Scan barcode
rainbopagn's reviews
126 reviews
Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong by James W. Loewen
challenging
informative
medium-paced
4.0
Loewen was probably one of the first to look at American history and education in revisionist terms; the book frst came out in '95. I liked that he didn't give a whitewashed version or pick and choose what to cover. He chose what to cover based on what evidence and his experience indicated was lacking, basing it on topics that are most likely to be mythologized or simply lied about.
The format of the book was great, starting with an example of hero worship gave the lens in which hed be looking at other events. The last few chapters covered the why and how of bad textbooks after the bulk of the books discussed the what/when/who.
The format of the book was great, starting with an example of hero worship gave the lens in which hed be looking at other events. The last few chapters covered the why and how of bad textbooks after the bulk of the books discussed the what/when/who.
Lies We Sing to the Sea by Sarah Underwood
Did not finish book. Stopped at 13%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 13%.
I couldn't get invested. Soft DNF
The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved the pacing of this book. I thought I guessed the end twist before being completely blindsided by it. Abi being the omnipresent, yet clearly withholding, narrator allowed the characters to come alive. Each main character is hiding something as the book goes on, and those who aren't hiding things are emotionally compromised. By the end, I couldn't decide if Abi was reliable and the ending left me breathless.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, and Colonisation
The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism by Edward E. Baptist
challenging
informative
slow-paced
5.0
This is an excellent deep dive into the truth about slavery's relationship with the creation of modern capitalism; both in the United States and worldwide. Baptist (ironic name indeed) uses first hand accounts from formerly enslaved persons as well as the very records of enslavers who were proud of their "production". I also enjoyed the way he broke down the chapters; by focusing on each part of a slave's body that was destroyed in slavery, he described how our modern world was literally built by and on Black bodies.
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I was born and raised in West Virginia. Judging by the way it's written, Demon is only a few years older than me. You can tell Kingsolver is Appalachian herself because this is a haunting account of poverty in this area. The depiction of the prevalence of substances and the ease to get it in the early 00s is so vividly real I wonder if the author had family fall victim to it like mine did. My grandmother was one of the first victims of opioid abuse and it distorted the way my childhood should have been.
This is not a book for the faint heart. I had to stop several times as passages brought my own traumas back up. But this is a masterwork in not only literature but life in some of the poorest parts of the United States.
Oh and she name dropped Purdue. That gets an extra star alone.
This is not a book for the faint heart. I had to stop several times as passages brought my own traumas back up. But this is a masterwork in not only literature but life in some of the poorest parts of the United States.
Oh and she name dropped Purdue. That gets an extra star alone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism
Moderate: Body shaming, Cancer, Child death, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
Minor: Car accident and Abortion
Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall
challenging
informative
fast-paced
5.0
In a book that mixes Angela Y. Davis' directives and demands with the research of sociologists like Mathew Desmond, Kendall has crafted a masterpiece that is part history, part manifesto and completely unapologetic. There is no sugar coating of facts here, but those facts are also approachable. Kendall offers both personal anecdotes and years of listening to other marginalized voices. This book belongs on a shelf next to Women, Race and Class, Stamped from the Beginning and Evicted.
Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II by Douglas A. Blackmon
challenging
informative
tense
slow-paced
5.0
This is not a fun book to read, but it is very needed. This takes a look at how enslavement for Black Americans went well into the 20th century. It details the beginnings of convict labor and how that sets the stage for the the current penal system and the disproportionate number of Black persons in the criminal justice system.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction
All the Living and the Dead by Hayley Campbell
Did not finish book. Stopped at 40%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 40%.
I just did not enjoy this.
The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson
Did not finish book. Stopped at 11%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 11%.
I could not get into this book. I think because it is young adult and dealing with religious trauma (of which I have plenty), I just couldn't enjoy it. I typically struggle with books surrounding a cult regardless of age demographic.
This is not for me but I can tell that it is well written and other people would enjoy it.
This is not for me but I can tell that it is well written and other people would enjoy it.
Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man by Emmanuel Acho
hopeful
informative
fast-paced
5.0
This is a quick read and I read and listened to the audiobook as well.
The author provides quick information and context on a variety of racism and racial topics, including the ever popular "but my family didn't have slaves!". He broke everything down into a quick history, what makes us (white people) uncomfortable about it and ways to help work to better things. I think this is another great introductory piece for white people who don't know where to begin in antiracism work.
The author provides quick information and context on a variety of racism and racial topics, including the ever popular "but my family didn't have slaves!". He broke everything down into a quick history, what makes us (white people) uncomfortable about it and ways to help work to better things. I think this is another great introductory piece for white people who don't know where to begin in antiracism work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Police brutality, Colonisation, and Classism