thednfdarling's reviews
365 reviews

The Autists: Women on the Spectrum by Clara Törnvall

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

I absolutely loved this book. It was informative, deeply relatable, and has pointed me to many other references which I believe will be helpful and useful to me. The author blends research, a journalistic style, and personal story to weave a rich and vulnerable tapestry of information for the reader.

The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer

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medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I was disappointed by this book. Recommended by a friend, I was drawn in to the main character, Clover, given her profession as a Death Doula. I am interested in that as a potential field of practice for me so was hoping to gather a fictionalized perspective on what that may look like. Given the richness that can be found when discussing death and dying, I was disappointed at how flat and obvious the characters felt to me. The parallel stories regarding romance and friendship came off as very "YA" to me (nothing wrong with YA, but strange to me this is considered a book for adults). Overall, I feel the framing of this book had potential that it did not live up to in regards to character development, plot, and writing style.

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

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dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I felt like I had been holding in tears, so I knew it was time to read my household copy of A Little Life. I enjoyed the character development (even though some characters were not likable in my opinion), the plot, and the writing style of this book. One of the elements of the book that I really enjoyed was that it showed how friendships grow, evolve, and shift over time. I believe it is so important that we form community outside of the nuclear family structure and I felt that this book did a beautiful job illustrating what building, maintaining, and sustaining a community of loved ones looks like over a lifetime.

Content Warnings

Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler

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challenging emotional informative tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Following Parable of the Sower, Parable of the Talents is another must read from Octavia Butler - providing poignant insight for those living under Western Imperialism and the fascism, ecocide, and christo-nationalism which accompanies it. The second in the duology (originally planned as a trilogy) shifts the perspective of the narrator from our protagonist, Lauren, to her daughter, Asha Vere. The story is told in part by Lauren, and from the journals of her mother, Lauren, as well as her father, Bankole. Traveling back in time, to the present, the story shares the rest of Bankole's and Lauren's lives with commentary and perspective from Asha Vere.

Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity by Devon Price

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informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

You Were Born for This: Astrology for Radical Self-Acceptance by Chani Nicholas

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medium-paced

4.5

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

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dark informative reflective fast-paced