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alyssabookrecs's reviews
932 reviews
A Broken Blade by Melissa Blair
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
3.5-4 stars. After picking this up again, I couldn’t put it down. Definitely bingeable and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series. A bi MC who was previously with a woman and is now with a man! A MC who is also a proper assassin! A MC who struggles with alcoholism and the stuff she’s been forced to do to survive as she and her people (Halflings) are subjugated! I’m curious how the rest of the series will pan out. It had a lot of the fantasy tropes BookTok loves (and that I can really love). I’m looking forward to seeing how much more depth this world and Keera get in the next installments.
Ten Myths About Israel by Ilan Pappé
informative
slow-paced
2.75
Dense but worth the read if you find yourself wanting clarity on some major “myths” regarding Israel’s existence, written by an Israeli historian.
Blood Orange by Yaffa
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.25
A much-needed Palestinian poetry book. Some of the shortest poems were the most impactful.
Dear God. Dear Bones. Dear Yellow. by Noor Hindi
dark
hopeful
informative
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Excellent creative poetry on identity, womanhood, and so much more. Very digestible as well.
Shrek! by William Steig
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
Incredible. 10/10. So revolting. I loved it.
Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid: The Fraught and Fascinating Biology of Climate Change by Thor Hanson
informative
slow-paced
3.0
Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear: Poems from Gaza by Mosab Abu Toha
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
I don’t even have words for this lovely book of poetry, so I’ll let some of my favorite pieces of these poems speak for themselves:
“Dreams of children and their parents, of listening to songs, or watching plays at Al-Mishal Cultural Center. Israel destroyed it in August 2018. I hate August. But plays are still performed in Gaza. Gaza is the stage.”
“In Gaza, you can find a man planting a rose in the hollow space of an unexploded tank shell, using it as a vase.”
“The houses were not Hamas. The kids were not Hamas. Their clothes and toys were not Hamas. The neighborhood was not Hamas. The air was not Hamas. Our ears were not Hamas. Our eyes were not Hamas. The one who ordered the killing, the one who pressed the button thought only of Hamas.”
“Dreams of children and their parents, of listening to songs, or watching plays at Al-Mishal Cultural Center. Israel destroyed it in August 2018. I hate August. But plays are still performed in Gaza. Gaza is the stage.”
“In Gaza, you can find a man planting a rose in the hollow space of an unexploded tank shell, using it as a vase.”
“The houses were not Hamas. The kids were not Hamas. Their clothes and toys were not Hamas. The neighborhood was not Hamas. The air was not Hamas. Our ears were not Hamas. Our eyes were not Hamas. The one who ordered the killing, the one who pressed the button thought only of Hamas.”