pangnaolin's reviews
98 reviews

Hunger by Roxane Gay

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.5

This was an extraordinary memoir. I definitely don't think I was prepared for what I was about to read, but I'm so glad I read it regardless. I've never heard the story of a rape from the victim's perspective before, which is a realization that struck me while I read, and it was such a new & informative experience, intellectually and emotionally. Gay is such an incredible writer, and hearing her story was so intense and important. I'm so glad she let us into her world for just a little while.

I feel that oftentimes, people who've realized the way our world treats Black, fat, queer, trans, Indigenous, Disabled, etc people is unfair are also terrified to admit that they've been imbued with those same biases as part of this world, and it was so refreshing to listen as Gay grappled with her conscious beliefs vs. her body's emotional & physical responses. Her brutally honest admissions of how she's hated herself for being fat, hated the way it disables her, and so much more really brought me into her story and made me emphasize thoroughly. No progress is linear, and she wasn't afraid to admit that.

I read this one in a day, and I'll absolutely have to read it again. You should, too. I don't really know what to say or how to talk about it, honestly, but some of those chapters I know I won't forget for a long, long time.

The Hundred Years' War on Palestine by Rashid Khalidi

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.25

This was such an incredible introduction to the history of Palestinian subjugation and oppression at the hands of Israel. Khalidi clearly has an incredible amount of emotional ties to the issue at hand, but manages to remain incredibly level-headed and thoughtful in all regards-- unbiased but plainly revealing the evils of Israel's aim and tactics alongside the mistakes in Palestinian leadership.

Despite the very journalistic and academic style, I felt the grief seep through each page (I specifically think of how Khalidi described people he knew well and adored from school or family, and then how they were murdered by the state of Israel). It wasn't ever stale-- feeling very human and honest. The language was academic, but I also got the sense I was talking to a knowledgable friend.

It was definitely a bit dense at times, but worked out really well because I listened to the audiobook-- I don't know I would've gotten through it otherwise-- and enjoyed both the narrator and flow.

I learned so much I wouldn't have guessed (I always knew America was incredibly supportive of Israel, but I didn't realize it was so overtly Israel's little bitch... I've never thought of the US as a doormat) and I'm really grateful I took the time to read this! I don't think it sunk in all the way, and I doubt I remember most of the events directly, but I do feel like I got a really good sense of the general history of Israel's occupation of Palestine, and I'm glad to know a lot more overall. I'll likely be rereading this at some point, or at least parts of it.

Dominic by William Steig

adventurous hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

I almost want to give Dominic a 5 star rating, because it truly is a 5 star read in my heart! Despite it being a children's book, I fell in love with this one. He's such a sweet and eloquent main character, and I love how skillfully Steig puts us in the shows of a dog-- loyal to the bone, excitable, adventurous, and in a world full of smells & senses!

I don't think I've ever met such a lovable character. He's got a heart of gold & as he sets out on his whimsical adventures into the unknown, he doesn't abandon it at all. I loved every moment & interaction in this sweet little book, despite the fact that I'm far past the intended age range for Dominic, and it's really made itself a place in my heart.

I was also a bit surprised at just how beautiful the prose was. I usually think of children's literature as being quite simple & even a bit boring, and watching Dominic explore endless little details with incredible precision was such a breath of fresh air.

I've never been one for fairytales, so such an unconventional but classic one like this was a joy to my heart. It might not be the most evolved & intense work of literature you've ever interacted with, but it'll likely leave you feeling warm & fuzzy, and honestly has quite a few things to teach you, too.

The Way Out: A Revolutionary, Scientifically Proven Approach to Healing Chronic Pain by Alan Gordon

funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

4.25

The Way Out was such an insightful look into neurplastic pain & how we can understand what our minds & bodies are reacting to. Gordon was light-hearted & funny throughout, and the book was very accessibly written, which I find is not very common in books on chronic pain or issues of any kind.

I also found Gordon oddly charming? Especially when listening to the audiobook, something about the way he presented himself was very sweet & made me feel a lot like I was talking to a friend.

I'm usually a bit averse to the sort of 'self help' aspect of this book, but it was really well done, and being a patient at his Pain Psychology Center, it was really cool to learn more in depth about the information that informs the work I do in-session. He really did outline some of the most important work in pain reprocessing therapy.

I'd be curious to hear about how people who attempted to 'treat themselves', for lack of better words, using the techniques he presented compare in their growth to people who go to pain reprocessing therapy and work with a professional.

I think the only real thing I wanted more from is the science behind it all. I would've been really curious to hear more about the nitty-gritty of what we do know about how neuroplastic pain works chemically & electrically, though I understand that wasn't exactly the point of this book.

Anyway, I liked it a lot, it was a quick read, and it gave me a lot of insight into & context for how my journey in pain reprocessing could look and why it works. It wasn't the most emotionally impactful or profound book I've ever read [though the postscript about 'The State of Healthcare and the Opioid Crisis' definitely struck a chord with me], but it didn't need to be that. It provided an incredible new point of view and a whole lot of things to explore in a succinct & easy to process way, and I'm grateful for it for that.

La Casa en Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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

4.5

La Casa en Mango Street es una novela que dice mucho en muy poco espacio. Esperanza es un personaje increíblemente hermoso que me atrajo inmediatamente. Fue muy difícil de entender en muchas partes porque aún estoy aprendiendo español y es una novela muy abstracta y poética, pero sé que eso es un problema de mi experiencia y no de su escritura.

En realidad, el aspecto poético de su escritura es una de las razones por las que me encantó tanto. Su uso repetido de la repetición, los símbolos y la transición de una perspectiva infantil e inmadura a una de mujer que necesita estar madura para sobrevivir une todas las viñetas.

Los temas de la opresión de las mujeres (y especialmente de las mujeres que también están marginadas de otras maneras, ya sean negras, latinas, trans, inmigrantes, en dinámicas abusivas, especialmente pobres o algo completamente diferente) son muy interesantes de explorar también por la forma poética del libro. La manera en que Cisneros teje estos temas a través de metáforas y descripciones vívidas añade una capa de profundidad a la narración.

La línea de tiempo me confundió un poco, pero no me importa mucho porque los temas de madurez, experiencias difíciles a edades muy tempranas y la comprensión de todo lo que nos rodea son muy claros, y esos son los que importan. Sí creo que a veces avanzó un poco rápido y podría haberse ralentizado un poco más para permitir aún más conexiones, pero aún así lo disfruté tal como estaba. Esa estructura fragmentada de la novela, con sus viñetas independientes pero interconectadas, para mí refleja la naturaleza fragmentada de la memoria y la identidad, especialmente para los niños, y realmente lo aprecio.

Creo que necesitaré leer "La Casa en Mango Street" otra vez (quizás cuando entienda el español un poco más, o si no, simplemente en inglés), pero esta lectura ya me impactó mucho. Espero que en una segunda lectura pueda apreciar aún más las sutilezas de su estilo y los matices de sus temas.

Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky

adventurous challenging dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I didn't really think I'd like Notes from Underground going into it, so I wasn't surprised when I didn’t. The themes are interesting-- the fear & stress of being known & perceived, isolation & alienation, nihilism, etc-- but I just couldn't really care for how it was presented. Simply, Dostoevsky's critiques of society were interesting to me, but his writing just was not.

The Underground man is supposed to be obnoxious and frustrating-- I understand that-- but it felt a bit too much for me, especially in tandem with my general dislike for the bleak writing style. 

A few moments were compelling as I read (2+2 equaling 4 vs. 5 and the 'crystal palace' situation), and I was still interested vaguely in how he came to every conclusion he did and how he navigated the world, but it all felt sort of dampened by how infuriating he was and how quickly everything seemed to move.

The way he amped himself up & let himself own so quickly in response to any small thing felt overplayed, and I couldn't help but feel that it was more reminiscent of how family members of mine have acted when in bipolar mania than of how someone might act because of any amount of isolation or insecurity. At some point, I stopped really getting the sense that the Underground man was a product of society, and felt more like he was a product of his own nature.

My favorite commentary by far was his on the existence of a civil servant in Russia and on class insecurity, while I felt like his commentary on human nature just ended up sort of whiny and over the top.

In general, it was fine & had good things to say, but there are a hundred other books I would've liked to read instead to get a similar perspective on the same topic. I don't think Notes from Underground is a very good show of his writing skills anyway, as far as I've heard, so maybe it's a shame that this is the first of his I've read. I don't imagine I'd read another-- I never even really planned to read one.

On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious reflective

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

4.5

This was such a beautiful piece and I'm so grateful I picked it up in a comic book store with my uncle. The colors drew me in immediately, and the rest did not disappoint as I read through.

Walden does a wonderful job telling a difficult but wonderful story of found family, exploration, growing into your place in the world, and love as a whole. On a Sunbeam has such an atmosphere of warmth with such subtle themes and introductions-- never in your face, always asking you to look deeper. I was particularly excited, I remember, at how wonderfully casual queerness was. It didn't have to be the point, but the impact of it wasn't dulled, either.

I do feel like the characters were a little bit bland at times, and it was easy to let them blend/fade into one another, but it honestly didn't really impact my enjoyment of the book at all. I was so intrigued by the movement of two dual timelines and how they would intersect, and it definitely made it hard to keep characters straight, but Walden did a solidly good job at it. I wish it had shed a little more light on the backstories and worlds of individual characters, but again, I don't mind too much.

It really stood out to me that the main characters were traveling through space and reconstructing buildings and cities-- especially historical ones. The picture it allowed me to build of each of them-- people working to create and truly make something-- and the way it connected to their internal lives was perfect.

I don't tend to love graphic novels, but Walden lulled me into such an odd internal peace and asked me to open my eyes in her world. I'm still in awe of it now. Please read this.

Whichwood by Tahereh Mafi

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad 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

4.25

I was quite surprised at how beautiful & dark this was for a supposed Y/A book. Embarrassingly, I had no idea it was the second in a series when I first read it, but I enjoyed it thoroughly despite the lack of context! Laylee was such an intriguing & captivating character, cleaning corpses for a living and being quite a dark, bleak, and gory character, but at the same time, surprisingly full of heart.

I remember especially loving Benyamin and his care for bugs, too! Every interaction with the world or a character felt like a new exploration, and allowed me to really feel immersed in it all.

I'm not sure how much I'd like it on a re-read, as my style and maturity with writing have already matured quite a bit, but I do have a fondness for it, regardless. I'd just caution that I'd be wary of giving this to actual young people exploring Y/A just because it could be a bit dark for some, depending on their preferences, but it's worth a shot if it's something they're interested in.

The Premonition by Banana Yoshimoto

adventurous mysterious reflective relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Since I first read a word of her writing, I've adored Banana Yoshimoto's style, and The Premonition was no exception in that regard. It's simple and striking as always, and I remember especially loving her descriptions of the sort of tendrils Yayoi's aunt had on her. It was definitely a strong piece, though the translations were odd and seemed sort of wrong at one or two points, and I loved reading it in a line-by-line.

That said, the plot and themes got a little weird and felt a bit underdeveloped.

Obviously, the incest and teacher-student relationship were incredibly odd, but I think I'm really just sad she didn't explore these relationships and what led to them more. I would've loved to see some sort of reflection/analysis on trauma & modeled relationships, and how they change how we look at things-- maybe even neurodivergency, too, as it seems clear to me that there's some sort of 'difference' in both Yayoi and Yukino, and even in Tetsuo. I wouldn't have mind the weirdness had she used it to her advantage and allowed it to enhance the story, characters, and plot, but instead, it just felt like sort of a cheap shock.

I think it speaks to the strengths of her writing in general and this book in particular, though, that these issues with the characters didn't make me hate them. I knew that they were weird and, to be frank, had enough problems that I didn't judge them as evil or gross or something right away. It was off-putting and uncomfortable, but I still enjoyed the book, and I was able to see the start of why they were acting & feeling the way they did. That's why I wanted more of that, I think. I wanted the story go to deeper.

I am glad I read it, though, especially because it was such a quick read. It felt sort of mystical and ethereal, and I enjoyed the energy & style. I'd recommend it despite its faults & room for improvement, though definitely not before a book of hers like Kitchen or Asleep.

Worm: A Cuban American Odyssey by Edel Rodriguez

adventurous emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.25

A beautiful book, but I honestly have no idea how to rate graphic novels in comparison to books. It feels like another world entirely, and this doesn't quite fit with how I felt about books of any particular rating. I think I tend to feel a lot less impacted by graphic novels, just because they can be so quick to move through. I don't really have time to sit with and feel the characters and story the way I do with novels/memoirs/etc. Maybe I should force myself to slow down on a reread...

Anyway-- like I said, Worm was such a stunning read. The art style is so sharp & wonderful, and Rodriguez moves between color palettes so perfectly in time with the stories told in each vignette.

It was so interesting to be able to see the Cuban Revolution and its aftermath from the perspective of someone who experienced it so vividly, and through the candid eyes of a child [there's a poem in that phrase]. Conversation around non-capitalist governments that have managed to exist are often quite un-nuanced, but I found it particularly interesting that when he referred to the issues with Cuba's communist party, it was not communism that was the problem, but the fact that it wasn't really communism at all-- just dictatorship and totalitarianism.

Rodriguez's comparisons between Trump and Castro were incredibly poignant, but I would've loved to see some reflection as Cuba changed and grew in the later years of his life, even if he didn't know much directly about it. Of course, it's continued to have its problems, but has grown, changed, and adapted quite significantly, and I would've loved to hear his thoughts on it.

Overall, though, every vignette was striking, especially the childhood stories, and I'd absolutely recommend this to anyone interested. I can't say the graphic novel affected me a ton because it went quite fast as all graphic novels do, despite being text-heavy, but I would love to read it again & slower and feel like that could change. I know that for now, the image of the walls listening to them is going to stick with me for a long time.