kait_sixcrowsbooks's reviews
208 reviews

Where Freedom Starts: Sex, Power, Violence, #MeToo by Verso

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challenging hopeful informative reflective slow-paced

4.5

A fascinating collection of essays re: the #MeToo movement. I originally obtained this from Verso when they were giving it away for free, back in 2021, and many of these essays were written during the height of the movement. It’s interesting to read this collection now, when it seems that #MeToo has died down considerably…and what do we have to show for it? I held a bit of cynicism while reading it because there seemed to be so much hope for the future within these essays, and I can’t confidently say that anything has significantly changed. Perhaps it has, and I’m being nihilistic. But either way, while some of these essays weren’t necessarily ones that I preferred, the collection as a whole was incredibly strong, and I appreciated the diverse set of voices and topics.
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The Passing Playbook by Isaac Fitzsimons

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hopeful reflective 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? Yes

3.5

It’s been about five days since I finished this, and I don’t really remember much? But I think that says more about where I’m at mentally than the actual merit of the book. Overall, this was a sweet book about finding your voice, no matter what. And that’s something I can get behind, even if the dialogue seemed stilted at times.
The Romantic Agenda by Claire Kann

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funny hopeful lighthearted reflective 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? Yes

3.5

A sweet romance book that I was able to fly through! I really enjoyed Joy as a character, and I felt her struggle to come to terms with what she truly wanted internally. I liked, too, how Summer didn’t turn into a one-dimensional villain, too. Overall, a cute romance!
Stars in Your Eyes by Kacen Callender

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dark emotional hopeful 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? Yes

3.5

I think that the author accomplished what they set out to do with this book — tell a story about two flawed men who have to figure out themselves and fall in love along the way. But the way in which it was executed left something to be desired. It felt simultaneously sluggish and rushed, and there was a lot of telling (saying that a non-perspective character did something out of joy or anger or annoyance) instead of showing (an open laugh, pursed lips, grunted vocals).

I think this is an example (for me, at least) of a story with an interesting plot but not-so-interesting writing. It made for a quick read because I wanted to see what would happen next, but I personally had to look over some weird writing annoyances.

Overall, it was simply enjoyable — a lovely, impulsive weekend read, but nothing I’d call home about.
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Heartstopper Volume 5 by Alice Oseman

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Another sweet installment for the Heartstopper series! It was nice seeing Nick struggle between wanting to be there for Charlie and wanting what’s best for himself, and I’m glad he got to finally get to the point where he realized that Charlie has people outside of him. And that his own issues are just as important as Charlie’s. I wish we could see more of the teachers this time around, but alas…

Can’t wait to see how this series is wrapped up!
Chef's Kiss by Jarrett Melendez

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

2.5

Meh, it was okay. I loved seeing Ben’s internal struggle…until we didn’t during the most important part of the story? And there was an entire yoga scene that did not seem to have any purpose. Also, all the characters outside of the MC just seemed so bland. Including the LI! I’m not sure if it’s the fact that it’s a shorter graphic novel or what, but I was not impressed by this. There were a couple things I liked, but overall I found it to be boring. 🤷🏻
Motivational Interviewing for Clinical Practice by

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 38%.
I read a chunk of it for work, but haven’t made it past that. Perhaps I will, in the future.
Trust Exercise by Susan Choi

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

4.0

This was a fascinating book because it’s probably the only one that has made me hate read it for the fast half and then legitimately hooked me in the second half, especially once I figured out why the first half was so bad. It’s such an interesting book that explores themes such as power and perception — the use of the different perspectives was amazing, though I couldn’t quite tell what the use was to switch between 1st and 3rd POV so quickly at times. I kinda wish I had a class to discuss this book with because there are so many layers to it that I can’t fathom. Truly an incredible book, even if it confused me and was a tad hard to get through at times.
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The Doctors Blackwell: How Two Pioneering Sisters Brought Medicine to Women and Women to Medicine by Janice P. Nimura

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challenging slow-paced

1.5

Really wasn’t all that great a book. The writing itself was dry and it tended to jump around quite a bit. I felt like instead of it being a biography on two sisters becoming doctors, it was more like the Elizabeth Show with her sister as a side character. The fact that she (and Emily to an extent) was also of the “rights for me, not for thee” variety of woman made it that much harder to get through this book. The only redeeming quality was the narrator: I did like their voice, even at 2.1x speed.
Red Paint: The Ancestral Autobiography of a Coast Salish Punk by Sasha taqʷšəblu LaPointe

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emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

3.5

An emotional part-memoir, part-ancestral autobiography of a Coast Salish woman and her history of (intergenerational) trauma. It was quick to read through, and while I didn’t feel greatly one way or another about the writing itself, there were still interesting bits throughout.