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zooegirlll's reviews
280 reviews
Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America by Ijeoma Oluo
5.0
this was a tough but important read!!
I cannot find the words to write a good review for this, so here are some impactful quotes that i saved:
“White supremacy is, and has always been, a pyramid scheme.”
“The thing about anger is that it needs a home. When you are angry because you are a white man stalled in your career—uncomfortable with a changing world and uncertain of your financial future—it is very hard to find a concrete target for your anger. When society is constantly telling you that you are not supposed to be facing any of these problems, because you are a white man, your anger will convince you that somebody has stolen what should be yours. The danger with this type of anger becomes most apparent when a savvy populist decides to name that target for you. In the 1960s, the opportunist who exploited white male fear and anger was George Wallace.”
“It’s the expectation that many white men have that they shouldn’t have to climb, shouldn’t have to struggle, as others do. It’s the idea not only that they think they have less than others, but that they were supposed to have so much more. When you are denied the power, the success, or even the relationships that you think are your right, you either believe that you are broken or you believe that you have been stolen from.”
I cannot find the words to write a good review for this, so here are some impactful quotes that i saved:
“White supremacy is, and has always been, a pyramid scheme.”
“The thing about anger is that it needs a home. When you are angry because you are a white man stalled in your career—uncomfortable with a changing world and uncertain of your financial future—it is very hard to find a concrete target for your anger. When society is constantly telling you that you are not supposed to be facing any of these problems, because you are a white man, your anger will convince you that somebody has stolen what should be yours. The danger with this type of anger becomes most apparent when a savvy populist decides to name that target for you. In the 1960s, the opportunist who exploited white male fear and anger was George Wallace.”
“It’s the expectation that many white men have that they shouldn’t have to climb, shouldn’t have to struggle, as others do. It’s the idea not only that they think they have less than others, but that they were supposed to have so much more. When you are denied the power, the success, or even the relationships that you think are your right, you either believe that you are broken or you believe that you have been stolen from.”
Wintering: How I Learned to Flourish When Life Became Frozen by Katherine May
3.0
I liked Wintering — it’s definitely a book to read slowly, chapter by chapter over time and not an easily binge-able book. It’s very slow paced and makes you feel relaxed while reading it.
That said, sometimes the passages did feel a bit boring despite the book being a restful read.
That said, sometimes the passages did feel a bit boring despite the book being a restful read.
Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton
4.0
a truly unique book!!
i really enjoyed S.T. and all the many wonderful animal POV chapters in this book (my favorite being the Genghis Cat chapters.)
while there were times that this book felt like it got a bit lost, i really enjoyed it especially the ending. it was very sweet
i really enjoyed S.T. and all the many wonderful animal POV chapters in this book (my favorite being the Genghis Cat chapters.)
while there were times that this book felt like it got a bit lost, i really enjoyed it especially the ending. it was very sweet
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
5.0
not where i thought it was going but quite beautiful and i loved it!!
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
5.0
wow a fucking good book!!!
so wonderfully sad yet hopeful and i’m not going to lie I kind of shed a lil tear for Addie in the last chapter
so wonderfully sad yet hopeful and i’m not going to lie I kind of shed a lil tear for Addie in the last chapter
Friendship in the Age of Loneliness: An Optimist's Guide to Connection by Adam Smiley Poswolsky
4.0
Overall, I really enjoyed this book - a very nice reminder that friendships often require effort, and that relationships with friends are often just as important as relationships with partners.
There are a lot of great tips mentioned, a few useful ones being, “Do An Emotional Bandwidth Check” and “Don’t Ask, Just Help”. I did appreciate how Adam did mention to address race and gender whenever a topic was relevant to those issues.
I think it’s important to mention that this book does have a bit more of an extrovert vibe - a lot of the tips were things I felt I would be annoyed with if someone did them to me (such as calling friends without any kind of warning). I also thought that there were times that the language in the book did feel a bit silly and childish, but it wasn’t always deterring as the overall tone of the book was hopeful and positive.
Overall, would rate a solid 4/5!
There are a lot of great tips mentioned, a few useful ones being, “Do An Emotional Bandwidth Check” and “Don’t Ask, Just Help”. I did appreciate how Adam did mention to address race and gender whenever a topic was relevant to those issues.
I think it’s important to mention that this book does have a bit more of an extrovert vibe - a lot of the tips were things I felt I would be annoyed with if someone did them to me (such as calling friends without any kind of warning). I also thought that there were times that the language in the book did feel a bit silly and childish, but it wasn’t always deterring as the overall tone of the book was hopeful and positive.
Overall, would rate a solid 4/5!
A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes
2.0
I really wanted to like this as I am a HUGE Greek myth fan, but felt it lacked a lot of finesse and eloquence in the prose. I also felt some of the stories felt extremely slow paced despite the exciting nature of some of the stories.