poenaestante's reviews
491 reviews

Walter Benjamin at the Dairy Queen: Reflections on Sixty and Beyond by Larry McMurtry

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funny inspiring reflective relaxing medium-paced

5.0

In Brasilian Portuguese, they have words like "delicia" and "gostoso" to describe things and experiences that were rich and savored. This book could be described in such terms. I really lingered on each page and gentle insight. 

I'd long heard of McMurtry but somehow I assumed his writing was syrupy silliness. 

However, I heard Sterlin Harbor mention this book in a discussion with Cannupa Hanska Luger and I'm glad I did. This is easily one of the best books I've ever read. It gave me so much to think about regarding the US west, and the myths we've told ourselves about it. It also goes down all these surprisingly interesting alleyways about McMurty's passion for literature and book scouting/selling. I don't have his zeal for old Western literature, but I AM passionate about passionate people, and this was a passionate man.

I am probably gonna buy this in hard copy (I read a digital copy from the library) because I just wanna hold it in my hands and have it nearby. It was that savory to me!!
The Deep Dark by Molly Knox Ostertag

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad medium-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

Queer YA with a sci-fi horror underpinning.  The two main characters were hot and the story was sweet and believable (aside from the monsters).
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Pedagogies of Collapse: A Hopeful Education for The End of The World as We Know It by Ginie Servant-Miklos

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challenging informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0

Annie Bot by Sierra Greer

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challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I basically read this book in one go. It was a riveting premise and a razor sharp critique of heterosexual relationships. This is the stuff sci-fi was made for!
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Becoming Little Shell: Returning Home to the Landless Indians of Montana by Chris LaTray

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challenging informative sad slow-paced

4.5

Beautiful story of someone discovering, exploring, and embracing their indigenous background. I do wish it had provided a glossary and more useful maps since Chris spent a lot more time delving into history than I expected and it was hard to follow at times.
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

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challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Well...that was not what I was expecting!
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I'm Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself: One Woman's Pursuit of Pleasure in Paris by Glynnis MacNicol

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lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

4.0

This is part of the glut of art and literature being put out by horny middle aged white women. It's good but not great, but then again I was mostly here for the sex stories notsomuch the feminist travelogue stuff
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The High Desert: Black. Punk. Nowhere. by James Spooner

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

This is one of the best graphics novels I've ever read. I used to know James Spooner back when he was running Afropunk here in NYC. I did not like him and found him to be a snobby gatekeeper. However, reading this book really endeared me to him. His story is sweet and heartbreaking and inspiring and I can tell this was a labor of love --- as is everything he has done!
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The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in an Age of Artificial Light by Paul Bogard

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challenging informative reflective slow-paced

4.0

Great subject matter but an overly strong focus on the US and Western Europe and not much engagement with questions of capitalism and colonialism. It was more of a "we should change our minds and embrace the dark". But lots of good hard info laced with the occasionsl beautiful passage of poetry.
The Way of Integrity: Finding the Path to Your True Self by Martha Beck

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

5.0

This is an amazing and truly life changing book. I want to give this to everyone.  To thine own self be true!
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