I requested this so I could learn more about the disabled community and I have no regrets. Andrew Gurza's attitude was so positive tWhat a great read!
I requested this so I could learn more about the disabled community and I have no regrets. Andrew Gurza's attitude was so positive throughout this memoir/self-help book that I could really feel it in their words. I loved how he isn't afraid to really put himself out there by being a visible advocate for queer and disabled people.
He talks about the ableism he faces as a power wheelchair user, using examples that span from microaggressions (offhanded comments, jokes, assumptions, etc.) to macroaggressions (facilities with limited or zero accommodations for disabled people, etc.). He also describes the daily challenges he faces, especially with tasks that able-bodied people would consider to be simple, like getting ready in the morning or even entering a venue without an accessible ramp.
I wasn't expecting so much sex talk, but I liked that they were very open about their need for accommodations, and how this affects their sex life when it comes to self-pleasure, hookups and dating, especially since they require a part-time caregiver.
I also liked how they talked about their dreams for queer disabled people to be more visible in media, especially on magazine covers and acting in films/tv shows.
This was a very quick read, but it provided a very insightful glimpse into life as a queer and disabled person. If you're looking to learn more about this community, Andrew Gurza's book provides a great introduction to queer disability.
Thank you to Jessica Kingsley Publishers and NetGalley for this arc. ...more
This sounded like it was right up my alley, with its Andor vibes, a corporatist government, life on a sci-fi space penal colony, cyberpunk v2.5 stars.
This sounded like it was right up my alley, with its Andor vibes, a corporatist government, life on a sci-fi space penal colony, cyberpunk visuals, and a FMC suffering from parental neglect and mental illness.
Unfortunately, the book was just okay.
While I really appreciated the POC characters, the main storyline and subplots felt like they were pulled from bits and pieces of other sci-fi psychological thrillers I've read or watched before. It wasn't all too gripping, and I wasn't on the edge of my seat, eagerly waiting to see what would happen.
All the story beats and plot twists were predictable. Even the mental illness angle read like it was pulled from a typical psychological thriller story. I have a feeling that I'll probably forget about this book in a few weeks.
Without going into spoilers, I just wanted a lot more from the subplot with Young's abilities and the whole backstory with her parents' fate. And maybe more interactions between the FMC and the actual setting itself. It felt like all she did was have a relationship with Gyu, work/train, question her sanity, and randomly follow directions from someone she barely knew. Rinse and repeat.
I think if you're a seasoned sci-fi enthusiast, this won't be anything new. I liked it for what it was and wasn't all too bored with my experience. The writing was good and easy to follow along, so this might be a good read if you're new to sci-fi psychological thrillers.
Thank you to Dark Matter INK and NetGalley for this arc....more
A very near-futuristic California setting that took climate change and pandemics to heart. A successful, career-oriented Black 3.5 stars.
I was hooked!
A very near-futuristic California setting that took climate change and pandemics to heart. A successful, career-oriented Black woman protagonist who's suffering from the effects of long covid. And AI bots with varying levels of autonomy.
I liked this novel for its portrayal of a realistic future, and I really liked how the FMC, Xandria, was such a raw and vulnerable character. The mixed media format, with bits and pieces of artwork included, really added to Xandria's character development as an archivist and activist working at the Huntington Museum. Her personality reminded me of Zelu in Nnedi Okorafor's Death of the Author. Both are stubborn, yet driven in the face of adversity. (And by adversity, I mean racism and misogyny.)
There was also a psychological thriller subplot that I was a huge fan of. I thought it was really well done because as the reader, you were almost as lost as Xandria, except you were given hints so you knew beforehand that the situation was even worse than Xandria suspected.
While I loved the worldbuilding and character building, the time jump into the far, far future really confused me. And I'm saying this as someone who loves futuristic space science fantasy.
The story of Diwata literally spanned millennia, but its beginning as a Black Panther Party-inspired organization to its evolution into an actual functioning underwater colony off the coast of California to its future as a society on the verge of collapse was really, really confusing. Especially since the narrative shifted from Xandria's POV to several Diwatan citizens' POVs after a certain point in the book.
It felt like this came out of nowhere, so I couldn't really connect to this new set of characters or their situations. I think it'd be better if they were Xandria's descendants or something along those lines. It read like two interconnected novellas.
Anyway, I'd still recommend this novel if you're into sci-fi, especially if you're looking to diversify your reading. I'd definitely read more from Stacy Nathaniel Jackson!
Thank you to Liveright and NetGalley for this arc....more
What a great book for kids (and adults!) to learn about Chinese immigrants in the 1800s and the racism they faced.
I loved the illustrations, especiallWhat a great book for kids (and adults!) to learn about Chinese immigrants in the 1800s and the racism they faced.
I loved the illustrations, especially how the illustrator used muted tones to portray the setting while using brighter colors to highlight a few named victims like Dr. Gene Tong, Tong Won, and Wing Chee. It helped convey this vile and xenophobic event in a serious manner while also respecting and honoring their lives.
I liked the informational section at the end. It was helpful for me to understand the history of early Chinese immigration to the West Coast, including placing the massacre, the overturned manslaughter convictions for the perpetrators, and important legislation such as the Chinese Exclusion Act into perspective in US history.
This is definitely an important book for children to understand the dangers of unbridled hate and racism, while also bringing a message of hope that we, as a nation, can do so much better.
I'd recommend it to children who can understand the importance of the massacre, anti-American racism, and their repercussions throughout history and beyond.
Thank you to Carolrhoda Books ® and NetGalley for this arc....more
And this was a lot. So, check out the TWs in the beginning of the book.
I'm always on the lookout for weird books. And Shy Girl This was... something.
And this was a lot. So, check out the TWs in the beginning of the book.
I'm always on the lookout for weird books. And Shy Girl definitely scratched that itch for me. This straddled the line between social commentary and full-blown fetish. It could've easily lost the plot, but the author managed to control the narrative in a very effective way.
The setup dragged a little too long for me, but I understand that as the reader, you really need to develop a relationship with the FMC, Gia, especially since this is such a visceral and intense story.
But when the ball got rolling, my god. Gia's transformation into Shy Girl was disturbing and disgusting. I was glued to the page, wondering what kind of sick torture was coming her way, while at the same time, I was rooting for her 110%. As a consumer of true crime videos on YouTube, this felt like I was experiencing several crimes being committed at once, and over and over again. It was absolutely sickening. It was never-ending.
I won't spoil the ending, but truly, from the bottom of my heart: GOOD FOR HER ...more
"Mutual aid gives people a way to plug into movements based on their immediate concerns, and it produces social spaces where people grow new solidarit
"Mutual aid gives people a way to plug into movements based on their immediate concerns, and it produces social spaces where people grow new solidarities. At its best, mutual aid actually produces new ways of living where people get to create systems of care and generosity that address harm and foster well-being."
"Mutual aid projects, in many ways, are defined in opposition to the charity model and its current iteration in the nonprofit sector. Mutual aid projects mobilize lots of people rather than a few experts; resist the use of eligibility criteria that cut out more stigmatized people; are an integrated part of our lives rather than a pet cause; and cultivate a shared analysis of the root causes of the problem and connect people to social movements that can address these causes."
Excellent book!
Not only does it touch on mutual aid, it also talks about equitable leadership, how grassroots movements can stay true to their vision, and staying accountable to yourself and others.
I wasn't expecting a deep dive into the subject of self-healing at the end, but it was a very welcome surprise....more
"But all I could feel was the heartbeat of the cock inside me."
'“Please,” I begged, needing him inside me more than the sun in the winter, more th
"But all I could feel was the heartbeat of the cock inside me."
'“Please,” I begged, needing him inside me more than the sun in the winter, more than water in the desert, more than air.'
Reads like a 13 year old wrote and uploaded their first novel on Wattpad. Corny as hell. Doesn't know how adulting works.
The FMC is a multimillionaire author and former high-end sex worker. She becomes best friends with a manic pixie dream fae. She's star-crossed lovers with the demon prince of hell who's been watching her and protecting her since childhood. She goes on a quest to find her shadow daddy prince because her dumb ass banished him from her life.
The author then ran out of plot, so at the end there was another quest thing to free a god but the FMC gets drugged and ends up in a goddess's sex dungeon. Lots of horniness, but sadly no orgy.
Like I said, corny.
At least it helped me as a sleeping aid.
I'll leave you with my favorite quote:
"His cock made everything else feel like eating ashes after experiencing caviar."
I first heard about BF Peterson via her upcoming novel published under Angry Robot called The Ellyrian Code. I was surprised to see that The Land BeyoI first heard about BF Peterson via her upcoming novel published under Angry Robot called The Ellyrian Code. I was surprised to see that The Land Beyond the Waste, published by Roundfire Books, is a companion novel to The Ellyrian Code.
So, in order to hype myself up for The Ellyrian Code, I decided to read The Land Beyond the Waste. Sadly, this book was just okay and I didn't really find it all too exciting.
I wish I could recommend this book, but it's your typical fantasy novel with humans, elves, and dragons. This might be good for YA audiences looking to transition into epic fantasy, but for adults who love fantasy already, this might read very YA.
As much as I wanted to love Rydara and co., they read like typical stock fantasy characters, especially when it came to the elves and dragons. While I liked the relationship between Rydara and her half-brother, the elves felt like bees in a hive. Other than the token bad guy elf and the queen elf, it was hard to tell them apart. And even worse, all of their actions (including the bad guy and the queen) felt like the FMC was interacting with NPCs in a video game.
The ending was kind of weird. After Rydara's narrative was over, the author started writing short summaries of what happened to each character. The POV was in third person limited and then suddenly it switched to omniscient. That was jarring and confusing. It didn't really work out for me.
Rydara being mixed race was supposed to be a huge plot point, but the way that it was added to the story felt very YA fantasy. Rydara's skin color and hair texture sets her apart from her father's family, who are all light skinned. And that was about it. I didn't feel like it added anything to the story at all. She could've been the same race as her father, and still be his bastard child, and nothing would've changed imo.
I did like the black elves though. That was something different.
I'll still pick up The Ellyrian Code because I'm always a sucker for a new fantasy novel. But The Land Beyond the Waste was nothing new and nothing interesting.
Thank you to Roundfire Books and NetGalley for this arc....more
As a lover of weird books, this was even a little too weird for me. But I pushed through, and it ended up following the typical story beats, but with A LOT of meandering and diving into specific details and backstories for the main characters. I ended up liking the characters, so this didn't bother me too much at all.
Fortunately, I don't think you need to know anything about Nepal to read this book. If you're in any way familiar with the rise of fascism, then it's easy to understand the political backbone of this story. From there, this story follows two characters: Kranti, the daughter of a revolutionary, and Rozy, the dictator, PM Papa's, mistress. There are a couple of side characters which I also liked, Kranti's boyfriend and Kranti's mother.
I liked how this story subverted expectations, especially with Kranti and Rozy's roles as women living in a country with limited social mobility under a highly repressive government. I liked how each took highly different paths in their lives, which provided a great comparison and contrast as to how Darkmotherland society treated its women based on class (or perceived class), sexism, and homophobia and transphobia with Rozy.
I wish the novel was tightened up into something more coherent though. While I really liked reading about all of the characters and Darkmotherland's physical and political upheavals, I don't think a lot of readers would have the patience for this book.
There are subplots and subsubplots that were varying degrees of unimportant, very unnecessary sex scenes that took me out of the book because they were beyond silly, and in general this read like a rough draft written during an energy drink-fueled weekend. (Where the hell was the editor?)
Anyway, I'm not sure who I can recommend this book to. Connoisseurs of weird books, sure. But I don't know if anyone else will get the same kick out of this book. It's a lot less about (failed) revolutions and more about two specific characters and the two vastly different ways that they try to live within or break out of their prescribed roles.
Weirdly explicitly sex scenes aside, I had a good time.
Thank you to Soho Press and NetGalley for this arc....more
Loading...
