Ace Voices: What It Means to be Asexual, Aromantic, Demi or Grey-Ace by Eris Young
3 out of 5 stars Thank you Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am always looking for more ace rep- whether it's fiction or nonfiction. I was excited to read this and to read more perspectives of being ace. And while there was a lot I liked about it, there were also things I didn't like. Rather than having chapters or sections dedicated to specific individuals, the author uses quotes from various individuals throughout each chapter. This is fine, but because of this format, if the same person was quoted later, I couldn't remember what their perspective was from earlier. I appreciated all of the different perspectives, but it was difficult to fully form a picture of who these people are. Nonfiction generally isn't my genre, but sometimes I can get into it. The tone of this book was very scientific and dry-- more of a textbook than a narrative. That might appeal to some people, but it's not my cup of tea. Aside from a couple of generalizations thrown in that I didn't care for, the author does a good job of emphasizing that these identities are a spectrum and are impossible to fully define, while still showcasing a wide array of experiences. The author does a good job of explaining different labels, microlabels, and other terminology, while also explaining how different people assign these terms different meanings. Each chapter ended with discussion questions, which I'm undecided on. I liked that they prompted deeper thinking, but I'm not sure about the intended audience. Overall, I appreciate this book. It has a lot of great information in it and I learned a lot. It also made me feel seen and I wrote down multiple quotes that really spoke to me. As this book discusses, lack of visibility is a real issue for ace individuals (I know that personally). Books like this are so important because they are another step in the right direction.
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Well, I completely missed posting my October Wrap-Up (thank you, covid!). So I have combined my October and November books here. Sorry for the super long post, but I read some really good (and not so good) books these past two months!
I plan on creating a top 10-15 list again this year, so look forward to that! And now, here are my October and November Wrap-Ups! October 2022 1. How to Survive Your Murder by Danielle Valentine 3 out of 5 stars The premise of this book was so promising, but it was just...fine? All the horror movie references were fun and I enjoyed reading it, but also it was super predictable. And I can't decide if I like the ending or hate it. 2. Trigger by N. Griffin 2 out of 5 stars Content warning: abuse This book just wasn't for me. It was a quick read, but it was also just very upsetting and I did not enjoy it. 3. Coming Back by Jessi Zabarsky 3 out of 5 stars I absolutely LOVE the artwork. It's just so beautiful. As for the story, I enjoyed it, though it took me a while to understand the point. But that artwork! 4. Doughnuts and Doom by Balazs Lorinczi 4 out of 5 stars This is a cute and fun graphic novel. I love Stanley the snake. 5. Never Coming Home by Kate Williams 5 out of 5 stars Content warning: mentions of suicide and suicidal ideation And Then There Were None is one of my very favorite books. I will read any book that is inspired by it. Never Coming Home is probably my favorite retelling I've ever read. The parallels to the original and how they reinterpreted everything into a modern story of teen influencers was so interesting. It was also just a really fun book. I will say that there are parts of the original that it stayed faithful to that don't necessarily hold up as well now. I also had the ending solved pretty early on, but I read so many of these books that it's hard to surprise me. But overall, I really enjoyed it and can see myself rereading it in the future. 6. Coven by Jennifer Dugan and Kit Seaton (Illustrations) 4 out of 5 stars I really enjoyed this graphic novel. It was an interesting story about magic and family. It seems a bit long, but it was still a quick read. 7. I'm a Wild Seed: My Graphic Memoir on Queerness and Decolonizing the World by Sharon Lee De La Cruz This is a really important perspective of someone who is queer and BIPOC. The format of some of the pages was a little hard to read/follow sometimes, but it's still a quick read. 8. How to Succeed in Witchcraft by Aislinn Brophy 4 out of 5 stars I really enjoyed this book. It tackles the very real issue of men abusing their power, but with a magical twist. 9. Rabbit Chase by Elizabeth LaPensee and KC Oster (Illustrator) 3 out of 5 stars This was a really short, interesting retelling of Alice in Wonderland, featuring a nonbinary Anishinaabe main character. 10. Burt the Beetle Doesn’t Bite! By Ashley Spires 5 out of 5 stars This is adorable and educational! 11. The Bone Spindle by Leslie Vedder 3 out of 5 stars I enjoyed this book, but it felt like it took me FOREVER to get through. It's action-packed and I really liked Fi and Shane. The romances had me rolling my eyes, but that might just be me. There are a lot of loose ends that I'm hoping the next book will solve, because I want to know! Overall, I did really enjoy reading it! It just took me soooooo looooong. 12. Green Lantern Legacy by Minh Lê and Andie Tong (Illustrations) 5 out of 5 stars I really enjoyed this take on Green Lantern. November 2022 1. Cat Massage Therapy, Vol. 1 by Haru Hisakawa 5 out of 5 stars This is one of the cutest things I have ever read in my life. Like, laughing/crying from how cute it is. Seriously. There’s basically no plot. It's just so ridiculously cute and you should read it. 2. Our Crooked Hearts by Melissa Albert 3 out of 5 stars Content Warning: harm to animals I liked this book. It was interesting and I wanted to know how it would end. But I don't have particularly strong feelings about it. Except for the poor bunnies. 3. League of Liars by AStrid Scholte 4 out of 5 stars This book was so much fun! It's part courtroom drama, part prison break, which I really enjoyed. The magic and world-building is interesting. There were several twists that kept me guessing. I need book two! 4. Maybe an Artist, a Graphic Memoir by Liz Montague 4 out of 5 stars I enjoyed reading about how Liz used her art to express herself and bring awareness to social justice issues. 5. Unfamiliar by Haley Newsome 2 out of 5 stars Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. Planchette is a young kitchen witch who moves into a new house-- a very haunted new house. Unable to banish the ghosts, she seeks help from an interesting cast of characters: a magically-challenged witch from a prolific coven, a grumpy witch with a curse, and a siren who wants nothing more than to blend in. Will they be able to band together and banish the ghosts? This book is a quick, fun read. The characters are quirky, the situations are wacky. It was a bit lacking for me in terms of the story (it ends very abruptly), but overall, I enjoyed reading it. 6. Look Again: A Memoir by Elizabeth Trembley 4 out of 5 stars The premise of this book is fascinating: Elizabeth found a dead body in the woods one day, and this memoir recounts the various versions of the story that have evolved over the years. As time goes on and she learns new information about herself, her perspective on that day changes. It's a very interesting look at trauma and how it affects our memory and actions. The actual execution of the novel is okay. There were parts that seemed to drag, as she retold the story. The end gets very heavy as it goes into explanations of trauma and patterns of disassociation. BUT. This memoir was obviously very cathartic and important to Elizabeth's healing, so I'm rounding my rating up. 7. Five Survive by Holly Jackson 5 out of 5 stars See full review here. 8. A Furry Faux Paw by Jessica Kara 5 out of 5 stars So many people aren't even going to give this book a chance, but they are going to be missing out on a beautiful book. I did not expect to have strong feelings about this book, but here we are. Maeve does her best to take care of others. Her mother is a hoarder and their home is filled with stuff. Maeve does everything she can to convince others everything is okay. She makes sure her mom eats. She showers at school, so people don't think she smells. From the outside, she makes sure everything seems fine. She keeps herself small and quiet, so as not to attract any attention. But inside is Mauve, her pixie cat fursona. As Mauve, she can fully express herself. She has online friends, a huge Twitter following, and a budding art career. She's the happy one. When she gets the chance to go to a huge furry convention, she is so excited! She can finally meet her friends in person-- including her artist idol. She can finally be full Mauve. But she can't help but worry about her mom and all the emotions she's been burying. Y'all. I seriously loved this book. It wasn't at all what I expected, but that made me love it even more. I thought it was going to be a happy, fun book. But actually, it's a heartbreaking and heartwarming look at the pressures of maintaining a "happy" image and the importance of taking care of yourself first. It's about the importance of found family and a strong support network. It's about finding ways to express yourself. It's just a really, really good book. 9. Thieves by Lucie Bryon 4 out of 5 stars This a quick, fun read. I really liked the art style and how the emotions are illustrated. It's a fun story, but also heartfelt. 10. Kisses for Jet by Joris Bas Backer 2 out of 5 stars I'm always happy to see trans/nonbinary rep, but this one felt a bit disjointed. I was confused by a lot of the plot Maybe something got lost in translation? 11. Forest Hills Bootleg Society by Dave Baker and Nicole Goux (Illustrator) 3 out of 5 stars I'm very conflicted about this one. I liked the premise. It was funny. But there were also some throwaway lines that bothered me. And the ending was deeply unsatisfying, which I understand and it kind of works, but is still very frustrating. |
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AuthorI'm HaileyAnne! I'm a queer librarian who loves books and kpop. Archives
August 2023
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