salemander's reviews
413 reviews

How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair

5.0

every single word of this book was so beautifully thought out. such a heart wrenching story that was so poetically told and one of the realest portrayals of the struggle of forgiveness and the aftermath of abuse. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Colonisation, Police brutality, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Misogyny

Home Is Not a Country by Safia Elhillo

5.0

absolutely gorgeous 

Bottoms Up and the Devil Laughs: A Journey Through the Deep State by Kerry Howley

5.0

i fucking hate this country bro oh my god

The Cancer Journals by Audre Lorde

5.0

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

5.0

brilliant and haunting and disgusting and so hopeful. i love gothic literature and i love trans people. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Grief, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Murder, Pedophilia, Sexism, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault

Fresh Banana Leaves: Healing Indigenous Landscapes through Indigenous Science by Jessica Hernandez

5.0

absolutely amazing !! i’ve seen some critiques about the grammar of this book but like did y’all read chapter 4 ?? she talks in depth about the discrimination against indigenous scientists and researchers who are deemed to not have enough “formal education” (colonial brainwashing) to be published or to work on certain projects. grammar rules are made up and english is a colonists language, who cares!! i also really appreciated how blunt the author was and the repetitive nature of the information. she explained things multiple times from different perspectives to ensure her audience truly grasped the information and as an autistic person it made this book a really easy and very educational read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, War, Colonisation, Violence, Genocide, and Police brutality

Thirst by Marina Yuszczuk

5.0

SUCH an interesting book wow. i wasn’t expecting such a deep look into the grief of having a sick parent and the ways you watch this person you’ve known so well all your life slowly disappear. alongside this intense look into terminal illness, you also have this incredible and unique look into immortality and the way trauma causes you to slowly lose your humanity. also sexy vampire lady killing people slays

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Sexual content, Death of parent, Grief, Body horror, Death, Medical trauma, Rape, Suicide attempt, and Terminal illness

The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker

5.0

i love u clive barker

All Our Relations: Native Struggles for Land and Life by Winona LaDuke

5.0

READ THIS BOOK!!!!

The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin

5.0

literally some of the most amazing books i’ve ever read. the world building, the way the magic works, the characters just all of it is so beautiful and horrible and just wow. the mother/daughter relationship made me sob. i feel such conflicting feelings for my mom, maybe not in such an intense and dramatic way with like the whole planet at stake, but the way nk jemisin handles it is so brilliant.