papercraftalex's reviews
363 reviews

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

4.0

There's nothing I can say that hasn't already been said. It's an obviously great book with a few pacing issues. I'm looking forward to Jennette's future books.

Ejaculate Responsibly: A Whole New Way to Think About Abortion by Gabrielle Stanley Blair

challenging funny informative reflective fast-paced

4.0

Ejaculate Responsibly is a good essay that was entirely too long. It truly would have blossomed under a more ardent editor. Gabrielle Stanley Blair makes a lot of good points throughout this book and really made me rethink how I see pregnancy, abortion, and even relationships. It had a problem with repetitiveness that made some of the points less strong and I disliked how she quickly wrote off queer and trans experiences in the beginning, but overall was so quick and informative that I feel it's a worthwhile read.

My Brother's Husband: Volume 1 by Gengoroh Tagame

emotional funny inspiring reflective 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

5.0

This is a beautiful slice-of-life story about family. It shows how queerness is treated in Japan and the main character struggles with homophobia and grief while being a single father. The characters are so real and nuanced. Gengoroh Tagame is a master storyteller.

My Brother's Husband: Volume 2 by Gengoroh Tagame

emotional reflective 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

5.0

This is a beautiful story about family, societal expectations, parenting, and queerness. I literally cried so hard at the end of this that I had trouble seeing it! I'm excited to read other works by Gengorah Tagame!

The 2000s Made Me Gay: Essays on Pop Culture by Grace Perry

medium-paced

3.0

It is impossible for me to not compare this to Girls Can Kiss Now, which was one of my favorite books from last year and a much better iteration of this book. Girls Can Kiss Now made me laugh out loud multiple times. The 2000's Made Me Gay got an occasional snort. It has a lot less media commentary than I expected; it reads much more like a general memoir. I'm young for the references, but she explains them (though very monotonously in a way that I'm sure people of her generation reading would dislike). She also doesn't really have an overall point or message to this collection (though it could possibly be "look how easy you youngin's have it these days", in which, yuck). Overall, I think if this book intrigues you, just read Girls Can Kiss Now instead.

(The author also gets multiple facts wrong: Hayley Kiyoko did not start her career out, Taylor Swift was born in Wyomissing and also did not come out as straight in Vogue.)

Taproot by Keezy Young

The art style was so beautiful and it had the potential to be an amazing story, but the pacing is so off and it needed to be longer.

Sin: Selected Poems of Forugh Farrokhzad by Forugh Farrokhzad

adventurous emotional informative fast-paced

5.0

This was a beautiful poetry collection. I learned about Farrokhzad in Literary Witches and I'm greatful for that book for showing me her work. She is a master with imagery. I can't comment on if the translation was well done, but Ostriker truly made the words come off the page and helped me understand Iran a little bit better.

Our Members Be Unlimited: a comic about workers and their unions by Sam Wallman

informative slow-paced

4.0

There was a lot of information in this book and it was interesting to see the history of unions and the author's experience with unions, but it unfortunately could not keep my attention for long. It wasn't written in the most exciting way. The art was beautiful and truly added to the story. 

Sugar Falls: A Residential School Story by David A. Robertson

emotional informative sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

A very short and succinct read on residential schools. It's important to read and share these stories.

White Tears / Brown Scars: How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color by Ruby Hamad

challenging dark informative reflective tense medium-paced

5.0

White Tears/Brown Scars was a deeply uncomfortable and necessary read. Hamad explores so many facets of womanhood, history, and feminism and shows many examples of how white women have prioritized their whiteness over true feminist solidarity while telling women of color that they were breaking the sisterhood through discussing racism. I'm not a woman, I'm nonbinary, but I was raised as a woman and I'm perceived as a woman so this was still an important read and let's me reflect on how I interact with woman of color. This is a must read for anyone wearing the feminist label.