littleredmacks's reviews
503 reviews

Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis by Dean Spade

informative fast-paced

3.0

There were things in this book that were really insightful, however, I did have issue with the lack of sources as well as the fact that the author was very fixated on the binary that charity is bad and mutual aid is good. I think in reality, even the author didn't seem to have a clear distinction between mutual aid and a non profit that was run well. 

It also felt like the first half functioned a lot on theory, which is fine, but I thought come the second half we would get more concrete examples of this playing out in the real world, but it read way more as a self-help book (eg avoiding burnout). 

**also docked points for the ebook format. There was a section totally unreadable due to the table overlapping several pages of the book. And with how many tables there were in this book, you'd think we wouldn't have that issue. 

Brownstone by Samuel Teer

emotional inspiring lighthearted reflective sad 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

4.0

This is a very nuanced graphic novel that tackles some tough concepts. The artwork is beautiful and I would read this again in a heartbeat. 

There Are Trans People Here by H. Melt

emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

4.5

This collection was well done. I do wish it had been a little longer, but I think the author did a great job overall. 

If You Knew My Name by Lisa Roberts Carter

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

Disney High: The Untold Story of the Rise and Fall of Disney Channel's Tween Empire by Ashley Spencer

informative slow-paced

3.0

It was an interesting book, however, I found myself way more invested in the chapters related to shows I knew about or had watched than some of the shows in this book that I hadn't heard of before. I feel like the fact that the author included no backstory of what the show was detracted from my ability to connect with what was going on because I didn't know anyone. 

Plantains and Our Becoming: Poems by Melania Luisa Marte

emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

These poems were powerful and raw and beautiful. 

The White Book by Han Kang

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

For She is Wrath by Emily Varga

dark emotional inspiring reflective 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

I loved this book. A girl going after revenge is always going to be at the top of my list. 

Out main character is full of feminine rage, however, she doesn't go after her revenge the way I thought she would. I thought there would be blood, and destruction (and there was some of that) but the main way she gets her revenge is through manipulating the systems and men around her. It was perfection. 

That being said, there were a couple pacing issues that could have been addressed fairly easily. For example, the Djinn magic felt like it was there sometimes and not a thought in the mind at other times. If it had been a consistent build, I think the moment of reveal would have hit so much harder than it did. And of course, because it is YA, it is only so dark which means several of the plot points are fairly predictable. 

That being said, I think the author did a great job creating worlds and characters that I would love to see again. 

A Holly Jolly Ever After by Sierra Simone, Julie Murphy

1.0

I wanted to love this as our main character is trying to overcome purity culture and that is something I very much relate to but then we had the miscommunication trope along with a surprise pregnancy trope and an MMC whose personality completely changes in the second half. 

What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma by Stephanie Foo

challenging dark emotional inspiring fast-paced

This was a book I didn’t know I needed this year. To anyone with generational trauma I highly recommend this book.