yaizacanopoli's reviews
240 reviews

The Black Tides of Heaven by Neon Yang

adventurous hopeful inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

They Told Us To Move: Dakota—Cassia by Ng Kok Hoe, The Cassia Resettlement Team

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity in This Crisis (And the Next) by Dean Spade

challenging hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.5

A must-read for anyone interested in community care, mutual aid and socialist movement survival.

Sanctuary: Short Fiction from Queer Asia by Yi-Sheng Ng, Libay Linsangan Cantor

dark hopeful reflective fast-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Sexual content

Moderate: Infertility, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, and Terminal illness

Dying to Meet You: Confessions of a Funeral Director by Angjolie Mei

informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

3.5

Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn

emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A Cup of Water Under My Bed: A Memoir by Daisy Hernández

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

The Surface Breaks by Louise O'Neill

adventurous dark inspiring sad tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

The plotting in this book is marvellous. There are plot twists upon plot twists and all of the secrets come together to be revealed in a really satisfying way. The exploration of women's mental health and lesbian desire in the 19th Century also felt valuable and kept me hooked. However, I do want to point out that the characters make a lot of offensive statements throughout the novel. The statements and sentiments are historically accurate, so I believe the author was trying to be realistic, but it was still uncomfortable to read. These statements include homophobia, racism, sexism and a whole lot of ableism, particularly regarding mental illnesses and physical disabilities. I am not sure if I admire that the author didn't shy away from the horrible things people said and did in Victorian England or if I'm disgusted that she chose to include them to such an extent.

Eating Chilli Crab in the Anthropocene by Matthew Schneider-Mayerson

challenging hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

4.75

This book is offers a great overview of different ways the environment is impacted in Singapore and the many industries that contribute to climate change. What I loved is that it doesn't just discuss the problems we face, but hones in on and emphasises possible solutions too. Even if you're not based in Singapore, this is a really good book to read if you're curious about the world's future in a heating climate and how we can avoid catastrophe.