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mh_doma's reviews
132 reviews
Make Room for Love by Darcy Liao
Did not finish book. Stopped at 76%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 76%.
A really great concept but shaky execution. Mira was much more well-rounded than Isabel. The pacing of the romance and overall plot could have been stronger, and I found myself not very invested in the book after they got together. I could see myself really enjoying this book a lot more if it had gone through more intensive editing/revising,. Regardless, though, I do appreciate what Liao was trying to accomplish through it.
Strangers to Ourselves: Unsettled Minds and the Stories That Make Us by Rachel Aviv
Did not finish book. Stopped at 34%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 34%.
It Lasts Forever and Then It's Over by Anne de Marcken
Did not finish book. Stopped at 44%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 44%.
Full of potential but felt somewhat aimless. I was under the impression that it would feel more cosmic/fantastical based on marketing. Instead, it ventured more toward the apocalyptic, which I failed to fully realize until later into the novella. I understand why other people might enjoy it. Many individual sections had meaningful, thought-provoking lines, and I was pulled in by the references to the “you” figure. However, I struggled with feeling invested with the narrative and the characters. This novella felt too disjointed to sustain my attention and finish reading.
Perfume & Pain by Anna Dorn
dark
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
5.0
This novel was so lovingly crafted. It is the sort of narrative that was written with a specific audience in mind, and let me tell you, it definitely landed. A literary novel featuring lesbian satire, pulp references, and community discourse while exploring addiction, relationship abuse, and mental health. I have never read lesbian satire and found it absolutely delightful. Astrid was unbelievably well written. She is such a highly flawed person who is often self-centered and reductive but at the same time very sympathetic. I was extremely touched by how Dorn handled Astrid’s experiences with abusive relationships and the person that she grew into by the end of the narrative. I definitely will be thinking about this novel for a long time—off to my all-time favorites list it goes!
Fragmented: A Doctor's Quest to Piece Together American Health Care by Ilana Yurkiewicz
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Without a doubt among the most important nonfiction I have ever read. Extremely insightful about the fragmentations of the medical system and how it poorly affects doctors and patients. Offers many concrete ways that the medical system could improve if we are brave enough to choose systemic and institutional changes. The writing itself was gripping, thought-provoking, and honest, making it difficult to put down. This is a book that I strongly believe everyone who engages with the American healthcare system would benefit from reading to better understand the intricacies of the system responsible for our care, well-being, and lives. Extremely impressed with Dr. Yurkiewicz and eager to read more from her in the future.