hileahrious's reviews
242 reviews

El Holocausto Español / The Spanish Holocaust = The Spanish Holocaust by Paul Preston
Did not finish book.

It’s so big and I just gave up 😭

Carro de combate: Consumir es un acto político by Nazaret Castro

informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

¿Quieres saber más sobre lo que consumes (y de verdad)? Lee este libro. TODO lo que consumimos es, al final y al cabo, político. Si crees que no estás muy involucrada en la política y las políticas de tu país o el mundo, estás gravemente equivocada… poder vivir en esa ignorancia es un privilegio enorme y peor aún porque tiene impactos negativos en el medioambiente. Sé que es difícil reconocer esta verdad, yo sufro diariamente con las contradicciones de mi existencia y mi reto en salvar al planeta, pero como bien trasmite este libro: cada gesto cuenta.

The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin

mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I love the way Le Guin uses words. She writes in a beautiful, physical way, almost tangible. This book is pretty wild, in that so much happens and so many issues are touched upon, yet, nothing at all happens and none of those issues are resolved. I believe that’s the point. I will say that Le Guin’s philosophy did help me see how I can understand and perhaps deal with my own internal despair and rage against existence itself. 

Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe

adventurous dark informative reflective fast-paced

5.0

An incredible work both journalistically and literarily. It is structured so well that it reads like a novel, and the amount of work and research that goes into that is remarkable. Unfortunately for the “characters,” it is indeed non-fiction. I knew very little about the Troubles (let alone the Belfast Project), and this book really gives you a well-rounded history of all the complexities, rooted in the injustice of occupation, while also honoring the individual stories and tragedies with meticulous detail and empathy. A highly recommended read for history’s sake, as well as for giving perspective on the evils of occupation and the trauma that ensues from violence and hatred. 

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Not to be a basic b but this is a masterpiece. Of hilarity and literary fun, while at the same time devastating familial (but national) tragedy. Crazy how we’ve been losing our minds for centuries, justice systems still don’t work the world over, and the idea of simultaneously approaching the two abysses has and probably will never change or become less confusing. 

Diario de un Cronista Apestado by Eduardo Juárez Valero

challenging dark funny hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

Hay que leer este libro. Hay que saber e interiorizar las consecuencias del Covid-19. Lo hemos olvidado demasiado rápido… pero a parte de eso, este libro está exquisitamente escrito, completo con un humor negro, como es habitual en Juárez. 

Nadine by Susana Aikin

emotional reflective fast-paced

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

4.5

Me ha gustado mucho… se lee muy rápido y la historia fluye bien. Siento que he conectado con las emociones del libro y sus personajes aunque no sea un libro con un mensaje extremadamente profundo. 

Astray by Emma Donoghue

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

I really like the idea of this book (short stories written out of bits of historical fact the author researched, mixed with her own imagination). However, I found it boring and ended up only reading the little factual snippets about the stories she includes at the end of each.

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

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

3.75

A story of the search for meaning. And that, I find, is what makes it feel so relatable, even though the protagonist’s life experiences are nothing like mine. The quest for purpose, especially with the dis/comfort of evangelical religion mixed in, keeps you hooked on what will happen next. But not in a suspenseful way…. simply, as a reader you also become eager to discover if there is refuge for the main character Gifty, because maybe, just maybe, that means you yourself will one day find it as well.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Grief

My Father Was a Freedom Fighter: Gaza's Untold Story by Ramzy Baroud

informative inspiring sad fast-paced

4.0

A thorough account of the history of Palestine’s struggle, told through the lens of a family that suffered at the hands of the zionist project across generations. The atrocities depicted are precisely the ones we are seeing today. The story is the same, only now it is intensified and more genocidal than ever. Palestinians have been crying out for decades, but the imperialist powers that be decided it would be better for their pockets to silence them, violently and slowly, offering false hope and false peace, only to kill them over and over again.