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rebeccazh's Reviews (2.89k)
Interesting opening but the story is not really hooking me. Plot logic is not strong, and the love interest is really quite meh.
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
By centering African American women, Kaba very convincingly and clearly writes about how we need a new way of living and thinking that doesn't include prisons. I learned a lot from this and Kaba's words also answered a lot of questions I had about fairness, justice, etc. This is a really great book.
challenging
emotional
informative
medium-paced
Gabor Mate writes with great compassion about addiction. He covers the neurobiological and sociological factors of addiction, and emphasizes repeatedly that addiction is often an attempt to self-medicate and self-soothe emotional pain. There were a lot of gems from this book and it left me with great admiration for both those suffering from addiction and the people who do this work because this is some heartbreaking and hard work.
informative
medium-paced
I enjoyed the first half but found the latter part quite repetitive. Learnt some new things about UPFs but some of it is not new if you already know something about the food industry. I'd still recommend this as a good introduction to UPFs.
challenging
dark
funny
informative
fast-paced
The author is an outsider giving a broad and brief overview of the conflicts in the region from his experience as the foreign correspondent, so I take his opinions with a pinch of salt. Engel's training as a journalist shows because he writes in such a readable, breezy way. I would pick up the book to read a chapter or two, then find myself having finished 4-5 chapters in a sitting. Quite an interesting look at the key events of the region.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
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
Such a fun book! There were so many things I loved about this: likeable characters, found family dynamic, Amina and her daughter's love for each other, the rich and vivid setting, playing with the narrative style (first/second person), etc. Hope I can find other books like this.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
medium-paced
When I first tried to reduce meat from my diet (I wasn't even strictly vegetarian but just wanted to avoid meat whenever I had the choice), it was surprising how many people, including close and trusted friends, felt uncomfortable with my decision and tried to talk me into eating meat or made judgmental comments. Why is it that meat eating brings out this visceral response?
The only reason I took one whole week to read this relatively easy-to-process book was because the descriptions of abuse towards factory farm animals were detailed and horrific. It was like reading vivid accounts of torture and was heartbreaking to read. Not only are the meat on our plates treated with utmost cruelty (abuse is the norm not the exception), they are doused with antibiotics, are bred to be genetic mutants unable to live normal lives, and live in environments where they stew in their own filth. Factory farms' environmental cost include the clearing of forests for more factory farms, environmental pollution since one of the largest pork manufacturers in the world (Smithfield) does NOT treat the feacal waste produced on its farms, massive water consumption, loss of biodiversity, the list goes on.
At the very least, this book opened my eyes to the externalized costs that keep meat, poultry, fish, and dairy affordable and low cost when everything else is increasing in price.
The only reason I took one whole week to read this relatively easy-to-process book was because the descriptions of abuse towards factory farm animals were detailed and horrific. It was like reading vivid accounts of torture and was heartbreaking to read. Not only are the meat on our plates treated with utmost cruelty (abuse is the norm not the exception), they are doused with antibiotics, are bred to be genetic mutants unable to live normal lives, and live in environments where they stew in their own filth. Factory farms' environmental cost include the clearing of forests for more factory farms, environmental pollution since one of the largest pork manufacturers in the world (Smithfield) does NOT treat the feacal waste produced on its farms, massive water consumption, loss of biodiversity, the list goes on.
At the very least, this book opened my eyes to the externalized costs that keep meat, poultry, fish, and dairy affordable and low cost when everything else is increasing in price.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is everything I want in a short story collection. Fast-paced, consistently good across all the stories, and very very creative. Infused with mythology and folklore, it is such a delight to read these creative takes on capitalism, inequality, colonialism, greed, etc. There is an underlying thread of anger that runs through the whole collection that is sadly still relevant for the current climate, whether it is feeling impotent anger at being powerless, to the rush of vindictive and savage sactisfsction at seeing revenge. Some of the dystopian futures feel too plausible.