moonyreadsbystarlight's reviews
589 reviews

Frontera by Jacoby Salcedo, Julio Anta

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adventurous emotional informative
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This was an engaging story with nice art. It brings up a lot of issues and danger that people encounter crossing the border and shows a few different reasons why people might have to. This brings up the legacy of xenophobic violence committed by the US towards Mexican in particular (and how this has impacts outside of that group). The story was interesting and puts a lot into perspective, but I do feel that some of the connections between characters was a bit rushed. Some of this could have been fleshed out if there were more time in the book. All things considered, it's still a pretty great book. 
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Empathy by Kevin Killian, Sarah Schulman

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challenging reflective tense
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This is weird and compelling novel. While there is technically a plot, this seemed to be much more about the time. There was a big part of it about connection and identity, but also so much about culture and morality being faced going into the 1990s. It's about being a lesbian in a straight world, but also about thinking deeply in the face of a cultural push towards individualism and apathy. It's about the breakdown of the American dream -- but also the breakdown of the idea that it ever was really. There is a lot more here, but overall, I found it fascinating. 
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Against Technoableism: Rethinking Who Needs Improvement by Ashley Shew

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informative reflective

4.5

A great short look at ableism and how it intersects with technology. This talks a lot about physical disabilities but also discusses neurodivergence. There is a lot of history sprinkled in, as it is necessary for understanding where we are now -- including that of colonization and racism, as that was a key factor in old ideas about disability and eugenics. And there is so much interesting and nuanced discussion of the future with disability in mind! The author pulls from a lot of different writers and activists as well, so I am really looking forward to reading more from who she referenced as well
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Mamo by Sas Milledge

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

4.75

I loved this! I'm obsessed with the art and it felt like a cohesive story. I worry about pacing with comics this small that have such a big story, but this did really well. I also love that I picked this up knowing nothing about it but "ooh pretty cover" and it ended up being queer!
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On Call: Political Essays by June Jordan

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informative

5.0

Incredible! Another instance where we would do well to read backlist for perspective on our current situation (concerning a number of global issues, as well as what we still see here in the US). There are some truly unforgettable essays in here.
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The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson

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challenging emotional reflective

4.0

I really liked a lot of this. I enjoyed the style and all the references. I do think it got a little muddled in parts and I have comments about specific passages. But it was interesting overall.
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Making Spaces Safer: A Pocket Guide by Shawna Potter

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informative fast-paced

3.5

A good beginning look at the topic. Some was more basic, other parts were good refresher of bystander intervention. It also includes some helpful resources. Also, while it does discuss some issues with law enforcement, I don't think that part of it goes far enough. 

It looks like this has been expanded into a book, so I'm interested to see what all is expanded upon. 
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On Order by Peter Kropotkin

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informative reflective

4.0

Haru: Book 1: Spring by Joe Latham

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adventurous emotional
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Loveable characters? Yes

3.0

I really liked the artwork and characters. The story has heart, but the pacing was really off. Some things just happen too suddenly. Still, it's pretty cute and I'll probably read the next one. 

I've seen this cataloged as YA and middle grade, but it definitely read more middle grade to me.
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Tending Grief: Embodied Rituals for Holding Our Sorrow and Growing Cultures of Care in Community by Camille Sapara Barton

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hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

This was an I credible read that left me with much to think about (and much more to read with all the sources and recommendations for further reading). This talks a lot about grief in the context of larger systems and ancestral pain, and the role in activist spaces. There are a few conversations from organizers who handle grief in community. Finally, it concludes with grief rituals that can be used alone and in groups. While this looks a lot at grieving things like the impacts of colonization, it also acknowledges many more individual experiences with greif, including various experiences with abortion. 

This had a lot of really good information while also staying really grounded in how we can relate to all of this individually and in our communities. 
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