libraryoflanelle's reviews
749 reviews

Having really enjoyed ‘The Iliac Crest’ by Cristina Rivera Garza, I was so excited to request this newly translated book from the same author. Unfortunately, this one wasn’t for me. 

 

I had a really hard time getting into the novel and following what was happening. I found myself confused for most of the reading experience. Beyond the main plot, a large portion of the commentary felt somewhat irrelevant to the core story. Sadly, between the highly literary and experimental style and my lack of engagement, I decided to DNF at around 35–40%. 

 

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC. All opinions are my own. 

Model Home follows Ezri, their family, and their childhood home… On one hand, the escalation of suspense and relentless unknowns feel reminiscent of traditional haunted house stories. But in every other way, this book shatters the previously established ‘rules’ of the genre. The eerie occurrences tied to the home become increasingly real, raw, and terrifying as more is revealed, blurring the line between psychological and supernatural horror.

Rivers weaves together themes of intergenerational trauma, rigid gender ‘norms’, racial violence, and the neurodivergent experience in a neurotypical world in a truly mind-blowing way. The depth and complexity of these intersections are so powerful that many connections didn’t fully click for me until the latter part of the book. The way these themes are integrated into the horror elements makes for an unsettling yet deeply resonant reading experience.

I found the atmosphere of Model Home particularly striking. The house itself becomes a character, twisting and shifting right along with the realisations that Rivers slowly reveals to the reader. The writing is immersive and haunting, making even the seemingly more mundane moments fraught with tension.

This is the third book I’ve read by Rivers, and my goodness, I will forever read everything fae write, the storytelling is just that captivating. Rivers has an incredible talent for crafting engaging narratives that pull you in completely, making it feel almost impossible to put the book down. Similarly to Rivers’ previous books, the characters are so incredibly well-developed, with relationships that feel deeply complex, and emotionally charged in ways that mirror real life.

As always, be sure to check the trigger and content warnings before diving in, as Rivers does not shy away from difficult and intense themes. 

Thanks to Random House UK and NetGalley for the e-arc. All opinions are my own.

Frighten the Horses is, on the surface, an account of a trans man coming out after decades of struggle. Oliver shares how he grappled with day to day difficulties and even physical illness caused by striving to be the person society told him he was supposed to be. This memoir is far more than a coming-out story. It’s rare to find a book that makes you feel as though you’re not just reading, but living within its pages. Frighten the Horses is one of the most captivating and unputdownable memoirs I have ever encountered.

Oliver’s storytelling and the way he structures his narrative create an experience so immersive and powerful that I found it nearly impossible to put the book down. This memoir is an emotional rollercoaster in the best possible way, from trans joy that leaps off the page, often creeping up on the reader in the most tender and unexpected moments, to entire chapters I read with a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. Oliver has an outstanding ability to pull the reader alongside him through every triumph and heartbreak. His portrayal of both his family and his chosen family is breathtaking, at times beautiful, at others deeply painful, but always honest and deeply felt. I know I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time to come.

My one critique is the use of sanist language in one instance. When describing sorting his possessions into piles, the author refers to his home as looking like it belonged to ‘the demented hoarders in E.L. Doctorow’s Homer and Langley’. Not being personally familiar with the Collyer brothers, I was disappointed to find that the author chose to refer to two real people with very real mental health disorders as ‘demented’. This moment felt out of place in an otherwise deeply thoughtful and compassionate book.

Overall, I would widely recommend this insightful and necessary memoir. As always, be sure to check Content and Trigger Warnings before diving in. 

Thanks to NetGalley and Atlantic Books for the e-ARC. All opinions are my own.

Expansive Love is so much more than a practical guide to relationship anarchy; I would argue it is an essential read for anyone in a relationship of any kind (read: all of us). I’m so grateful to Tuck for bringing together such a wealth of knowledge in this one resource. I really admired how much time Tuck spent grounding knowledge in the places it belongs, in particular how well they reiterated that white supremacy is at the root of many of the dysfunctional ways we are taught to approach relationships, in direct opposition to how Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities have long understood and practiced connection. 

I deeply appreciated the grounding check-ins throughout including frequent reflection prompting questions on what you as the reader are feeling and imagining as you read. These moments helped me stay engaged, and though I didn’t always put pen to paper, they encouraged me to mentally interact with the book in a way I might not have otherwise. It is evident that Tuck lives and breathes relationships, both personally and as a coach. While reading, I felt grounded and held, which is such a beautiful experience. Be prepared to come away from this book with an abundance of additional resources and thought experiments to implement in your own life.

Thanks to Jessica Kingsley Publishers and NetGalley for the e-arc. All opinions are my own.

The Edge of Water is one of those books that completely pulls you in, immersing you in its world until you become utterly enraptured. Olufunke Grace Bankole has so intentionally and tenderly crafted every single character that I found myself deeply invested, not just in the overarching narrative but in each individual life. 

Told in the shape of shells, the novel is framed by the perspective of Iyanifa, a priestess and guide, as she introduces us to the interwoven stories of three generations of Nigerian women. From a traumatised and unrelenting Esther to her daughter, Amina, who is determined to carve out a life as different from her mother’s as possible, and finally to Laila, who pieces together her own story while grappling with the weight of intergenerational trauma and tragedy. Their experiences and those of the people around them, though distinct, come together so perfectly.

One of the most striking elements of the novel is its masterful use of water imagery. It is ever-present and immersive, yet never overdone. There were moments when I had to pause, reread, and simply let certain sentences wash over me, pulling me deeper into the story. I need to get my hands on a physical copy to annotate and revisit!

This story does explore some deeply painful and challenging themes, I strongly recommend checking content warnings before diving in. Bankole weaves intergenerational trauma into the narrative with such incredible intention and authenticity.

Though it took me a few chapters to fully grasp the novel’s structure - told through ‘shells in the shape of’ - I absolutely loved how purposeful this was within the wider context of the story. The way certain moments, experiences, and emotions echoed throughout the story was equally as  heart-warming as it was heart-breaking. By the end, everything came full circle in the most subtle yet deeply satisfying way.

I am so grateful to Olufunke Grace Bankole for sharing this story with us. It was an honour to spend time in this world, and I cannot wait for others to experience, learn from, and find pieces of themselves within these pages.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tin House for the e-arc. All opinions are my own.

This was my first time reading from Sophie Lewis and as someone who is very interested in her areas of specialty, I was really looking forward to it! Sadly this particular book wasn’t for me. I DNF’d around 30%. Enemy Feminisms is definitely going to be a perfect place to start or continue learning for those newer to reading about the incredibly varied and scary versions of ‘feminism’ in society today. 

I still plan to read Sophie Lewis’ previous shorter books on Family Abolition as this is where my initial interest in Lewis’ works began. I have a strong hope that this will be more successful for me. I couldn't help but feel that Enemy Feminisms was perhaps a little too broad in its scope and page count. It often felt to me like information was purposely ‘bulked up’ by the author’s attempts to centre the historical information in current cultural context and to reiterate and rephrase information. Unfortunately, this writing style didn’t work for me personally. 

I am excited to try another of Sophie Lewis’ books and I truly hope this evidently well researched labour of love finds its ideal audience once it’s out in the world.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc. All opinions are my own.