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jainabee's reviews
506 reviews
Radical Tarot: Queer the Cards, Liberate Your Practice, and Create the Future by Charlie Claire Burgess
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Charlie Claire Burgess has deep-dived into the extensive realms of tarot and brought back rich morsels of wisdom that reflects the inherent queerness of this divinatory practice. Social binaries and hierarchies are smashed and reassembled into beautiful mosaics to adorn our public commons. This is one to keep close at hand, to refer to again and again.
What's Up with White Women?: Unpacking Sexism and White Privilege in Pursuit of Racial Justice by Tilman Smith, Ilsa M. Govan
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
This book fills a gap in social justice education by confronting an issue that is invisible from a white perspective. Written by and for white women (and people who were socialized as such) who care about racial justice. (one is cis and straight, the other is queer and nonbinary, both have years of experience in teaching about racism in work settings) I consider myself somewhat informed and skillful in social justice issues, but this book humbled me. If you’re ready to check your privilege, I think any white person of any gender would benefit from reading this book and doing the reflections and activities it offers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
A Clash of Steel: A Treasure Island Remix by C.B. Lee
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A Banned Book Box favorite! I’ve never read "Treasure Island,” so the comparisons of that Scottish classic to this Queer BIPOC remix would be lost on me. However, the themes of sword-wielding pirates and hidden treasure maps marked with an “X" are woven through a tale that turns out to be more about self-realization, chosen family, and questioning the authority of greedy oppressive regimes on both sides of the law. Quite satisfying!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Classism
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Grief, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Drug use, and Pregnancy
Inspired by the real life of Zheng Yi Sao; a female pirate who commanded a fleet of over 40,000 pirates in the early 19th century.
To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose
Finally, the third time through this story brought into sharp relief the themes of abduction and imprisonment that the characters of color all experience. Theod narrowly escaped indentured servitude, after being accused and tried in court for “stealing" a dragon, by becoming a legal ward of Frau Kuiper, Liberty is indentured to Frau Brinkerhoff and explains the unspoken complexities of paying her way out, and Anequs may appear to be making a choice, however she comes to realize that her entire village and island could be eradicated if she fails to assimilate. Locked doors, vehicles with smoked windows, and even her corset all remind her of how she cannot escape her predicament. Even Frau Kuiper—who seems to have some sympathy for the protagonist—threatens to let the enemies of Anequs destroy her dragon and raze her village if she fails the expectations of the “darling of the Jarl."
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
After reading the hardcopy once and listening to the audiobook twice, my appreciation for the rich complexities and top notch storytelling is even stronger. Magnificent. Listening to the wonderful character voices and accents performed by Charley Flyte brought out the intercultural class differences and complex social nuances more distinctly.
So much happens so quickly in this first installment of the series that I missed a few important details which deepen the characters—such as the look that Frau Kuiper gives Anaqus right before her skiltakraft final. The look that Anequs cannot interpret in the moment. I think I know what it means now, but it took three reads! The complicated social and political layers of this story are profound—and quite relevant to contemporary issues.
Another aspect that took me this long to get (I am white from a colonizer heritage and this tale is told from an Indigenous POV—there’s probably a LOT MORE that I don’t get) is the stylized language throughout the book. Though most of the places and objects in the book are all places and objects that would be familiar to most contemporary readers, they all have abstracted names; English is Anglish, a penny is a pennik, a photographer is a lichtbildmacher, radium is strahlendstone, etc… why all of this confusing terminology??? Other than sustaining the tone of the alternate reality, it also puts a reader who has been educated in a typical American school in the same confusing position as the Indigenous protagonist. The words and customs that the colonizers all take for granted are almost as baffling to the reader as they are to Anequs. If the author had simply used words any typical American would understand, the reader would not be able to empathize with the confusion and frustrations and other obstacles that Anequs must move through.
The final layer I that understood more this time I wrapped in spoiler alerts in the content warning section.
I can barely wait for the next installment!
So much happens so quickly in this first installment of the series that I missed a few important details which deepen the characters—such as the look that Frau Kuiper gives Anaqus right before her skiltakraft final. The look that Anequs cannot interpret in the moment. I think I know what it means now, but it took three reads! The complicated social and political layers of this story are profound—and quite relevant to contemporary issues.
Another aspect that took me this long to get (I am white from a colonizer heritage and this tale is told from an Indigenous POV—there’s probably a LOT MORE that I don’t get) is the stylized language throughout the book. Though most of the places and objects in the book are all places and objects that would be familiar to most contemporary readers, they all have abstracted names; English is Anglish, a penny is a pennik, a photographer is a lichtbildmacher, radium is strahlendstone, etc… why all of this confusing terminology??? Other than sustaining the tone of the alternate reality, it also puts a reader who has been educated in a typical American school in the same confusing position as the Indigenous protagonist. The words and customs that the colonizers all take for granted are almost as baffling to the reader as they are to Anequs. If the author had simply used words any typical American would understand, the reader would not be able to empathize with the confusion and frustrations and other obstacles that Anequs must move through.
The final layer I that understood more this time I wrapped in spoiler alerts in the content warning section.
I can barely wait for the next installment!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Forced institutionalization, Colonisation, War, and Classism
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Genocide, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Religious bigotry, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Suicide, Medical content, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Breathe: Journeys to Healthy Binding by Maia Kobabe
emotional
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
5.0
I learned a LOT about binding that I had never known before. The info was easily absorbed as it was told from first person POVs, with other details of gender journeys that helped put into context the various motivations for binding. The resources, including illustrated exercises to keep the body parts affected by binding in good health, were a super helpful feature. I want to hand this book out to so many folx!
Content Warnings
This book is about AFAB bodies and gender expansiveness so, naturally, there will be some descriptions of dysphoria and struggles with queer-phobia—however it is all dealt with in a respectful, informative way that ultimately feels very encouraging.
My Favorite Thing Is Monsters Book Two by Emil Ferris
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Like a bottomless pit of mystery and wonder. So much is said in what isn’t said and shown in what isn’t shown. I could read this a million times and still be lost in the darkness.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
oh, just ALL the content warnings! revealed in the cracks of all of this trauma are glints of what causes the characters to become so corrupted—and all told through the relentless love of a child who will not accept reality
Party of Fools by Cedar McCloud
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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
5.0
My Favorite Thing is Monsters, Book 1 by Emil Ferris
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
What Fresh Hell Is This?: Perimenopause, Menopause, Other Indignities, and You by Heather Corinna
challenging
funny
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
Queer and authoritative menopause information by a snarky queer Gen-X who knows WTF they speak of! Trans men, trans women and other gender expansive people will find their concerns addressed here. If I could stuff everyone's stockings, this would be it. Also, straight, cis women will find what they need here!
Content Warnings
Everyone, and I mean everyone, would benefit from reading this book.