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276 reviews
Long Past Dues by James J. Butcher
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I liked this one a bit less than the first but GGG is still babygirl
Also I love Les and GGG’s dynamic, I love two characters who like. Genuinely like and care for one another and getting to see their dynamic change over time.
Also the narrator for the audiobook is fantastic, seriously, he did such an excellent job especially with the character voices
Also I love Les and GGG’s dynamic, I love two characters who like. Genuinely like and care for one another and getting to see their dynamic change over time.
Also the narrator for the audiobook is fantastic, seriously, he did such an excellent job especially with the character voices
Dead Man's Hand by James J. Butcher
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
How is Grimsby so pathetic wet cat coded? So babygirl? I want to put him in a terrarium
A Bluestocking's Guide to Decadence by Jess Everlee
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
This review is based on an e-ARC from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
I am extremely picky about my romances, especially when they’re historical. A Bluestocking’s Guide to Decadence met my standards with flying colors and a wonderful main couple.
One of the things that often turns me off from queer historical romances is when they flatten out the very real complexities (both painful and beautiful) of the period they’re set in. In my opinion, A Bluestocking’s Guide to Decadence did a good job of balancing the tone between lighthearted while acknowledging the dangers and anxieties that surrounded being ‘unconventional.’
Additionally, both Jo and Emily felt like real people with real lives, concerns, and relationships that exist outside the context of their romantic entanglement rather than fading into the background and being forgotten. Jo has her marriage and her bookshop, while Emily has her career and her family.
I do wish we had gotten a little more from Jo’s side before and during herdecision to move out from her apartment. Her relationship with her husband felt a little underdeveloped when compared to Emily’s relationship with her father. I also wish that we had seen them both spend more time with Vanessa, rather than just being told that they had become friends or grew fond of her.
I don’t know if I’ll read the other books in this immediately (as this is the third installment), but I am interested in returning eventually. I really enjoyed Everlee’s handling of the setting and her character writing.
I am extremely picky about my romances, especially when they’re historical. A Bluestocking’s Guide to Decadence met my standards with flying colors and a wonderful main couple.
One of the things that often turns me off from queer historical romances is when they flatten out the very real complexities (both painful and beautiful) of the period they’re set in. In my opinion, A Bluestocking’s Guide to Decadence did a good job of balancing the tone between lighthearted while acknowledging the dangers and anxieties that surrounded being ‘unconventional.’
Additionally, both Jo and Emily felt like real people with real lives, concerns, and relationships that exist outside the context of their romantic entanglement rather than fading into the background and being forgotten. Jo has her marriage and her bookshop, while Emily has her career and her family.
I do wish we had gotten a little more from Jo’s side before and during her
I don’t know if I’ll read the other books in this immediately (as this is the third installment), but I am interested in returning eventually. I really enjoyed Everlee’s handling of the setting and her character writing.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Pregnancy
Minor: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Alcohol
Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies into Reality by Renee DiResta
challenging
dark
informative
slow-paced
2.0
Disclaimers: This review is based on an advanced copy provided through Netgalley by the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.
As someone interested in the disinformation and propaganda campaigns occurring online, I was very excited to read this book. Having finished it, I am glad that I read it, primarily since there were several moments where I felt I was given language to articulate thoughts I already had about social media and the internet (primarily regarding my own interactions with it). However, as a whole, the book wasn't a terribly enjoyable read for me.
However, I feel the book format is actually quite ineffectual for this kind of discussion; my most common thought while reading was that it would be so much more effective as a piece of audio/visual media. The writing, too, didn't help. I found the style largely unengaging. Strangely enough, despite coming into the book already interested and highly invested in the topic, I had to force myself to finish reading because it was just such a slog to get through. I think one of the primary reasons for this is the structure of the book, which instead of focusing on specific actors or instances, it instead focuses on different elements of propaganda and bounces around narratives as it tries to explain it.
The only moments I found genuinely interesting or engaging were a few moments where DiResta expresses her own experiences or indulges in a bit of tongue-in-cheek dry humor. For example, the forward, when she talked about her involvement in pro-vaccine movements in her hometown as a young mother, or when she poked fun at Ali Alexander's involvement in Stop the Steal as "bravely live stream[ing] from a rooftop several blocks away once the violence started" (p. 169).
It's also interesting to see where the author's personal bias intersects with her criticism of certain figures. For example, while she did criticize Joe Rogan, her criticism of him was remarkably light considering... well, everything about him and his career.
Additionally, while she examined the propaganda efforts run by political organizations including the Russian government, Hamas, and Iran, she was curiously very vague about other government's propagana efforts (most notably, due to the ongoing genocide against Palestinians, an bizarrely careful skirting of Israel's internet propaganda efforts both historically and present-day).
Finally, for a book subtitled "the people who turn lies into reality," there is remarkably little focus on actually analyzing or profiling specific propagandists (besides one or two DiResta has personal 'beef' with--'beef' which is perfectly understandable she has, considering it's mostly Taibbi). But still, it would have been nice if she had actully done deep dives into specific propagandists besides Taibbi.
These obvious glaring moments where DiResta handles certain actors with kid gloves, paired with the difficult-to-get-through writing and overall lack of in-depth analysis on specific actors, makes Invisible Rulers a book I just can't say I would recommend. While certain parts were interesting, the overall reading experience as a whole wasn't enjoyable or engaging.
If interested in modes of propaganda, misinformation, and recruitment for bespoke realities online, I'd personally recommend Caelan Conrad's videos (including their "Gender Critical" series and "The School Litterbox: Modern Urban Legend") as personal favorites.
As someone interested in the disinformation and propaganda campaigns occurring online, I was very excited to read this book. Having finished it, I am glad that I read it, primarily since there were several moments where I felt I was given language to articulate thoughts I already had about social media and the internet (primarily regarding my own interactions with it). However, as a whole, the book wasn't a terribly enjoyable read for me.
However, I feel the book format is actually quite ineffectual for this kind of discussion; my most common thought while reading was that it would be so much more effective as a piece of audio/visual media. The writing, too, didn't help. I found the style largely unengaging. Strangely enough, despite coming into the book already interested and highly invested in the topic, I had to force myself to finish reading because it was just such a slog to get through. I think one of the primary reasons for this is the structure of the book, which instead of focusing on specific actors or instances, it instead focuses on different elements of propaganda and bounces around narratives as it tries to explain it.
The only moments I found genuinely interesting or engaging were a few moments where DiResta expresses her own experiences or indulges in a bit of tongue-in-cheek dry humor. For example, the forward, when she talked about her involvement in pro-vaccine movements in her hometown as a young mother, or when she poked fun at Ali Alexander's involvement in Stop the Steal as "bravely live stream[ing] from a rooftop several blocks away once the violence started" (p. 169).
It's also interesting to see where the author's personal bias intersects with her criticism of certain figures. For example, while she did criticize Joe Rogan, her criticism of him was remarkably light considering... well, everything about him and his career.
Additionally, while she examined the propaganda efforts run by political organizations including the Russian government, Hamas, and Iran, she was curiously very vague about other government's propagana efforts (most notably, due to the ongoing genocide against Palestinians, an bizarrely careful skirting of Israel's internet propaganda efforts both historically and present-day).
Finally, for a book subtitled "the people who turn lies into reality," there is remarkably little focus on actually analyzing or profiling specific propagandists (besides one or two DiResta has personal 'beef' with--'beef' which is perfectly understandable she has, considering it's mostly Taibbi). But still, it would have been nice if she had actully done deep dives into specific propagandists besides Taibbi.
These obvious glaring moments where DiResta handles certain actors with kid gloves, paired with the difficult-to-get-through writing and overall lack of in-depth analysis on specific actors, makes Invisible Rulers a book I just can't say I would recommend. While certain parts were interesting, the overall reading experience as a whole wasn't enjoyable or engaging.
If interested in modes of propaganda, misinformation, and recruitment for bespoke realities online, I'd personally recommend Caelan Conrad's videos (including their "Gender Critical" series and "The School Litterbox: Modern Urban Legend") as personal favorites.
The Trinity of Fundamentals by Wisam Rafeedie
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
5.0
Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake
adventurous
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Read this book. NOW.
We Refuse: A Forceful History of Black Resistance by Kellie Carter Jackson
Mind, I am not implying nor do I believe that Carter Jackson is ignoring or intentionally excluding Black queer voices and history from We Refuse. I simply noticed queer Black identity as a missing spot of intersectionality which is relevant to Carter Jackson's arguments about Black resistance.
The below is nowhere near comprehensive (I had to stop myself before it got too long), but for those interested about reading about Black queer figures, culture, and history, here are some links to get started.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an eARC for review!
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
This review is based on a digital ARC provided by the publisher.
Review
I love nonfiction books that blend autobiographical elements with the subject matter. In We Refuse, Carter Jackson examines Black resistance through historical figures and events (especially those which popular history has forgotten, with a particular focus on Black women) as well as from her own family, such as her brother and her great-grandmother.
Some nonfiction books struggle with dry or unengaging prose, which is certainly not an issue in We Refuse. Reading it feels like a conversation, not a textbook, so if you tend to avoid nonfiction because you find it "boring," that will not be a problem with We Refuse. Carter Jackson's prose is vibrant, emotional, funny, and fundamentally alive.
Carter Jackson examines, with nuance and care, the many ways in which Black people have resisted white supremacy. Her ability to bring historical events and figures to life--even those that little is known of--is fantastic. For example, Carter Jackson's telling of the life and trial of Carrie Johnson was strikingly evocative. She gave new life to life to Carrie's story: a teenage girl who defended her home and her father, leading to her year-and-a-half-long trial which, miraculously, ended with dropped charges after a retrial. I had never heard of Carrie (nor the events of 1919, where white mobs--including, of course, the police--attacked black communities), and I am so, so glad that We Refuse told her story.
As Carter Jackson states, "forgetting is political," and with her focus on figures whose stories have been largely--in some cases, intentionally--forgotten, she fights against racist cultural amnesia.
Some nonfiction books struggle with dry or unengaging prose, which is certainly not an issue in We Refuse. Reading it feels like a conversation, not a textbook, so if you tend to avoid nonfiction because you find it "boring," that will not be a problem with We Refuse. Carter Jackson's prose is vibrant, emotional, funny, and fundamentally alive.
Carter Jackson examines, with nuance and care, the many ways in which Black people have resisted white supremacy. Her ability to bring historical events and figures to life--even those that little is known of--is fantastic. For example, Carter Jackson's telling of the life and trial of Carrie Johnson was strikingly evocative. She gave new life to life to Carrie's story: a teenage girl who defended her home and her father, leading to her year-and-a-half-long trial which, miraculously, ended with dropped charges after a retrial. I had never heard of Carrie (nor the events of 1919, where white mobs--including, of course, the police--attacked black communities), and I am so, so glad that We Refuse told her story.
As Carter Jackson states, "forgetting is political," and with her focus on figures whose stories have been largely--in some cases, intentionally--forgotten, she fights against racist cultural amnesia.
Some Thoughts
That said, there are some noticably unaddressed spots in terms of intersectionality.
The most obvious to me was the lack of discussion of Black LGBTQ+ people in the context of their identities as Black civil rights figures and advocates. For example, while writers like Baldwin and hooks are mentioned, they are mentioned without reference or acknowledgement of their queer identities and queer work, neither of which are seperatable from their Black identities and Black work.
This struck me as strange, as Black queer communities and figures (especially Black queer women!) have a long history of refusing white structures of heterosexuality and gender roles, cultivating and expressing Black joy, and resisting white violence (especially police violence), all of which fit closely alongside the ideas of resistance Carter Jackson discusses.
For example, there was Storme DeLarverie, a Black butch lesbian and drag king called the Cowboy of NYC. She wore a gun on her hip and patrolled the streets to protect members of her community from anti-queer and racist hatred, which she called "ugliness" (https://www.campuspride.org/queer-history-profile-storme-delarverie/; https://www.villagepreservation.org/2022/03/23/storme-delarverie-village-guardian/).
To quote Alvin McEwen from his 2014 opinion piece "The Erasure of 'Gay' From Black History and the Black Community Must Stop" (https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-erasure-of-gay-from-b_b_5936568):
The most obvious to me was the lack of discussion of Black LGBTQ+ people in the context of their identities as Black civil rights figures and advocates. For example, while writers like Baldwin and hooks are mentioned, they are mentioned without reference or acknowledgement of their queer identities and queer work, neither of which are seperatable from their Black identities and Black work.
This struck me as strange, as Black queer communities and figures (especially Black queer women!) have a long history of refusing white structures of heterosexuality and gender roles, cultivating and expressing Black joy, and resisting white violence (especially police violence), all of which fit closely alongside the ideas of resistance Carter Jackson discusses.
For example, there was Storme DeLarverie, a Black butch lesbian and drag king called the Cowboy of NYC. She wore a gun on her hip and patrolled the streets to protect members of her community from anti-queer and racist hatred, which she called "ugliness" (https://www.campuspride.org/queer-history-profile-storme-delarverie/; https://www.villagepreservation.org/2022/03/23/storme-delarverie-village-guardian/).
To quote Alvin McEwen from his 2014 opinion piece "The Erasure of 'Gay' From Black History and the Black Community Must Stop" (https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-erasure-of-gay-from-b_b_5936568):
... the simple fact never entered my mind that yes, gay people were subjected to slavery, segregation and racism because of our skin. Just as LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) people of color exist now, we existed back then. Then it suddenly struck me again that I've never recalled any acknowledgement of this fact during the myriad of discussions, I've read, listened to or seen regarding comparisons between the gay and civil rights movements.
And why is that?
There have been numerous debates, articles, columns, movies and documentaries about how the legacy of racism has had a negative effect on so many aspects of African-American community, from our families to the way we interact with each other. It stands to reason that the legacy of racism didn't leave LGBT people of color unscathed. But information about what LGBT people of color did during those awful times in our history or what effect it has had on us is practically nonexistent.
...
There is a pattern of erasure which strips our presence from the majority of black history. And this pattern of erasure bleeds into day-to-day treatment and interactions. Personal biases and prejudices prevent us from being considered as genuine members of the black community and many heterosexual African-Americans conveniently ignore issues and concerns indigenous to us as LGBT people.
Mind, I am not implying nor do I believe that Carter Jackson is ignoring or intentionally excluding Black queer voices and history from We Refuse. I simply noticed queer Black identity as a missing spot of intersectionality which is relevant to Carter Jackson's arguments about Black resistance.
The below is nowhere near comprehensive (I had to stop myself before it got too long), but for those interested about reading about Black queer figures, culture, and history, here are some links to get started.
- Black Queer History & Identity
- https://time.com/6263354/black-lgbtq-history-representation/
- https://www.glsen.org/sites/default/files/2020-04/BlackHeroes_13_1.pdf
- https://journals.openedition.org/ejas/11830
- https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/harlem-renaissance-black-queer-history
- https://traue.commons.gc.cuny.edu/toward-our-black-queer-joyous-futures-to-achieve1-our-freedom-in-the-academy/
- https://www.newsweek.com/black-queer-studies-left-out-again-opinion-1872144
- https://www.queerportraits.com/bio/rainey
- https://www.bkreader.com/black-history-month/black-history-is-queer-history-and-queer-history-is-black-history-6544418
- https://lowninstitute.org/the-intersection-of-black-history-queer-studies-and-medicine/
- https://www.them.us/story/queer-women-of-color-pride-exclusion
- https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-erasure-of-gay-from-b_b_5936568
- https://rethinkingschools.org/articles/queering-black-history-and-getting-free/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24641077/
- https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/30/nyregion/storme-delarverie-early-leader-in-the-gay-rights-movement-dies-at-93.html
- Black Queer Joy
- https://www.instagram.com/blackqueerjoy?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==)
- https://www.xonecole.com/lil-nas-x-black-boy-joy-representation/when-he-called-out-double-standards-again-and-again-and-again
- https://www.buzzfeed.com/daily/lil-nas-x-montero-album-queer-black-music
- https://www.gaytimes.com/life/unity-talks-taking-a-moment-to-celebrate-black-queer-joy/
- https://www.outfrontmagazine.com/black-queer-joy-resilient-rejuvenated-and-rested/
- https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2023/08/11507338/caribbean-carnival-black-queer-joy-photo-series
- https://lambdalegal.org/blogs/us_20230616_what-black-queer-joy-and-liberation-mean-this-juneteenth/
- https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/zen-contemplative-practice-and-the-emergence-of-black-queer-joy/
- Ballroom culture
- https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/brief-history-voguing
- https://peabodyballroom.library.jhu.edu/home/ballroom-history/
- https://www.loftgaycenter.org/ballroom_rising
- Stonewall rebellion
- https://guides.loc.gov/lgbtq-studies/stonewall-era
- https://www.prideportland.org/heroes-of-the-stonewall-rebellion
- https://www.ywcaworks.org/blogs/firesteel/tue-06112019-0925/meet-black-lesbian-who-kick-started-gay-liberation-movement
Thank you to the publisher for providing an eARC for review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Murder
Moderate: Gun violence, Racial slurs
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Lavender Speculation by Jamie Zaccaria
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
This review is based on a reviewer copy sent by the author.
Lavender Speculation has been on my list to read for a while, and I am so glad to have gotten to it. The stories in this collection are speculative fiction, ranging in length from two-page flash fiction pieces to longer short stories.
My favorites of the collection are the dark fairy tale stories, which work best with Zaccaria's style. I had a collection of stories by the brothers Grimm as a kid, and stories such as "Green Forest, White Snow" and "The Abandoned Princess" read like they'd be right at home in that collection. Capturing that childhood feeling of reading a fairy tale for the first time is hard to do, but Zaccaria nailed it. Those two stories were definitely my favorites of the collection.
I think the best stories in the collection are these longer ones. All these stories have interesting ideas or images at the core of them, but the shorter stories just don't give these ideas enough space to fully develop, and Zaccaria's direct style doesn't always work for these, especially for first person stories. For example, "Eviscerate" concluded with an interesting image (a man literally writing his own skin off) but the leadup suffered from heavy telling rather than showing, which just didn't quite work for me.
As said by Nadia Bulkin, Zaccaria is a promising new voice. While I didn't love every story in the collection, I am looking forward to more from Zaccaria, especially when it comes to work in dark fantasy and horror genres.
Lavender Speculation has been on my list to read for a while, and I am so glad to have gotten to it. The stories in this collection are speculative fiction, ranging in length from two-page flash fiction pieces to longer short stories.
My favorites of the collection are the dark fairy tale stories, which work best with Zaccaria's style. I had a collection of stories by the brothers Grimm as a kid, and stories such as "Green Forest, White Snow" and "The Abandoned Princess" read like they'd be right at home in that collection. Capturing that childhood feeling of reading a fairy tale for the first time is hard to do, but Zaccaria nailed it. Those two stories were definitely my favorites of the collection.
I think the best stories in the collection are these longer ones. All these stories have interesting ideas or images at the core of them, but the shorter stories just don't give these ideas enough space to fully develop, and Zaccaria's direct style doesn't always work for these, especially for first person stories. For example, "Eviscerate" concluded with an interesting image (a man literally writing his own skin off) but the leadup suffered from heavy telling rather than showing, which just didn't quite work for me.
As said by Nadia Bulkin, Zaccaria is a promising new voice. While I didn't love every story in the collection, I am looking forward to more from Zaccaria, especially when it comes to work in dark fantasy and horror genres.