_fallinglight_'s reviews
474 reviews

Not a Nation of Immigrants: Settler Colonialism, White Supremacy, and a History of Erasure and Exclusion by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

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challenging dark informative reflective slow-paced

5.0

10/10 no notes. A super insightful book about the horrors of the founding of the white supremacist, fiscal-military settler-colonialist United States and its continued subjugation of Indigenous, Black and Brown people the world over. A timely read despite being published in 2021 that helps dispel egregious myths that hold back accountability of the crimes committed by various racist groups and politicians against Black people within ths USA, and this country's countless wars against Indigenous nations, Mexico, Asia, and Cental America and how all that ties to the deeply hateful anti-migrant rhetoric that gave us a Trump second term. I learned so much and even when I already knew some other stuff it still added even more horrific context. I will definitely try to reread bc it's a lot of centuries of harm and trauma to keep track of but definitely a well-researched and exhaustive book. This book should be a mandatory anticolonial and anti-settler starter read for everyone in the USA, honestly.
The Test by Sylvain Neuvel

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-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? It's complicated

3.75

Slow Days, Fast Company: The World, the Flesh, and L.A. by Eve Babitz

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dark informative reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi

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challenging reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

Morning Is a Long Time Coming by Bette Greene

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challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

The Best Girls by Min Jin Lee

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dark emotional sad
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I almost let out a real scream reading that ending!! Min Jin Lee you will always be famous 😘 (sneaking in this short story to my 2024 reading challenge was so worth it lmao but I almost felt my heart bursting that ending is so, so tragic, man 💔)
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Annie Bot by Sierra Greer

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

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emotional lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield

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challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

2.0

One of those "great gowns, beautiful gowns" vibes book.
Could've been a one star but I will admit I liked the unsettling body horror of turning into water 💦 and that's where Julia Armfield should've focused more on bc all the attempts at "lush, romantic prose" were pathetic.
V for Vendetta by Alan Moore

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challenging dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

Maybe I should try more graphic novels before determining that me and graphic novels don't mix but also iconic as this book is I was bored and unimpressed as hell and didn't care about the story. The world is a nightmarish, fascist wet dream but that's all this book's got going for it bc the characters are dry and the plot is confusing.