jezry's reviews
98 reviews

House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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

4.0

This book got me so worked up! I have a tendency to get super involved with whatever I'm reading, but man, it was a love/hate relationship with this one. So as to avoid spoilers I won't go into all the why's BUT  let's just say that the conflicts in this book still ring very true in the moment we're in now. The "good" people aren't always "good" and the "bad" people aren't always "bad". (In quotes because this can so often be subjective). The ridiculousness of bureaucracy and what damage it can do! I'm barely using complete sentences at this point so I'll close by saying that Dubus paints these lives in their entirety--the good, the bad, and the ugly. It's not always easy to witness, but it's quite well done.

Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat by Bee Wilson

funny informative slow-paced

4.0

Lots of fascinating information in here! Found out about this book through a favorite podcast (GASTROPOD) which I highly recommend. Struck me as along similar lines to Bill Bryson's AT HOME in terms of the breadth of information covered. Bits and pieces can get a bit dry depending on what you're interested in, but I find this to be the case with a lot of nonfiction. An excellent audiobook choice for a car trip--lots of tidbits to lessen the monotony, but not so engrossing that you risk driving yourself off the road.

The Truth of You: Poetry about Love, Life, Joy, and Sadness by Iain S. Thomas

dark emotional inspiring reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

4.0

I listened to this as an audiobook, read by the author. I'd like to revisit it again with my own voice inside my head. Either way, this came to me in a way and at a time I needed it. It was a valuable way in which I came to myself and sat with myself, a meditation in a way. For this, especially after the last couple of years, I am very grateful. Thoughts and questions don't have to be profound to hit us just so--and sometimes the simplest thoughts and questions turn out to be the most profound. I don't know how it might hit others, but if you're open to some reflection, I'd say it's well worth the time. I give this review freely having received an advanced copy from NetGalley.

A Day of Pride: A children's book that Celebrates Diversity, Equality and Tolerance! by Roy Youldous-Raiss

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

4.0

I really enjoyed this book, even some unexpected tears near the end! As a proud queer woman, what I found most beautiful and impactful was not only the idea of having pride in everything you are as your OWN person, but the idea that all FAMILIES are beautiful and magical! I feel there are a lot of naysayers out in the world who attack LGBTQIA+ families because they are not "traditional". Not only is this an extremely dangerous and inappropriate attack on the queer community, but I should hope that the "tradition" that matters most in any family unit is that everyone LOVES and CARES for each other! I get all those feels and more from this wonderful book that I certainly look forward to reading aloud with my nieces and nephew. I was fortunate to receive an advanced copy of this book through BookSirens and leave this review in the hopes that other readers will check it out!

Roll with It by Jamie Sumner

adventurous funny hopeful informative inspiring fast-paced

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

5.0

This is the first middle grade novel I've read in a while, and I enjoyed it as much as I would have done at that age. I'm delighted to read about characters who are navigating the world in a very different way from my neurotypical/able bodied self. It brings an awareness to readers of all ages that I think many will miss out on unless they themselves are living with or alongside someone with a disability--and I hope to fill my shelf with more narratives as delightful as this that give visibility and voice to often overlooked minorities throughout our history (and more written by members of the community themselves). I would love to spend a day with Ellie (and I hope she would teach me a thing or two about baking). Not being a part of Ellie's community, please pardon any ableist language on my part and while I recognize this was written by a woman who herself is not personally living this truth, I still appreciate her efforts to create more narratives focused on this population and share them with the world--particularly for this age group. All around a truly joyous and empowering story to be enjoyed by readers of all ages!

The Lowering Days by Gregory Brown

dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

Family. Community. It's always a bit more complicated than it appears on the surface. People living together on the same land for generations, but each with their own struggles and their own spirits. This book grew into an unexpected gem the further in I got. At many points I hated to love some of the characters, but I never loved to hate them. The exploration of humanity, of people, place, time and all that grows beyond and among, within and without...what's important is that we all continue to tell our stories and listen hard to others'. I immensely enjoyed listening to the advanced audiobook provided by NetGalley and give this review freely in the hopes that others will be sure to check out Gregory Brown's beautiful debut.

Folklorn by Angela Mi Young Hur

adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious medium-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

4.0

Where do we belong? How do we find out who we truly are? How can we bear the burden of all that has come before us and all that will follow? Well, the long road to find the answers is anything but a straight line. The one thing for certain is you need a lot of help along the way--and you have to be willing to ask for it. FOLKLORN provides an engaging window into a very particular woman in a very particular limbo. I clung to Elsa Park through all the whiplash and boomerang circuitry of her journey to answer these questions and I quite enjoyed myself. I closed the book feeling empowered that by piecing together a fraught and fragmented family past, it is possible to uncover and discover a person who is whole--belonging to herself, no matter where she might be in the world. I give this review freely having received an advanced copy from NetGalley.

Home Is Not a Country by Safia Elhillo

dark emotional informative inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I could not put it down. Captivated from the very beginning by a story so far from my own...and yet. At first Elhillo wrapped me in the warmth of her words, then suddenly with a mere suggestion I was terrified and just as suddenly in tears. Her ease and ingenuity with language sucked me in and I was truly transported. I consider this a necessary read for everyone, especially the "nostalgia monsters" out there (myself one of them). This stands out to me alongside titles such as Rankine's CITIZEN and Powers's THE OVERSTORY that radically changed my perception of the world moving forward. I cannot wait to continue reading Safia Elhillo's work. I was provided an advanced copy of this book by NetGalley and leave this review freely.

Between Wild and Ruin by Jennifer G. Edelson

adventurous emotional informative mysterious 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

3.5

Ok, you got me. I'm hooked. It's been a while since I jumped into a YA book, but this had me turning page after page. Reminiscent of Stephanie Meyer and Holly Black--I was instantly sucked in by Edelson's characters and the relationships between them. Sometimes you love to hate them and at others you hate to love them, but throughout you want to know what happens to them. Some of the protagonist's mixed up/back and forth feelings bogged me down in the second half of the book, but the mystery and intrigue (not to mention my introduction to some of the intriguing folklore) of the Pecos people of what is now New Mexico kept me reading. Looking at Edelson's delightful website/blurbs, it looks like you really can have it all. I'm so glad such an enthusiastic spirit is writing today and I look forward to Wild Open Faces. I thank BookSirens for my free copy of this book and give this review freely in the hopes that others will check it out and others like it!

The Seas by Samantha Hunt

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Drawn in initially by the cover art by the brilliant Gemma Capdevila (Tin House Books edition) and secondarily by the good word(s) of Maggie Nelson, I never expected to get quite what I got from this small but powerful work. Hunt struck chords in me that few other writers have. THE SEAS crashed over me (pun entirely intended and apt) and I'm still reorienting myself in the wake of finishing. Many of my books are read and enjoyed and passed on, but this one I will be keeping to revisit. Though the story may center around a teenager, the words and the water and many of the more woeful moments will continue to haunt me (and prove their ongoing relevance) in years to come. I highly suggest stepping out of your world and into this one for a day or two.