bdingz's reviews
422 reviews

I just couldn’t get into the audiobook. I bought the ebook and will try again later.

This story has a lovely mix of mythology, romance and magic. I liked how the author wove her own ideas in while incorporating so many familiar names.

The time jumps in the first part of the book threw me a little. 

This starts off much like any run-of-the-mill dystopian novel, but it soon picks up and gets much weirder (in a good way). My main gripe is I wasn’t truly invested in the characters, except for Mitch.

Off The Spectrum is a meticulously researched book. Ultimately, it was not for me, despite its merits.

I wasn’t familiar with Gina Rippon’s work before this book, so I did some searching. In 2020 work, Gender and Our Brains, “Rippon urges us to move beyond a binary view of the brain and to see instead this complex organ as highly individualized, profoundly adaptable and full of unbounded potential.”

It’s unfortunate, then, that Off The Spectrum seems to riff on the idea of “female autism” vs. “male autism.” I found this off-putting and it was difficult for me to get into the book as a result. In the end, I believe it comes down to personal preference, and I just don’t tend to enjoy reading allistic scientists' work on autism these days.

This was an interesting blend of history, memoir and ritual. Some sections were stronger than others, but I did write down a few of the suggested incantations and rituals, so I’m happy I read this. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Rodale Inc. for a digital ARC of this book.

Unmasking For Life is Devon Price’s follow-up to his fantastic 2022 book, Unmasking Autism. I had high hopes and Price did not disappoint. 

To call the book “self-help” or “how-to” undercuts its layers, I think, so I’ll call it a guide. Once an autistic person is diagnosed or self-realized, many things in their past might begin to make sense…but what about the future? Price outlines how autistic (and otherwise disabled or neurodivergent people) can live their lives to the fullest, focused on their own wants and needs rather than constantly bending to societal norms. 

In addition to the writing itself, appreciate the care that Price put into the structure of the book. He lays out information in digestible sections, complete with tables and short questionnaires, making the book easy to pick up and put down.

As per usual, Price leads with compassion while nailing down hard truths. I look forward to purchasing this book for my shelf so I may refer to it in future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Spiegel & Grau for a digital ARC of this book.

This one is for the frog-catchers, the birdwatchers, and anyone who's gotten down in the dirt for a better look at a plant or mushroom.

I had just finished Robin Wall Kimmerer's Braiding Sweetgrass when I picked up Forest Euphoria and it proved to be the perfect follow-up. In this book, author Patricia Ononiwu Kaishian seamlessly blends science, politics and nature together...or perhaps she shows the reader how linked they are to begin with. Kaishian takes the reader along for her journey to become a mycologist, sharing how she reckoned with her queerness and cultural identity along the way.

If you liked Braiding Sweetgrass and The Entangled Life, be sure to preorder Forest Euphoria or pick it up upon its release in May.

This story takes its time to pick up, but when it does, it’s quite captivating. 

To be honest, I found Addie to be the least interesting character. She’s stubborn, smart and pretty, but despite the length of the book I didn’t feel I truly got to know her. Was that perhaps the point? That she’s unknowable by all except for Henry and Luc?

I wanted more of Remy and Sam!

 "If grief can be a doorway to love, then let us all weep for the world we are breaking apart so we can love it back to wholeness again."

Well, this made me cry several times.