oversherin's reviews
67 reviews

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

3.0

This book is an interesting premise and was well written, but I found the the themes frustrating. It is kind of fun to read a book where the narrator is a villain. It's a clever trick to explore perspectives with an unlikable narrator, but I think she was a little too unlikable. I think she gets a little too comfortable dismissing other people's feelings and focusing on her self interest. I think this book would be more enjoyable and pack a better punch if the character had some redeeming qualities that made her more problematic views more approachable. In other words, I wish she felt more like a real person rather than a fictional embodiment of everything wrong with the publishing industry. Overall, it was an interesting premise and a quick read, but I just wanted a little more nuance. I'm glad to not be in June Hayward's head anymore. 

Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo

challenging

4.0

“What do you really understand?” 
This is stated by one of the ghosts near the middle of the story and sums up my experience of the book! I was glad to read the foreword to understand what I was getting into. It took me a couple tries to read this book, but when I was in the right headspace I really enjoyed it and read it in one sitting. (With a plot summary that I checked in on every once in a while!) 

Some of the lines are so incredible and the book reads like a movie at times. At other times a Greek tragedy. It’s cool to see the influence it has on other Latin magical realism. I enjoyed this book more knowing its significance in the context of literature. If I didn’t know that, I probably would have been more frustrated than amazed. But very glad I read it and will likely read it again. 

Feeding Ghosts by Tessa Hulls

medium-paced

5.0

This book is absolutely fantastic! I’ve never read a graphic novel before but will certainly read more. The images were beautiful, complex and thoughtful and they totally wrapped me into the world of the authors family and Chinese history. I could not put it down. 

This book is so nuanced and I was amazed by how much I could sympathize with each generation and see their mistakes. I am not from an immigrant family, but the conversations about generational trauma rang true and were very thought provoking. 

I will be chewing on the ideas in this book for a long time. A pivotal read for me that I recommend to everyone!! 

Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond

challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

I found this book incredibly powerful. While it is a nonfiction book that weaves in lots of statistics and sociological theories, it reads like a narrative. At first, I had trouble keeping all of the people straight and it felt like characters came and went quickly. However by 25% of the way in, it was clear who the major characters were. The stories were sometimes hard to listen too but they really illustrated the cycle of poverty and eviction in a way I did not understand before. I liked the long epilogue that recomended policy solutions and discussed the process of making the book. It recontextualized the whole piece. I will remember these peoples' stories for a long time. This book has certainly informed and affected my understanding of poverty and economics in America. 

A History of My Brief Body by Billy-Ray Belcourt

I struggled to understand this book at times. It is a blend of academic theory and personal poetry. I wanted to like it and I think I wasn’t in the right headspace to read it. I did enjoy the more narrative essays like “Robert.” I will try one of Billy Rae Belcourt’s novels. 

Ayiti by Roxane Gay

emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

5.0

All of the stories were beautifully written and flowed together in a unique way unlike other short story collections. Though brief, this book conveyed a beautiful complex picture of the pride and pride of Haiti. I’m very intrigued and want to read more about Haiti and more from Roxanne gay 

Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

5.0

This book showcases impeccable storytelling. The pacing was so quick I could not put it down. The different perspectives were each so full and recontextualized the story every time. I loved the prose and there was just enough detail to allow my mind to fill in the rest. Some of the scenes were quite scary but not graphic. This book has really sat with me since finishing it. Honestly so so so good. 

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

3.75

Butler's imagined 2024 California is quite chilling. It's always fascinating to return to the speculative fiction of the past (30 years ago) and see what themes are still relevant. I found the first half of this book very compelling as Lauren described the downfall of her compound, her family, and we learned more about the world she inhabited. I found the plot a little harder to follow in the second half as they embarked on the road and new characters entered and exited the plot. I had to put this book down in the middle and come back to it. While it's not my favorite genre, I totally see why this book is a classic and it is absolutely worth a read. 

Olympus, Texas by Stacey Swann

slow-paced

2.0

I wanted to like this book as I found the first few chapters  compelling. I liked the initial descriptions of Olympus Texas and I thought the first portrayal of June and Peter's relationship was unique. However, the rest of the book felt very flat for me. The central "accident" in the plot was so unbelievable, it totally took me out of the story. I was not rooting for any of the characters and their final growth felt contrived. 

I was drawn to this book because it was sold as a retelling of classic greek mythology. I am not very familiar with Ovid but I read a few summaries. I see what the author was going for, creating flawed characters that are driven by lust and greed. I just think the story didn't achieve much. 

Brand New Ancients by Kae Tempest

funny inspiring tense fast-paced

3.5

I appreciate the bold format of a longform poem. I read it in one sitting and enjoyed the distinctly british voice. I read parts of it aloud to myself. I didn't really connect with the plot and some of the lines felt a little clunky. Overall, I think this style is just not for me but I appreciate the vision of the piece.