crankylibrarian's reviews
1699 reviews

The Convert by Danai Gurira

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Racism, Misogyny, Violence, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

God Is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World by Stephen Prothero, HarperOne by Stephen Prothero

challenging informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

3.5

Prothero asks , “Which sport is best at sinking baskets?”  to point out the futility of comparing religions from one’s own religious viewpoint, since each has a different purpose and asks different questions.  Highly informative but marred by cheap sexism (Anne Boleyn is described as a “hot little number”) and a worrisome oversimplification of the connection between religion and  racism  geopolitical  conflict (a whole chapter on Zionism with no mention of Palestinians). Badly in need of an update.

This Is Shakespeare by Emma Smith

informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy by Nathan Thrall

challenging emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

3.5

Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma by Claire Dederer

challenging reflective slow-paced

2.0

Federer throws  stewpot full of ideas at the wall but all we end up with is a bloody mess. With  her equivocations and false analogies and navel gazing on how “we are all monsters “ she provides little real insight on the ethics of consuming and promulgating the art and ideas of truly horrible people.

Dearborn by Ghassan Zeineddine

challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

High Fidelity by Nick Hornby

emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Another Hornby man-child, but less amusing than in the movie or in his other books. No real resolution or self discovery; he just…gets tired. As does the book.

Say It Loud!: On Race, History, and Culture by Randall Kennedy

challenging informative reflective slow-paced

4.5

Sankofa by Chibundu Onuzo

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I Was Their American Dream: A Graphic Memoir by Malaka Gharib

emotional funny hopeful informative lighthearted fast-paced

3.5

Affectionate memoir of a Filipino-Egyptian girl coming of age in the US.  Cross cultural misunderstandings contribute to the usual adolescent growing pains, but all ends well.