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riverestyx's reviews
35 reviews
Foodtopia: Radicals, Progressives, and Farmers in Pursuit of the Good Life by Margot Anne Kelley
Did not finish book. Stopped at 4%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 4%.
Cleaning up my currently reading pile and this book has been packed away due to moving. Will be coming back to it though
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I devoured this book! In fact, I spent the last 20 pages pacing my kitchen! I don't know when I last did that! I also spent more time at the laundromat than I needed to because I was pulled so deep into this story. I went into reading this knowing only 'time traveling lesbians' and I'm so glad I went in knowing so little. I was hooked the entire time.
I can see why folks would struggle with this book because it's more prose than you'd expect from a novel and often sparse on details and world building. You have to just go with the details of the world as they come. If you're okay with those then i highly recommend!
I can see why folks would struggle with this book because it's more prose than you'd expect from a novel and often sparse on details and world building. You have to just go with the details of the world as they come. If you're okay with those then i highly recommend!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, and War
Moderate: Torture and Fire/Fire injury
The 2000s Made Me Gay: Essays on Pop Culture by Grace Perry
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
This was a great read. The author is a few years older than me so we consumed a lot of the same media growing up.
It was nice to look back on some of the media and reflect on it now that I've been out for a bit. Like the author, I was in the closet into adulthood- deeply closeted at that. This even inspired me to write a poem in defense of the song I Kissed A Girl because the essay on it got me thinking about the song in a new light.
If you're a queer millennial who came of age from like 2006 to 2011 then I think you'll enjoy this book.
It was nice to look back on some of the media and reflect on it now that I've been out for a bit. Like the author, I was in the closet into adulthood- deeply closeted at that. This even inspired me to write a poem in defense of the song I Kissed A Girl because the essay on it got me thinking about the song in a new light.
If you're a queer millennial who came of age from like 2006 to 2011 then I think you'll enjoy this book.
Content Warnings
Minor: Biphobia and Homophobia
Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I'm not a big romance book person (though I do love a good romcom) and I really enjoyed this book! It was for a bookclub with an LGBT center and I'm very glad I got to read it.
As a nonbinary person, it was fantastic to see a nonbinary main character that is realistic- especially in a romance novel no less! And a nonbinary character that isn't focused on a tragic backstop. Yeah, not everyone is good with the transness but it's not an overshadowing thing. It's all very much how things go in reality.
Both main characters were loveable. In and out of their perspectives. A cooking show as the story stage adds fun drama. The cooking show naturally moves the story along while the characters also do. The fade to black spicy scenes is also appreciated.
I'd recommend this book to my friends who like romance novels and suggest it as a nice in for anyone who feels meh about the genre.
As a nonbinary person, it was fantastic to see a nonbinary main character that is realistic- especially in a romance novel no less! And a nonbinary character that isn't focused on a tragic backstop. Yeah, not everyone is good with the transness but it's not an overshadowing thing. It's all very much how things go in reality.
Both main characters were loveable. In and out of their perspectives. A cooking show as the story stage adds fun drama. The cooking show naturally moves the story along while the characters also do. The fade to black spicy scenes is also appreciated.
I'd recommend this book to my friends who like romance novels and suggest it as a nice in for anyone who feels meh about the genre.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Transphobia
This Is Real and You Are Completely Unprepared: The Days of Awe as a Journey of Transformation by Alan Lew
reflective
2.0
I really struggled reading this. I planned to read each section on each holiday before the holiday happened but I didn't manage that for a variety of reasons. This is Real gets sold as The Book of The High Holiday Season and I can see why but it also isn't The Book of The High Holiday Season either. I only read all of it because it was so heavily recommended and I knew there was some insight buried in the pages.
Before I gripe more I want to say that if you struggle with Yom Kippur because of the way many Jewish people address mortality via what feels like death cosplay because you have trauma, are poor, disabled or chronically ill, or anything like that you will struggle with this book in the same ways. I'm trying to find ways to make YK meaningful when I regularly have to deal with failing health and forced poverty as my entire life.
There is so much sexism blatantly on the pages (and how he talked about his ex wife was.. odd) all throughout the book as well. It very much feels like R' Lew was the kind of person to say he supported minorities but his actions or how he says it tells us otherwise.
I wouldn't suggest this book as some great book for the season to a marginalized person at all.
Before I gripe more I want to say that if you struggle with Yom Kippur because of the way many Jewish people address mortality via what feels like death cosplay because you have trauma, are poor, disabled or chronically ill, or anything like that you will struggle with this book in the same ways. I'm trying to find ways to make YK meaningful when I regularly have to deal with failing health and forced poverty as my entire life.
There is so much sexism blatantly on the pages (and how he talked about his ex wife was.. odd) all throughout the book as well. It very much feels like R' Lew was the kind of person to say he supported minorities but his actions or how he says it tells us otherwise.
I wouldn't suggest this book as some great book for the season to a marginalized person at all.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
YA isn't usually my genre but I've seen so much talk about this book so I figured I'd give it a try. Definitely trying to be a new spin on Beauty and the Beast (which I do appreciate).
It was a slow start and Feyre's I'm not like the other girls attitude was incredibly grating during the first half of the book. Her opinions of her sisters was also obnoxious to sit through. I get why she feels that way but Feyre just has zero nuance as a character or in her opinions. Maybe I have this gripe because I was like her as a teen/young adult but it was a real drag either way.
There is also a character in here that it seems like her only job is to info dump onto Feyre, and therefore the reader, which sucks because she could have been a really interesting and useful (in other ways) character.
This wasn't a Bad book but it also wasn't a Capitol G Good book either. I do plan on reading the second book as I'm told it is better than the first one so we shall see.
It was a slow start and Feyre's I'm not like the other girls attitude was incredibly grating during the first half of the book. Her opinions of her sisters was also obnoxious to sit through. I get why she feels that way but Feyre just has zero nuance as a character or in her opinions. Maybe I have this gripe because I was like her as a teen/young adult but it was a real drag either way.
There is also a character in here that it seems like her only job is to info dump onto Feyre, and therefore the reader, which sucks because she could have been a really interesting and useful (in other ways) character.
This wasn't a Bad book but it also wasn't a Capitol G Good book either. I do plan on reading the second book as I'm told it is better than the first one so we shall see.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, Slavery, and Vomit
Minor: Death of parent and Abandonment
The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon
Did not finish book. Stopped at 22%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 22%.
I was reading this for a book club and it's just so far out of my tastes and I stopped reading it. It's not a bad book. Just didn't reel me in as someone not into that genre
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism and Alcohol
Night of the Living Rez by Morgan Talty
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This is the first novel in years that has had me hanging on and needing more. I would do extra chores to just keep listening and trying to find out where the story weaves.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Dementia, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Miscarriage, Stalking, and Pregnancy
Minor: Genocide, Racial slurs, Racism, and Medical content
The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This isn't me usual genre nor my usual format but I'm glad I read it. I'm not the target audience of this book but I'm so happy to have read a positive book about an LGBT character. The art style is fun and the text deals with some big topics in a very short amount of time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt and Outing
Moderate: Homophobia
Dead Dad Jokes by Ollie Schminkey
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
I was so excited about this book from the day I saw Button announce it. I've seen Ollie's work on YouTube and as someone with a dead dad, I was excited to dive in. I was not prepared for how much reading this would make me feel about my dad and our relationship when none of my circumstances were like Oillie's. I'm so glad I read this book and that Ollie got to share this collection with the world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Death of parent
Moderate: Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal death and Vomit