Take a photo of a barcode or cover
piastri's reviews
93 reviews
Repeat: A Warning from History by Dennis Glover
4.0
a stark analysis that i feel is only going to prove its' point more and more as time passes. i try not to feel hopeless but it's difficult when everyone else seems to be ignoring the reality of the time we are in. hopefully this will open some people's eyes to how close and relevant history actually is
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
4.5
it really is a testament to kuang’s writing that i actually wanted to keep reading about a character that is so fucking awful and annoying
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, Cultural appropriation
Moderate: Sexual assault
Geraldine by Andrea Thompson
3.75
goddamn the end of this book really bought me around. i hate that the system is still pretty much the fucking same. i hate that im having to watch the change happen, rather than looking back on the generations before me and seeing that they got to live the lives they wanted.
the timeline was a little confusing through the book, with kind of random and unannounced time skips that threw me off a little, but i really enjoyed geraldine’s character and how just. deeply human she was, in spite of what the world and characters around her say.
lowkey was not a fan of the way gender affirming surgery was discussed though. like i know that it can very much be the expectation upon all gender diverse people to have some sort of medical transition, and that this is a dangerous and prejudiced idea, but to not offer any recognition of how life saving and important it is for some people feels quite disingenuous.
the timeline was a little confusing through the book, with kind of random and unannounced time skips that threw me off a little, but i really enjoyed geraldine’s character and how just. deeply human she was, in spite of what the world and characters around her say.
lowkey was not a fan of the way gender affirming surgery was discussed though. like i know that it can very much be the expectation upon all gender diverse people to have some sort of medical transition, and that this is a dangerous and prejudiced idea, but to not offer any recognition of how life saving and important it is for some people feels quite disingenuous.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deadnaming, Drug abuse, Transphobia
Moderate: Hate crime, Homophobia, Police brutality, Car accident, Suicide attempt
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
3.0
i have So many questions that will never be answered - i kind of love that the author leaves you in the same position as the main character in that regard.
but also like. could i please have had a little more? about 50% of the way through i realised that i wasnt going to get any more information which kinda made me check out a little, but again i suppose that’s the point.
it definitely felt a bit weird that a book speculating on a world without men, and what being a women and a human meant if there wasn’t the context of men and the structures and ideas forced upon women was so centred around men and what they would be doing and thinking
but also like. could i please have had a little more? about 50% of the way through i realised that i wasnt going to get any more information which kinda made me check out a little, but again i suppose that’s the point.
it definitely felt a bit weird that a book speculating on a world without men, and what being a women and a human meant if there wasn’t the context of men and the structures and ideas forced upon women was so centred around men and what they would be doing and thinking
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Murder
Moderate: Cancer, Terminal illness
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
3.0
yknow i was really enjoying this up until like 70% of the way through when it got really fucking weird. like i get that these characters are all struggling with their morality and are deeply bad people but. the incest really caught me off guard!!
very glad that none of them got ahappy ending
very glad that none of them got a
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Suicide, Murder
Moderate: Incest, Self harm, Antisemitism
Minor: Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse
A Language of Limbs by Dylin Hardcastle
5.0
i don’t even have words for how deeply this hurt and healed me
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Violence, Blood
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts
The Very Short History of the Israel - Palestine Conflict by Ilan Pappé
3.0
definitely a brief history - very quick to read and covered a large period of time.
a good introduction if you’re looking for somewhere to start in your understanding of the israel-palestine war, but it is not the place to stop. with a history like this, context and background information is so important, so having a book without a lot of this (fairly so - it is as it says: brief) doesn’t really clear up confusion and will probably leave you with more questions than answers.
a good introduction if you’re looking for somewhere to start in your understanding of the israel-palestine war, but it is not the place to stop. with a history like this, context and background information is so important, so having a book without a lot of this (fairly so - it is as it says: brief) doesn’t really clear up confusion and will probably leave you with more questions than answers.
The Hundred Years' War on Palestine by Rashid Khalidi
5.0
an incredibly well written and well-rounded book. the combination of historical research, academic perspective and personal experience made not only an insightful and informative read, but also something deeply touching and devastating.
highly recommend to anyone who wants to deeper understand the palestinian-israeli war
highly recommend to anyone who wants to deeper understand the palestinian-israeli war
Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward
4.5
i'm not sure if 'enjoy' is the right word for this book, because it was a very heavy read that wasn't afraid to delve into the depths of the horrors of slavery and the intergenerational trauma of such, but i'm very glad that i read it.
i loved the elements of dante's inferno that were woven into annis' thoughts and story, and how that was combined with the supernatural world for such a raw representation of the spirit of survival and family. jesmyn ward has such a poetic way of writing in this that pulled me through the plot and her descriptions were just. so emotive and devastating. i'm really not sure what else to say because this book took everything out of me, but it was incredible to read
i loved the elements of dante's inferno that were woven into annis' thoughts and story, and how that was combined with the supernatural world for such a raw representation of the spirit of survival and family. jesmyn ward has such a poetic way of writing in this that pulled me through the plot and her descriptions were just. so emotive and devastating. i'm really not sure what else to say because this book took everything out of me, but it was incredible to read
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Slavery, Violence
Moderate: Confinement, Rape, Grief
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
Notes of a Crocodile by Qiu Miaojin
3.5
i really wish i’d done some contextual research before reading this, because i think that would’ve majorly improved my understanding and also enjoyment.
that’s not to say that i didnt like this book! the whole self destructive college student hits very close to home, as does the struggle with learning how to love genuinely.
that’s not to say that i didnt like this book! the whole self destructive college student hits very close to home, as does the struggle with learning how to love genuinely.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship
Moderate: Homophobia, Self harm
Minor: Addiction