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ambershelf's Reviews (1.3k)
ALC from Netgalley
In this incisive essay collection, Hedva expands upon their groundbreaking "Sick Woman Theory" that reframes illness as a social experience. Opposing the definition of care in a capitalist society where giving and taking are tallied, Hedva proposes care as a revolutionary act that builds a community in which one's body is detached from its value to earn profit. I love everything about this book. Hedva holds nothing back in their indictment of our ableism by blending family stories, medical journeys, and cultural criticism. DIE is a paradigm-shifting collection on disability and easily one of my top reads of the year.
In this incisive essay collection, Hedva expands upon their groundbreaking "Sick Woman Theory" that reframes illness as a social experience. Opposing the definition of care in a capitalist society where giving and taking are tallied, Hedva proposes care as a revolutionary act that builds a community in which one's body is detached from its value to earn profit. I love everything about this book. Hedva holds nothing back in their indictment of our ableism by blending family stories, medical journeys, and cultural criticism. DIE is a paradigm-shifting collection on disability and easily one of my top reads of the year.
gifted by the publisher
combining memoir and cultural criticism, OD explores Asian American identity at the intersection of gender, class, and immigration. I love the sections about complex mother-daughter relationships, where Cheng contemplates aging as a daughter and mother alongside the women in her family. Her reflection on one's mortality and legacy, as she battles cancer, is another aspect I sincerely appreciate. On the other hand, I find the essays about race a bit surface-level and self-indulgent. At times, I feel Cheng is writing for an audience who's never met an Asian person, and thus relying on the model minority stereotypes to make us more palatable. The subtitle of OD is "How I Stopped Being a Model Minority," and quite frankly, I think the book did the opposite in showing why we need to be a model minority so we can afford million-dollar houses and become tenured professors. Overall, I love the memoir portion of OD, but some racial discussions lack depth
combining memoir and cultural criticism, OD explores Asian American identity at the intersection of gender, class, and immigration. I love the sections about complex mother-daughter relationships, where Cheng contemplates aging as a daughter and mother alongside the women in her family. Her reflection on one's mortality and legacy, as she battles cancer, is another aspect I sincerely appreciate. On the other hand, I find the essays about race a bit surface-level and self-indulgent. At times, I feel Cheng is writing for an audience who's never met an Asian person, and thus relying on the model minority stereotypes to make us more palatable. The subtitle of OD is "How I Stopped Being a Model Minority," and quite frankly, I think the book did the opposite in showing why we need to be a model minority so we can afford million-dollar houses and become tenured professors. Overall, I love the memoir portion of OD, but some racial discussions lack depth
3.75/5 gifted by the publisher
an introductory read for non-disabled readers, TAAM offers a practical framework for those unfamiliar with disability literature to dismantle their abelism. I particularly appreciate the checklist at the end of each chapter, where Yu outlines helpful and not harmful steps for those who want to be better allies. Some sections that I find incredibly educational include how to speak up as an alley where call-ins could work more effectively than call-outs, analysis of stories surrounding disabled people and a checklist to consider if these tales are exploitative, and how to ask better questions as non-disabled folks to help change our mindsets
an introductory read for non-disabled readers, TAAM offers a practical framework for those unfamiliar with disability literature to dismantle their abelism. I particularly appreciate the checklist at the end of each chapter, where Yu outlines helpful and not harmful steps for those who want to be better allies. Some sections that I find incredibly educational include how to speak up as an alley where call-ins could work more effectively than call-outs, analysis of stories surrounding disabled people and a checklist to consider if these tales are exploitative, and how to ask better questions as non-disabled folks to help change our mindsets
3.75/5 gifted by the publisher
What I loved
-the setting of the world ending while different characters try to find their peace with it
-the writing is easy to read and strikes a great balance between lit fic that doesn’t feel overly melodramatic
-the magical realism with ghosts is a very fun angle. Idk if others will appreciate it but I love how weird it is especially when describing roach ghost sex
What I loved
-the setting of the world ending while different characters try to find their peace with it
-the writing is easy to read and strikes a great balance between lit fic that doesn’t feel overly melodramatic
-the magical realism with ghosts is a very fun angle. Idk if others will appreciate it but I love how weird it is especially when describing roach ghost sex
4.5/5 gifted by the publisher
Absolutely haunting recounting of wrongful convictions. I really appreciate the details the authors went into, not just the legal aspects of each cases, but also provides overall systemic issues within the justice system (be it racism, contaminated witnesses, shoddy science, unethical police practices etc)
What is terrifying is that regardless of how much better science has become, it seems that the justice system largely depends on a few people’s opinions and gut feelings to sway a case one way or another. Like there are several cases when given a no match in DNA testing, the prosecutors are then persuaded there must be accomplices (rather than they have the wrong person/people)
A worthwhile read that is deeply unsettling to say the least
Absolutely haunting recounting of wrongful convictions. I really appreciate the details the authors went into, not just the legal aspects of each cases, but also provides overall systemic issues within the justice system (be it racism, contaminated witnesses, shoddy science, unethical police practices etc)
What is terrifying is that regardless of how much better science has become, it seems that the justice system largely depends on a few people’s opinions and gut feelings to sway a case one way or another. Like there are several cases when given a no match in DNA testing, the prosecutors are then persuaded there must be accomplices (rather than they have the wrong person/people)
A worthwhile read that is deeply unsettling to say the least