The second story in Shubeik Lubeik destroyed me. It was the best representation of depression I had ever seen, done with so much nuance and heart. Need to muster up the courage to read the next part. I know it'll be 5 stars.

The Assassin's Apprentice is another story. It was an easy 5-stars but an emotionally difficult read. So captivating and intriguing and profound at times. A damn good story with great prose and characters I care too much about.

I've finished Equal Rights and Phoenix Extravagant, which were both around 3.5 stars. There were elements I loved and not any to really dislike -- just wasn't that engaging or beautiful. They were pretty good books that succeeded in their respective projects.

I have hit "deliver later" on my Libby hold for Detransition Baby more than once 😭 It's been on my list forever! I'll report back soon

Off to a 🧙🏼‍♀️ witchy vibe 🔮 with (1) Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett and (2) Siren Queen by Nghi Vo. I opened up (3) Shubeik Lubeik by Deena Mohamed last night and devoured the first chapter. Unintended shared theme seems to be eerie-yet-mundane magic set against the realism of oppression(s).

I mean I am constantly collecting content recs from all my friends & the number of people who have watched/read Nimona without calling me immediately is alarming!

I'll have to seek your wisdom and expertise more often

Why did nobody tell my queer ass to watch this sooner

I need those booktok girls to put the Tombs of Atuan (Le Guin) and The Empress of Salt and Fortune (Vo) on a "sad hot girl" list or whatever the kids are doing now. They're looking for mentally ill evil femmes and sad little girls in the wrong places. I'm still mad I ever read One Dark Window. 🤦🏻

There was so much potential to talk about interconnected struggles and intersectional experiences and how to work together to challenge systemic oppression. Instead, we got a whie savior's fever dream after she takes one college class about colonialism. So disappointing.

I liked Thomil's character, but we really did not get to see more of him. He was kind of reduced to a traumatized oppressed character and a device to make the white lady learn a lesson. I got so mad at the author for making things romantic, too. It was giving "she's not like other oppressors."

knew now that this wasn't about her." Like??????????? I was listening to the audiobook and the narrator was trying so hard to make each tell-not-show passage engaging that I cringed and screamed.

I think it's fine for a fantasy book to do a little colonialism 101, where you weave in the nuances and questions through different characters and situations. But don't just convert a lecture outline into repetitive dialogues. The last 1/4 is just "she was scared but decided to be brave. She also

These are fine things to try to say in a book! But why is the author just writing a bad college essay through the mouths of the characters? I've seen some reviewers call the book "too preachy" or "colonialism 101." I see their point, but my gripe is more precisely with the delivery of such content.

Every chapter following the Big Reveal read like the Spark Notes summary. In Chapter 27, Sciona comes to terms with the Truth but still naively believes that those around her are not knowingly complicit. She learns the hard way that perhaps she should center the voices of the oppressed! UGH.

The world-building and magic system, and the allegory to colonial/capitalistic exploitation, were solid. In both plotting, characterization, and dialogue, however, the book completely failed to execute its cool premise.

I get that she would be in denial and act in self-righteous, arrogant ways. But to have the middle 50% of the book be purely her colonizer guilt and tantrums and shenanigans without adequately showing the Kwen/Caldonae people actually suffering and processing? Insufferable.