LaShel

Loved the first half of the book, but was thrown by the shift to the second half and felt disengaged from the rest of the story.

I had some lightbulb moments while reading this - it definitely has some important things to say. As a white woman I was particularly struck by the author's description of two different white high school teachers who were trying to be allies - one of them had a positive impact on her but the other ended up causing harm (because of white guilt). The only reason I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is because it is very much written from an evangelical Christian perspective for other evangelical Christians and for that reason I'm likely to recommend/gift other books on race to my friends and family, who mostly come from other religious backgrounds.

One of the few books I feel compelled to own as both an ebook and in hardcopy, this might be my favorite collection of poetry ever. The poems are short but stunning (and not just because they are beautiful).

Important themes, to be sure, but the characters struck me flat and underdeveloped, the pacing was off, and some of the racism felt cartoonish. Also, small quibble, but a deposition doesn't happen in a courtoom in front of a judge. It's a YA book so it's not damning that it felt like a Disney Channel tv show, but I was hoping for more.

David Mitchell is one of my favorite living authors, and I suspect the only one who could write a 600 page novel about baby boomer music engaging enough to keep me reading until the end. That said, it's still a 600 page novel about baby boomer music, with an exhausting amount of name-dropping. Things pick up a bit two-thirds of the way through the book when we veer towards the supernatural, but for the most part this book is a love letter to the rock and roll of the late 1960s.

Thought this would be a fluffy, feminist, you-go-girl self help book. I've already read plenty but thought there might be something special about this one given its wild popularity. Turns out what's special about it is some really disturbing body shaming and ablelist body policing, a heavy layer of Christianity, excusing horrible male behavior with the implication that, well, you have to marry the guy you give your virginity to, and a really long, self-absorbed chapter about how unfair the foster care system is for rich white couples who already have biological children and aren't willing to take an older kid. I haven't hated a book this much in years.