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wanderingraccoonbooks's reviews
13 reviews
A Well Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy by Tia Levings
4.0
*Thank you to Libro.fm and Macmillan Audio for the free ALC in exchange for an honest review*
Wow. This was.... hard to listen to. Author Tia Levings details her life within the fundamentalist Quiverfull (sect?) of Christianity here in the United States. The amount of fear blasted at children, then later adults, as well as copious amounts of tolerated/accepted abuse is beyond what I had previously imagined. I feel like many people assume groups like this are an artifact of the past, rather than groups that persist today. Be prepared, if you choose to pick this up, that Levings does not shy away from detailed descriptions of the domestic abuse and religious trauma that have occurred in her life up to this point.
- Jena B.
Wow. This was.... hard to listen to. Author Tia Levings details her life within the fundamentalist Quiverfull (sect?) of Christianity here in the United States. The amount of fear blasted at children, then later adults, as well as copious amounts of tolerated/accepted abuse is beyond what I had previously imagined. I feel like many people assume groups like this are an artifact of the past, rather than groups that persist today. Be prepared, if you choose to pick this up, that Levings does not shy away from detailed descriptions of the domestic abuse and religious trauma that have occurred in her life up to this point.
- Jena B.
The Memoirs of Miss Chief Eagle Testickle: Vol. 1 by Gisèle Gordon, Kent Monkman
4.0
*Thank you to Libro.fm and McClelland & Stewart for the free ALC in exchange for an honest review*
I don't know if I've ever read anything else quite like this, so brace for kind of a long review. This is somewhere between fiction and nonfiction - using a fictional, immortal narrator to tell historical facts. I also listened to the audio version, of which there are two versions within the single file - with and without endnotes. Specifically, I listened to the second version, with the endnotes included in situ, as I personally love a good endnote.
The authors Kent Monkman & Gisèle Gordon read the introduction, and copious notes, disclaimers, and asides prior to the beginning of the actual text. Kent Monkman is Swampy Cree (Fisher River First Nation, Manitoba) & Gisèle is a "settler" from the UK. Together, Kent & Gisèle have created and used the fictional âtayôhkanak (legendary being) Miss Chief Eagle Testickle in a wide variety of media to tell the story of the history of Canada and its peoples - especially the wide range of queer peoples.
The audio is read by Gail Maurice, a fluent Cree & Michif speaker and is Cree/Métis (Beauval, Saskatchewan). She does an absolutely AMAZING job with this story & I can't wait to listen to her narrate more.
Personally, I think the audio is a MUST for this, due to the copious use of Cree throughout. Not only is the narrator fabulous, as I just mentioned, but hearing the Cree, rather than letting my brain make a butchery of it, was a lovely experience. That being said... the endnotes. I am very conflicted over the use of endnotes in the audio. On one hand, they are absolutely necessary, as they convey much of the factual, historical context for what is happening with our fictional (and fabulous) Miss Chief. On the other... they are copious, they are lengthy, and because they are read by Gisèle rather than Gail, they can take you out of the story itself. Will I listen to Volume 2 with the endnotes? Yes. Do I necessarily think endnotes in audio are fabulous? No, but I still love them in print.
All told, I had no clue what to expect and boy was this a ride. An in-depth look at the Indigenous history of Canada, told with the additional layer of queer culture. There's sex, and a lot of it, as well as all the harsh, terrible realities of what colonizers did to native peoples.
-Jena B.
I don't know if I've ever read anything else quite like this, so brace for kind of a long review. This is somewhere between fiction and nonfiction - using a fictional, immortal narrator to tell historical facts. I also listened to the audio version, of which there are two versions within the single file - with and without endnotes. Specifically, I listened to the second version, with the endnotes included in situ, as I personally love a good endnote.
The authors Kent Monkman & Gisèle Gordon read the introduction, and copious notes, disclaimers, and asides prior to the beginning of the actual text. Kent Monkman is Swampy Cree (Fisher River First Nation, Manitoba) & Gisèle is a "settler" from the UK. Together, Kent & Gisèle have created and used the fictional âtayôhkanak (legendary being) Miss Chief Eagle Testickle in a wide variety of media to tell the story of the history of Canada and its peoples - especially the wide range of queer peoples.
The audio is read by Gail Maurice, a fluent Cree & Michif speaker and is Cree/Métis (Beauval, Saskatchewan). She does an absolutely AMAZING job with this story & I can't wait to listen to her narrate more.
Personally, I think the audio is a MUST for this, due to the copious use of Cree throughout. Not only is the narrator fabulous, as I just mentioned, but hearing the Cree, rather than letting my brain make a butchery of it, was a lovely experience. That being said... the endnotes. I am very conflicted over the use of endnotes in the audio. On one hand, they are absolutely necessary, as they convey much of the factual, historical context for what is happening with our fictional (and fabulous) Miss Chief. On the other... they are copious, they are lengthy, and because they are read by Gisèle rather than Gail, they can take you out of the story itself. Will I listen to Volume 2 with the endnotes? Yes. Do I necessarily think endnotes in audio are fabulous? No, but I still love them in print.
All told, I had no clue what to expect and boy was this a ride. An in-depth look at the Indigenous history of Canada, told with the additional layer of queer culture. There's sex, and a lot of it, as well as all the harsh, terrible realities of what colonizers did to native peoples.
-Jena B.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Colonisation
Red Dead's History: A Video Game, an Obsession, and America's Violent Past by Tore C. Olsson
5.0
*Thank you to Libro.fm and Macmillan for the free ALC in exchange for an honest review*
This was great! Professor Olsson, a graduate & undergraduate professor at the University of Tennessee, did an absolutely fabulous job with this concept. Olsson was ambitious in his goal of taking a gaming/pop culture iconic touchpoint and using it as an access point into American history.
I know I won't do an adequate job of describing why I enjoyed this so much, but I'll try. I don't think you need to know anything about video games or Red Dead Redemption to enjoy this book. The video game is used as an access point, of which many are at least somewhat familiar, into very real and not often discussed topics in American history. Everything from linguistics (how the West & American gun culture has heavily infiltrated our idioms), to the plight of Americans of color in the time period (enslaved, formerly enslaved, immigrant, etc.), to rail barons, to the peoples of Appalachia - Olsson truly left no stone left unturned.
Roger Clark, somewhat obviously, does an amazing job as the narrator - he is a voice actor after all! And not just any voice actor, but the voice actor of the iconic Red Dead Redemption character Arthur Morgan.
If you like history, video games, or both... I highly recommend this one. Maybe especially reading in proximity to The Great River by Boyce Upholt, which discusses the history of the Mississippi River & it's water shed - particularly the southern portion.
- Jena B.
This was great! Professor Olsson, a graduate & undergraduate professor at the University of Tennessee, did an absolutely fabulous job with this concept. Olsson was ambitious in his goal of taking a gaming/pop culture iconic touchpoint and using it as an access point into American history.
I know I won't do an adequate job of describing why I enjoyed this so much, but I'll try. I don't think you need to know anything about video games or Red Dead Redemption to enjoy this book. The video game is used as an access point, of which many are at least somewhat familiar, into very real and not often discussed topics in American history. Everything from linguistics (how the West & American gun culture has heavily infiltrated our idioms), to the plight of Americans of color in the time period (enslaved, formerly enslaved, immigrant, etc.), to rail barons, to the peoples of Appalachia - Olsson truly left no stone left unturned.
Roger Clark, somewhat obviously, does an amazing job as the narrator - he is a voice actor after all! And not just any voice actor, but the voice actor of the iconic Red Dead Redemption character Arthur Morgan.
If you like history, video games, or both... I highly recommend this one. Maybe especially reading in proximity to The Great River by Boyce Upholt, which discusses the history of the Mississippi River & it's water shed - particularly the southern portion.
- Jena B.
Hell Put to Shame: The 1921 Murder Farm Massacre and the Horror of America's Second Slavery by Earl Swift
4.0
*Thank you to Libro.fm and Harper Audio for the free ALC in exchange for an honest review*
This book was so well researched and written. Truly an awful story, but a book everyone should read to face the realities of our history that wasn't that long ago, really.
- Allison P.
This book was so well researched and written. Truly an awful story, but a book everyone should read to face the realities of our history that wasn't that long ago, really.
- Allison P.
New Nigeria County by Clare Brown
4.0
*Thank you to Libro.fm and Simon & Schuster Audio for the free ALC in exchange for an honest review*
This is absolute peak satire. Brown does a fabulous job translating her insightful social commentary from social media in this delightful audiobook. The full cast absolutely makes this - and with a total run time of less than 4 hours, you can enjoy the drama start-to-finish in one sitting.
- Jena B.
This is absolute peak satire. Brown does a fabulous job translating her insightful social commentary from social media in this delightful audiobook. The full cast absolutely makes this - and with a total run time of less than 4 hours, you can enjoy the drama start-to-finish in one sitting.
- Jena B.
Heavenbreaker by Sara Wolf
5.0
*Thank you to Edelweiss & Entangled: Redtower Books for the free bookseller ARC in exchange for an honest review*
Heavenbreaker is an action-packed sci-fi that, to me, harnesses the same space rebellion vibes as Red Rising.
Our main character, Synali, comes from the lowest rungs of society and claws her way to the upper echelons on a mission of vengeance. The plot is convoluted & filled with hidden political agendas and characters of questionable morals. This isn't "just another romantasy" - there's no room for love in revenge & you'll find only the smallest echos of romance here.
I wavered a bit between 4 & 5 stars, but I read this almost 500 page beast in only a few sittings because I was so invested.
-Jena B.
Heavenbreaker is an action-packed sci-fi that, to me, harnesses the same space rebellion vibes as Red Rising.
Our main character, Synali, comes from the lowest rungs of society and claws her way to the upper echelons on a mission of vengeance. The plot is convoluted & filled with hidden political agendas and characters of questionable morals. This isn't "just another romantasy" - there's no room for love in revenge & you'll find only the smallest echos of romance here.
I wavered a bit between 4 & 5 stars, but I read this almost 500 page beast in only a few sittings because I was so invested.
-Jena B.
Down with the System: A Memoir (Of Sorts) by Serj Tankian
5.0
*Thank you to Libro.fm & Hachette Audio for the free ALC in exchange for an honest review*
Serj Tankian, lead singer of System of a Down, has absolutely wowed me with this (sort of) memoir.
To preface this, I'm a pretty big SOAD fan, and was looking forward to a rock memoir from this truly unique band & vocalist. What I wasn't expecting was such history and detail relating to the Armenian Genocide in 1915 and how it shaped his family - and the family of all SOAD members - as all the members (Serj, Daron, Shavo, & John) are all part of the Armenian Diaspora.
Almost equally full of rock band antics, modern politics/activism, and history lessons, Down with the System was engaging from start to finish. I love that Serj chose to narrate this himself, and I feel like I am coming away from this actually having learned quite a few things - both in the fun fact trivia category and the history & modern politic categories.
-Jena B.
Serj Tankian, lead singer of System of a Down, has absolutely wowed me with this (sort of) memoir.
To preface this, I'm a pretty big SOAD fan, and was looking forward to a rock memoir from this truly unique band & vocalist. What I wasn't expecting was such history and detail relating to the Armenian Genocide in 1915 and how it shaped his family - and the family of all SOAD members - as all the members (Serj, Daron, Shavo, & John) are all part of the Armenian Diaspora.
Almost equally full of rock band antics, modern politics/activism, and history lessons, Down with the System was engaging from start to finish. I love that Serj chose to narrate this himself, and I feel like I am coming away from this actually having learned quite a few things - both in the fun fact trivia category and the history & modern politic categories.
-Jena B.
The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History by Karen Valby
4.0
*Thank you to Libro.fm, Pantheon, & Penguin Randomhouse for the free ALC in exchange for an honest review*
This was so, so informative, but so emotional. Most people today with even a cursory knowledge of dance have heard of Misty Copeland and think of her as the "first Black principal dancer" or "first Black prima ballerina". This book - The Swans of Harlem - highlights just how much cultural erasure has happened within the world of ballet and within the greater culture (at least here within the United States) that has hidden all the Black dancers that came before.
Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) began in 1969 during the Civil Rights Movement (and still exists today). The women discussed within this text - Lydia Abarca, Gayle McKinney-Griffith, Sheila Rohan, Karlya Shelton, & Marcia Sells - performed ballets across the world, graced the covers of magazines, and even starred in The Wiz. Yet they have been largely forgotten to history.
During the struggle to bring DTH and Black dancers into the ballet world, there was a heavy amount of body shaming to keep the women "bone thin" to fit the typical thin, white, ballet "ideal" and honestly it was really uncomfortable to hear the Director, Arthur Mitchell, forcing this "standard" on these young women. These women (and their male counterparts) battled through racism, colorism, extreme pressure on their weight, and so much more just to pursue their passion for their art. They pioneered the expansion of flesh tones by literally painting their shoes with makeup to match their skin! They had to fight for so much, only to need to fight to be remembered now.
The audio version includes segments by the women themselves (or family members if the women highlighted here were not able to read for the book).
-Jena B.
This was so, so informative, but so emotional. Most people today with even a cursory knowledge of dance have heard of Misty Copeland and think of her as the "first Black principal dancer" or "first Black prima ballerina". This book - The Swans of Harlem - highlights just how much cultural erasure has happened within the world of ballet and within the greater culture (at least here within the United States) that has hidden all the Black dancers that came before.
Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) began in 1969 during the Civil Rights Movement (and still exists today). The women discussed within this text - Lydia Abarca, Gayle McKinney-Griffith, Sheila Rohan, Karlya Shelton, & Marcia Sells - performed ballets across the world, graced the covers of magazines, and even starred in The Wiz. Yet they have been largely forgotten to history.
During the struggle to bring DTH and Black dancers into the ballet world, there was a heavy amount of body shaming to keep the women "bone thin" to fit the typical thin, white, ballet "ideal" and honestly it was really uncomfortable to hear the Director, Arthur Mitchell, forcing this "standard" on these young women. These women (and their male counterparts) battled through racism, colorism, extreme pressure on their weight, and so much more just to pursue their passion for their art. They pioneered the expansion of flesh tones by literally painting their shoes with makeup to match their skin! They had to fight for so much, only to need to fight to be remembered now.
The audio version includes segments by the women themselves (or family members if the women highlighted here were not able to read for the book).
-Jena B.
House of Frank by Kay Synclaire
4.0
*Thank you to Edelweiss & Bindery Books for the free bookseller ARC in exchange for an honest review*
House of Frank is a cozy fantasy.... but not too cozy. In a similar vein to TJ Klune's Under the Whispering Door, House of Frank deals very heavily with the difficult topics of grief, mourning, and loss. The characters are brought together by a deep sense of loss and learn to heal from each other. I don't want to give too much of the story away, since this is a very early review, but I firmly believe that Synclaire is one to watch. This is magical, emotional, yet still manages to capture the fun, happy moments that occur alongside grief and during healing.
- Jena B.
House of Frank is a cozy fantasy.... but not too cozy. In a similar vein to TJ Klune's Under the Whispering Door, House of Frank deals very heavily with the difficult topics of grief, mourning, and loss. The characters are brought together by a deep sense of loss and learn to heal from each other. I don't want to give too much of the story away, since this is a very early review, but I firmly believe that Synclaire is one to watch. This is magical, emotional, yet still manages to capture the fun, happy moments that occur alongside grief and during healing.
- Jena B.
Really Very Crunchy: A Beginner's Guide to Removing Toxins from Your Life without Adding Them to Your Personality by Emily Morrow
fast-paced
3.0
*Thank you to Libro.fm, Zondervan, & Harper Collins for the free ALC in exchange for an honest review*
I wasn't sure what I was expecting going into this one. I follow @reallyverycrunchy on Instagram and enjoy the satirical (ok, and sometimes not so satirical) videos, but I wasn't sure how that would translate into a book.
My absolute favorite portions were the "Jason Says" portions at the end of each chapter (sorry Emily). I also really appreciate the emphasis that Emily puts into balance. As a "scrunchy"' person, I care deeply about the environment, try to spend lots of time outside, and try to avoid as many single-use things as I can. I also think its important to read books and talk to people who's views are different than your own to help keep an open mind and broaden your perspective.
Overall, I think this does a good job of showing different sides of living (silky, scrunchy, crunchy) without getting into a blame game or guilt trips.
-Jena B.
I wasn't sure what I was expecting going into this one. I follow @reallyverycrunchy on Instagram and enjoy the satirical (ok, and sometimes not so satirical) videos, but I wasn't sure how that would translate into a book.
My absolute favorite portions were the "Jason Says" portions at the end of each chapter (sorry Emily). I also really appreciate the emphasis that Emily puts into balance. As a "scrunchy"' person, I care deeply about the environment, try to spend lots of time outside, and try to avoid as many single-use things as I can. I also think its important to read books and talk to people who's views are different than your own to help keep an open mind and broaden your perspective.
Overall, I think this does a good job of showing different sides of living (silky, scrunchy, crunchy) without getting into a blame game or guilt trips.
-Jena B.