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historyofjess's reviews
2011 reviews
Help Me to Find My People: The African American Search for Family Lost in Slavery by Heather Andrea Williams
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
As you can probably guess by the subject matter, this is an incredibly tense book. The histories of slaves separated from their families is split into three sections: separation, searching and reunification. Unfortunately and expectedly, the "separation" portion makes up the lion's share of the book and they are not easy stories. Still, this is well-told and a book I'm very glad I read. It's heartbreaking, but an important record of the experiences of slaves in the United States and how they bore the brutality of being separated from those they loved.
Misogynoir Transformed: Black Women's Digital Resistance by Moya Bailey
challenging
informative
medium-paced
4.0
An incredibly thoughtful and informative analysis of the history and tradition of anti-Black misogyny in the country and how it impacts the culture of the United States. Bailey, who coined the term "misogynoir," covers this topic in depth, but still makes it very accessible. This is required reading for anyone that needs to educated on this subject (*cough* anyone that's not a Black woman *cough*). (Also, extra props to Bailey for both inclusion and highlighting of Black transwomen on this issues, which is so very important.)
Black Wave by Michelle Tea
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I was more fascinated by this book than I really enjoyed it. Tea plays with her narrative by experimenting with her very personal stories by adding in science fiction and fantasy elements (including the end of the world), as well as breaking the fourth wall by pointing when things aren't written as they actually happened in an effort to protect the people in her life that might not want to be a part of her story anymore. It's kind messy and wild and, again, fascinating, but I was more impressed by it than anything. I think there were some really interesting ideas in here, but it generally kind of a scattered book.
The Brother You Choose: Paul Coates and Eddie Conway Talk about Life, Politics, and the Revolution by Susie Day, Ta-Nehisi Coates
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Come for the stories of political resistance in the Black Panther party and within the walls of a prison, stay for the often funny and sweet friendship between these two fascinating men (and to play the drinking game of how many times Paul Coates will name drop his more famous son). Just fantastic. I loved it.
Going to Meet the Man by James Baldwin
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I have a lot of affection for James Baldwin's writing, but it was early on in this collection when I realize that it's the kind of book that I struggle a lot with. Basically, the tone, voice and setting of each story was so similar that I often found them all kind of bleeding together for me (this is definitely a "me" problem). They're also all quite grim stories, which makes it a bit of a rough read. Still, the one thing that stayed with me through a couple of the more impactful stories was Baldwin writing characters that were dealing with some internalized racism, as well as a creeping rage due to the racist behaviors they encountered in life.
Asking for It: The Alarming Rise of Rape Culture--and What We Can Do about It by Kate Harding
informative
medium-paced
3.5
There's a lot of info packed into this short volume, but I wasn't always sure who it was for, especially when, early on, Harding indicates that if you're reading this book, you probably already understand rape culture. I can't say that I really learned anything new here (except for maybe a few horrific stories of sexual assaults, in particular, a brief section in which she rounds up some gruesome gang wrap stories). That's not to say there's nothing useful here, for anyone that doesn't fully comprehend the scope and consequences of rape culture, but if it's something you've been well-read into for awhile, this is probably not for you and has the potential to be quite triggering at times.
Can't Pay, Won't Pay: The Case for Economic Disobedience and Debt Abolition by Debt Collective
informative
medium-paced
3.25
There are some excellent arguments and a lot of research behind this book from the Debt Collective. If you're already on the Capitalism Bad train, you'll probably just be nodding along a lot as you read, but if you also want some ammunition to convince people of just how awful things really are out there, there's a lot of meat on this bone.
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
There's a lot going on here and a whole of that is super sad and depressing. It's fascinating to me that the staying power of this still discussed novel has been entirely focused on the food safety issues, when, from cover to cover, it's an full-throated indictment of capitalism and all its ills. And maybe, if that's where it all left off. Yes, it's virtually misery porn, but by the last chunk of the book, I would have preferred that to the intensely preachy pages full of speeches by socialist leaders (and I say that as someone who is down with what they were preaching) that the protagonist finds himself amongst after his journey through the labyrinth of American capitalist dysfunction. It's a rough conclusion that trades in narrative storytelling with didactic droning.
The Price of Salt by Claire Morgan
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Having really been taken by the film adaptation of this book, I wasn't sure what to expect, given that the movie had a strong emphasis on mood, tone and visual style. Well, I friggin' loved it. While the core story and characters are the same, there's just a lot more meat on the bone here. It's a lovely companion piece to the equally beautiful film. The book takes you far into Therese's queer awakening in an incredibly emotional and compelling way. And I loved that, while Carol is introduced as this gorgeous, enigmatic woman, she doesn't stay the dreamgirl throughout the novel, she's allowed to be a real person with flaws. It's also just gorgeously written. Truly, such a treat.
A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I know this is a very prized work amongst long-time science fiction fans (especially those of the masculine persuasion), but I do not think this has aged well in the slightest (and I say that as someone who actually enjoyed the movie, when it came out). I didn't find the action or the diversions into Mars science to be very compelling and I was not fond of the John Carter, as a main character, at all. I don't think this helped by the fact that I've also been reading an anthology of indigenous and queer speculative fiction short stories before bed every night....I think that really made colonizer narrative even more unbearable for me.