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bookstakat.bsky.social
kat 🐈‍⬛
@bookstakat.bsky.social
87 followers 190 following 86 posts
Here for the books! 📚📚📚

Full reviews on my tumblr! https://www.tumblr.com/bookstakat
The Storygraph: @streberkatze

📝 Multilingual word nerd & educator & history PhD & homeschooling Mama
🌱 Vegan
🚑 EMT

🟡⚪️🟣⚫️ they/them
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bookstakat.bsky.social
Alberto Breccia’s Dracula

Expressionist-inspired art meets classic horror meets resistance during the era of the military junta in Argentina. I've read this short 90-page book twice & will likely pick it up several more times & read a lot more _about_ it.

Full review: shorturl.at/PFvgK

#booksky
Book cover for the graphic novel Alberto Breccia’s Dracula featuring a dark, gothic theme. Prominently featured in the center is a stylized, abstract depiction of a monstrous face. The face has exaggerated features, with pale, textured skin in shades of off-white and light green, and red, bulging eyes. The open mouth shows sharp teeth and is framed by large, vividly pink lips. Around the face is a predominantly black background with textured, shadowy shapes, suggesting a nightmarish atmosphere. The top and sides are outlined with a deep purple. At the bottom, large text reads "Alberto Breccia's Dracula" in bold red letters.
November 25, 2025 at 5:03 AM
bookstakat.bsky.social
Address Unknown by Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
A reminder that "We didn't know" was not an excuse for not resisting a genocide back then, & it isn't now. Also, recommend reading this w/o knowing much abt the plot. The surprise is half its brilliance.

Full review: shorturl.at/srRxu

#booksky
Book cover for Address Unknown by Katherine Kressmann Taylor featuring an illustration of a quaint European street scene. In the foreground, a cobblestone path leads to a cluster of cozy, painted buildings with slanted red and beige roofs. On the left, there are two-story structures with windows and lampposts. A person wearing a black coat and hat is depicted walking down the street, adding a sense of scale and movement. Tall green trees line the center, offering contrast to the earthy tones of the buildings. The sky is a muted gray, complementing the overall color palette. The title of the book and the name of the author are written across the cover image in large white capital letters.
November 23, 2025 at 7:54 PM
bookstakat.bsky.social
Checked Out by Katie Fricas
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

I ADORED this graphic novel! The drawing style is beautifully quirky. And as hard as I usually find it to pin down my reading wheelhouse items, "queer bookish slice of life in NYC" is definitely one one them

Full Review: shorturl.at/AQtSw

#booksky
Book cover for Checked Out by Katie Fricas featuring a cartoon character with exaggerated, expressive features. The character is drawn with a triangular head and elongated arms, appearing to move toward the three gray pigeons surrounding her. The books are depicted in a variety of colors including red, blue, green, and orange, creating a vibrant backdrop. Surrounding the character are several cartoon pigeons, adding a whimsical element. The character wears a white shirt and blue pants, with a dynamic pose suggesting movement and excitement. The book title, “CHECKED OUT,” is boldly written at the top in a playful font with a green line underneath. The illustration style is playful and lively, with a hand-drawn aesthetic.
November 21, 2025 at 3:36 AM
bookstakat.bsky.social
The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by @maggietokudahall.bsky.social
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

The effortlessness w/ which the author combines gripping storytelling w/ an exploration of the horrors of colonialism & a gender-expansive cast of characters is PHENOMENAL.

Full review: shorturl.at/4l6uL

#booksky
Book cover for "The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea" by Maggie Tokuda-Hall. The cover features an illustration of a large, dark ship sailing on a vibrant, stylized ocean. The ship is depicted in dark blues and blacks, with tall masts, and sails that blend into the background. The silhouettes of two human beings are visible standing on the ship. In the foreground, the sea is illustrated with swirling patterns in shades of blue, teal, and white, resembling turbulent waves with a large face appearing under the sea, looking up toward the ship. Above the ship, a large, ethereal face is visible, appearing mystical and ghostly. The background transitions from deep blue at the top to a warm, golden hue near the horizon, creating a sense of depth and atmosphere. The title of the book is prominently displayed in large, ornate lettering across the ship's sails, with the author's name at the top.
November 18, 2025 at 2:52 AM
bookstakat.bsky.social
The Arab of the Future: Volume 1: A Childhood in the Middle East, 1978-1984 by Riad Sattouf
⭐⭐ .5 /5

Btwn the drawing style I didn't enjoy, the unnecessarily graphic depictions of animal cruelty, & the flat character dev, I didn't love this graphic memoir.

Full review: shorturl.at/YS9Sl

#booksky
Book cover for "The Arab of the Future: Volume 1: A Childhood in the Middle East, 1978-1984" by Riad Sattouf featuring a large billboard of Muammar Gaddafi, saluting, with a background of green and orange. In front of the billboard, a light-haired woman and a black-haired man carrying a child with long, light-colored curls on his shoulders are depicted walking. The man is walking slightly in front of the woman, and the child is turning around to the woman reaching out and talking to her. All figures are stylized in an illustrative form with bold outlines. The background of the cover is primarily black with white and orange elements. The title and author's name are prominently displayed at the top, with quotes from "The Guardian" and "New York Times" below.
November 15, 2025 at 9:26 PM
bookstakat.bsky.social
Better late than never: #octoberreads

#booksky
October 2025 reading summary featuring the following titles: The Extinction of Experience: Being Human in a Disembodied World by Christine Rosen The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatathil
November 9, 2025 at 3:53 AM
bookstakat.bsky.social
World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatathil
⭐⭐⭐ ⭐ /5

The way the author combines child-like wonder & profound reflections related to different moments in her life in every essay is truly magical.

Full review: shorturl.at/hOyT7

#booksky
Audiobook cover of Aimee Nezhukumatathil essay collection World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments featuring a rich and vibrant illustration framing the title in the center. Various flora and fauna, including colorful flowers, butterflies, a pink flamingo, a whale, and a fox, fill the border. The central area, with a cream background, displays the book title "World of Wonders" in large, bold black text. Below the title, there is a subtitle that reads "In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments." At the bottom, the author's name, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, is prominently displayed in vivid turquoise font.
November 8, 2025 at 3:44 AM
bookstakat.bsky.social
The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui
⭐⭐⭐ ⭐ ⭐/5

A beautifully drawn & vulnerable account of the author's family's life in Vietnam & starting over in the U.S. after fleeing the war. Profound exploration of how these experiences have shaped her as a mother.

Full review: shorturl.at/eLbSa

#booksky
Book cover of Thi Bui's graphic memoir The Best We Could Do. The background features a soft gradient of warm colors transitioning from orange at the top to pink at the bottom, suggesting a sunrise or sunset. Silhouetted in the foreground are figures of a family walking together, with an adult and three children holding hands, moving towards the right side of the cover. The figures face away from the viewer. In the distance, the faint outline of a bridge can be seen. The title is displayed prominently at the top in large, bold, uppercase letters.
November 4, 2025 at 1:54 AM
bookstakat.bsky.social
The Bewitching by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5

A witchy, light horror triple timeline that had me equally invested in all 3! Also, LOVED the 90s references & not making the romantic subplot the main show. Def not my last read by @silviamg.bsky.social!

Full review: shorturl.at/vVDL1

#booksky
Book cover for The Bewitching by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia featuring a dark green background. At the top, an illustration of a golden bird with outspread wings is adorned with intricate line art consisting of geometric patterns and linear accents. Below the bird, the title "The Bewitching" is prominently displayed in large, stylized yellow font. Surrounding the central imagery, vine-like tendrils and leaves form a border along the edges, contributing to the enchanted atmosphere. At the bottom, a hand with long fingers is shown from the wrist, gesturing upwards delicately. The background texture is subtle, enhancing the mysterious and magical theme of the cover.
November 1, 2025 at 10:06 PM
bookstakat.bsky.social
Odes to Lithium by Shira Erlichman
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

Powerful, vulnerable collection of #poetry, accompanied by the author's sketches, that explores life w/ #mentalillness. Erlichman weaves together her own experiences & references to history in a compelling way.

Full review: shorturl.at/1eFP7

#booksky
Cover of "Odes to Lithium," a collection of poems by Shira Erlichman. The background is a soft cream color. The title, "Odes to Lithium," is written in elegant, black, cursive lettering across the top, with the word "poems" in a smaller size on the right. Below the title, there is a symmetrical arrangement of watercolor illustrations resembling a collection of colorful stones. These stones are in shades of pink, green, blue, yellow, and brown, featuring intricate patterns and textures. The author's name, Shira Erlichman, is written at the bottom of the cover in the same cursive style as the title.
October 20, 2025 at 5:42 PM
bookstakat.bsky.social
The Extinction of Experience by Christine Rosen
⭐️/5

Fellow at a conservative think tank w/ a record of transphobic writing pens lukewarm Gen X litany complaining abt tech lacking any systemic critique (see also, fellow at conservative think tank).

Full review: shorturl.at/5KpI7

#booksky
Cover of the audiobook version of "The Extinction of Experiencen " by Christine Rosen featuring a impressionist paiting-style image of three figures of children running across a grassy area in front of a building in the background and the title of the book and the name of the author in light-colored capital letters in the foreground.
October 12, 2025 at 5:21 PM
bookstakat.bsky.social
A few days late, but here they are: my #septemberreads. Solid reading month overall, but Jesse Thistle's memoir, From the Ashes, really stood out!

#booksky
September 2025 reading summary featuring the following titles: Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo Rabbit Moon by Jennifer Haigh City of Ghosts by V.E. Schwab Harmony Heights by Ong Chin Huat From the Ashes: My Story of Being Métis, Homeless, and Finding My Way by Jesse Thistle Odes to Lithium by Shira Erlichman
October 5, 2025 at 9:13 PM
bookstakat.bsky.social
This book swept me off my feet! The author's writing is just as brilliant as his story is remarkable & a testament to the extraordinary resilience it takes to make it against all odds. Easily one of my favorite books of the year.

Full review: shorturl.at/xs3aW

#booksky #metismemoir #candadianlit
Cover of the audiobook version of "From the Ashes" by Jesse Thistle featuring a boy running through a golden field under a blue sky with the book title in large white uppercase letter printed across the cover image and the name of the author in white letters in the lower right corner of the cover.
October 1, 2025 at 1:57 AM
bookstakat.bsky.social
Read as part of the Around the World in Books challenge. Rich People Behaving Badly, Kuala Lumpur edition. Not usually a fan of this trope, but this book was hugely entertaining! Just wished Penguin had invested in another round of editing.

Full review: shorturl.at/JE8Rz

#booksky
Book cover art for Harmony Heights by Ong Chin Huat featuring a stylized, multi-colored illustration of a multi-story building.  The building's facade is rendered in shades of gold/yellow and light blue, with classical-style columns. Various figures are depicted in the windows of the building, engaging in different activities. The book title is displayed in capital letters across the top portion of the cover, rendered in a bold, sans-serif font.  The author's name is printed below the illustration in a more understated font.
September 26, 2025 at 6:05 PM
bookstakat.bsky.social
City of Ghosts: Cassidy Blake #1 by Victoria Schwab
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Picked this book as a palate cleanser, but now I'm hooked & want to read the rest of the series! Great character development & hugely entertaining #middlegrade fantasy.

Full review: shorturl.at/ir0WK

#booksky
The audiobook cover of City of Ghosts: Cassidy Blake #1 by Victoria Schwab featuring the black silhouette of a girl and a cat walking in front of the white silhouette of a city against a black sky with the name of the author in read capital letters written across the black sky and the title of the book written in black capital letters right below the girl and the cat.
September 20, 2025 at 12:25 PM
bookstakat.bsky.social
Rabbit Moon by Jennifer Haigh
⭐️⭐️.5/5

Btwn the cliché, unlikeable female characters, the use of China & a an adoptee from China as an underexplored background story, and the book overall trying to be too many genres at once, I did not love this one.

Full review: shorturl.at/OR0hy

#booksky
The audiobook cover of "Rabbit Moon" by Jennifer Haigh, featuring the book title and the name of the author in white uppercase letters and a branch of blossoming light-blue flowers against a deep purple-gray background.
September 12, 2025 at 2:15 PM
bookstakat.bsky.social
Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

If you're into suburban family drama, this is your book. Personally, I wish there were more books w/ middle-aged protagonists outside of conventional middle-class family settings.

Full review: shorturl.at/4dlh9

#booksky #literaryfiction #litfic
Book cover of "Same As It Ever Was" by Claire Lombardo featuring the book title and name of the author in white uppercase letters on a background of colorful houses amidst lush greenery.
September 8, 2025 at 6:50 PM
bookstakat.bsky.social
#augustreads! (Not pictured: The honker I devoted a lot of time to in August but finished only in September. 🤷🏻‍♀️)

#booksky
August 2025 reading summary featuring the following titles: A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna Die Frauen vom Karlsplatz - Auguste by Anne Stern I'm Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself by Glynnis MacNicol Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber
September 6, 2025 at 9:26 PM
bookstakat.bsky.social
Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

David Graeber’s passing is such an immense loss for the world. One of the few thinkers able to use academic research to envision a better world.

Full review: shorturl.at/RypTN

#booksky #nonfiction #anthropology #anarchism
Audiobook cover of Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber featuring the author's name and the booktitle in white capital letters on a blue background with a large cross-shaped contraption made of pencils, rubber bands, a clip, and other stationery visible in between the words.
August 31, 2025 at 7:45 PM
bookstakat.bsky.social
I'm Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself by Glynnis MacNicol
⭐⭐.5/5

I was hoping for this to be entertaining & witty. But there was just so much … complaining (while the author also, paradoxically, continuously reminds the reader how great her life is).

Full review: shorturl.at/yyAfd

#booksky #memoir
Audiobook cover featuring a classical painting of a woman lying naked on her stomach surrounded by blue and white sheets looking over her shoulder with the white sheet covering only her back in the background and yellow text in the foreground: "I’m Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself" by Glynnis MacNicol, subtitled "One Woman’s Pursuit of Pleasure in Paris."
August 21, 2025 at 3:17 AM
bookstakat.bsky.social
A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

#witchyfiction at its very best w/ an effortlessly diverse set of characters & a story about found family, resistance, & what it means to give up everything for those you love.

Full review: shorturl.at/zhkHG

#booksky #newreleases
Cover of "A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping" by Sangu Mandanna featuring a whimsical illustration of a long-haired woman with brown skin, a book in her hands, and a red fox curled up around her feet a man with light skin and a steaming cup in his hand in front of a charming house in front on a dark green lawn and a pink sky and the title of the book above the house and the author’s name in the lower part of the page.
August 17, 2025 at 6:01 PM
bookstakat.bsky.social
Die Frauen vom Karlsplatz - Auguste v. Anne Stern
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

Teils zu melodramatisch f. meinen Geschmack, aber der queere Subplot & die Fähigkeit der Autorin, hist. Forschung in packende Geschichten zu verwandeln, machen es lesenswert!

Komplette Besprechung: shorturl.at/NTjOu

#germanbooksky
#lesen
Titel des Hörbuches 'Die Frauen vom Karlsplatz Auguste' von Anne Stern, das die Rückansicht einer Frau in einem historischen, olivgrünen Kleid mit Schleife am Rücken in Hintergrund und den Namen der Autorin und den Titel der Serie in weißen Großbuchstaben und den Namen der Protagonistin dieses Buches, Auguste, in gelben Großbuchstaben zeigt.
August 10, 2025 at 4:15 PM
bookstakat.bsky.social
#julyreads are in, and this was the month when Irish authors stole the show! 🫶

#booksky #irishlit
The image is a book recommendation graphic, featuring a collage of book covers arranged against a soft, blurred background of green and beige tones. The top of the graphic prominently displays "July 2025 Reads" in white text against a textured green banner. Six book covers are arranged in a grid-like fashion. • Top Left: "Wild Dark Shore" by Charlotte McConaghy. The cover has a dark, dramatic painting of an ocean scene. • Top Middle: "Salvation Army" by Abdellah Taïa. The cover depicts a beach scene with blurry figures. • Top Right: "The Amendments" by Niamh Mulvey. The cover is a photograph of two women on a patterned sofa. Decorated by a golden heart in the upper right corner of the book cover. • Middle Left: "Small Things Like These" by Claire Keegan. The cover has a wintry scene. Decorated by a golden heart in the upper left corner of the book cover. • Bottom Middle: "How to Do Nothing" by Jenny Odell. The cover features a photograph of colorful flowers.
August 2, 2025 at 8:02 PM
bookstakat.bsky.social
How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

With the pandemic & the rapid rise of AI, this book (first published in 2019) seems a bit dated now. However, the concepts of bioregionalism & Manifest Dismantling still hold a lot of potential. Worthwhile read.

Full review: shorturl.at/YHzv7

#booksky
Cover of the audiobook version of Jenny Odell's book How to Do Nothing featuring a white rectangular box at the top, with "Resisting the Attention Economy" and "Jenny Odell" below it in the foreground and a vibrant and dense arrangement of flowers and leaves in shades of pink, red, and orange in the background.
August 2, 2025 at 5:03 PM
bookstakat.bsky.social
Salvation Army by Abdellah Taïa
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Autobiographical coming-of-age novel exploring family, desire, & survival between Morocco & Switzerland through the experiences of a young gay Moroccan man. Slow initially, but profound & moving overall.

Full review: shorturl.at/IbJ84

#booksky #queerlit
Cover of Abdellah Taïa's book Salvation army featuring a sepia bird's-eye view of a beach with people on it in the background and the author's name in black letters and the book title in large white capital letters in the foreground.
July 22, 2025 at 3:08 AM