grumpyreading's reviews
967 reviews

Nevada by Imogen Binnie

Go to review page

dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

đź“š Review: This was like a fever dream. I see why people say it was so influential in trans literature and in general - and I loved it. I think it was a great commentary on the individuality of being trans while also being existing as part of a community. This book was a joy to read, though it was definitely sad, but also had a lot of queer and trans and feminist theory. This style and writing isn’t for everyone, but I loved it and this book. It was so relevant when it was written and today, and I can’t wait to revisit it. Nevada was rough, gritty, queer, and powerful. TLDR - gender is a construct. 

Some of my favourite quotes:

"I have been trans since I was little.
There is this dumb thing where trans women feel like we all have to prove that we're totally trans as fuck and there's no doubt in our minds that we're Really, Truly Trans. It comes from the fact you have to prove that you're trans to psychologists and doctors: the burden is entirely on your own shoulders to prove that you're Really Trans in order to get any treatment at all.” 
“Six years on and it's still weird to be called Miss. Not bad, just like, oh yeah, I guess I did that. Who knows whether that part of being trans ever fades. Probably not. Or more specifically, probably not when you still have to shave, when your junk still gets in the way and makes your clothes fit wrong every morning. It probably doesn't go away until you are rich.”
“She wakes up around four thirty and feels rested. Do other people feel like this all the time? It's fucked up.”
“Because if he's being totally honest with himself, on some level James has already figured out that this girl is trans and while he hasn't processed what that means yet he is having this desperate magnetic attraction to her.
Like not even sexual. Just like, I want to be your Facebook friend or something. I need to grab you, to have you in my life. Whatever.”
“Plus the world has moved on from the narrative that says being trans is something to be avoided at all costs; it's moved on from the narrative that says the only way to be trans is to be young and tiny and pretty and into men and to transition and then disappear. There's a much better understanding of what it means to be trans now: you just are trans. The fact that your transition might not go smoothly because of the shape of your body or the shape of your family or the shape of your personality or the way that your sexuality has been shaped does not mean that therefore you can just decide not to be trans. You can't will it away. Deciding to will it away is a defense mechanism that is inevitably going to fail and you'll be back where you started: trans. Just older and more entrenched in a life that itself is not much more than a coping mechanism designed to keep you from having to be trans in the real world. If you're trans you're trans and if you're obsessed with whether you might be trans you probably are trans.” 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead

Go to review page

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

đź“š Review: Beautiful, haunting, lyrical, disorienting, and dreamlike. Joshua Whitehead is such an incredible writer, and knows how to use words like no other. This book was graphic and raw and important and so beautifully created and I recommend it to everyone. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Ace: What Asexuality Reveals about Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex by Angela Chen

Go to review page

informative reflective slow-paced

3.75

đź“š Review: I think Ace was a very informative book, and could be a great resource for people who are want to know more about the asexuality spectrum. While I think there were good perspectives, and lots of pieces that I think were worded in a way that would clarify asexuality for people, I do feel it was quite repetitive and dry, and at times contradictory to itself and disjointed. The author also made a point to say the book was situated in a specific context, but I feel that even within that context there was a lot left out. I think that if you have knowledge of the ace spectrum, you may enjoy this but won’t learn a ton. It is a good primer, but I think maybe not accessible enough unless you’re invested. For example, if you wanted a supportive friend to better understand your ace identity, this may be a good resource, but didn’t feel accessible for perhaps a family member who is not supportive and actively wanting to learn. Overall it was okay. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester by Maya MacGregor

Go to review page

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This book was beautifully done. Though I guessed what happened early on, the mystery still kept me worried and engaged, the characters were loveable, and this book was very special. The magical realism like elements also contributed to the story in an interesting way. The experiences of Sam were very real, and were beautifully written and important to read. I felt so connected to the characters and absolutely pulled in to the story, and thought about this book every time I set it down (which wasn’t often because it had me turning the pages so fast!). While this was a mystery, it was also a book about queerness, community, belonging, and self-acceptance. 
I think you’ll love this book if you like Holly Jackson, Karen M. McManus, or Kacen Callender. 
Some of my favourite quotes from the book are below! 
“I just - I saw you and thought I was supposed to know you.” 
“Her arms are around me. She is warm and sparks with energy and want. I always thought I'd feel like I was falling, but this is so much better. I suddenly feel every space between every atom that makes me up, and it feels like possibility. Life, here, electric between us. In this moment, Shep and I can do anything. Maybe even live. I'm anchored here, to her, and in this moment a tsunami could break upon our shore and we would be unmoved.”
“They’d be happy you hold their stories, I think.” 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Karamo: My Story of Embracing Purpose, Healing, and Hope by Karamo Brown

Go to review page

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

3.5

This book was okay, but wasn’t my favourite memoir. Karamo talked about a lot of trauma and adversity like drug use, parenting, domestic abuse, abusive relationships, racism, and homophobia, as well as touching on experiences on TV in shows such as Queer Eye. He talked about lot about how he approaches challenges and what leads to his positivity in life. I feel like some of the things he spoke about are maybe a bit more nuanced than he was discussing. I appreciate his opinions and how he approaches these things in his own life, but felt sometimes it was portrayed as his way being the “correct” way, or like there wasn’t much attention given to other perspectives/nuances. (For example - language people use for themselves, names we go by, religious trauma and experiences. Some of what he was saying felt like toxic positivity, and I get he was trying to portray that a negative experience may not be representative of an entire system, but it felt like he was minimizing people’s experiences and feelings. He was also talking a lot about being a therapist while… not being one?) I know this is his memoir so that’s not really required, but worth mentioning. Overall, this was a decent memoir. If you like Karamo on Queer Eye, I’d recommend reading it. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

Go to review page

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

1.5

Yeahhhh I didn’t like this book. While I appreciate the general idea of bringing focus away from the killer in this story, and focusing on the women and their stories, I feel like this missed the mark. Though the author doesn’t say the name Ted Bundy (or a fictionalized version of it), this book was intended to portray the victims and survivors of his crimes. While it was supposed to offer a commentary on the exploitative nature of true crime, and the people who idolize serial killers, it felt exploitative in itself. The very very graphic accounts of what was done to the victims and survivors felt unnecessary at many points for the way the story was being told, and at many points it was confusing what was fact and what was fiction. By using some facts, real names, and real details, alongside fictional details, the story was blurred, and it felt as though the author was concerned with telling the stories of real victims, but did this in a way that was not very tasteful, was potentially insensitive to the victims and their families, and that took away from their actual stories (that many have told themselves as well). 
I also felt that some of the subplots were very surface level, and added confusion or unnecessary details at best. In general, the book was very slow and there wasn’t a ton that happened, and there was nothing outstanding about the writing or the way this was told. It definitely dragged on. 
While I appreciate the intention, I feel like this book could have been told as a new story (not based on a true one) and gotten the same points across in a better way, rather than continuing to be somewhat exploitative about these crimes. The author could have focused on this theme through fiction, and could have drawn attention to accounts written by victims/survivors/families of the crimes she is portraying. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Time and Time Again by Chatham Greenfield

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This book was so sweet. I absolutely LOVE a time loop or time jump trope, and this one gave me everything I hoped for. The characters were loveable and relatable, the romance was sweet, and I loved seeing how their relationship blossomed. I do have a slight question about the mechanism of getting into/out of the time loop for one of our characters… but this didn’t impact my thoughts on the book at all. I adored it and felt like I was right there with them. I giggled, I smiled, and I cried. Looking forward to what Chatham Greenfield writes next! 
See some of my favourite quotes below! 
“I like that idea, that our time is important enough for mementos, even if they won’t last.” 
“We don’t wanna be mistaken for straight people.” 
“Love is still too early of a word, I know, but what we have may be big enough to fit it.” 
“An important lesson I’ve learned over the years is that telling yourself that your pain isn’t the end of the world has never stopped anyone from feeling like meteors are about to strike and the sky is about to cave in.” 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Real Queer America: LGBT Stories from Red States by Samantha Allen

Go to review page

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.25

Samantha Allen’s writing is raw and intense, but also funny when it needs to be. The backdrop of the political climate as it relates to queer people in the US to tell deeply personal stories drew me in and was such an important narrative. I do think certain things are more nuanced than their portrayal here, but also understand these things weren’t the purpose of the book, and only so much can fit on these pages. While at times, the book makes you feel hurt and disgusted, Samantha Allen’s writing and the way she shares these stories leaves you feeling hopeful at the possibility of queer communities in current political climates. I think a lot of people need to read this book, and I am glad it exists now in a time when queer and trans people are at so much risk of harm due to policymakers and bigots globally. There were so many great takeaways that I think many people need to read and think about. What I felt was one of the most important quotes, that was written early on, was: “[Learning about gender affirming care options] illuminated a path forward out of a life that felt unlivable.” 
I recommend this book to everyone, and think you’ll enjoy it if you liked: Moby Dyke; Gay Bar: Why We Went Out; or The Stone Wall Reader. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
All I Want For Christmas Is Them by Adora Crooks

Go to review page

3.0

The Answer is No by Fredrik Backman

Go to review page

4.0