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raebennison's reviews
9 reviews
Being Christian: Baptism, Bible, Eucharist, Prayer by Rowan Williams
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
My God. I'm not being dramatic when I say this book has changed my outlook on so many things. Love, being seen, music, and an insight into the black identity.
You never learn their names but that doesn't matter.Their love and the end of their relationship is so poetic and beautifully written that it almost felt like I was in the relationship myself.
I would absolutely recommend this book to everyone. It is a must-read. I've never read love captured like this, but it's exactly how it feels.
Also reading with Caleb Azumah Nelson's playlist 'open water' really enhances the book.
I would absolutely recommend this book to everyone. It is a must-read. I've never read love captured like this, but it's exactly how it feels.
Also reading with Caleb Azumah Nelson's playlist 'open water' really enhances the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, Violence, Murder, and Alcohol
Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Maybe the best book I've ever read, and so pertinent considering what is going on in Palestine right now.
You go through Nahr's life. You are with her when it spirals out of control, and when she regains that control. You're with her when she finally finds love and when it is cruely taken by the occupation. The heartbreak I felt when I found out how long she had been imprisoned was truly awful.
This book is rich in beautiful Palestinian culture and really highlights not just how awful it is to live under occupation, but how humanity has a way of finding and expressing love even in the darkest times.
This book will stay with me for a very long time. I know Nahr is just a character but her story is one that will resonate with people. To me she is real.
10/10 fantastically written, I couldn't put it down
This book is rich in beautiful Palestinian culture and really highlights not just how awful it is to live under occupation, but how humanity has a way of finding and expressing love even in the darkest times.
This book will stay with me for a very long time. I know Nahr is just a character but her story is one that will resonate with people. To me she is real.
10/10 fantastically written, I couldn't put it down
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Gun violence, Rape, and War
Moderate: Torture
Undoctored: The Story of a Medic Who Ran Out of Patients by Adam Kay
dark
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
Another great book from Adam Kay! He signed my book which was very kind of him too.
This book actually made me laugh out loud, which probably annoyed my colleagues in the staff room, but whatever.
Also had some unexpected sad points, which were surprising but were written very well. My heart goes out to you Adam, and to all the NHS workers who have lost their lives whilst caring for the public.
I will enquire about getting a memorial tree installed in our hospital trust.
A great read 10/10
This book actually made me laugh out loud, which probably annoyed my colleagues in the staff room, but whatever.
Also had some unexpected sad points, which were surprising but were written very well. My heart goes out to you Adam, and to all the NHS workers who have lost their lives whilst caring for the public.
I will enquire about getting a memorial tree installed in our hospital trust.
A great read 10/10
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Seeing for Ourselves: And Even Stranger Possibilities by Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan. A genius. The way she writes is transcendent. A mixture of inspiring, hopeful, hard-hitting, deep, and sometimes with a tingle of sadness.
I particularly enjoyed her last few chapters, namely the one on grief. I have never seen grief so perfectly put into words. The possibility of being seen and unseen, understood and misunderstood, perceived and not.
I believe every human has the innate desire to be seen, not in the external sense but by the hearts of others. This book blew my mind.
Her use of hadith and Quran literature was so inspiring and her experiences are ones that I am jealous of. The way she sees the world is so deeply reflective, and I only wish that I experienced the world this way.
Talented, and vulnerable, you can truly feel her soul laid bare on these pages. Absolutely amazing book, one that I will recommend to everyone. Everyone should read this book.
I particularly enjoyed her last few chapters, namely the one on grief. I have never seen grief so perfectly put into words. The possibility of being seen and unseen, understood and misunderstood, perceived and not.
I believe every human has the innate desire to be seen, not in the external sense but by the hearts of others. This book blew my mind.
Her use of hadith and Quran literature was so inspiring and her experiences are ones that I am jealous of. The way she sees the world is so deeply reflective, and I only wish that I experienced the world this way.
Talented, and vulnerable, you can truly feel her soul laid bare on these pages. Absolutely amazing book, one that I will recommend to everyone. Everyone should read this book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
I hated it. I was drawn in by the macabre but even for me that was dark. I hated the characters, all of them. Not one had any redeeming qualities. It was a struggle to finish, I just wanted it over and done with.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, and Murder
In Ascension by Martin MacInnes
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Well. What a book.
I was instantly gripped by the first and second sections of the book. As a marine biologist myself, I thoroughly enjoyed the science that is mentioned throughout and the way Leigh describes her connection to the ocean had me mesmerised. By the last quarter of the book, I did struggle with the pace. I also found some of the sentences to be very long winded and nonsensical.
The end of the book was mysterious and reflective. I enjoyed it although it was perhaps a more challenging read than I had anticipated.
Bravo!
I was instantly gripped by the first and second sections of the book. As a marine biologist myself, I thoroughly enjoyed the science that is mentioned throughout and the way Leigh describes her connection to the ocean had me mesmerised. By the last quarter of the book, I did struggle with the pace. I also found some of the sentences to be very long winded and nonsensical.
The end of the book was mysterious and reflective. I enjoyed it although it was perhaps a more challenging read than I had anticipated.
Bravo!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, and Dementia
Minor: Terminal illness
Circe by Madeline Miller
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A feminist retelling of a classic story.