dnf @ 45%. it's with a heavy I heart I am not finishing it. I really loved Brandy Colbert books in the past, but I was hesitant because this has lots dnf @ 45%. it's with a heavy I heart I am not finishing it. I really loved Brandy Colbert books in the past, but I was hesitant because this has lots of stuff I .. don't like? One day romances are not my thing, and it's an educational kind of YA which would be fine except that I am not really learning anything from this since I .. have a degree in this? I wanted to give it a chance anyway since I love the author, but I'm not enjoying it so I thought better to dnf it now before I start to resent it. I want to keep my good standing with Brandy Colbert alive...more
The Groom Will Keep His Name is a poignant, funny and insightful collection of essays, examining various topics from race, imperialism, queerness and The Groom Will Keep His Name is a poignant, funny and insightful collection of essays, examining various topics from race, imperialism, queerness and romance, as well as where they intersect. Matt Ortile details his experiences moving from Manila to Las Vegas, discussing how his sexuality, femininity, ethnicity and appearance were received in America and how, in turn, it affected his psyche as he strove to achieve assimilation in America.
I think this is a really unique essay collection about living within the diaspora because of its focus on intersectionality. Ortile's witty style and insight, as well as personal touches, kept each essay engaging. I think the strongest essays were the ones relating to family and community, dating as a Filipino man and the racism within the gay community, and those about American/Philippines history and politics.
Some essays were not as well tied together as others, and sometimes it felt like it went into tangents that didn't succinctly tie back into the original point, hence the four stars. Though overall this was a really strong collection that I'm really glad I picked up. ...more
Not sure how I feel about parts of this. I think sometimes it felt a little like trying too hard for shock value. Like talking a lot about the 'diversNot sure how I feel about parts of this. I think sometimes it felt a little like trying too hard for shock value. Like talking a lot about the 'diversity' of the alt-right but skimming over how that was a small percentage and most people at the rallies were white. Some of the humour I enjoyed but some I think missed the mark (when Pauline Hanson smiles her eyes squint and she looks kinda Asian. yikes). Also for me, the second half definitely lost momentum and ultimately this book didn't really come to a solid conclusion or point by the end which I found strange. It just.. ended. I feel like it needed an epilogue.
That said, there were parts I enjoyed. The first half was great and I thought the reflection on Safran's experiences with antisemitism from members of both the left and right were interesting. The exploration of the alt-right in Australia and the calculated motives behind some of their talking points, as well as the general public reaction and what some figures are like behind closed doors, is what kept me reading. I'm not sure if Safran is a particularly great writer, which is why some of this got a bit bogged down in missed points and jokes that didn't land but still it's a unique perspective into the far-right wing of Australia...more
I think parts of this book did get bogged down in its structure (introduce killer, explain their casefile, plus random name-drops of other killers witI think parts of this book did get bogged down in its structure (introduce killer, explain their casefile, plus random name-drops of other killers with similar backstories that disrupted the flow) but besides that, it was really .. not ENJOYABLE to read, the first two killers especially made me feel sick but interesting? If you like Mindhunter or even just true crime / criminal profiling it's worth reading.
Every now and then I get in an 'I kinda wanna read something that will bring me pure, uncomplicated joy while using about 0% of my brain capacity (in Every now and then I get in an 'I kinda wanna read something that will bring me pure, uncomplicated joy while using about 0% of my brain capacity (in a good way)' and this was the perfect book for that! I liked this about as much as I can enjoy a romance, with just a few little things that bothered me.
First, I love stories about famous or famous adjacent people so I was already set up to like this. This is a rom-com that properly made me laugh out loud, and I really loved the fake dating set up and the progression of the story. I thought the main two leads had good chemistry and I was really rooting for them. I also LOVED the side characters, they were so funny, especially Lucien (the main characters) mum. I literally love her with my whole heart.
My major gripe with this book is that Oliver is pitched as the perfect man until like 90% through at which his character growth is used as a plot twist. I really felt like the book didn't leave enough room to explore his character and it just meant for most the book he felt flat to me. I also felt like sometimes this book had that 'mouthpiece quality' where it's TOO obvious the characters are just parroting things the author believes which.. I get.. but sometimes it comes across really awkward and obvious.
That said, overall I had a lot of fun with this. I read it really quick and was entertained the entire way through, which is really all I want out of a romance. I also appreciated some of the discussions around being gay and homophobia that this book tackles. Definitely, if you like queer romance or the fake dating trope you should consider picking this up
dnf @ part two: this isn't really what I was expecting it to be / looking for when I picked it up (was looking for something a bit more historical/essdnf @ part two: this isn't really what I was expecting it to be / looking for when I picked it up (was looking for something a bit more historical/essay based and less disjointed memoir).. so..... dnf...more
Must read non-fiction detailing the founding ideas of Israel and the impact of Zionism as an ideology that led to the systematic removal of the PalestMust read non-fiction detailing the founding ideas of Israel and the impact of Zionism as an ideology that led to the systematic removal of the Palestinian people from the land....more
The next war will be about resilience and survival, culture and art. When that war begins you will discover you are not well-armed. You have no art
The next war will be about resilience and survival, culture and art. When that war begins you will discover you are not well-armed. You have no art, your stories have no power.”
This just didn't work for me. I feel like the entire first half hinges on surprising you with a plot twist which wasn't surprising to me because I realised what was going on early, and it just didn't have a writing style that drew me into the story. That said, I did like the parallels Coleman drew between her story and the colonisation of Australia. I also thought the influence of other media such as The Rabbit-Proof Fence or Benang was obvious, but in a way, I found interesting and enjoyable in its homage.
I don't think this is a bad book, it just didn't work for me. But if you like science-fiction and you're looking to read more books by Aboriginal Australian's (Coleman is Wirlomin-Noongar) than maybe consider this. I definitely think this could be a great book for people who don't know much about the colonisation of Australia or the government treatment and policies toward First Nations Australians...more
I realised that life means waiting, enduring the passage of time. Nothing ever quite meets our expectations, yet as long as we are alive, time flow
I realised that life means waiting, enduring the passage of time. Nothing ever quite meets our expectations, yet as long as we are alive, time flows on, and everything eventually comes to pass
Princess Bari is a translated South Korean novel, and the coming of age tale of a North Korean girl, Bari, who escapes with her family to China during the famine before finding herself illegally moving to London. Hwang Sok-yong deals with politics, family trauma and war, drawing out and examining the struggles of refugees, and the politicisation of their plight. Some of the fantasy elements went a little over my head, but I still enjoyed this as border fiction, particularly for it's rendering of North Korea before and after the Korean War, and it's discussion around war and the response from western countries to its victims. ...more
this book came out in 2012 and it's now 2020 and the hype has massively died down so I'm not spending much time on it.
all I'll say is.... this is a bthis book came out in 2012 and it's now 2020 and the hype has massively died down so I'm not spending much time on it.
all I'll say is.... this is a book that's very entertaining and very poorly written akndksk. also sometimes it was Way too corny for me. But I did have fun with it. Although, honestly, I kinda think the movie is better
reading rush 2020 prompt / read a book you've seen the movie of...more
dnf. I just couldn't really get into this one? I was skimming the essays so there isn't much point continuing. I think I've just read a lot of these mdnf. I just couldn't really get into this one? I was skimming the essays so there isn't much point continuing. I think I've just read a lot of these memoir/essays this year and this wasn't as strong as ones I've read recently. Might be a better read on audiobook. ...more
Meet Me at the Intersection is an anthology of Australian authors from marginalised backgrounds. I really liked this collection. I was impressed with Meet Me at the Intersection is an anthology of Australian authors from marginalised backgrounds. I really liked this collection. I was impressed with the editing, the flow of the stories was perfect and really highlighted the themes. I also genuinely liked every single story. One thing that struck me was the breadth of different voices and the diversity of Australian's which we don't often see represented in mainstream media.
My top 3 stories were: Telephone, Fragments and The Last Stop, though were was many I really liked
I don't usually rate collections but I decided to for this one because I genuinely liked each story so much, so I gave it 5 stars. There are a lot of authors in here who I would like to read more works from. ...more
Romances can be a bit hit or miss for me but I really liked this one !! Aside from a few moments in the sex scenes that made me cringe (view spoiler)[Romances can be a bit hit or miss for me but I really liked this one !! Aside from a few moments in the sex scenes that made me cringe (view spoiler)[(do yall find the word c*nt sexy I do not LMFAO) (hide spoiler)] this was excellent! I loved Chloe Brown as a character, and her relationship with her sisters was so much fun. The main romance worked well and although some of the final scenes irked me, the lead up weighed it out for me to round it to a solid four stars.
Definitely looking forward to Take a Hint, Dani Brown. Talia Hibbert has such an electric way of writing characters and dialogue that I cannot get enough of. ...more
‘Thing is, you run now, after last night, and it’ll haunt you forever. You can go as far away as you like, but the past always comes along for the
‘Thing is, you run now, after last night, and it’ll haunt you forever. You can go as far away as you like, but the past always comes along for the ride.’
Really liked this one. Too Much Lip is an #OwnVoices narrative by a Goorie woman, exploring trauma, family dysfunction, land rights disputes and more, wrapped up in a coming of age story. Loved the central protagonist, Kerry Salter, whose rough as she is loveable. The exploration of Indigenous Australia, particularly the ongoing affects of dispossession and colonialism, and how generational trauma bleeds through families was well done, and while parts of this were hard to read, I liked the rawness. Definitely understand why it won the Miles Franklin award in 2019. Just wish the beginning didn't have such a slow start. ...more
Under a Bilari Tree, I Born is Alice Bilari Smith's memoir describing her time growing up at Rocklea Station, learning traditional Aboriginal ways of Under a Bilari Tree, I Born is Alice Bilari Smith's memoir describing her time growing up at Rocklea Station, learning traditional Aboriginal ways of living, and then her later life including living in Roebourne during the 80s.
I think this is intended for younger audiences, people maybe high school age, but I still thought it was a book highly worth reading. I enjoyed following Alice Smith's story and her exploration of Indigenous culture, especially in the way the culture was lost for many of those around her. The sections about motherhood and childbirth were really interesting.
Not rating due to the fact it just feels too personal to rate...more
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