poenaestante's reviews
488 reviews

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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Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion

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challenging emotional funny informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

I decided to finally read some Didion, since people love her so much. I really enjoyed her subject matter and ability to get into the nooks and crannies of a situation. A lot of her reminiscing on northern California felt pleasantly familiar as did her points about being a Californian in NYC. I do feel like this writing undoubtedly felt fresher in its day, but I still got a lot out of it!
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Witchlight by Jessi Zabarsky

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

3.5

I'm not totally sure what this book was about but it was queer and the art was pretty
All Fours by Miranda July

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense 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

5.0

So good. Amazingly fantastic.  I could barely put it down 
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