bashsbooks's reviews
207 reviews

Are Prisons Obsolete? by Angela Y. Davis

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challenging informative slow-paced

5.0

A really useful and informative introduction to prison abolition. Davis' writing style is dense, but understandable - in less than 200 pages, she managed to convey dozens of complex ideas clearly and concisely. She has thought deeply about how the prison industrial complex interacts with a wide variety of identities, which gives the book a revolutionary and intersectional tenor that made me forget several times that she wrote this in 2003. It is still very relevant and much worth reading today.
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Sour Candy by Kealan Patrick Burke

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Sour Candy was a fun and eerie short story. I enjoyed the more mundane aspects - in initial interaction at the store, the car accident, the discussion with the detectives - the most. When it edged into more direct eldritch horror, I found that I liked it a little less - the writing style (which is inverted in a way I find hard to describe) is better suited to the mundane.
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Star Wars Be More Obi-WAN: How to Stay Calm in a Stressful Galaxy by D.K. Publishing

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funny hopeful informative lighthearted fast-paced

1.75

I mean... this would make a cute gift for a young Star Wars fan. It's one of those gimicky books that you get someone who you vaguely know is a fan of something. So it doesn't have much substance.
Helpmeet by Naben Ruthnum

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

Helpmeet is a curious little horror novella. It is short and nasty, but the twist is compelling and the ending is absolutely fascinating - what an interesting exploration of domestic affairs, marriage, and loyalty. The start is a little slow, and the writing style isn't my favorite at times. Ultimately still glad that I read it, though. 
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Master & Apprentice by Claudia Gray

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adventurous hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

As a big Star Wars fan, and specifically a big fan of the dynamic between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn, Master & Apprentice was a mixed bag. I really enjoyed the exploration of Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon's personal & ideological differences and their struggle to find their stride in their partnership. I also enjoyed the exploration of Qui-Gon's relationship with Dooku and Rael Aveross. And, as ever, I love listening to Qui-Gon take the Jedi Council to task for their complacency. However, parts of this book were lacking - the plot on Pijal wasn't the most interesting thing ever, and I don't think it had anything revolutionary to say about slavery or corporate capitalism, which is a shame given how big of a part they both played in the plot. And in that vein, it didn't have a particularly deep take on revolutions, radicalism, or monarchies. Lots of huge conceptual plays thrown onto the table without much follow-through. Additionally, the ending was INCREDIBLY rushed; it needed at least another chapter or two
after Cady betrayed Fanry to really give me a sense of closure - like don't just say she talked to Deren; I wanna see that!
. 
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Some Things I Still Can't Tell You by Misha Collins

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fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

1.0

 I have been mulling over the best way to say this since I finished this poetry book yesterday, and I've decided that being forthright is best. Some Things I Still Can't Tell You is a terrible book. It's bad poetry, bad writing, it knows it, and it does not care. Now, normally, I would assume earnestness in bad poetry - and honestly, I have pretty complex ideas about what "bad" art is, anyway - but I am going to be very clear: Misha Collins is extremely famous. He has a following so large that I find it almost unfathomable. And when you (Misha Collins) are selling something to an audience that feels connected to you through your previous works, I feel that there is a minimum quality standard to which you should hold yourself. This book is FAR below it. And what makes me the most angry about this is that Collins addresses negative criticism in one poem - "Negativity Bias" - where he speaks on an acquaintance saying something rude and comes to the conclusion that it doesn't matter if no one is interested in his writing or thinks it's good because he is just writing for himself. As an avid reader and writer both publicly and privately, I feel very strongly that that's not acceptable for published writing that you're selling to your fanbase. Take a fucking ethics course next time, bud.
Pageboy by Elliot Page

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challenging emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

4.75

A difficult read, but an important one. Elliot Page is such a phenomenal actor and iconic celebrity, but the man can write, too. He shares his story - which is fraught with neglect, queerphobia, and sexual violence, among other traumas - with such precise descriptions, tongue-in-cheek humor, and frank honesty. I listened to the audiobook version of Pageboy, and I got the extra treat of hearing it all in his own voice. 
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The Complete Maus: A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

What can I say about Maus that hasn't already been said? I doubt there is anything - I think everything there was to say about this cultural behemoth and the horrors of history it shares in intimate detail were said before I was even born. I first read Maus when I was 12 and just beginning to understand what the Holocaust really was. Now, at 24, I still find it hard to wrap my head around. But Vladek Spiegelman's experience before, during, and after the war comes alive in this graphic novel. Art Spiegelman excels at focusing on his parents' experience while giving tidbits at the larger shared experience of Holocaust victims. For me, the graphicness and the specificity to two people's story are what makes Maus so effective. The visual metaphor helps a lot, too. Incredible work, truly. I know so many say this, but I have to agree - I think everyone should read Maus. 
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Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel

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dark funny reflective medium-paced

4.5

I can see why this memoir is so popular and formative. Bechdel has a gift for weaving her father's queer story with her own, rife with literary references to connect them both. I would have probably given this 5 stars, but I am also reading The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For right now, and I think Bechdel is better at writing a fictional comic serial than a memoir. Totally different genres, though. Both worth reading.
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The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

The Only Good Indians is such a compelling and gripping horror story once you get into it. The beginning is a little slow, and the author makes you work to decipher his writing style - but it pays off to figure out the rhythm of it. I especially liked the various POV shifts and the importance of even the most miniscule details. Will definitely be reading more by Stephen Graham Jones.
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