jialatlibrary's reviews
21 reviews

Phenomenal Woman: Four Poems Celebrating Women by Maya Angelou

inspiring reflective relaxing slow-paced

3.0

Siberian Haiku by Jurga Vile, Jurga Vilé

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-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? No

5.0

The Wild Iris by Louise Glück
Did not finish book. Stopped at 46%.

The Virginia State Colony for Epileptics and Feebleminded: Poems by Molly McCully Brown

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

5.0

major TW for institutionalisation, ableism, sickness, abuse. proceed at your own risk, though with caution 🗑️

i first read Molly’s work in Places I’ve taken my Body. Molly’s brilliance, clarity, and exacting language spans across many works, unrelenting. 

Virginia is about the notorious now demolished asylum under terrible eugenics there. 

Brown’s writing is a spear raised in the crowd of the many of us who have suffered at the hands of the state. it is not illuminating, it is glaring and radiating. They speak strongly about imagined years in the ex state asylum. truly horrific. 

but that’s nothing new. as a ward who has been institutionalised repeatedly for years, and then been harshly abused, taken taken advantage of, I feel so seen so seen, so heard, and so validated. 

the disabled and mentally ill are strongly confronted against in the systems in my country. the systems are truly merciless. but this, writing like this, is the kind of representation that truly makes a difference. writing like this brings hope. Thank you, Molly. 

(borrowed from the library, returning so others can be dazzled🤩) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, and Classism

Quiet Girl in a Noisy World: An Introvert's Story by Debbie Tung

funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

4.0

Deaf Republic by Ilya Kaminsky

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child death, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, and War

Friends Is Friends by Greg Cook

emotional hopeful slow-paced

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

2.75

Salt Magic by Hope Larson, Rebecca Mock

adventurous dark emotional hopeful fast-paced

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

3.0

Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

The Sad Ghost Club by Lize Meddings

inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.25