mesy_mark's reviews
742 reviews

The Music of Dolphins by Karen Hesse

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

4.25

 A remberance from childhood

I first read this book young. Talk of feral children and who's property they are to is some that went over my head.what I did notice that the text changed from simple wording to more complex as Mila became more human.

And now that I have read this as an adult I still enjoy it. This time thinking of Genie a actual wild child who was loved by the researches working with her. And makes me wonder if this case was as inspiration for this book

Overall it is a quick enjoyable read 
The Inside Scoop on Eating Disorder Recovery: Advice from Two Therapists Who Have Been There by Jennifer Rollin, Colleen Reichmann

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informative medium-paced

2.5

This book had some issues and could have used an edit or two.  It is a HAES-focused book in two of the chapters and had some good advice but even with that I didn't feel like it was for me.  As someone with an ED, I just didn't click with what this book was saying.  It could have been the cringe text or how I felt this mainly focuses on those who restrict.
Chlorine by Jade Song

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

3.25

This was dark body horror.  And I was disturbed by the rawness of the text but liked it  Wren splitting into madness while Cathy, her friend snd who is in love with wren, voice is peppered in to give some text.   Wow is all I can say about this book.
Rainbow History Class: Your Guide Through Queer and Trans History by Hannah McElhinney

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hopeful informative lighthearted medium-paced

3.25

 Class has begun

Queer history, where would you learn it? In this book you can. Starting with gay solders in the Greek era to the internet days, for once the focus is all queer. I like learning about a history that was never introduced to me. It's like a whole different world was going on but really it was just straight/his washed I learned.

There is the history of slected people fundamental to the movement and chunks on history queered. A balancing between the two plus images to break up text . Nice simple to understand I liked this casual read. 
Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity by

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challenging informative reflective medium-paced

3.5

I listened to this second edition of the book by the author, which was printed over ten years ago.  This has impacted the text as time has changed on many fronts for the transgender community.  Still, the chance to define terms as one knows of is important to gain access to this text is something done well.  I saw the points of Serano. I am seeing the heightened sexualization of trans women (damned if they dress femme or damned if dressing masc)  To the feminism that wishes to side away from the group.  I see the way the queer or trans+ movement is starting to rise probably as a backlash has been trying to eliminate the diversity for an assimilation into a more conventional box.  As a queer trans man,  I have seen this section of the community grow.

Overall I am impressed with this text because it mainly focuses on the trans women's side maybe in part. After all, trans men can pass as men, femme is highly stigmatized, or a combination of these factors and others.   She writes in a clear understanding way that since jargon was broken down across the first few pages, it was easy to follow her observations and points throughout.
I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself by Marisa Crane

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

3.0

This is amn intresting book where an additional showdown is bestowed upon a person who has committed a crime.  Our MC lost her wife, Bo, when their daughter was born.  The kid now has a showdown since birth.

I listened to this book and it felt like i was listening as if I was being talked to by the MC.  It is a sad book and I didn't quite understand all this dystopian was but still wanted to get to the end of it.
Forever and A Day: a Those Who Wait story by Haley Cass

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lighthearted relaxing
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

In this novella, we return to our two MCs and they live their life together.  Even though this was a slow-paced book it still felt like a hight of life happens rather than like the first book where we seen a long time frame.  It is still good and all.  I also didn't care for the narrator in this edition due to being unable to different between our two MCs voices
Ana on the Edge by A.J. Sass

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lighthearted reflective 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? Yes

3.25

In this figure skating theme book comes Ana who, to help out with the cost of skating, teaches as an aid at the rink and discovers something internally in her when she meets a trans boy named Hayden.  

This book is a coming-out book set with Ana, a twelve-year-old who is doing excellent in the rink till her new program just isn't feeling her and she doesn't know why.  And on top of that, her outfit for her program is a dress.  l like how Ana already had some inclines something was different about her and her happenstance way of discovering who she is over time.  Also for supporting parents and the environment.  As I listened to this book, the narrator was in a feminine voice and captured the self-realization well and things in the book well.  The narrator's voice was easy to listen to and clear and understandable.

It is a nice coming out story
Queer Ducks (and Other Animals): The Natural World of Animal Sexuality by Eliot Schrefer

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funny informative lighthearted

3.25

 
Here For The Queer

There are queer animals ans as I learned a lot of bisexuality. And science try to hide it but some articles and facts are getting out. I liked the comic panels as lulls between scientific text. And that text is accessible to a broad category of people due to writing for the common man. It was interesting to see the queer in the animal Kingdom.



Marriage to Kitsune-Sama by Ken Homerun

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

3.0

 

 
This book is about a fox and a boy to be wed, but a curse placed on the fox casts doubt they ever will. It is a good story that was a little boring at times but overall an easy read. I liked the characters and the art depicting them as the desire that our fox and boy are devoted to each other.