StephanieRidiculous
There is a lot of useful conversation here, but unfortunately I think this book will ultimate hurt more than it will help when it comes to hesitant white people still learning to unpack and unlearn the racialized reality that is living in America. We are waaaaaay too late in the game to be telling the group of people historically and statistically the most likely to deny and perpetuate racism to use a term that genuinely no one else is using. Can you imagine a white Christian man telling you (insert pretty much any non-white identity, bonus points if also not a believer) that “actually, “race” isn't a biblical concept so I'd prefer to use the term “ethnic sin”” after you try to point out the thing they just said is wildly out of pocket? I think putting Race and Racism in quotation marks is more likely to add fuel to the deniers fire than it is to be actually helpful in producing changed hearts - but I will also easily admit that Linne is much more optimistic in this arena than I am, and does a better job of believing the best about people than I do.
I deeply appreciate Linne's insight into the ways our racism can show up and play out, and his encouragements on how to live out biblical principals in this arena, and his sharing of self throughout to highlight his experience as a Black man in the age of police brutality. It felt to me that a primary goal of this book was to make white people more comfortable engaging in this conversation, and I'm not saying that wasn't a worthy goal, but I am saying I think a lot was sacrificed in the pursuit of that goal. I worry, in particular, the impact this new term/framing will have on our collective witness as folks try to engage their non-believing neighbor, coworker, gym partner, PTO member, or barista in conversations about what's going on in America, and the world at large, using this (excuse me) wildly out of touch term. And I do think that's what this is - it's out of touch with the rest of the world and I do not think we can meaningfully disrupt racism and systems of oppression by only engaging in conversation and the work within Christian spaces.
All of that to say (and I didn't even discuss what I think is Linne's misunderstanding of ethnicity vs race), if you are comfortable navigating these conversation, I really do think there is good information for us to apply to our daily lives. Naming the specific ways racism shows up is such a good addition to the conversation, and I'll definitely be exploring ways to add it to my own framework.
Definitely worth reading for the several essays on the history of Zionism, but overall this is a bit of an outdated slog. We spend a lot of time critiquing works that are no longer heavily relevant/likely to be things you have read or heard of - although still interesting to consider in terms of the historical progression of Zionist propoganda. If nothing else this collection thoroughly establishes that the plight of the Palestinian is not new.
I'm bummed to be rating this so low, but despite being generally well written and a very engaging story, there are two big issues I can't overlook. First, every time the author discusses the group she led up to base camp she misgenders one of the members. Once, she literally misgenders them, and very very often she uses phrases like “the girls” or “the ladies” and other gendered terms. It's very distracting and entirely unnecessary. Second, the author is biphobic as heck and it's never really addressed.
A smaller quibble, which is really uncomfortable, is asserting that all of her sexual encounters were consensual when not that long ago she lets you know that there was no boundary she wasn't willing to cross while trying to seduce people. I really have a hard time believing that there wasn't coercion and manipulation involved when she frames it the way that she does. Hopefully this is just bad editing?
Hopefully the summary makes it clear, but giant trigger warnings for rape (on page), childhood sexual abuse (on page), alcohol/alcoholism (on page), physical abuse, domestic violence, emotional abuse, suicide, vomit, and much more.
Excellent intro to decolonization and Indigenous approaches to life. A great alternative to some heavier texts if you are short on time or prefer a less dense text. In particular I appreciated the critique of and reflection on scripture & how settler colonialists failed to deliver on theological concepts. This element of the book is not heavy handed, though, if that's not your thing!
I've never watched a Rhimes show, I don't follow her career at all - I was only vaguely aware of who she was prior to reading this. This book is on just about every list of funny/uplifting non fiction books, though, so I gave it a go.
Things were going fine until we got to the chapter where she discusses her weight loss. Despite vehemently swearing that if you love your body she loves your body, and being for all people, the language surrounding this topic is absolutely steeped in fatphobia, and it's really unfortunate. I think it's completely possible to realize you have not been taking care of yourself and want to change that on a fundamental level without ever equating fatness or size to disgusting andor moral failing. Rhimes failed to thread that needle. To be honest I'm not really convinced she tried to thread it all.
For that reason I wouldn't really recommend this to anyone. Rhimes does have some interesting and helpful things to say about motherhood, community, success, and fighting against the patriarchy, and it's a bummer that's lost in the shuffle of fatphobia.
A decent and quick exploration of what plant life can teach us about being in community. If you're truly short for time you could just read the conclusion. As others have noted, the book gets very repetitive at the end - the conclusion is really more of a summary than a conclusion, but, given how short the book is overall I'm not that bothered by it.
Loved the plant facts, loved thinking about taking inspiration from plant and fungal networks to frame my connection to other humans. For me it was surprising to learn that the idea of plants making “decisions” is a new concept - it never occurred to me that decision making wasn't inherent in any living thing? The idea of programmed responses vs active decisions is fascinating to me. I could read a much longer book about that.
I want this to be a 5 star book, but a few things are getting in the way for me. 1) Book Two Gillig doesn't trust you to remember things or make logical leaps or pick up foreshadowing. That's disappointing because the foreshadowing is actually really well done - things are layered very well, until she crashed through her layers with a point blank explanation of what's going on. 2) We've got a lot of repetitive words/turns of phrases. Particularly in the last 25% of the book it's really noticeable. 3) Personal preference, but the SIGNIFICANT ramp up in time focused on sexual tension and content isn't my thing. I wish Book 2 had stayed at the level book 1 was. While the romance in book 2 is slightly better than book 1, I could have done without 80-90% of the tension/build up.
BUT, overall, I enjoyed this, and the duology a lot. The magic and the world is so interesting to me, we get solid character growth, there's some good commentary on abuse, violence, bodily autonomy, love, and leadership. Definitely check out the content warnings. Both books have some heavy themes, and book 2 dives into some of it more. Book 2 also has some good humor in it, and it was well balanced with the heavier stuff. And I think it was a good conclusion! I do hope for more, though. :)
As always, when you can hear poetry read by the author I always think it's a great idea to do so! The audiobook did not disappoint. Overall, I loved the gentle framing and the effective evoking of childhood summers and understandings of big events. This is a lovely memoir. I do think I would have been pulled in more if I had already known Woodson and her work. Going in without much prior knowledge made this still a nice read, but not super gripping.
Whew, I was not sure I was gonna pull off finishing this before the new year - but I did it!
Some generalized notes:
-This is way too long. There is so much needless conjecture added in. I get being passionate and wanting to include all the cool tidbits you learned, but dang, my dude - dial it back.
-There is too much of the author in this. I frequently could not tell if I was reading a summary of Luther's thoughts, or Bainton's. Again, sharing passion is good - but the editing could have been a lot tighter. At one point he also claims that Luther's translation of the Psalms “improved them” and that's a buckwild claim to make!
-While there is a bibliography in the back, by and large you have to just take Bainton's word for it. He quotes letters often, which at least indicates source, but more often Bainton just asserts that Luther believed something or said something or did something and does not at all explain where that assertion came from/what it is supported by. I understand that's a huge undertaking, and that it probably in practice can't happen with every single thing - but I'm mostly left with just hoping Bainton didn't put his own spin on Luther, because I truly don't know. I do have suspicions that there is some spinning going on - while Bainton does point out some shortcomings of Luther, I felt some of his missteps warranted a sterner condemnation, which Bainton never provides. He is quick to celebrate, and only casually addresses shortfalls. There is a consistent issue with framing the choices Luther made - it would have been better to never offer sympathy than to selectively offer it and stay silent in other places. There is much to critique Luther for and Bainton doesn't deliver on that.
-Bainton's language is outdated and even occasionally offensive
-Still, all of that being true, I do appreciate knowing more of Luther and the scope of the biography, although I'm not entirely sure I would recommend this to others. I think engaging with Luther in terms of critique would be more useful/beneficial for the modern reader, rather than this worship of personality.
This was fine. The world is fun, the girls learning how to be friends in the midst of conflict is good, and the journey our MC takes in regards to her outlook on life is fruitful. However, I truly wish there were more stories that didn't rely on 1) outright deceit/lying from “trusted” adults and 2) kids having to fix problems the adults made - especially high stakes problems.
Every year my hubster and I trade books on Christmas Eve in keeping with the Icelandic J??lab??kafl???? tradition. This year I was gifted One Dark Window and it was such a fun binge-all-day read!
The other reviewers are totally correct - there is a lot of repetition. This could have benefited from a little more editing, for sure. But some of the repeating words and phrases are intentional, and it works, so ultimately it didn't bother me too much.
We have a few moments where our MC is needlessly clueless & maybe Gillig doesn't trust readers very much, but it didn't happen enough to harsh the vibe for me.
And the vibes are great. Spooky, mysterious, but also kind of predictable - a magic system that's genuinely unique, a good steady pace, and characters I mostly loved.
Very much looking forward to book 2.
This is getting four stars largely because it's a great audio book. For the writing itself it's a 3 - 3.5.
Overall I had a great time with this. The middle absolutely lagged - I definitely agree with many other reviewers that this was too long. We get a lot of the same set ups on repeat here, and some of the passage of time could have been summarized instead of walked through.
Despite that, I enjoyed the exploration of maidenhood vs monsterdom, autonomy, and power. Particularly surprised to have enjoyed this because honestly I don't expect too much from a book based on a DnD character!
An interesting memoir blending cultural myths and family history, with some cultural commentary sprinkled on top. This is on the heavier side, discussing things like blood quantum, domestic abuse, anti-indigenous racism, and more. I appreciated the most exploring how Myers adjusts myths to make them more applicable to her family - the book truly shines in these sections.
This was fine. The thoroughly Jewish culture is fun to read, and I genuinely liked our characters. However, I didn't really jive with the plot - it felt like it was supposed to be a quick distraction before homegirl actually moved on and start her new life but it kept being the main focus. By the time it started gelling for me we were pretty far in. The blurb starting with “a genderqueer lesbian with a knife” also totally oversold what was actually happening in the pages - it felt like buzz words to get traction that had little to do with the story.
“I want to be part of a system in which wealth means having enough to share, and where the gratification of meeting your family needs is not poisoned by destroying that possibility for someone else. I want to live in a society where the currency of exchange is gratitude and the infinitely renewable resource of kindness, which multiplies every time it is shared rather than depreciating with use.”
I cannot recommend Robin Wall Kimmerer enough in general, and this newest book, Serviceberry, is no exception. A timely gift that invites us to step into something better and more rewarding; to reframe our approach to life in response to the understanding that all flourishing is mutual.
This is a quick read, easily done in one sitting, that I encourage you to enjoy as we move into this holiday season.
Ultimately a very disappointing read.
The pros:
-Encourages you to ask a lot of questions about non-profits, charity, mutual aid, community, yourself, and worklife in general. While I disagreed with many of the conclusions or implications of Spade, I am always very pro-asking questions, and this has some good prompts.
-Some very apt criticisms of “the work” as it is currently being done, including in charity, nonprofit, and mutual aid spheres
-Some good reminders/points about not burning out, qualities to look for, and some basic 101 organizing tips
The cons:
-Spade has created this binary between mutual aid work and charity and then more or less asserts that all charity work is flawed, corrupted, and should be avoided. As Spade goes on to detail his tips and tricks on how to have a successful mutual aid group I failed to see a meaningful distinction between his definition of mutual aid and a well run non-profit.
It's true that non-profits are often beholden to grantor demands on how money is used, and it is also true that there are a plethora of non-profits that are actively harming and maintaining status quo. However, the things that make a mutual aid group run well, according to Spade, are the same things that make a non-profit group run well. A non-profit truly committed to the work they signed up to do would not accept grants that require them to do work outside of that scope, and/or would find creative ways to stay true to their mission. I do not see this as meaningfully different from other groups likewise having to navigate the many directions they will be pulled through the course of their work.
-There are a lot of the hallmarks of white supremacy culture through out these pages, despite a stated desire to move away from the dominant culture. We see a heavy emphasis on well structured meetings as defined by clear agendas, strict adherence to schedules, narrow margins of time management, and how to introduce new comers to the work. In particular, I am irked by the emphasis on strict time tables and the consistent use of the word “flake/y.” I think this was unintentional, but the vibe I ended up with is there is little room for disabled relation to time. There are a few lines here and there about compassion, flexibility, meeting ones own needs, of course, but it lacks a consistent understanding of how people will differently relate to time and established schedules, and how integrating into the work differs depending on such considerations. Meaning, it very much feels like Spade would consider someone with chronic fatigue to be a flake and unreliable, instead of someone who needs to link up with the group different than their able-bodied counterparts.
In line with this, I found the section on compulsory work versus joyful work to be mostly a list of characteristics that mirror dominant culture, and are entirely subjective - and potentially harmful. For example, stating that compulsory work is working on multiple things at the same time and joyful work is working one thing at a time leaves no room for neurodivergent people who struggle with under stimulation and genuinely do their best work when multitasking. Also see any of the characteristics relating to emotion; they all are prescriptive and enforce dominant culture views on emotions, instead of allowing space for people to do “the work” because they are angry, upset, etc. etc.
-I will never prescribe to a framework that insists folks should only engage in mutual aid/community work for free whilst we exist within a capitalistic society. I had a hard time with the section on avoiding burn out and all the points about making sure people are resting/connecting with loved ones/not doing too much when Spade kept asserting that people should not be engaging with this work as a way to pay the bills. It felt very off to me to give pointers on how to avoid burn out while also clearly establishing people should be showing up for this community work after they clock out of their bill-paying job.
There is more I could dive into, but I think this paints the picture well enough. I wanted more community/small group focused, too, but this deals mostly in theory. Which is fine, but not really that useful for me. I don't think this book is worth avoiding, but I would say if you don't have the capacity to read a lot of books I don't think I would recommend you taking time on this one.
I love a non-linear story, I love a woman bucking the status quo, I love fantasy settings! This was great.
Small quibbles - there's an ongoing feel to the narrative that feels slightly askew. I don't know how to better articulate it. I loved moving between official accounts, the current story, and memories. There is something about the tone that feels slightly off here and there, and I'm not entirely sure what it is. I guess I'm trying to say that while I thoroughly enjoyed this, there wasn't really ever a moment where I felt immersed, but perhaps that's a me thing and not a product of the writing.
I'll also say that while I did pick up some correct suspicions, largely this felt like when you read a murder mystery and when the killer is revealed you discover that there literally was no way for you to accurately guess it ahead of time because key pieces of information were not revealed until Holmes whisked in to explain how everyone is stupid and missed things.
All in all though, an enjoyable quick read and I'm quite looking forward to the second installment!