silverliningsandpages's reviews
387 reviews

such vivid, poetic writing about a girl with a fiercely wild heart who thrives in forest living. It’s a passionate call for finding beauty in quiet moments, in nature and in the past, and allowing ourselves to be who we truly are.

“There are stories everywhere and I want to tell them all.

And all the world is wild and waiting for me.”

Autumn by Ali Smith

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challenging emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.75

I finally joined the Ali Smith party. Witty, perceptive and poignant, it works so well for me as a social commentary post-Brexit referendum. I see it as a book of sharply observed moments and feelings though as an entire story, I’m afraid some of the book went over my head - but that’s ok! I still got a lot out of it, and it brought back such strong memories of my reaction to Brexit. On the day of the result (and following days), I could hardly speak for shock and feeling a profound sense of loss, I struggled to find motivation to do simple tasks in the house, even caring for my then baby! I think Ali Smith has really captured the strength of emotions on both sides with her very powerful, stream of conscious writing:

“All across the country, people felt it was the wrong thing. All across the country, people felt it was the right thing. All across the country, people felt they'd really lost. All across the country, people felt they'd really won. All across the country, people felt they'd done the right thing and other people had done the wrong thing. All across the country, people looked up Google: what is EU? All across the country, people looked up Google: move to Scotland. All across the country, people looked up Google: Irish Passport Applications. All across the country, people called each other c***s. All across the country, people felt unsafe. All across the country, people were laughing their heads off. All across the country, people felt legitimised. All across the country, people felt bereaved and shocked. All across the country, people felt righteous. All across the country, people felt sick. All across the country, people felt history at their shoulder. All across the country, people felt history meant nothing. All across the country, people felt like they counted for nothing. All across the country, people had pinned their hopes on it. All across the country, people waved flags in the rain. All across the country, people drew swastika graffiti. All across the country, people threatened other people. All across the country, people told people to leave. All across the country, the media was insane. All across the country, politicians lied. All across the country, politicians fell apart. All across the country, politicians vanished...”

Island by Siri Ranva Hjelm Jacobsen

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-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

3.5

Island by Siri Ranva Hjelm Jacobsen is an atmospheric, evocative story set in the Faroe Islands and Denmark. Moving between timeframes of three generations, it contemplates love, grief, family and belonging. And that big question of whether ‘home’ is a place or state of mind. What i enjoyed most about reading this was the sad beauty and cultural richness of the island. Steeped in a history of whaling and mining, it’s a windswept place of deep fjords, rugged hills, legends and memories. As I read, I could almost see the scenery in my mind’s eye!

Golem Girl: A Memoir by Riva Lehrer

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emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad

4.5

Golem Girl came in one of my subscription boxes with Feminist Book Box. Riva Leher, an artist, speaker and advocate writes very candidly about her struggles, successes and lifelong learning as a woman born with spina bifida. Her message about the ingenuity and bottomless well of insights that disabled people can bring to everyday life is incredibly powerful. Loved her author talk a few months ago!

Diversify by June Sarpong

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hopeful informative inspiring

5.0

An excellent, thoughtful overview of why diversity and inclusion are so important, brilliantly and empathetically written. I’m a big fan of June Sarpong!

Wish We Knew What to Say: Talking with Children About Race by Pragya Agarwal

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informative

5.0

A very helpful guide on talking to children about racism and inclusive language. I’ve referred to it a few times and I certainly learned from a lot from it myself.

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silverliningsandpages's reviews 387 reviews

silverliningsandpages's reviews
387 reviews