tired: arguing about whether this book is a colonizer romance wired: getting high while reading, rolling with the main girly's bad decisions, and leavitired: arguing about whether this book is a colonizer romance wired: getting high while reading, rolling with the main girly's bad decisions, and leaving voice memos in the author's inbox about the "love interest" being that white guy who's always showing off how he knows one (1) asian language
i respectfully disagree with reviews that say this book is a colonizer romance. IMO it doesn't feel like a romance at all? it felt more so about a character who has to decide between upholding morals VS survival and protecting her family. i think any "romanticization" of a certain colonizer is more so reading from an unreliable narrator who's being manipulated by a white savior. but the majority of the story wasn't really about him; it's about girly making bad decisions because she's desperate, and that's the path she chooses in the face of colonization.
i think POC authors should be allowed to explore difficult themes and their cultural histories without being dragged if they don't do it perfectly in the readers' eyes. we should want writers to take risks, whether a reader ends up liking the end result or not! we should encourage stories to incite discourse and different interpretations without having the writer's personhood and morals be questioned....more
this was such a fascinating character study that examines womanhood, autonomy, control, and emotionally abusive relationships. it reminded me of my fithis was such a fascinating character study that examines womanhood, autonomy, control, and emotionally abusive relationships. it reminded me of my first relationship where i lacked a sense of identity, received criticism when i showed humanity, and had a constant fear of displeasing him. big oof....more
truly feels like you're living an entire life of war and turmoil in the eyes of a political prisoner. it's not a nonfiction book, but it might as welltruly feels like you're living an entire life of war and turmoil in the eyes of a political prisoner. it's not a nonfiction book, but it might as well be for how palestinians survive. i appreciate the main character's grit and ferocity. girl has been through SO MUCH....more
excellent poetry about memory, home, and displacement from a palestinian writer. she plays with new formats with a few "choose your own adventure" pieexcellent poetry about memory, home, and displacement from a palestinian writer. she plays with new formats with a few "choose your own adventure" pieces where you get to decide what the next word will be, which i found to be a really unique technique!...more
more saccharine than i prefer for books but if you're looking for a happy and feel-good story this one's for you! i did think it was sweet to see a hamore saccharine than i prefer for books but if you're looking for a happy and feel-good story this one's for you! i did think it was sweet to see a happy depiction for foster families....more
an entertaining read that i flew through in less than 2 days. it's a satire about performative allyship, diversity initiatives, and how marginalized pan entertaining read that i flew through in less than 2 days. it's a satire about performative allyship, diversity initiatives, and how marginalized people's trauma are the stories that get success and recognition. i wish it gave space for the main character's story beyond his grift to allow more nuance, but still a fun read and some parts even made me laugh out loud....more
read this for book club. if you liked "call me by your name" you might like this one too cuz the gays be sad, messy, and repressedread this for book club. if you liked "call me by your name" you might like this one too cuz the gays be sad, messy, and repressed...more
straight ppl are not ok bro. the book is marketed as a woman's empowering journey to explore her sexuality by opening her marriage. instead, she spendstraight ppl are not ok bro. the book is marketed as a woman's empowering journey to explore her sexuality by opening her marriage. instead, she spends the majority of the time crying over her shitty hookups, getting jealous over her husband's girlfriends, and straight up saying during couples counseling that she does not want to be in an open marriage (yes, it was his idea so he obviously has a great time throughout the book) but she insists this is a beneficial situation for both sides. girl, you're messy af and your husband is a perverted weirdo!! i'll stick with 3 stars because it DID still keep me engaged in a way where i kept questioning whether i was crazy or if this is not actually a good situation for the author lol...more
Following my gf's whorish tastes by dipping into the omegaverse. Conclusion: I think I can only get into it if it's fantasy. When it's contemporary liFollowing my gf's whorish tastes by dipping into the omegaverse. Conclusion: I think I can only get into it if it's fantasy. When it's contemporary like this one, I'm like, sir, you are a doctor. I know y'all dont have time to be knotting all night with those work hours!...more
I know I'm far from healed when I kept agreeing with the first patient's belligerence against her therapist lol. I feel iffy about the way the author I know I'm far from healed when I kept agreeing with the first patient's belligerence against her therapist lol. I feel iffy about the way the author handled her indigenous patient... a few parts made me side-eye, like when he wondered why he was picked to be sexually abused and she replied that perhaps it was due to his looks. Wtfff? I completely understand how he was triggered by that, and felt like she didn't acknowledge that it was wrong for her to say that, but instead made it seem like his reaction was disproportionate due to the trigger. I also cringed when she told him "Did it ever occur to you that not all Native traditions are good, just like how not all white traditions are good?" She seemed to be very insecure of her position as a white therapist treating an Indigenous patient, and rightly so! I'm glad she ended up suggesting he seek spiritual Native healing to compensate for white therapy - that showed a degree of self-awareness of how culturally specific psychotherapy is - but there are just so many little comments that rubbed me the wrong way ("I've never met anyone that looks more Native than you"). This patient often pointed out her whiteness in a way that she described as banter, but I can't help but wonder how he really felt about his experience, and it's sad that we won't truly know because he already died by the time she decided to write his story in this book. Many of these stories were so damn sad that I wonder if it's more exploitative rather than helpful, and how much these narratives are framed for the author's benefit. I'll go with 3 stars because I'm still not sure what to make of this book and how to feel about it....more
Things that made me side-eye: * The fat girl in the series gets the asshole love interest who kidnapped her sister and acted like an incel in the previThings that made me side-eye: * The fat girl in the series gets the asshole love interest who kidnapped her sister and acted like an incel in the previous book (why you gotta do her love life dirty like that?) * The fat girl constantly complains about physical exercise and wanting to eat food (valid, but why is she the only one who wants McDonalds specifically?) * The love interest constantly talks about how he regrets kidnapping her sister becauase she cried all the time, and has nothing positive to say about her even though he knows the main girl cares about her sister * She hums the Star Spangled Banner while giving him a blowjob (I don't support American patriotism)...more
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