Anastasia (they / them)
The kind of person to finish a book and reward myself by buying five more... The collection underneath my bed will continue expanding until the day the abyss envelopes me in its crowd of books from genres extending across social science, psychology, gender & sexuality studies, history, wellness, science, and classics. I may not be able to summarize the content of a book, however I can give you a deeply detailed transcript of my inner monologue pertaining to it if you wish.
Though I read this book for the first time when I was sixteen, Myles' voice has stuck with me like a seductive parasite in my head. Their recount of New York in the 70s, unblushing lesbian/queer existence and survival as an artist had (and continues to have) me wholeheartedly captivated.
"Although I can't speak to the quality of the recipes (I have yet to try anything from this book), the images of the food and drinks paired with the stills from the films are so satisfying to flip through. I'm particularly interested in trying out the "Adventureland Stash" drink inspired by the LSD-spiked Sprite in Good Time (2017) as well as the "You've Been Trying to Make Us Try This Tofu" sandwich influenced by But I'm A Cheerleader (1999) - (the image on pg 214 has me foaming at the mouth)."
"I'm glad this book is small enough to carry in my back pocket as I will definitely be referencing it for the foreseeable future. Great for those new to mutual aid as well as people stricken with fear paralysis in a search for actionable ideas."
"In this collection of essays, Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha writes of disability justice, envisioning a world where the long-standing approaches of queer, trans, and BIPOC towards communal [disability] care is acknowledged and implemented. They emphasize the importance of an intersectional approach- leadership concentrated in the hands of those who are most acquainted with the systems of oppression against disabled people in order to free all from these systems. I recommend this as inspiration for re-imagining your own approach toward mutual aid to be inclusive of disability care."
"Imagine traveling through a dark tunnel and finding yourself transported into a world cloaked in darkness. Reading Eileen, I found myself existing inside a photograph from the 1960s, trapped within its vignette. The story of a troubled woman juxtaposed by commentary from her older self with more of a slice-of-life feel than suspense -- if I could, I would court this book."
Though at first I felt disconnected from the narrator due to her close proximity to wealth and beauty, I came to delight in her corrosive nature as the story went on. (I love disgusting, wretched, and incorrigible women). The structure and style are akin to the fleeting sentience of eyes blinking open from a deeply disorienting sleep.
This book is so beautifully done! Gorgeous color-coded illustrations highlight important aspects of Islamic practices and done so that not a single page could be omitted.
"Useful for anyone (monogamous/non-monogamous/single/partnered) trying to form more secure attachments. Using a multi-layered approach, Fern focuses on the importance of creating security through communication and honesty rather than labels and adherence to the status quo."
"A simple and nice attempt at explaining sex and gender non-conforming identities to young children. Probably best paired with other more in-depth materials, but cute nonetheless."
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"This book served as the perfect introduction to Brené Brown's work for me. It is concise, yet dense; expansive, yet simple. I read it pretty quickly, but will continue to refer back to it for the foreseeable future."
"Though so seemingly plain on the surface, I Am Love does a wonderful job of simplifying a concept as complex as healthy relating into just a few pages. I am so glad this exists and wish I had more children in my life that I could gift this to."
"Ace provides a fresh perspective on relationships while challenging the rhetoric of the modern feminist movement and its idea of sexual freedom. With this, Angela Chen invites us to question our societally ingrained beliefs of what an ideal relationship looks like. An essential read for all ace allies and questioning individuals!"