Showing posts with label non-fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label non-fiction. Show all posts

Wednesday 23 February 2022

Review Time! (Graphic Non-Fiction Edition!) - Iranian Love Stories

Warning: This post contains discussions of totalitarian regimes, so-called 'virginity tests', intimate anatomy, misogyny, general human rights abuses, and related topics.



**This post contains Amazon.com (USA) affiliate links. I earn commission from qualifying purchases**




Iranian Love Stories




Iranian Love Stories book cover with an M/F couple kissing surrounded by traditionally-dressed men in clothes that are reminiscent of what mullahs wear
Title: Iranian Love Stories

Author: Jane Deuxard

Artist: Deloupy

Genres: Graphic Novel (Graphic Non-Fiction,) Non-Fiction

Buy Now on Amazon.com  







A Few Starting Notes:



I received a free digital review copy of Iranian Love Stories from Edelweiss, as an opportunity to provide an honest and fair review.

Sunday 30 January 2022

Nerd Church - Of Monsters, Mice, and Men

 

'Monsters exist, but they are too few in number to be truly dangerous. More dangerous are the common men, the functionaries ready to believe and to act without asking questions.'

- Holocaust survivor Primo Levi



Of Monsters, Mice, and Men


Thursday 2 September 2021

Sunday 18 April 2021

Nerd Church - How I Use True Crime Media To Boost My Mental Health (Yes, Really)

 

(Warning: this post discusses true crime, and though it avoids details of murders, it does reference various topics surrounding true crime. This post also discusses Depression/Anxiety.

Any links to other websites may have further details of true crime, though I've tried to avoid anything graphic; I am not responsible for the content on these sites.)


'How I Use True Crime Media To Boost My Mental Health (Yes, Really)' with a notebook and magnifying glass


I find true crime media weirdly helpful with combatting the affects of my mental health problems.

I put true crime shows on the TV sometimes in the evening, to wind down before falling asleep.

I clamour to Netflix true crime to calm my Anxiety.

I watch true crime docs or YouTube videos while I'm working to help me concentrate.


Thursday 13 August 2020

Review Time! - Can Everyone Please Calm Down? by Mae Martin

 ***All Amazon.com links in this post are commission links. This means I earn commission from purchases made in the US*** 

Please do not use my links to make UK purchases.




'Can Everyone Please Calm Down?' written in pink neon against a black background, with a neon-ish rainbow on the right-hand side


Title: Can Everyone Please Calm Down?: A Guide To 21st Century Sexuality 


'Can Everyone Please Calm Down?: A Guide to 21st Century Sexuality' book cover, written with a neon sign effect
Author: Mae Martin

Genre: Non-Fiction, YA (NA crossover appeal), LGBTQ+, Memoir(-ish)

Amazon US




Wednesday 11 March 2020

Month in Review(s) - February 2020



February... I mean, on a personal level, February wasn't too bad.

I had a few colds (and yes, they were colds,) and some bad depression days, but nothing too much.




'February - Chwefror' written on an old-fashioned wooden desk, scattered with hearts, a notebook, and number blocks (1. 4.)




Although *gestures vaguely at the state of the world* I realise that more than a few squares have been crossed off on our apocalypse bingo cards.

But we've been crossing those things off since 2016, so it's probably not that surprising.

And a reminder, my dearest darling nerdlets: where there's life there's hope, and where there's hope, there's life.

Tuesday 25 February 2020

Book Review! - Talk Softly And Carry Your Big Stick With Pride by Ariel Jean Bailey


OMG she still reviews! 😅😎


'Talk Softly and Carry Your Big Stick With Pride' against a Trans flag background (horizontal stripes: blue/pink/white/pink/blue)


 ***All Amazon.com links in this post are commission links. This means I earn commission from purchases made in the US*** 

Please do not use my links to make UK purchases.






Title: Talk Softly And Carry Your Big Stick With Pride:
Talk Softly And Carry Your Big Stick With Pride by Ariel Jean Bailey book cover
The Biology, Sociology, and History of the Gender Spectrum
Author: Ariel Jean Bailey

Genre: Non-Fiction, LGBTQ+ (Trans+/NB+, some Genderqueer+, some Intersex+)


Amazon: USA


Sunday 28 October 2018

Nerd Church - My Real-Life Ghost Stories






It's Halloween on Wednesday... let's make this week's Nerd Church spoopy!




scared Victorian-y chick reading at night in an armchair




Do you believe in ghosts?



I do...

Kind of.

(You know nothing is ever simple with me!)



Tuesday 8 May 2018

Month in Review(s) - April 2018






April... ha, so, what's May lookin' like? 😅







Girl in red coat holding black umbrella with the word 'April' written in the corner







April happened. I lived through it *starts singing I'm still standing by Elton John and doing an incredibly embarrassing dance.*

My grandmother is still in hospital - she went in at the beginning of March - but she's definitely improving. We're basically waiting for a social care package in place so that she can go home, because there's no way my 88-year-old grandfather can take care of her.

And on the last day of April my laptop - which had been hanging on on a wing and a prayer, granted - gave up the ghost.







On the plus side, I reached over 3k Twitter followers in April! I love you guys, really! XD




Sunday 7 January 2018

Nerd Church - 5 Things I Learned From Fire and Fury by Michael Wolff (Without Reading a Word)

'Oh scream, America, scream. Believe what you see. From Heroes and Cons.'






American flag graffiti







We are in the middle of the 21st Century Breakdown.


Unfortunately, I don't think Green Day meant their apocalyptic concept-album to be an instruction manual. *laughs slightly hysterically*



Wednesday 4 October 2017

Month in Review(s) - September 2017

September was a mixed bag.



But then, that's life I suppose! Still, it was my birthday month, so there's that at least ;)


(I ate soooo much pizza and chocolate cake!!!! 🎂🎂🎂🍕🍕🍕😁)









2017 September calendar pic





Wednesday 20 September 2017

Wednesday 7 December 2016

Review! (Graphic Novel Edition!) Rendez-Vous in Phoenix by Tony Sandoval









Title: Rendez-Vous in Phoenix

Author: Tony Sandoval

Genre: Graphic Novels, Autobiography, Non-Fiction, Contemporary

Amazon: UK - USA





A few starting notes:

I received a free digital review copy of this book via NetGalley. NetGalley provides review copies from publishers in exchange for fair and honest reviews.

This looked... intriguing.

And after making my list of graphic novels with Latinx characters, I became aware of just how few of them there are - particularly in terms of #ownvoices graphic novels available in English.





Premise:

Tony's girlfriend is in America. Tony is in Mexico, and can't get a visa. So he decides to do what so many others do, and cross the border illegally.

This graphic novel is based on the creator's true story of crossing the border for love.






Best bits:

Even though this is so short (it's only about 80 pages in all,) the voice is so strong, unique, and authentic, that you will feel thoroughly satisfied by the end.

I love finding new and different voices in graphic novels - and this was so strong!

There's a definite confidence to this - maybe it comes from telling your own story - and that shines through.

It took a little time to get used to the artwork but I really warmed to it after a while.

It's certainly distinct - but with the hint of an air of Belleville Rendez-Vous that maybe comes from the author currently living and working in France, but without the slightly unnerving edge that I've always found that film to have.

This little book is, above all, a love story - a story about humans and love and hope and happiness. And that's beautiful.





Not so great bits:

The art style does take some getting used to it - but as I said in the previous section, I warmed to it.

There's a bunch of swearing and some racial slurs directed at Tony, as well as references to the harrowing journeys of some of the other migrants which may upset some.

My main problem with this book, though, was with the black people, when they featured, being portrayed mainly negatively - as leering criminals lurking in the shadows, for example.

I know that this book is based on personal experience, but I still think that the rep., and the images, could've been tempered - at least a little.

That note did sour things a bit.





Verdict:

In the end, though not perfect, this is a book about hope and love; it's about looking for something better, reaching for the stars; it's about people.

And that's pretty damned awesome.















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Tuesday 6 December 2016

Month in Review(s) - November 2016

November; the month in which the USA decided to make the UK's stupid political choices look relatively intelligent in comparison.

All we did was leave the EU... maybe... with no real plans, and a strong sense that nobody WAS LISTENING TO THE INFO ABOUT WHAT THE F**K THEY WERE VOTING FOR.

America decided to go bigger, and elected Trump. *sighs*











Still, we are so, so, so sorry America. We did let Farage faff around your country spreading his toady hatred by campaigning for Trump.

He's now wrecked two countries and potentially the whole world - maybe we shouldn't have given that man a passport.






But, my dearest nerdlets - if you're scared, if you're feeling hurt or alone, please understand this: THERE ARE PEOPLE ACROSS THIS ENTIRE PLANET WHO LOVE YOU AND ARE THINKING OF YOU. I promise.





On the personal side of things, my depression hasn't been as bad as it was last month (woo!) so that's got to be a good thing.

And my blog hit over 45k pageviews, followed by over 50k pageviews in the early days of December!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!






But what about the books?

Well my nerdlets, here are the books I reviewed in November:





New Adult




Eyes of Persuasion by Adrienne Monson - Novella, Fantasy, Historical Fiction*, Crime*, Romance (M/F)* (*ish)





Adult







God Help the Child by Toni Morrison - contemporary, magic realism* (*ish)
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin - classics (modern,) LGBTQ+ (M/M; M/F)
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller - LGBTQ+ (M/M; M/F,) Mythology, Historical Fiction*, Mythology*, Magic Realism* (*ish)





Graphic Novels




Who Killed Kurt Cobain?: The Story of Boddah by Nicolas Ortero - biography, contemporary, magic realism, non-fiction* (*ish)














Wednesday 16 November 2016

My Diverse Welsh Authors TBR

Okie dokes my dearest nerdlets - it's time to combine two of my obsessions, diverse authors and Welsh authors.

A lot of these actually came from a post on black Welsh authors I read the other day, which I will link to here.











So, I give you my modest TBR list of diverse Welsh authors:




Ash on a Young Man's Sleeve by Dannie Abse

Amazon: UK - US



This is a semi-autobiographical novel by Jewish Welsh author and poet Dannie Abse. If you've never read any of his poetry - go. Go and look it up. Read. READ NOW.







dat's love by Leonora Brito

Amazon: UK - US



This is a short-story collection by a black Cardiffian author, and looks pretty awesome.







Sugar & Slate by Charlotte Williams

Amazon: UK - US



This is an autobiography which explores the intersection of Welsh and Guyanese identities - which sounds pretty cool.







Telling Tales by Patience Agbabi

Amazon: UK - US



This is like a re-telling of The Canterbury Tales I think? So I'd probably better read the original first!







Asylum: Docu-Drama by Eric Ngalle Charles

Amazon: UK




This bills itself as a docu-drama(?) based on the true stories of asylum seekers in Wales.









Vicious by Bevin Magama

Amazon: UK - US



This is an autobiography of a Zimbabwean immigrant to Wales, and the tale of his time in the Zimbabwean military.









Proud by Gareth 'Alfie' Thomas

Amazon: UK - US







This is the autobiography of Welsh rugby star Gareth Thomas - the first professional sportsman in a team sport to come out as gay, national superstar, and nice local boy t'boot.









Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

Amazon: UK - US



I only realised recently that Sarah Waters is Welsh! And I really want to read this, and possibly some of her other books, because F/F historical fiction dammit!!!!











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