historyofjess's reviews
2051 reviews

Radical Belonging: How to Survive and Thrive in an Unjust World (While Transforming It for the Better) by Lindo Bacon

hopeful inspiring medium-paced

4.0

This is such a breath of fresh air after having read other, less ambitious, self-help books. I really appreciate that bacon not only shares a lot about her own experiences that have brought her to this work, but that she has a larger goal outside of personal, individualized self-help, but threads those concepts through with making the world a better place and always with an eye towards intersectionality. She covers a lot of the topics I've read in books written by well-known authors like Brene Brown (who she does cite a few times), but I found the way they she approached them to be far more accessible and less naval-gazey.

Witch Hunt: A Traveler's Guide to the Power and Persecution of the Witch by Kristen J. Sollee

dark reflective medium-paced

3.0

While I liked this a bit more than the other books I've read from Sollee, I was perplexed by some of her writing choices. The book kind of a travelogue through historical places where witches (and sometimes people she considers to fit the witchy archetype) existed or were persecuted. The parameters are a bit loosely defined, which is especially clear when you get to the chapter about The Vatican. But what really threw me were the sections where she would be detailing her trek somewhere and then fade into something of a vision quest where she can see and even attempt to interact with a deceased witch. It's odd to have something so fanciful in the midst of a bunch of citations. Is this a well-researched book about actual witch hunts or is it this author's vacation through history? It's a bit disjointed.

Our Non-Christian Nation: How Atheists, Satanists, Pagans, and Others Are Demanding Their Rightful Place in Public Life by Jay Wexler

hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

3.0

While this was an interesting collection of stories of both alternative religions (as well as non-religions) making their case for assuming some of the same benefits that Christianity has in the U.S., I found myself a little lost in the author's overall message. Don't get me wrong, I'm always happy for a text that's going to give the Supreme Court a good ribbing, but Wexler's argument is very fixed on all faiths and non-faiths having a place "in the public square" without a satisfactory description of what that actually means or would look like. It ends up being a bit of a naïve call that takes away from the interesting stories he's telling.

Water Witchcraft: Magic and Lore from the Celtic Tradition by Annwyn Avalon

hopeful medium-paced

3.0

I was surprised by how much of this book was actually a summarization of folklore (largely Celtic and Arthurian). There is a chunk of practical craft, though a very large portion of it seemed to be focused on the ocean/sea, despite the author leading off by saying that you can be a water witch with any kind of water. As someone who lives on the Great Lakes, I was a bit disappointed that the chapter on lakes had nothing practical in it and was exclusively focused on Celtic mythology and creatures associated with lakes. There may be some stuff that could be of practical use in here, and I did very much appreciate the author encouraging the reader to make anything within the book their own and not feel the need to practice it to the letter. But I ended up being a bit disappointed with it.

Seidr: The Gate Is Open by Katie Gerrard

medium-paced

3.0

I've been curious to learn more about Norse witchcraft and this was definitely a trek into the deep end. I found some things interesting in here, including the relationship between ritual and folklore and some of the aspects of the various rites. The trancework isn't really my things, but it was interesting to learn about.

Kitchen Table Magic: Pull Up a Chair, Light a Candle & Let's Talk Magic by Melissa Cynova

lighthearted medium-paced

3.0

This was not the right book for me. It's a perfectly fine starter witchy book that doesn't get too bogged down in rules and history and focuses more on practicality, with some random pop culture references thrown in. For someone that's new to witchiness, it might be a fine volume to begin with, but I've read or flipped through so many of these types of books that they all kind of look the same to me now.

Queering the Tarot by Cassandra Snow

hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

4.0

My re-awakening of the witchiness in my life was driven by finding a tarot deck that I really connected with, one that strove diversify its depictions of folks. Finding this book is a lot like finding that deck. I love the way Snow digs into the conventional archetypes of the tarot to find meanings for queer folks and, generally, those that exist outside of the mainstream. It's a refreshing break from the stodgy old RW depictions of fancy, straight white folks on thrones and I love it.

All Our Relations: Native Struggles for Land and Life by Winona LaDuke

challenging informative medium-paced

4.0

This book is searing indictment of the many ways that United States and Canadian governments have plundered the lands and resources that various indigenous tribes and peoples hold dear, and how that abuse continues to wreak havoc on the people of those tribal nations and the flora and fauna of their surrounding areas. It's bleak, but it's an incredibly important history.

Things No One Will Tell Fat Girls: A Handbook for Unapologetic Living by Jes Baker

hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

3.5

While Baker retreads a lot of territory that I've read before in the works of Aubrey Gordon, I really liked  the addition of various guest essays in the book written by folks of different backgrounds (including men, as well as women). It allowed for some added viewpoints and, given that I occasionally found Baker's voice a little taxing (just a personal thing), I liked the break from her perspective. Occasionally I found this to be a little overly "rah rah, go fatties!" but that's likely because this is a 10-year-old book and not my introduction into fat activism, so it came off as a bit patronizing to me, whereas it could be incredibly helpful to someone that's picking this up as their first "it's okay to be fat" tome.

Nobody: Casualties of America's War on the Vulnerable, from Ferguson to Flint and Beyond by Marc Lamont Hill

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

3.25

This is not a bad book, but at 8 years old, and having read a lot of volumes on anti-racism, this largely rehashed a lot of things I've read before and, sadly, feels a bit dated given that some major victims of police violence that have occured since 2016, are not included. Still, despite its age, it's still painfully relevant.