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valetparkering's reviews
256 reviews
Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind by Molly Mcghee
3.75
Millennial dread: the novel
slightly too long though I deeply enjoyed the writing and felt very Seen. Points were made several times over and if there's one things that annoys me it repetition.
adding to my collection of weird lil books
slightly too long though I deeply enjoyed the writing and felt very Seen. Points were made several times over and if there's one things that annoys me it repetition.
adding to my collection of weird lil books
The Black God's Drums by P. Djèlí Clark
4.25
excellent, efficient worldbuilding and super voicey, which is always a plus.
The Kingdom of Copper by S.A. Chakraborty
3.75
Still not fully clear on the distinction between daevas and djinn tbh and I have a hard time in general with plots that feature religiously-informed oppressive classes, though I appreciate how dedicated these characters are to their particular prejudices.
Picked up because I wanted a longer listen but wasn't quite ready for another ROTE so this scratched an itch. probably won't read the last until a similar mood comes around.
Picked up because I wanted a longer listen but wasn't quite ready for another ROTE so this scratched an itch. probably won't read the last until a similar mood comes around.
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
4.75
Third reread.
In love with the characters, the world
Next time I'm going to annotate for themes.
In love with the characters, the world
Next time I'm going to annotate for themes.
They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran
Did not finish book. Stopped at 17%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 17%.
just not feeling YA right now
Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman
4.0
Reminded me a lot of Hollow by B Catling
I enjoyed the dark atmosphere and the weird little vignettes. Despite it being so French, I had a really good time. Employed one of my favorite writing bits where the POV changes to someone outside the party so we get an outsider's interpretation of the characters we've been following.
Maybe a few too many mentions of raping the girl, I get it's supposed to be a metaphor but I'd rather not.
I enjoyed the dark atmosphere and the weird little vignettes. Despite it being so French, I had a really good time. Employed one of my favorite writing bits where the POV changes to someone outside the party so we get an outsider's interpretation of the characters we've been following.
Maybe a few too many mentions of raping the girl, I get it's supposed to be a metaphor but I'd rather not.
The Unmothers: A Novel by Leslie J. Anderson
2.75
The main word for this one was "slow"
The premise was interesting and the commentary necessary but something about the execution wasn't clicking. Lots of POV changes so the "mystery" of the ritual gets kind of worn out by the time it's revealed to the main character. There's a lot of drama going on between the townies but I am deeply uninterested in this flavor of small-town gossip. Very light horror elements.
The premise was interesting and the commentary necessary but something about the execution wasn't clicking. Lots of POV changes so the "mystery" of the ritual gets kind of worn out by the time it's revealed to the main character. There's a lot of drama going on between the townies but I am deeply uninterested in this flavor of small-town gossip. Very light horror elements.
Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture by Kyle Chayka
4.0
I haven't been on tiktok since the "ban" over a month ago and honestly, I don't think I'm going back.
I'm also making a conscious effort to unplug and be aware of the ways that algorithms distort my experience online. Outrage clickbait isn't healthy for anyone
I'm also making a conscious effort to unplug and be aware of the ways that algorithms distort my experience online. Outrage clickbait isn't healthy for anyone
Womb City by Tlotlo Tsamaase
Did not finish book. Stopped at 17%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 17%.
The exposition is so clunky, what should be basic concepts of the world have been repeated multiple times but at the same time I don't understand why any of it works in the way that it does? The main character has a fully developed political worldview and the characters talk in Themes at each other.
Apparently this is pulled together from several of the author's short stories so maybe I'll read those instead, as I'm still interested in their work. The jump from short fiction to novel is a long one.
Apparently this is pulled together from several of the author's short stories so maybe I'll read those instead, as I'm still interested in their work. The jump from short fiction to novel is a long one.
The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love by bell hooks
4.0
Look, this was published in 2004. Some phrasing has not aged well. But we're taking what works and leaving the rest.
Chapter 7 for me was particularly insightful (more highlighting/underlining) but the whole thing is (obviously) worthwhile and necessary reading, not like it needed me to verify that.
I was a little wary of the framing of men as an "embodiment of the divine" or whatever the particular phrasing was, I don't have my copy in front of me. In surrounding paragraphs she specifies "religions that have male deities" but tbh any dive into spirituality starts to put me on edge.
For the people saying that she doesn't offer any concrete pathways for men to change: first off this book is about men developing the will to change, meaning they have to want it first, which is disincentivized by patriarchy. Second, I think it's pretty clear that men need to develop feminist thought and build communities to help other men and continue looking to women for guidance. Women, for their part, need to deconstruct their own sexist thinking and not reject men who are putting in the work and showing vulnerability.
Also side note the Harry Potter bashing has aged so well.
Chapter 7 for me was particularly insightful (more highlighting/underlining) but the whole thing is (obviously) worthwhile and necessary reading, not like it needed me to verify that.
I was a little wary of the framing of men as an "embodiment of the divine" or whatever the particular phrasing was, I don't have my copy in front of me. In surrounding paragraphs she specifies "religions that have male deities" but tbh any dive into spirituality starts to put me on edge.
For the people saying that she doesn't offer any concrete pathways for men to change: first off this book is about men developing the will to change, meaning they have to want it first, which is disincentivized by patriarchy. Second, I think it's pretty clear that men need to develop feminist thought and build communities to help other men and continue looking to women for guidance. Women, for their part, need to deconstruct their own sexist thinking and not reject men who are putting in the work and showing vulnerability.
Also side note the Harry Potter bashing has aged so well.