@galley_beggar_press have defined this as a novel, but it’s genre defying, and that’s my favourite kind of book. It’s part biographical, part historical, part love letter to Sappho, part fictional, part…
Reading this book is a completely new experience and I recommend it to anyone who reads a lot because you’ll appreciate the change in pace.
It’s an absolute travesty that this wasn’t shortlisted for the Booker 2022 (#bookstagramreadsthebooker ) but I’m hoping it will go on to win other prizes because it deserves celebrating.
#book #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookreview #bookrecommendations #bookrecommendation #bookreader #bookreviews #bookreviewer #bookrecs #bookrec #bookreviewersofinstagram #aftersappho #galleybeggarpress #shelbywynnschwartz
I’ve been putting off this review because I don’t know how to do this gem justice.
So instead of a proper review, I’ll just gush. This book is a love letter to the sapphists of the 19th and 20th centuries. I mean sapphists to be those women who study the work of Sappho and those who share her love and attraction for other women. The most famous in the book is Virginia Woolf, but, since reading this, I have so many other writers to add to my list.
@galley_beggar_press have defined this as a novel, but it’s genre defying, and that’s my favourite kind of book. It’s part biographical, part historical, part love letter to Sappho, part fictional, part…
Reading this book is a completely new experience and I recommend it to anyone who reads a lot because you’ll appreciate the change in pace.
It’s an absolute travesty that this wasn’t shortlisted for the Booker 2022 (#bookstagramreadsthebooker ) but I’m hoping it will go on to win other prizes because it deserves celebrating.
#book #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookreview #bookrecommendations #bookrecommendation #bookreader #bookreviews #bookreviewer #bookrecs #bookrec #bookreviewersofinstagram #aftersappho #galleybeggarpress #shelbywynnschwartz
The Giant Dark by Sarvat Hasin
THE GIANT DARK by SARVAT HASIN
Written by a Pakistani author and based on the Eurydice and Orpheus myth, this novel is a heartbreaking love story about a rekindled love affair between a pop star and a poet.
I love anything Greek myth, so I’ve been meaning to read this for a while, but @this_hybrid_reads was talking about the horrific floods in Pakistan and Pakistani writers to read during this time, so it felt like a good moment to begin.
Parts of the beginning of this story felt like a Sally Rooney novel because of the angsty, but compelling relationship dynamic. And as the story went on, it developed into something more unique. I remained hopeful, but my knowledge of the myth meant I had a constant sense of impending doom. It’s a bit like watching Titanic — to this day I’ll still watch it and hope everything ends well. Human nature, I guess.
Anyway, I highly recommend this book. And please recommend more Pakistani writers to me.
#book #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookreview #bookrecommendations #bookrecommendation #bookreviews #bookreader #bookreviewer #bookrecs #bookreviewersofinstagram #thegiantdark
Written by a Pakistani author and based on the Eurydice and Orpheus myth, this novel is a heartbreaking love story about a rekindled love affair between a pop star and a poet.
I love anything Greek myth, so I’ve been meaning to read this for a while, but @this_hybrid_reads was talking about the horrific floods in Pakistan and Pakistani writers to read during this time, so it felt like a good moment to begin.
Parts of the beginning of this story felt like a Sally Rooney novel because of the angsty, but compelling relationship dynamic. And as the story went on, it developed into something more unique. I remained hopeful, but my knowledge of the myth meant I had a constant sense of impending doom. It’s a bit like watching Titanic — to this day I’ll still watch it and hope everything ends well. Human nature, I guess.
Anyway, I highly recommend this book. And please recommend more Pakistani writers to me.
#book #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookreview #bookrecommendations #bookrecommendation #bookreviews #bookreader #bookreviewer #bookrecs #bookreviewersofinstagram #thegiantdark
Black and Female by Tsitsi Dangarembga
BLACK AND FEMALE by TSITSI DANGAREMBA
The bestselling author of the Nervous Conditions trilogy has compiled a few essays on what it means to be Black and female in Zimbabwe and in the U.K.. After having seen her live @toppingsbath (second photo) I can also confirm that she is an excellent public speaker and every word she says is pure golden wisdom.
#book #bookstagram #bookreview #blackandfemale #tsitsidangarembga #bookrecommendations #bookstagrammer #bookrecommendation #bookreader #bookreviews #bookreviewer #bookrecs #bookreviewersofinstagram #bookreviewers #bookrec
The bestselling author of the Nervous Conditions trilogy has compiled a few essays on what it means to be Black and female in Zimbabwe and in the U.K.. After having seen her live @toppingsbath (second photo) I can also confirm that she is an excellent public speaker and every word she says is pure golden wisdom.
#book #bookstagram #bookreview #blackandfemale #tsitsidangarembga #bookrecommendations #bookstagrammer #bookrecommendation #bookreader #bookreviews #bookreviewer #bookrecs #bookreviewersofinstagram #bookreviewers #bookrec
The Impossible Fairy Tale by Han Yujoo
THE IMPOSSIBLE FAIRYTALE by HAN YUJOO translated by JANET HONG
Korean 🇰🇷
#womenintranslation
A dark story about the effects of loneliness and abuse on children… to begin with, then it becomes a story that interrogates the responsibility that writers have.
Take a character from a book who is treated badly by the writer and then imagine that character having a conversation with the writer. What would they ask? I couldn’t help but think of Jude from A Little Life asking Hanya what the hell she was playing at?! Would she have a good enough answer?
#koreanliterature #theimpossiblefairytale #hanyujoo #book #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookreview #bookrecommendations #bookrecommendation #bookreader #bookreviews #bookreviewer #bookrecs #bookrec #bookreadersofinstagram #bookreviewer #bookreviewersofinstagram
Korean 🇰🇷
#womenintranslation
A dark story about the effects of loneliness and abuse on children… to begin with, then it becomes a story that interrogates the responsibility that writers have.
Take a character from a book who is treated badly by the writer and then imagine that character having a conversation with the writer. What would they ask? I couldn’t help but think of Jude from A Little Life asking Hanya what the hell she was playing at?! Would she have a good enough answer?
#koreanliterature #theimpossiblefairytale #hanyujoo #book #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookreview #bookrecommendations #bookrecommendation #bookreader #bookreviews #bookreviewer #bookrecs #bookrec #bookreadersofinstagram #bookreviewer #bookreviewersofinstagram
Chouette by Claire Oshetsky
CHOUETTE by CLAIRE OSHETSKY
A fantasy novel about a woman who gets pregnant with and gives birth to an owl-baby, or an allegorical look at mothering a child with special needs in a world where everyone must conform? Either/or. Both. You decide.
Of course, this novel could have fallen into the trap of being too heavy handed with its messages about letting children be who they are, but don’t worry, there is plenty of grey area. And we love grey area and untrustworthy narrators (note I didn’t say ‘unreliable’).
#book #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookreview #bookrecommendations #bookrecommendation #bookreader #bookreviews #bookreviewer #bookrecs #bookrec #bookreaders #bookreviewersofinstagram #chouette #claireoshetsky
A fantasy novel about a woman who gets pregnant with and gives birth to an owl-baby, or an allegorical look at mothering a child with special needs in a world where everyone must conform? Either/or. Both. You decide.
Of course, this novel could have fallen into the trap of being too heavy handed with its messages about letting children be who they are, but don’t worry, there is plenty of grey area. And we love grey area and untrustworthy narrators (note I didn’t say ‘unreliable’).
#book #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookreview #bookrecommendations #bookrecommendation #bookreader #bookreviews #bookreviewer #bookrecs #bookrec #bookreaders #bookreviewersofinstagram #chouette #claireoshetsky
Riot Days by Maria Alyokhina
RIOT DAYS by MARIA ALYOKHINA translated by the author
Russian 🇷🇺
#womenintranslationmonth
A prison memoir written by a member of Pussy Riot, featuring hard-hitting Russian political truths and an unwavering heroine.
#pussyriot #riotdays #book #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookreview #bookrecommendations #bookrecommendation #bookreader #bookreviews #bookreviewer #bookrecs #bookreviewers #bookreviewsofinstagram #bookreviewersofinstagram
Russian 🇷🇺
#womenintranslationmonth
A prison memoir written by a member of Pussy Riot, featuring hard-hitting Russian political truths and an unwavering heroine.
#pussyriot #riotdays #book #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookreview #bookrecommendations #bookrecommendation #bookreader #bookreviews #bookreviewer #bookrecs #bookreviewers #bookreviewsofinstagram #bookreviewersofinstagram
Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor
HURRICANE SEASON by FERNANDA MELCHOR
Spanish 🇲🇽
#womenintranslationmonth
A torrent of breathless, syntactical genius, portraying a poor, Mexican society’s infestation of toxic machismo.
Pure excellence. Loved it.
#book #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #hurricaneseason #fernandamelchor #fitzcarraldoeditions @fitzcarraldoeditions #bookreview #bookrecommendations #bookrecommendation #bookreader #bookreviewer #bookreviews #bookrecs #bookreviewers #bookrec #bookreviewersofinstagram
Spanish 🇲🇽
#womenintranslationmonth
A torrent of breathless, syntactical genius, portraying a poor, Mexican society’s infestation of toxic machismo.
Pure excellence. Loved it.
#book #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #hurricaneseason #fernandamelchor #fitzcarraldoeditions @fitzcarraldoeditions #bookreview #bookrecommendations #bookrecommendation #bookreader #bookreviewer #bookreviews #bookrecs #bookreviewers #bookrec #bookreviewersofinstagram
Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley
NIGHTCRAWLING by LEILA MOTTLEY
#bookstagramreadsthebooker
17?! 17 years old when she wrote this book? That is impressive. Very, very impressive.
Longlisted for the Booker? The world famous, most prestigious literary award? No, that’s not right. Really, no.
If I had read this book separate from the Booker prize and found it in the YA section of a bookshop, I’d be incredibly impressed. This book gave me The Hate U Give vibes, in that it was about a serious issue from the point of view of a Black teenager. This book is about a sex worker who experiences police brutality. It’s based on a true story.
However, in the context of the Booker prize, this book is not astute or concise enough. I understand if the judges wanted recognise the immense achievement of a seventeen year old who has written a novel, but I’m not sure if there is anything else here.
And I really wanted to like this. I spent £25 on a hand numbered limited edition Goldsboro version. Trust me, I wanted to love this. Alas, it was not the one. Ultimately, it was boring. I am sorry.
#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookreview #bookrecommendations #bookrecommendation #bookreader #bookreviews #bookreviewer #bookrecs #bookreviewers #bookrec #bookreviewersofinstagram
#bookstagramreadsthebooker
17?! 17 years old when she wrote this book? That is impressive. Very, very impressive.
Longlisted for the Booker? The world famous, most prestigious literary award? No, that’s not right. Really, no.
If I had read this book separate from the Booker prize and found it in the YA section of a bookshop, I’d be incredibly impressed. This book gave me The Hate U Give vibes, in that it was about a serious issue from the point of view of a Black teenager. This book is about a sex worker who experiences police brutality. It’s based on a true story.
However, in the context of the Booker prize, this book is not astute or concise enough. I understand if the judges wanted recognise the immense achievement of a seventeen year old who has written a novel, but I’m not sure if there is anything else here.
And I really wanted to like this. I spent £25 on a hand numbered limited edition Goldsboro version. Trust me, I wanted to love this. Alas, it was not the one. Ultimately, it was boring. I am sorry.
#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookreview #bookrecommendations #bookrecommendation #bookreader #bookreviews #bookreviewer #bookrecs #bookreviewers #bookrec #bookreviewersofinstagram