Court
Great message; love and appreciate the intersectionality.
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I know I'm being a Nitpicky 30-something, but I could have done without the use of the word Homie and the sparse cursing.
Not sure how I feel about the reference of Joe Rogan's podcast (this was published before Rogan's antivax controversy).
I don't what I was expecting. I think I was expecting something and got a lot of fluff. There's not a lot about Jenna. It's like she spews general aphorisms & platitudes and then follows each one up with a vague story of how she relates to it.
I thought it was going to be more interesting.
I also don't know how authentic it is. How free was she to say things? Not sure if it's poor editing or if she had to write this with a hand tied.
Also I think this was written around when she was 17
Sometimes I don't mind some aphorisms, but make them interesting, funny, clever, heartfelt (and at times I think she was), beautiful, something.
I was also a little disappointed that the frame around each saying was dull and sad. It was such a pale grey scale it was hard to even see.
So the book/execution of the concept is 2⭐️
But I like Jenna Ortega and I picked this out of the teen section so maybe my expectations are out of line, so giving it a three.
Read via hoopla.
This was listed as horror so I wasn't sure what to expect. I'd say the third story The Seed was the creepiest of the three and had an excellent visual way of communicating a fast pace. I enjoyed the commentary of The Grave Diggers Union, although not enough to pick up the series. I thought Circus Day was fantastic: the use of color, simple story telling, and what felt like authentic, classic portrayal of a 1930's traveling circus.
Another book I enjoyed and am surprised I didn't mark on goodreads.Elise Gravel is fantastic. I love her non-fiction about interesting critters (and [b:The Mushroom Fan Club 37534478 The Mushroom Fan Club Elise Gravel https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1517015997l/37534478.SX50.jpg 59135893]!) and also appreciate her covering mindfulness in a way that kids might understand. I should just find this again at the library to better review it.
I guess I was expecting more... cohesion, narrative... something.
I want to say something like this was a ‘shaky three'. Then I think about all the great moments, Haruo sticking up for another kid and discussing his complicated feelings about seeing his mom, talks about crushes, the funeral for a cat and the fear of being abandoned (in general and in death). But then I'm annoyed at not understanding so many things about the story; the character Taro, is he a kid or an adult? Is Shosuke Junsuke's little brother? What is the nature of The Star Home? What's with the smoking and (easy access to) porn?
I mostly understand the car, when I was a kid my cousin and I used to love to play in the family car. Would we have played in the car if it didn't work? Most likely. But why is there a car that doesn't work—and there doesn't seem to be any plans/means to fix it nor does it seem to belong to anyone— at The Star Home? It's like in their yard, how did it get there and why? It's the thing that the series is named after, it's treated as important as it's a frequent setting but also unimportant as we don't know anything about it.
I wouldn't say any one is the MAIN character, but also it seems like some characters are focused on more than others.
Not sure if I'll continue reading this.
Listened to LeVar Burton read Mister dawn how can you be so cruel. It had a great premise. However, I felt like it just ended without reaching much of an actual conclusion, but maybe that's part of the message?
I recall a college roommate that shared that many of her dreams were abstractions.
Made me think of West World, Inception, and the Rick & Morty episode about the Night People.
[b:Super Late Bloomer: My Early Days in Transition 36374395 Super Late Bloomer My Early Days in Transition Julia Kaye https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1516854472l/36374395.SX50.jpg 58061611] had slipped my mind I'm embarrassed to say. But I enjoyed this as it recalled to mind my own chosen family, friends of the past, and best friends.
Read this a few weeks back and held off reviewing it because there were somethings that I felt were a off? imperfect? something...
I should reread this. Already returned to the library, but should be able to get again.
Even though I felt that things were “imperfect” I think that it covers an important topic and in such a way that aims to de-stigmatize.
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Originally I had marked this as four stars, but I'm rereading it and Asuka is only so likable, I wanted to give the volume a higher rating because of the topic it covers but it's also a graphic memoir and parts of it make me wince or cringe.
Ah now I recall one of the things that grated on me, how ugly Asuka is towards her previous romantic love interest. I understand the feelings of betrayal, but calling her a skank and saying ‘have sex until you die' it shows Asuka as immature: inconsiderate and melodramatic.
Asuka strikes me as someone who is rigid and naive. She's reasonably shocked that her ex marries a man but is then ‘mind blown' when she discovers that they had a baby. The ex had said she didn't want those things, but also says she was feeling pressure from family to get married so it's very reasonable that the pressure would continue in that direction.
This was well written, not too complicated and not too dumbed down.
A lot is covered, not sure that any one book could cover everything but this is a very manageable volume of about 80 pages that then lists good resources and a page of further reading.
Very much a Western lens, talking about America & Canada, Australia & New Zealand, and Europe.
Although there is a study mentioned from Tel Aviv University about babies and race with part of the trial group living in Ethiopia and a section about Israeli and Palestinian kids going to a summer camp in the US called Seeds of Peace.
Ugh she threw the bottle into the river.
Caroline I rather dislike you, sigh.
I found Nella dramatic, Eliza -admittedly fittingly- naive, and Caroline continuously irritating: boring, predictable, inept.
This is how I feel about Caroline: woman avoids processing potential life altering news to chase dreams of being a historical true crime solver.
Arthur was more endearing rather than charming as I was somewhat flustered with him at times. Sometimes while yelling at him to talk to his children I would tell myself, I guess it's because he's British, but I'd be absolutely crushed if my father left me out of my recently deceased mother's past. There were also these well crafted moments of, is this whimsy or the decline into senility? The pacing was good.
I have mixed feelings about Arthur destroying the letters and a large amount of frustration of him not keeping the heart charm that the son and granddaughter selected.
Masa gets a surprise inspection, cat themed needle felting with Mrs. Tori, Tatsu helps some yakuza beat the heat, ghost story swap, Tatsu convinces a girl to eat her veggies Masa and Tatsu pull weeds, a beetle battle, Tatsu helps local shop owners, and Tatsu helps the cafe owner and the rapper at the same time.
Also loved the featured Policure sweater.
The three stories were: The Magic Gem, The Tigers of the Kumgang Mountains, and The Deer and the Woodcutter.
I'd say this collection was 3.5, rounded up to a 4.
I'm not a fan of guns in fairy tales, to me it feels less magical and more modern, even though it looks like rifles/long guns could have been around in the mid to late 1400's.
The Magic Gem felt familiar, I've probably encountered a similar wish granting fish fairy tale and this is Korea's version, but it felt its own in the mentioning of the underwater kingdom.
The Tigers of the Kumgang Mountains was about a father – and then a son– with great marksmanship and some tricky tigers.
The Deer and the Woodcutter, was enjoyable, made me think of selkies and other mythological women that need a skin or dress to return to their home.