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dobbsthedog's reviews
1663 reviews
Homeland: My Father Dreams of Palestine by Reem Madooh, Hannah Moushabeck
5.0
This is a lovely, if sad, story about a Palestinian family. Their father tells them stories each night about when he would visit Palestine as a child, and it’s really lovely to see his memories of the wonderful times he had. Though sad when it’s clear that he’s no longer allowed to return.
Really well written and accessible for a young audience, with a glossary of some of the terms used in the back.
Really well written and accessible for a young audience, with a glossary of some of the terms used in the back.
Kapaemahu by Joe Wilson, Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer
5.0
I loved this book! It’s bilingual, written in English and Hawaiian, and is about the indigenous Hawaiian’s third gender, the mahu.
Really excellent book with lovely illustrations. I both read the book and listened to the audio, which is also bilingual, and it was fantastic.
Highly recommend!
Really excellent book with lovely illustrations. I both read the book and listened to the audio, which is also bilingual, and it was fantastic.
Highly recommend!
Rakesfall by Vajra Chandrasekera
Received from NetGalley, thanks!
I’m choosing to not give a star rating at this time.
I don’t know if I missed something because I listened to the audio, but I had a really difficult time following what was going on. Some of the chapters/parts were really good, but then others I truly had no idea what was going on.
I think this had a lot of potential, but it didn’t quite work. I loved the idea of an SFF book loosely let in Sri Lanka, and I think the parts that were more based in reality did work better than the more SFF parts.
I almost want to reread with my eyes to see if it makes more sense that way, but I’m not sure that it would…
I’m choosing to not give a star rating at this time.
I don’t know if I missed something because I listened to the audio, but I had a really difficult time following what was going on. Some of the chapters/parts were really good, but then others I truly had no idea what was going on.
I think this had a lot of potential, but it didn’t quite work. I loved the idea of an SFF book loosely let in Sri Lanka, and I think the parts that were more based in reality did work better than the more SFF parts.
I almost want to reread with my eyes to see if it makes more sense that way, but I’m not sure that it would…
Son of a Trickster by Eden Robinson
4.0
CW: alcohol abuse, drug abuse, physical abuse, self harm, attempted suicide, parental neglect
I quite enjoyed this book! I’ve been wanting to read it for YEARS, and I’m glad that I finally did.
Growing up in Northern BC, the setting was SO familiar to me; I knew all the places Jared mentioned, have been to a lot of them. It’s always fun when you can clearly picture a location. Also, so many of the shops and restaurants are real places in Kitimat, so that was also fun.
I liked the story, with that slight bit of magic throughout the book, until towards the end where it really comes through. I thought Jared’s relationship with Sarah was interesting and I’m really hoping that she comes back in the next books.
I appreciated how Robinson depicts the lives of the people living in Kitimat, Kitimaat Village, and Terrace, and the stranglehold that extractive industries have on them. Seeing how the extractive industries basically see everything as disposable; the land, the environment, and people, the towns. It was so bleak, yet so accurate.
While the book definitely touched on a lot of heavy topics, it was also a fairly easy read. I will likely pick up the other books in the series soon!
I quite enjoyed this book! I’ve been wanting to read it for YEARS, and I’m glad that I finally did.
Growing up in Northern BC, the setting was SO familiar to me; I knew all the places Jared mentioned, have been to a lot of them. It’s always fun when you can clearly picture a location. Also, so many of the shops and restaurants are real places in Kitimat, so that was also fun.
I liked the story, with that slight bit of magic throughout the book, until towards the end where it really comes through. I thought Jared’s relationship with Sarah was interesting and I’m really hoping that she comes back in the next books.
I appreciated how Robinson depicts the lives of the people living in Kitimat, Kitimaat Village, and Terrace, and the stranglehold that extractive industries have on them. Seeing how the extractive industries basically see everything as disposable; the land, the environment, and people, the towns. It was so bleak, yet so accurate.
While the book definitely touched on a lot of heavy topics, it was also a fairly easy read. I will likely pick up the other books in the series soon!
Us, Et Cetera by Kit Vincent
5.0
AudioARC received from NetGalley, thanks!
CW: attempted suicide, bullying, animal abuse, disordered eating
OMG. OMG, this was so good.
I really loved both Eke and Kyp, and they were so fucking sweet together!
And while this was a very sweet story, with really sweet characters, there were also a lot of very dark parts. The story is about two AIs who have been purchased by an über rich family, so you can imagine how they might be treated; especially Eke, who is an older model. Some of Eke’s treatment was what you would expect and then some was so much worse. I would think that a lot of the treatments of the AIs would be similar to how slaves were treated, which is fucking appalling.
What I found really interesting about the story was that it brought up a lot of questions about sentience, and free will, and if you’ve been bought to serve your master, is consent even possible? There were also the clear differences in treatment between Eke and Kyp, that just for the fact of Kyp being shiny and new he was immediately trusted by the family, much more so than Eke, who had been with them for five years.
Through most of the book (at least 50%) Eke is so lonely. Like, palpably lonely. It’s honestly quite heartbreaking, to see him talking to his flower friend, and his fish friends, but not being able to talk to anyone real, at least not in a real way.
I also found it really interesting how each of the family’s children have one short POV section, where you find out the reasons why they are the way they are. So, while this is a sweet romance between two AIs, it’s also a critique of extreme wealth and how that lifestyle can be so damaging to families.
I thought the whole book was just so incredibly well done, telling this fairly unique story.
CW: attempted suicide, bullying, animal abuse, disordered eating
OMG. OMG, this was so good.
I really loved both Eke and Kyp, and they were so fucking sweet together!
And while this was a very sweet story, with really sweet characters, there were also a lot of very dark parts. The story is about two AIs who have been purchased by an über rich family, so you can imagine how they might be treated; especially Eke, who is an older model. Some of Eke’s treatment was what you would expect and then some was so much worse. I would think that a lot of the treatments of the AIs would be similar to how slaves were treated, which is fucking appalling.
What I found really interesting about the story was that it brought up a lot of questions about sentience, and free will, and if you’ve been bought to serve your master, is consent even possible? There were also the clear differences in treatment between Eke and Kyp, that just for the fact of Kyp being shiny and new he was immediately trusted by the family, much more so than Eke, who had been with them for five years.
Through most of the book (at least 50%) Eke is so lonely. Like, palpably lonely. It’s honestly quite heartbreaking, to see him talking to his flower friend, and his fish friends, but not being able to talk to anyone real, at least not in a real way.
I also found it really interesting how each of the family’s children have one short POV section, where you find out the reasons why they are the way they are. So, while this is a sweet romance between two AIs, it’s also a critique of extreme wealth and how that lifestyle can be so damaging to families.
I thought the whole book was just so incredibly well done, telling this fairly unique story.