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dobbsthedog's reviews
1663 reviews
Light in Gaza: Writings Born of Fire by Jennifer Bing, Mike Merryman-Lotze, Jehad Abusalim
5.0
Audio ARC received from NetGalley, thanks!
This book was really difficult to read. It’s so important, but it was tough.
Not only to hear the words of poet Refaat Alareer, who was killed by the Israeli military in December, but also to hear the hope in so many of these essays and poems. This book was originally published in 2022 and while it was absolutely heartbreaking to hear the hope, during this time that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, I think it also perfectly exemplifies Palestinians, and their seemingly unending resilience. The resilience is something that really shone through in each of the poems and essays; whether it was looking at the importance of materials in architecture, the persistance it took to open a library in Gaza, the role that agriculture plays in everyday life in Palestine, and more.
This is a difficult read, but it is also fascinating, as there were many things I had never considered before and I’m so glad that I read it. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
This book was really difficult to read. It’s so important, but it was tough.
Not only to hear the words of poet Refaat Alareer, who was killed by the Israeli military in December, but also to hear the hope in so many of these essays and poems. This book was originally published in 2022 and while it was absolutely heartbreaking to hear the hope, during this time that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, I think it also perfectly exemplifies Palestinians, and their seemingly unending resilience. The resilience is something that really shone through in each of the poems and essays; whether it was looking at the importance of materials in architecture, the persistance it took to open a library in Gaza, the role that agriculture plays in everyday life in Palestine, and more.
This is a difficult read, but it is also fascinating, as there were many things I had never considered before and I’m so glad that I read it. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
The White and Blue Between Us by Kiyuhiko
2.0
Received from NetGalley, thanks!
CW: dub-con (imo)
*SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD!*
This really wasn’t very good. I’m not sure what it was, but the storytelling was really off, at least for me. Everything felt very one-sided for Hozumi, like Mishima was being almost bullied into being in a relationship again. There was a scene that was all kinds of dubious consent, and Hozumi is just like “sorry, but I love you”.
Maybe the story suffered from being a one-shot story, so it didn’t have a full series to fully develop the characters and the storyline? It just fell really flat for me and didn’t feel at all believable.
CW: dub-con (imo)
*SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD!*
This really wasn’t very good. I’m not sure what it was, but the storytelling was really off, at least for me. Everything felt very one-sided for Hozumi, like Mishima was being almost bullied into being in a relationship again. There was a scene that was all kinds of dubious consent, and Hozumi is just like “sorry, but I love you”.
Maybe the story suffered from being a one-shot story, so it didn’t have a full series to fully develop the characters and the storyline? It just fell really flat for me and didn’t feel at all believable.
Behind You Is the Sea by Susan Muaddi Darraj
5.0
I’m trying to read more non-western books, and though this is set in Baltimore, I think it counts, because it is about the Palestinian community in the Baltimore area of Maryland. So, while it has a western setting, it is very non-western culturally.
This is a collection of stories that are loosely interconnected, as I don’t imagine that the Palestinian community in Baltimore is very large. It follows this community over a number of years, I would say that it covers a generation? I listened to the audio of this and I always have a difficult time tracking the passage of time in audio, unless it explicitly says, which this didn’t.
These stories are a really interesting look at Palestinian life in the diaspora, and the hierarchy between families, based on how/why they immigrated to the US. I appreciated seeing how the cultures the Palestinian families brought with them both melded with and conflicted with a western culture. How two people in the same circumstance were treated very differently by their families, who and what are valued and how those values are embraced or rejected, a lot of times depending on the generation. I also appreciated that not all of the families (or any, if I’m recalling correctly?) are Muslim, some are Christian, some are catholic.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book.
This is a collection of stories that are loosely interconnected, as I don’t imagine that the Palestinian community in Baltimore is very large. It follows this community over a number of years, I would say that it covers a generation? I listened to the audio of this and I always have a difficult time tracking the passage of time in audio, unless it explicitly says, which this didn’t.
These stories are a really interesting look at Palestinian life in the diaspora, and the hierarchy between families, based on how/why they immigrated to the US. I appreciated seeing how the cultures the Palestinian families brought with them both melded with and conflicted with a western culture. How two people in the same circumstance were treated very differently by their families, who and what are valued and how those values are embraced or rejected, a lot of times depending on the generation. I also appreciated that not all of the families (or any, if I’m recalling correctly?) are Muslim, some are Christian, some are catholic.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book.
In Which Margo Halifax Earns Her Shocking Reputation by Alexandra Vasti
5.0
Reread via audio ARC received from NetGalley, thanks!
Rating upgraded to 5 stars!
_____
Strong 4 stars, probably more like 4.5 stars.
I so enjoyed this book. It kept popping up on my GR feed, so I decided that I should probably read it and I’m so glad that I did!
I really loved the characters, and I mean, how can you not love a heroine who only takes her reticule along for a road trip, and all that she’s packed in it are money, a book, and cheese?!? Love it.
I don’t always get on with the het romances, but this one really worked for me. The characters were great, the sex scenes were hot, plus, what’s not to love about a chase to Gretna Green to stop your twin from eloping?
Very good, can’t wait to read the second novella.
Rating upgraded to 5 stars!
_____
Strong 4 stars, probably more like 4.5 stars.
I so enjoyed this book. It kept popping up on my GR feed, so I decided that I should probably read it and I’m so glad that I did!
I really loved the characters, and I mean, how can you not love a heroine who only takes her reticule along for a road trip, and all that she’s packed in it are money, a book, and cheese?!? Love it.
I don’t always get on with the het romances, but this one really worked for me. The characters were great, the sex scenes were hot, plus, what’s not to love about a chase to Gretna Green to stop your twin from eloping?
Very good, can’t wait to read the second novella.
What You Need to Be Warm by Neil Gaiman
5.0
This is such a lovely, gentle book. The illustrations are gorgeous, and I love that at the end each of the illustrators gives a brief statement about why they chose to draw what they did.
This book felt especially poignant when thinking about the situation in Gaza right now, with so many displaced people living in tents, or without tents, trying to stay warm during the winter.
This book felt especially poignant when thinking about the situation in Gaza right now, with so many displaced people living in tents, or without tents, trying to stay warm during the winter.