rara2018's reviews
559 reviews

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer

5.0

Reading this collection took me far too long, but I also appreciate having taken the time to really sit with some of these essays as I worked my way through it. This was my first time I’d ever tried the combination of reading a print copy while simultaneously listening to the audiobook, and I’m so glad I did for this book in particular. The overarching theme of the importance of reciprocity was what really drove this book and I appreciated the varied and complex ways in which it was addressed. I loved how the book was broken into sections with Tending Sweetgrass and Burning Sweetgrass being the sections that spoke the most to me (with particular emphasis on the former). “Witch Hazel” was a lovely story of camaraderie and compassion in times of loneliness. The duality of “A Mother’s Work” and “The Consolation of Water Lilies” were two of my favorites with the act of giving being a constant cycle and not one free of labor. Another duo of stories that I loved was both the stories surrounding the Windigo, with “Defeating Windigo” being one of the most compelling narratives in the collection. As someone with a degree in environmental science who still works in that area, I am immensely jealous of anyone who got to have Robin Wall Kimmerer as a professor. This book will be one I keep with me always and revisit time and time again. <i>Braiding Sweetgrass</i> should be mandatory reading for anyone with science degrees (or honestly any degree) since so much of the field has been at the expense and subjugation of indigenous people. Also, in late January, I had the privilege of listening to (and technically participating in since I pressed the clap react button on Teams) a brief presentation / Q&A session with Robin Wall Kimmerer for work. At the time, I was only around halfway done with the book, but it was so fascinating to hear some of her new thoughts and perspectives since it’s been over a decade since this book was first published.

The Book of Gems by Fran Wilde

2.0

I really need to quit trying to read this series. There has yet to be a single one I truly enjoyed. Luckily, they’re short so it’s not too much of a burden, but still they are just not for me in the slightest. This one was generally boring and soooo frustrating especially with Dev’s complete refusal to believe a main plot point that was made immediately obvious the first time it appeared. As always, the characters made zero impact on me and you could’ve literally swapped them out with potatoes and it would have read the same in terms of emotional complexity. The gems are still a cool concept in theory, but I have yet to see it play out in a truly interesting fashion.

Flight & Anchor by Nicole Kornher-Stace

4.0

I could spend years in the Nicole Kornher-Stace fictional universe. I first read her books a few summers ago when I read Firebreak after seeing it recommended by Amanda (and reading this today has me just itching to go and reread it). The way the characters here are written is deceptively simple with them all effectively having very singular motives while still remaining to be full of human (and AI) complexities. The story itself was ridiculously quick to get through, but despite its brevity, I found myself moved by the characters I’ve been getting to know over a handful of books. Now I need to read her middle grade novel since the probe here was a tremendously endearing character. 22 and 06 are such a compelling duo (and this universe an all too familiar one) that I could read books and books about for the rest of time.

System Collapse by Martha Wells

3.0

I love Murderbot. Genuinely, I think it’s probably one of my highest rated series on average that I’ve read. That all being said, this was definitely the weakest installation so far, in my opinion. Maybe it’s because I read the rest of the stories so close together that I was deeply entrenched in the Murderbot universe and the side characters, whereas with this one, it had been years since I’d even touched the series, but it just didn’t hit the same. I really liked the message about the power of media and, as always, the evil of corporations, but everything in between just wasn’t quite as compelling as usual. ART is always a treat and Murderbot’s voice as a narrator is so distinct and funny (once again, as always). This is a series I’ll always keep reading, come hell or high water, but this installation just didn’t quite do it for me.

Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire

3.0

Despite my currently being 1 for 3 on loving books in this series so far, I am still absolutely going to see it to completion. This installment had the potential to be one of my absolute favorites as someone who, as a child, would play a game with my sisters talking about making the world out of candy, but it ended up falling a little flat for me. I tend to struggle with connecting to characters that McGuire tends to write, and that felt especially apparent in this story. I enjoyed Cora’s character in theory and it was fun to get to see so many characters from the first book again, but I just found I really did not care what happened to them. I also struggle a bit with how McGuire does diversity. I love love LOVE how intentionally inclusive her stories are, but sometimes it feels so 101 that it pulls me out of the story; the Venn diagram of people who read her books past the first book in a series and people who need to be hold what fatphobia is are two different circles. The exploration of nonsense here was the most interesting part and journeying through the doors was cool, but I was generally left feeling underwhelmed by the whole experience.

Within the Fairy Castle: Colleen Moore's Doll House at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago by Terry Ann R. Neff

5.0

Main takeaway from this adult version of a picture book is that literally everyone who met Colleen Moore was in love with her. She had strangers donating their valuables and friends wholly enamored when writing their dedications. ALSO just the sheer amount of societal clout present in this dollhouse. There are famous people who made their mark in this ranging from FDR to Queen Elizabeth II to Picasso and Arthur Conan Doyle. Also Walt Disney, Nixon, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Agatha Christie, etc. I could go on for weeks and weeks. The doll house itself is beautiful, and I definitely came away with a newfound appreciation for the craftsmanship the various artisans put into the creation. When Josie and I saw it last weekend, we both thought the narrator was being silly when they were describing what was in it, but after reading this and realizing that it was being fully serious and that there lowkey might be a splinter of the true cross in there, I want to go back to fully appreciate it. Also, the author of this book was kind of an icon with the racism call-out and anecdote from Lord Halifax adding degrees of historical realism to an otherwise fanciful exploration of the house.

We Speak Through the Mountain by Premee Mohamed

5.0

 I read the first book in this series almost three years ago while surreptitiously resting my kindle on the keyboard at the few stations at work. I’d been fresh out of my mycology course and was fascinated by “cad” and Premee Mohamed’s craft. This sequel, however, surpassed its predecessor in about a million and one ways. I loved Reid’s character here and the earnestness of her classmates. The climate fictions aspects of this felt very real with the tremendous disparity between the average person and the Howse students. The environment here felt so real and Reid’s emotions were conveyed so elegantly that I felt angry and excited and sad right alongside her. The science here was, once again, so very interesting with the complexities of the intricacies of cad and Reid’s struggle with being apart from something (and other many things) for the first time in her life. I am desperately hoping we get another book in this series as I can’t wait to see what happens to Reid—and Clementine and St. Martin—after the events of this novella. 

The Unusual Suspects by Michael Buckley

5.0

 We finally have the barest hints of Puck’s and Sabrina’s romance picking up!!!! Once again, this book was hilarious and I found myself literally highlighting half of it bc I found it so funny. Daphne and Puck combined have some of the best comedic timing in literature. The mystery here was really intense and I realized my subconscious remembers so much more than I ever thought it did (especially with the Bella twist). This is also the book that my group in 6th grade language arts class performed a skit based on with the mouth-to-mouth scene and the eat me cakes—and I must say I played a rather convincing Daphne. This book was lowkey darker and Sabrina is slowly becoming less of a fairytale racist. People are dying left and right and I’m getting stressed out. Also Prince Charming is in his slay era. Truly excellent. 

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 3—Stardust Crusaders, Vol. 9 by Hirohiko Araki

5.0

 Started this volume absolutely giddy since the stand battle with D’arby the younger is legitimately so iconic and ended the volume with real life tears on my face. The video game battle concept is so camp and iconic and D’arby’s doll collection is so horrifying but so on brand. Kakyoin was serving face while racing cars, and he even got to have a random emotional back story in the middle of the game. The REAL comedy, however, comes from Jotaro playing his first ever video game and just gaslighting the shit out of D’arby with the help of his unhinged grandpa. This is the content Jojo should be all about. God tier stuff. The latter half of the volume has me crawling into holes sobbing. Avdol’s death hit harder here than in the anime, but Iggy’s was the opposite (though I was legitimately crying for the last like chapter or two). Polnareff is an asshole but he’s also my swagerific king. I still think Araki making me care about Iggy practically immediately before having him die a tremendously violent and horrific death is some truly evil behavior. RIP my boys but still absoltley DREADING the final volume. 

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 3—Stardust Crusaders, Vol. 8 by Hirohiko Araki

3.0

 Tbh weakest part 3 volume so far. I only took 15 screenshots while reading it so you know it wasn’t quite hitting. This was the part that (unfortunately) made me ride or die for Iggy because if there’s one thing that’s gonna hit, it’s a reluctant hero. Rip to Boingo’s hopes and dreams. Also thank GOD Kakyoin is back I missed him :’)