bookedbymadeline's reviews
929 reviews

Boring and reads like an academic textbook. Maybe more for academics than the casual reader? 

I’m learning my lesson with Pluto Press-don’t buy a bunch of books because they sound interesting but instead look for articles on the topic because most of the books I’ve chosen are either outdated already or are too academically dry. I’ve studied digital activism through the lense of the Arab Uprisings and that research was more exciting than this book

While a very informative and important read, I had a lot of issues with the writing style-It felt very disjointed and scattered. It’s a lot of facts, figures, dates, etc jumping back and forth (and sometimes back again) without making connections or expanding further on each subject, or even leading my into it with some form of introduction to the new subject.

For example, there’s a chapter about 9/11 but we keep bouncing between Colombian cartels in the 1980s then quoting present day Israeli journalists or human rights lawyers then talking about the Rwandan genocide, then going back to 9/11 only to steer away from it again?!

Every chapter just feels the same: “here’s every company and technology Israel is selling and here’s a human rights lawyer I’m consulting oh by the way we’re 120 pages in now let me tell you who he is and about his work and oh now let’s talk about his lawsuits and the countries Israel has built ties with” on a never ending loop!!! No chapter is actually about what the title suggests 

It feels like the author is trying to fit in so much information and is more like a history class where the teacher wants you to memorize facts without actually educating you on the rest of the context/understanding the connections and the ‘why’ of it all. 

It's informative and important but I really struggled to feel engaged. It could be so info heavy at times without any additional background that it felt like drowning in information without fully grasping everything.

Aside from the writing style, the only complaint I have content wise is that the author has a lot of negative views on Pali resistance and often positions things as "we all just have to get along."

The only reason I didn't DNF is because there's no other book on this topic and with this amount of information. I'd recommend starting with other books first before trying to dive into this, otherwise it can be overwhelming. I think it's still an important read and can be educational. For now I'll use this as a starting point for independent research and would recommend picking this up with no expectations based on chapter titles and really taking your time with it.

Also please the best way I can put into words, how once again everything is connected and why everyone should care about a Free 🍉, no matter where you live:

1)Lots of examples of Israel working closely with countries and leaders who aligned with "Yahtzees" in ww2 and yet Israel respected them, invited them to h0l0caust museums, and works closely with them-just another example of why Israel doesn’t actually give a sh*t about Jewish people/H0l0caust survivors
2)Face recognition technology
3)Collecting and selling digital data including from “encrypted apps”
4)Using drones to survey migrants (before letting them drown)
5)Selling weapons to fund gsides in: Rwanda, Bosnia, El Salvador, China, India (to name a few)
6)Working closely with US police through ADL exchange program to train together 
7)NSA and Israel work together to collect data and create surveillance technology to monitor activist phones

8)They partner with the US and EU-making contracts for millions or billions in surveillance technology and weapons, which these western countries can then use of their own citizens just like Israel does to Palestinians 

Thank you to netgalley and Little A for the eARC!

The novel is told through two POVs and timelines, Dore in 1929 and Mallory in 2020. Both women’s stories take place on Floreana, which is a small island on the southern end of the Galapagos archipelago.

I liked Dore’s chapters the best because I could relate to her struggle through infertility, and her chapters were the most compelling! Mallory is in Floreana to escape her life back in Boston and to help with building nests to try and increase/protect the Penguin populations. Her chapters were more difficult to feel engaged with because they were more telling over showing, which I personally don’t enjoy.

The middle slumped a bit as it became slower paced and mundane in its details. But I appreciated the atmospheric setting descriptions and learning about animals/conservation efforts! I was also intrigued to find out this was based loosely on a true story 🤯

One of the secrets revealed was predictable from the start, but the rest of them were well executed surprises. This was an emotional read exploring grief, motherhood, environmental issues, and what it means to be human!

A recollection of Truth’s speeches, as recorded and remember by others. There’s also a few essays from other feminists at the time.

An important work of feminist and abolitionist speeches/writings!

Slow start but by a third of the way through I was hooked, reading 100+ pages a day 🤭

It was so atmospheric and adventurous! I loved being in this world and getting to know Scottish folklore. It can be really dark at times because of the violence but overall I enjoyed it just as much as the show. I’ll eventually check out book 2 but I’m in no rush seeing as my library doesn’t have it (and I have so many other-shorter-series to still finish)! 

It’s sooo boring 😭 go on Lynn give us nothing for pages at a time! And after reading reviews I’d rather not push through for some more internalized misogyny “he kidnapped me but I love him now” bullshit

I was honestly just bored and not engaged. It’s not anything new so far that I haven’t already learned so unfortunately the book is already a bit dated and surface level compared to other sources. Which I fear may be the case for a lot of the Pluto Press books I picked up (and still have to read) back in 2021/2022

 Discusses history of diet culture, media’s influence, how to overcome your own issues around body image, and is also part memoir as Light shared her own experiences around body image and eating disorders.

I liked that it’s inclusive in addressing the racism rooted in fatphobia as well as classism of labeling food as “good” or “bad” and issues like food deserts. I will say as someone with health problems, i had a more difficult time with the “view your body as a vessel and how it functions rather than an object” when for me and maybe many others who are disabled or chronically ill can feel angry at our bodies sometimes for not “functioning or being healthy” like others. But the author said herself she is coming to this from a perspective of being straight, cis, and able bodied so she mostly touches on that experience since she can’t speak accurately on others.

Overall it’s a good starter book if you’re new to this journey! I’ve read other books on the subject, one of which she quotes from, so most of this information wasn’t new to me. It’s good to serve as a reminder/refresher though and I’d recommend if you’re starting your recovery journey and not ready to read a heavier/more niche book (like ones that focus exclusively on intuitive eating, fatphobia culture, etc) just yet🩷

Author shares stories of his time as a border patrol agent. He says he joined to work outside and try to “understand the border.” Although he doesn’t shy away from the inhumane actions of BP agents, he detaches himself from it sort of like saying “this is what happens and what other agents do BUT NOT ME” 🙃

Disjointed with bouncing between facts/history, Cantù’s personal stories, and his dreams with no transitions or chapter breaks. 

This man worked here for years to uphold the system instead of question or challenge it, which goes to prove that no matter your good intentions you’ll only become part of the unjust system. He had a college degree studying the border but felt like he had to work the field to “better understand it” as if studying it doesn’t already teach you about the inhumane policies that you’ll be enforcing…anyways fuck border patrol

Author details her experience in Occupied France under Germany and the collaborationist Vichy government, as a Polish Jewish woman. First chapter felt rushed and had a lot of info dumping. I would’ve loved to take more time getting to learn about the bookshop and how Frenkel’s work was affected during the 1930s. This often read like a novel, moving quickly and holding my attention for long periods of time after I got through the hump of the first chapter.

It was strangely never discussed but she had a husband the whole time?! They got separated and he ended up being killed in one of the camps but he was never mentioned in the book which felt sad and confusing, especially since she made a comment to a friend about needing to marry for French citizenship when she was apparently already married.

The book mainly focused on how Frenkel had to escape Paris and went into hiding, moving around France, for much of WW2. Overall an emotional, moving story about her escape and the kindness of those that helped her! It feels like a very important book to remember that community and organizing together can make a difference 🩷

I’d highly recommend if you want a short memoir!