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yellowbinge's reviews
233 reviews
Necessary poisons by Andrea Blythe
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Publishing date: 07.10.2024
Thank you to Netgalley and Interstellar Flight Press for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
I expected: A witchy book with poems about poisons, potions, and herbs
I got: Found-poetry with themes of domestic horrors
The book left me: Reflecting on my own domestic horrors
Poetry style:
Found-poetry based on Stephen King's "The Plant". Works well here
Amount of poems: 30 poems
Features:
5 Beautiful artworks, themes of domesticity, horrors of the mind and everyday life
Final ranking and star rating?
4 stars, B tier. This was a beautiful collection, one that I could relate to. If you wish to experience found-poetry for the first time, I would say this is a good collection to start. I haven't read "The Plant", so I don't know if it does the book justice. But it works well enough to pique my interest to read the book.
Favorite poems:
A LITTLE BACKGROUND INFORMATION
THE INTENTION OF BEING
THE OTHER GRAY AREA
THE BOOK
SMILE, NO HUMOR
BELATEDLY, THE REFUSAL
A BOQUET OF ILLUSIONS
THE ZENITH
MORNING, WRAPPED IN MAPLE AND PINE
Thank you to Netgalley and Interstellar Flight Press for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
I expected: A witchy book with poems about poisons, potions, and herbs
I got: Found-poetry with themes of domestic horrors
The book left me: Reflecting on my own domestic horrors
Poetry style:
Found-poetry based on Stephen King's "The Plant". Works well here
Amount of poems: 30 poems
Features:
5 Beautiful artworks, themes of domesticity, horrors of the mind and everyday life
Final ranking and star rating?
4 stars, B tier. This was a beautiful collection, one that I could relate to. If you wish to experience found-poetry for the first time, I would say this is a good collection to start. I haven't read "The Plant", so I don't know if it does the book justice. But it works well enough to pique my interest to read the book.
Favorite poems:
A LITTLE BACKGROUND INFORMATION
THE INTENTION OF BEING
THE OTHER GRAY AREA
THE BOOK
SMILE, NO HUMOR
BELATEDLY, THE REFUSAL
A BOQUET OF ILLUSIONS
THE ZENITH
MORNING, WRAPPED IN MAPLE AND PINE
The Elk in the Glade: The World of Pioneer and Painter Jennie Hicks by Bruce E. Whitacre
3.0
Publishing date: 21.10.2022
Thank you to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
I expected: A book with multiple artworks and poems written by the subject matter (Jennie Hicks)
I got: A book with a few artworks and free-form poems written by the great grandchild of Jennie
The book left me: Once again romanticizing pioneer life
Poetry style:
A combination of free-form and novella. It works well here, but the "poems" have a tendency to span up to three or four pages. I would classify this as a more lyrical book than a poetry collection.
Amount of poems: 16 poems, spanning a story of Jennie's life
Features:
Pioneer lifestyle and setting, a person lost and forgotten with time, 4 paintings by Jennie
Final ranking and star rating?
3 stars, C tier. This was a fine collection, one that I was mostly interested in because of the artworks featured. I got the artworks, but also a lyrical almost autobiography of Jennie's life. It was a nice and heartbreaking story at the same time, of a woman that could accomplish so much more. But because of the time and circumstances never got to reach her full potential.
Thank you to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
I expected: A book with multiple artworks and poems written by the subject matter (Jennie Hicks)
I got: A book with a few artworks and free-form poems written by the great grandchild of Jennie
The book left me: Once again romanticizing pioneer life
Poetry style:
A combination of free-form and novella. It works well here, but the "poems" have a tendency to span up to three or four pages. I would classify this as a more lyrical book than a poetry collection.
Amount of poems: 16 poems, spanning a story of Jennie's life
Features:
Pioneer lifestyle and setting, a person lost and forgotten with time, 4 paintings by Jennie
Final ranking and star rating?
3 stars, C tier. This was a fine collection, one that I was mostly interested in because of the artworks featured. I got the artworks, but also a lyrical almost autobiography of Jennie's life. It was a nice and heartbreaking story at the same time, of a woman that could accomplish so much more. But because of the time and circumstances never got to reach her full potential.
The Masked Empire by Patrick Weekes
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Child death, Slavery, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexism, Blood, and Murder
Bright Dust by Jane Lightbourne
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
Publishing date: 28.05.2024
Thank you to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
The book as a meal: Heart shaped chocolates
The book left me: Warm and fuzzy
Negatives:
Didn't connect as well as I hoped
Positives:
Written elegantly and emotionally
Features:
Explores what it means to love and be human, the relationship between loving-losing-and loving again, platonic, romantic, and parental
Why did I choose this one?
Love myself some poems, just had to grab yet another collection to read this year
Pick-up-able? Put-down-able?
In-between, entirely my own fault. The timing I decided to read this was atrocious. But I can imagine that this would fall into a read-able or a devourable category at any other time.
Final ranking and star rating?
3 stars, B tier. This was an alright collection. I think I would rate it higher if I had read it at a different time (but I might be wrong about that too). Due to no fault of its own. I did however not connect nearly as much as I had hoped to.
Favorite poems:
The Cradle lies Empty
You led; I followed
My Demons Linger
Winter holds the Land inits Icy Grip
Pineville Trace by Wes Blake
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Publishing date: 03.09.3034
Thank you to Netgalley and Etchings Press for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
The book as a meal: Beef jerky and cold coffee
The book left me: Emotional and glad to be living a relatively stable life
Negatives:
Sentences were often repeated after each other but written slightly differently
Timeline was hard to follow (jumps back and forth between the past and now)
Main character felt pretentious
Positives:
I would give my life for Buffalo
Vibes were spectacular (I could smell the trees lowkey)
Emotional
Features:
Cat side character with major impact and arc, redemption and regrets, living both off and on the grid at the same time, starving and thriving
Why did I choose this one?
Cover is beautiful, blurb made me want to read
Pick-up-able? Put-down-able?
In-between. The three parts the book was split into had very draggy sections and very tense sections. I would say part two was the best and the most tense
What was the vibe and mood?
As weird as it sounds, this felt like walking outside close to easter. Just that border between spring and winter. Not knowing whether or not it will snow tomorrow. It felt like just barely scraping by, but being content with that life.
Final ranking and star rating?
2 stars, D tier. This was a very atmospheric and emotional book, but I just didn't vibe as much as I hoped. The religiousness, the pretentiousness of the character, and the writing style clashed a little with me. It has a lot of potential, and I think in general this will be a very polarizing book. Split between those who will love it to bits, and those like me who just ... didn't at all.
Sadly, a miss
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: Animal death and Alcohol
We the Gathered Heat: Asian American and Pacific Islander Poetry, Performance, and Spoken Word by Terisa Siagatonu, Bao Phi, No'u Revilla, Franny Choi
challenging
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
3.0
Publishing date: 17.09.2024
Thank you to Netgalley and Haymarket Books for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
The book as a meal: Hearty stew made by my grandmother
The book left me: Curious about what has been lost from oral traditions
Negatives:
Hard time connecting to the contents
Positives:
Beautiful writing from all contributors
Features:
Lots of different perspectives and experiences, poems, tiny stories, facts about different heritages
Why did I choose this one?
Poems focusing on women and culture I wish to learn more about? Sign me up
Pick-up-able? Put-down-able?
In-between. Some parts of the book were a little harder to read than others, some parts flowed easier, and some didn't hold my attention as well.
Final ranking and star rating?
3 stars, C tier. This was simply fine. I didn't connect well with all the contents, and in general I think this was targeted at a different audience. However, it was written well and beautifully. I will recommend this to people, as I think it deserves a greater audience.
Asunder by David Gaider
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, and Confinement
Minor: Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, and Blood
DITCHLAPSE / [REALLY AFRAID] by Tommy Wyatt
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
2.0
Publishing date: 30.08.2024
Thank you to Netgalley and Querencia Press for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
The book as a meal: Girl dinner (but it is almost midnight and I am snacking on cheese and dry crackers)
The book left me: Dazed
Negatives:
Some poems were hitters, most were misses
Positives:
Mixed media (I love it)
Zoomer references and content allowed me to connect easier
Features:
Free form poetry, zoomer/doomer content, old school tv breaks, two books in one, multi-media
Why did I choose this one?
This looked like a fascinating read from the cover. The combo of LGBTQIAP and poetry is also usually up my ballpark
Pick-up-able? Put-down-able?
Pick-Up-Able. This is a short read and the poems are just as short. Finished it in about an hour / hour and a half
What was the vibe and mood?
This felt a lot like someone slowly finding their place in a large and confusing world that is ever changing and resisting you.
Final ranking and star rating?
2 stars, D tier. As much as I liked the few poems I liked, this was more of a miss than a hit. A lot of the formatting and language here was both confusing and hard to properly process. The ideas and themes presented to me should have resulted in a big hit, but it didn't turn out that way.
I know of some that do love these types of free-form poems, and I think I will pass this collection to them
Favorite poems:
gestures broadly at everything
the physical exam, or an erasure?
computer reboot session with a dose of sensory deprivation
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, and Grief
Tiny Oblivions and Mutual Self Destructions by Maxwell I Gold
dark
mysterious
reflective
2.0
Publishing date: 22.08.2024
Thank you to Netgalley and RDS Publishing for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
The book as a meal: I ate my meal in the dark and I am still unsure what I ate
The book left me: Confused
Negatives:
Formatted a little strangely
Colorful language that subtracts more than it adds
Positives:
Themes I haven't really read before
Features:
Two books combined into one, long form poems, themes of existentialism, dread, and how beautiful our worst nightmare can be
Why did I choose this one?
Horror poems can be really hit or miss, and I thought I should see which way this went
Pick-up-able? Put-down-able?
Ehhh, put-down-able. I think this is more of a me issue, but long-form-poems aren't really my cuppa. I feel like they drag quite a bit, and the language starts to blend in a lot. I end up more so staring at the page thinking that I am reading, but really I am just staring and not processing anything
What was the vibe and mood?
Do you feel dread because of the universe and everything we don't know about it? Ever read that dread manifested, but more so in an existential way? Well, here is your opportunity
Final ranking and star rating?
2 stars, D tier. This was not for me at all. I really wanted spooky and deep poems, but this water was a little too deep for me. I wanted to understand what was happening on the page ... but I was too lost. The poems felt a little too long. I didn't connect with anything.However- The writing is not bad. I see a lot of potential, but I will not be the first in line to see it blossom. A miss, sadly