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srgower's reviews
196 reviews
The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger
Did not finish book. Stopped at 16%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 16%.
The premise was interesting but the book didn't quite grab me. It felt like I was in the middle of a book series and there were too many things taken for granted that they just existed. I like reading stories by indigenous authors that contain magical/spiritual elements but this book combines that with vampires/magic...not my cup of tea.
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson
dark
informative
sad
slow-paced
3.0
At times the text seems impenetrable, but overall the story was compelling. I thought the story of the fair was the most interesting part, despite the "hook" being that of H.H. Holmes.
Epileptic by David B.
dark
fast-paced
3.0
This wasn't the book that I thought I was getting into, but I really enjoyed the fantastic artwork and the story was good regardless. Wasn't a big fan of the ending.
In the Skin of a Lion by Michael Ondaatje
Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.
While the descriptions were vivid and beautiful, I wasn't grabbed by the narrative.
Unreconciled: Family, Truth, and Indigenous Resistance by Jesse Wente
challenging
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
5.0
This was an amazing book. I breezed through it because I wanted to keep going. It's definitely challenging - especially if you're not familiar with Indigenous-Canada relations. I didn't know much about Jesse Wente before starting the book but I got a good sense of who he is by reading this collection of essays. I hope that he has more work out there - but I haven't checked.
One particular section in his last essay stood out:
"Two generations.
All the effort Canada put into forcing my family's estrangement from our land, divorcing us from our community. All that money and violence, and all it got them was two generations. My mother and me. That's it. All the work to drive my grandmother away, to brutalize her into a life in the city, and yet her great-granddaughter wants to move back to the rez. What a waste. What a colossal waste of time, money effort, and lives."
The essays are at times entertaining, and at times tragic. Highly recommended read.
One particular section in his last essay stood out:
"Two generations.
All the effort Canada put into forcing my family's estrangement from our land, divorcing us from our community. All that money and violence, and all it got them was two generations. My mother and me. That's it. All the work to drive my grandmother away, to brutalize her into a life in the city, and yet her great-granddaughter wants to move back to the rez. What a waste. What a colossal waste of time, money effort, and lives."
The essays are at times entertaining, and at times tragic. Highly recommended read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
Sphere by Michael Crichton
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
OK Book. It was appropriately creepy (being trapped underwater, with nowhere to go...pretty creepy). I wasn't the most impressed with how the story was resolved but did get a hint of "did Beth really forget about the Sphere" at the end.
The Art of Star Wars: The Mandalorian (Season One) by Phil Szostak
informative
fast-paced
5.0
Amazing artwork showcased in this book with lots of insight to the series. Makes me want to watch the first season again.