Reviews tagging 'Homophobia'

The Library Book by Susan Orlean

25 reviews

hexlibris's review

hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Drug use and Medical content

Minor: Homophobia

jazhandz's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

4.25

I tend to find most narrative nonfiction dry, but this was intensely readable. The passion was vivid, clear, and lovely to read throughout the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Sexism

Minor: Homophobia, Racism, and Classism

To elaborate on classism: I found the way the writer describes homeless library patrons to be intensely uncomfortable to read, and it came up repeatedly.

lunep's review against another edition

informative mysterious slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Terminal illness

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug use, Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Violence, and Police brutality

caseythereader's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.75

 - THE LIBRARY BOOK is more than just an investigation of whether L.A. Central Library was a victim of arson. It's also a history of the branch, of libraries generally, and a look at what libraries have evolved into today and the challenges librarians tackle every day.
- This book is a love letter to libraries and a message of gratitude to librarians. The descriptions of people and places read like fiction, and I just couldn't put it down.
- I really appreciated the repeated emphasis on how libraries are expected to fill every social need and gap in our safety nets, in particular in regards to supporting unhoused people but also in dozens of other ways. It shows us how far beyond their limits (financial, educational, etc.) we have forced them to stretch. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexism, Terminal illness, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Addiction, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racism, Suicide, Antisemitism, Death of parent, and Classism

linesiunderline's review

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

A love letter to libraries past and present, and a catalogue of all that they offer to patrons, then and now, this book is fascinating and teaches readers a great deal along the way. Orlean’s writing is clear and compelling, and I mostly enjoyed the meandering structure, though it wasn’t what I had initially anticipated. Certain players in the library’s history were more interesting than others, and overall I’d have liked even more attention payed to Harry Peak’s part in it all. You’ll put this one down and be more awestruck than before at the miracle and necessity of libraries.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, and Sexism

beautifulpaxielreads's review against another edition

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Homophobia and Terminal illness

Some discussion of the 1980s-early 1990s HIV/AIDS crisis

apersonfromflorida's review

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Addiction, Homophobia, and Terminal illness

carleesi's review

informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

3.5

An incredibly interesting read! I really enjoyed learning the history of the library and the people who’ve helped make it what it is.

I found it too slow at times. The first third-ish of the book I didn’t enjoy a lot of chapters. I’m not a big fan of overly descriptive writing and a few of the early chapters felt superfluous purely because of the excessive prose.

But once it took off again I was hooked. I am particularly glad to learn about the forensics of arson! I had no idea so much of it has historically been based on I exact science. I’ll definitely be looking into that more.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia

breadwitchery's review

informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Death, Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Terminal illness

Minor: Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, and Death of parent

edie_reads's review

informative reflective medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Drug use, Homophobia, Racism, and Death of parent