Ally

This is a non-fiction work that examines the intersection of American evangelicalism and gun culture (ownership, policies, beliefs, etc), and the effect thereof on American politics. The author is a journalist, who was fully immersed in the evangelical movement for years. He eventually distanced himself, largely over what he felt was the incongruence of his faith and the broader group's love (worship?) of guns and gun culture. This makes the book interesting because it has a baseline of journalistic acumen, but also somewhat of an insider's perspective.

Kole travels the country (and the world even) seeking the perspectives of policy experts, church leaders, activists, gun manufacturers, and everyday people. The book is not unbiased; Kole obviously believes that gun culture, and especially purported Christians' involvement in it, are problematic at best. This is a belief I share, so I'm not unbiased either. But I do think he does an excellent job of presenting a variety of perspectives without resorting to mockery or condescension.

The book is eye-opening in some ways, but confirms things I already know in others. It threads the needle of combining interesting narrative with facts and statistics in the way I need from non-fiction.

Overall an interesting read that I recommend, but it will probably appeal most to those already interested in/concerned about this subject matter. (I would argue that that should include all Americans and especially all parents...) Be forewarned though, as one might guess, it is not a soothing or reassuring read.

This is a debut novel, set in a reimagined but familiar version of the colonized Caribbean. Sofia is a recently freed-woman, who is determined to find her brother, who went missing along with their (former) master years ago. They visited the vacation island of Isla Bestia, where guests experience a luxury Carnaval for the duration of their stay, and haven't been seen since. Sofia and Adelina, her white best friend, set off for Isla Bestia, determined to solve the mystery, but get swept into the Carnaval experience themselves.

The book excels when we're caught up in the fever dream of the Carnaval nights and when Sofia is trying break through the confines of her own mind to figure out exactly what's going on. I loved the incorporation of indigenous mythology and the aspects of vengeance & reclamation of power. There were parts where I couldn't put the book down because I was so enthralled.

But without revealing any spoilers, some of it just didn't completely come together for me. That and instances where the prose felt a little forced were my biggest cons. As not a huge fantasy reader, this is exactly the type of fantasy I DO like though!

This is my first book of Kuang's, and I'm glad I started with Babel, because I loved it. It's set in mid-1800s, primarily in Oxford, in a world where language (and specifically the translation of languages) powers the modernization of the world and the expansion of the British empire. Ostensibly, it's the story of a linguistically brilliant young boy, who is groomed from an early age to become one of the vaulted translators. But really it's an indictment of all the ills of this world: colonialism, exploitation, & prejudices (racism, sexism, classism, etc).

I love words and language (I always say that in another life I would've liked to be a translator), and I appreciate how language is really at the heart of the story. I also enjoyed the incorporation of the ancient story of Babel, the dedication to detail of 19th century Oxford, the accuracy of the casual disdain coming from the elites, and the imperfect characters. And after if finished reading, I start thinking about the exceedingly precise research that must have gone into the translations incorporated throughout the whole book, which is just impressive!

I keep seeing it billed as a fantasy, and then some reviews that didn't like it because it didn't have enough fantasy elements... And I think that's because it's NOT a fantasy novel! It's an alternative history with magical realism, and I get that maybe that's splitting hairs, but they are different in my opinion.

This book was an enjoyable read for me - a coming-of-age, forging your own path away at college story + family drama.

The main character, Pen, decides to leave Canada for Scotland for college, not in a small part because she thinks it'll help her understand her parents unhappiness and failed marriage. She navigates her first year with a few good friends, meets her father's own college best friend and his family, and eventually figures out the family secrets.

Though the title of the book did reveal its relevance towards the end, I ended up wishing that analogy was woven through the story a little more aggressively 🐙

In this book, the author uses food, particularly cheesecake and even more particularly, an ancient 'cheesecake' recipe from Cato, to illustrate the changes happening in a NYC neighborhood. The cheesecake metaphor is a reflection on authenticity and ownership. And the whole book is a reflection on gentrification and capitalism.

It just didn't completely come together for me. I absolutely get what the author was trying to do, but it felt a little disjointed, and I never really got interested in the characters. Some of the characters themselves are super interesting, so how that works, I don't exactly know.