Sometimes books don't need a global scope to get their message across. The Cruelty of Nice Folks focuses on Minnesota, and Ellis' experiences of growing up, and those of his family. It speaks of community, but also hardship, discrimination, and the struggle of survival in society poised to keep one "in their lane." Both emotionally resonant, and informative, Nice Folks features a wealth of quotes and sources, while also remaining incredibly personal. It's at times a challenging read, accessibly written, but also requires acknowledgement that even when racism isn't overt and buried under "Minnesota Nice", it's still there, and the impacts are still incredibly deep and destructive. I'd absolutely recommend this book to those interested in history, or memoirs. It features a description of the George Floyd murder, but also on Floyd as a person, and community member, not just a victim of police violence. The epilogue covers the recent events involving ICE in Minnesota, and leaves us with the question, what now? This isn't a book that promises to give all the solutions, but one that tries to make sure the reader is better informed and encourages them to dig deeper.

Oh boy, where do I even start? I’ll begin with the good, because it’s a much shorter list. When the Moon Hatched has some truly unique ideas and ambitious worldbuilding. Unfortunately, it’s dreadfully overwritten, has one of the most irritating protagonists I’ve ever seen in a book, a glut of meaningless plot points, and some of the most convoluted writing I’d ever seen. I’d be less disappointed if there wasn’t so much potential.

Holy crap, this book has most purple prose I’d ever read, and they do not know how to write it—making every sentence a struggle to even comprehend. Pile on enough and you just get nonsense, and don’t worry! WTMH has plenty. This is also just a me thing, but using one word sentences for emphasis annoys me, and WTMH had some particularly egregious examples. See. How. Irritating. This. Is? It’s a shame, because the dragons are an original take, but it’s not worth 550 pages of meaningless prose.