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bashsbooks's reviews
207 reviews
A Comprehensive Guide to Intersex by Jay Kyle Petersen
informative
reflective
medium-paced
2.75
I was so excited to read this book... and found myself profoundly disappointed once I cracked it open.
Petersen's best writing in A Comprehensive Guide To Intersex were his personal experiences, which give the reader a sense that he is an authority on the subject and reveal how abstract ideas of discrimination are put into play, and the aspects of the text that were purely medically informative or resource driven - like the second chapter, which details all known intersex variations.
Unfortunately, beyond these two aspects, Petersen's book is bad in a myriad of way - both objectively to the general reader and subjectively to my personal understanding of sex and gender. I'll start with the objective: this book is in DESPERATE need of an editor. I usually don't like to be nitpicky about things like punctation and grammar, but this text is so medically dense that the misapplication these two things made it difficult to read sometimes. Subjectively, Petersen seems overly committed to pre-birth causes of intersex identity, fetus and embryos, and God - I fail to see, for example, why it matters if something happens after birth to make someone physically between sexes (like an accident or contaminate or some similiar event). Also, to the commitment that intersex and transgender are always and wholly distinct - as someone who is both, I find that bizarre.
Petersen's best writing in A Comprehensive Guide To Intersex were his personal experiences, which give the reader a sense that he is an authority on the subject and reveal how abstract ideas of discrimination are put into play, and the aspects of the text that were purely medically informative or resource driven - like the second chapter, which details all known intersex variations.
Unfortunately, beyond these two aspects, Petersen's book is bad in a myriad of way - both objectively to the general reader and subjectively to my personal understanding of sex and gender. I'll start with the objective: this book is in DESPERATE need of an editor. I usually don't like to be nitpicky about things like punctation and grammar, but this text is so medically dense that the misapplication these two things made it difficult to read sometimes. Subjectively, Petersen seems overly committed to pre-birth causes of intersex identity, fetus and embryos, and God - I fail to see, for example, why it matters if something happens after birth to make someone physically between sexes (like an accident or contaminate or some similiar event). Also, to the commitment that intersex and transgender are always and wholly distinct - as someone who is both, I find that bizarre.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Sexism, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, and Child abuse
Minor: Abortion
-Intersexism
The Prospects by KT Hoffman
hopeful
lighthearted
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? No
4.0
I will admit, I was initially skeptical about The Prospects. I'm not a huge romance guy - or a huge sports guy, for that matter. But it was recommended by a nonbinary friend, so I thought I'd give it a shot. And I'm glad that I did!
I thought Gene and Luis - and many of the supporting characters as well - were good people with realistic nuances, hangups, and moments of frustration. I was interested in the baseball aspect purely through Hoffman's obvious affection and passion for the sport. And I was very pleasantly surprised to see explicit gay trans sex, which I am not used to finding in published work outside of very specific erotica, so that was a treat.
I thought Gene and Luis - and many of the supporting characters as well - were good people with realistic nuances, hangups, and moments of frustration. I was interested in the baseball aspect purely through Hoffman's obvious affection and passion for the sport. And I was very pleasantly surprised to see explicit gay trans sex, which I am not used to finding in published work outside of very specific erotica, so that was a treat.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Transphobia, Death of parent, and Classism
Queen Takes Rose by Katee Robert
emotional
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? No
3.75
Queen Takes Rose was hot, loved the sex scenes. Roberts is very good at describing steamy, kinky lesbian sex. It teased at an interesting wider universe that I am mildly compelled to check out. And I was mostly able to suspend my disbelief at the more outlandish aspects of the book (a stonecold bitch like Malone falling in love in ten days? okay, sure).
That said, the conflict was weak at some points and strange at others. And the ending definitely felt quite rushed - Aurora dealt with her shit FAST.
That said, the conflict was weak at some points and strange at others. And the ending definitely felt quite rushed - Aurora dealt with her shit FAST.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Death of parent
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Violence, and Grief
Minor: Alcohol and War
-Coma
Creep: Accusations and Confessions by Myriam Gurba
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Creep is an explosive and precise examination of abuse, one that challenges readers on their preconceived notions of who's a "good" guy, and who's a "bad" one. Full of nuance and humor, Gurba expertly threads her experiences through the eye of much larger societal issues. This essay collection is not for the faint of heart - Gurba is not one to mince words - but if you can stomach the content, it's well-worth the read.
Also, I read the audiobooks, which Gurba narrated herself. She gives the intended inflection of each word, even getting choked up at one point. And there is a little bell noise to coincide with line breaks, which I enjoyed.
My favorite essays were: "Locas," "Mitote," "Slimed," "Itchy," and the three-part, titular "Creep."
Also, I read the audiobooks, which Gurba narrated herself. She gives the intended inflection of each word, even getting choked up at one point. And there is a little bell noise to coincide with line breaks, which I enjoyed.
My favorite essays were: "Locas," "Mitote," "Slimed," "Itchy," and the three-part, titular "Creep."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Bullying, Infidelity, Stalking, Murder, and Cultural appropriation
Minor: Biphobia, Child abuse, Child death, Pedophilia, and Religious bigotry
The Last of August by Brittany Cavallaro
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
The Last of August is a fine sequel to A Study in Charlotte. Like most sequels, it struggles to live up to the promises of its predecessor. Jamie's voice, the strongest aspect of the writing, keeps up its fun and engaging qualities. August is a cool and interesting character. But the mystery and its consequences were much less engaging, for whatever reason. Maybe it was doing too much?
I'll still probably read the other two, since I have them.
I'll still probably read the other two, since I have them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Classism
Minor: Eating disorder, Rape, Sexual violence, and Suicide
Talk Money to Me: The 8 Numbers to Discuss with Your Partner by Jason Tartick
Did not finish book. Stopped at 23%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 23%.
Tartick's writing style is obnoxious.
Illness as Metaphor and AIDS and Its Metaphors by Susan Sontag
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
I want to start by being perfectly honest: it has been several years since I've engaged with this level of critical analysis, and I listened to this audiobook very quickly over the course of two workdays. I've already decided that I will need to reread it again in the future and that I definitely did not understand all of it.
What I did understand, however, was very good. Sontag's overarching thesis - that metaphorizing illness leads to moralization, which inevitably leads to stigma against the ill - made a lot of sense to me, even before she whipped out her copious evidence. I didn't realize the degree to which cancer used to be stigmatized; my mother had breast cancer in 2017, and from what I could tell, her experience was quite different from Sontag's experiences/observations - although, with Sontag's assistance, I can see the echos of that stigma today (especially in the combative metaphors that still fly around cancer - "survivor," "lost a long battle," etc.). The thread of the military metaphor into the AIDS conversation was thus probably the easiest for me to follow.
I can't help but wonder what Sontag would've had to say, had she lived to see the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. I have a feeling she would've been the rhetorical equivalent of that one Oprah gif where Oprah looks at the camera knowingly and shrugs like, "What did I tell you?"
What I did understand, however, was very good. Sontag's overarching thesis - that metaphorizing illness leads to moralization, which inevitably leads to stigma against the ill - made a lot of sense to me, even before she whipped out her copious evidence. I didn't realize the degree to which cancer used to be stigmatized; my mother had breast cancer in 2017, and from what I could tell, her experience was quite different from Sontag's experiences/observations - although, with Sontag's assistance, I can see the echos of that stigma today (especially in the combative metaphors that still fly around cancer - "survivor," "lost a long battle," etc.). The thread of the military metaphor into the AIDS conversation was thus probably the easiest for me to follow.
I can't help but wonder what Sontag would've had to say, had she lived to see the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. I have a feeling she would've been the rhetorical equivalent of that one Oprah gif where Oprah looks at the camera knowingly and shrugs like, "What did I tell you?"
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Cancer, Chronic illness, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racism, Terminal illness, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
-Illness generally, though she focuses mostly on TB, cancer, AIDS, leprosy, and general mental illness.
the princess saves herself in this one by Amanda Lovelace
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
0.5
the princess saves herself in this one and its sequels are poetry books I've heard about for years, and they've been on my TBR for just as long. As a poet and vast consumer of poetry myself, when I tell people I like poetry, they're liable to say that this is the only poetry they've read and/or enjoyed lately.
Now that I have read the princess saves herself in this one, I find that to be a deeply disappointing thing to hear.
Lovelace's poetry is juvenile and saccharine, melodramatic in an uninspired and unoriginal way. She seems to think that clever wordplay is the only tool in poetry's bag. There is no sense of specificity in her imagery (on the rare occasion she describes something enough for it to be imagined), no room for readers to draw their own meaning, and no escape from the cliché and heavy-trodden.
Much like her poetry, Lovelace's politics are not particularly groundbreaking, either. They're not bad, she's on the right track, but they're as juvenile as the writing itself. I mean, seriously, hailing this as a great feminist text when she still appears to be in the 101 level of her understanding is frankly embarrassing.
I give this one a lower rating than usual for bad poetry books because 1) Lovelace considers herself a poet by trade and 2) because it has done irreparable damage to poetry as a form since its popularization. I'm all about loving a shitty piece of writing (ask me how I feel about My Immortal) but let's be honest about quality, please. (Personally, I don't even think this book has enough substance to be bad in an interesting way, but if you've found it, more power to you.)
Also, I can see now that this text heavily inspired Megan Fox's Pretty Boys Are Poisonous and can't help but think the popularity of Lovelace's work have something to do with how Fox's ended up so badly.
Now that I have read the princess saves herself in this one, I find that to be a deeply disappointing thing to hear.
Lovelace's poetry is juvenile and saccharine, melodramatic in an uninspired and unoriginal way. She seems to think that clever wordplay is the only tool in poetry's bag. There is no sense of specificity in her imagery (on the rare occasion she describes something enough for it to be imagined), no room for readers to draw their own meaning, and no escape from the cliché and heavy-trodden.
Much like her poetry, Lovelace's politics are not particularly groundbreaking, either. They're not bad, she's on the right track, but they're as juvenile as the writing itself. I mean, seriously, hailing this as a great feminist text when she still appears to be in the 101 level of her understanding is frankly embarrassing.
I give this one a lower rating than usual for bad poetry books because 1) Lovelace considers herself a poet by trade and 2) because it has done irreparable damage to poetry as a form since its popularization. I'm all about loving a shitty piece of writing (ask me how I feel about My Immortal) but let's be honest about quality, please. (Personally, I don't even think this book has enough substance to be bad in an interesting way, but if you've found it, more power to you.)
Also, I can see now that this text heavily inspired Megan Fox's Pretty Boys Are Poisonous and can't help but think the popularity of Lovelace's work have something to do with how Fox's ended up so badly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Transphobia, Grief, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, and Fire/Fire injury
The tagged warnings are listed the front of the book, along with these untaggable ones:
-Trauma
-Menstruation
The Klansman's Son: My Journey from White Nationalism to Antiracism by R. Derek Black
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.5
As one might expect from a book titled The Klansman's Son, this is an intense read. Black is meticulous in outlining his youth as well as the tenets of white nationalism, giving the reader as much context as possible for understanding how their life was, and how they have changed and grown into who they are today. The amount of work they've done in unlearning their family's beliefs and getting directly involved in combating those beliefs is, frankly, hard for me to fathom even after hearing them explain it. They're clearly very conscious and thoughtful, as their phrasings seemed deliberate without coming across as disingenuous. As someone with a conservative family that I've tried to break from and speak out against (though my family is nowhere near as prolific or right-wing as Black's), I related to much of the shame, guilt, and avoidance that they discussed, and I found their experiences to be inspiring to help me move beyond my past within those beliefs and toward a more inclusive and antibigoted future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Mass/school shootings, and Colonisation
Minor: Child death and Pandemic/Epidemic
-Death threats & threats of violence, including against children
XOXO, Cody: An Opinionated Homosexual's Guide to Self-Love, Relationships, and Tactful Pettiness by Cody Rigsby
funny
reflective
fast-paced
3.0
I consider myself a connoisseur of memoirs at this point. I feel like I've read enough of them to sort them into rough categories, and the most common category is "famous person who is famous for something unrelated to writing and doesn't know the difference between self-help book and memoir." I think a little-known fact about memoirs is that the best ones reveal human messiness without trying to instruct the readers in any particular direction - the common type I described is generally the exact opposite of that.
I have also found that, while I prefer a good memoir (as defined above) over all, I do enjoy these mediocre common memoirs. And I'm pleased to announce that Cody Rigsby has created the platonic ideal of this common type. It's got everything - self-help interludes that he can justify through his experience at Pelaton, no real expectation of fame prior to stumbling into it, a backstory could potential delve into the arena of showing human messiness, but doesn't, because Rigsby isn't a writer by trade and is unwilling to bear himself and his loved ones like that (Which, no shade, I completely understand why he does that. Just because it keeps the book from being technically The Best doesn't mean it wasn't the best choice for his life.)
Also, Rigsby's experience giving completely solicited advice made that aspect of the book 1) way more tolerable and 2) inclusive of some advice that was actually good. Don't get me wrong, some of the advice was actually terrible (the capitalism simping was very cringe and some of us are capable of fucking our friends without fucking our lives), but some of it was pretty fantastic, and Rigsby comes off as a pretty reflective and thoughtful guy, despite his boisterous and brash persona.
I have also found that, while I prefer a good memoir (as defined above) over all, I do enjoy these mediocre common memoirs. And I'm pleased to announce that Cody Rigsby has created the platonic ideal of this common type. It's got everything - self-help interludes that he can justify through his experience at Pelaton, no real expectation of fame prior to stumbling into it, a backstory could potential delve into the arena of showing human messiness, but doesn't, because Rigsby isn't a writer by trade and is unwilling to bear himself and his loved ones like that (Which, no shade, I completely understand why he does that. Just because it keeps the book from being technically The Best doesn't mean it wasn't the best choice for his life.)
Also, Rigsby's experience giving completely solicited advice made that aspect of the book 1) way more tolerable and 2) inclusive of some advice that was actually good. Don't get me wrong, some of the advice was actually terrible (the capitalism simping was very cringe and some of us are capable of fucking our friends without fucking our lives), but some of it was pretty fantastic, and Rigsby comes off as a pretty reflective and thoughtful guy, despite his boisterous and brash persona.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Mental illness, Alcohol, and Classism
Moderate: Death, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Death of parent
-Poverty and the traumatic consequences of poverty