crybabybea
i'm Leah (or bea) :) she/her; 26yo librarian from the US 𩷠aiming to never stop learning. chronic over-analyzer. big fan of crying
24450 points
crybabybea commented on a post
I am so excited!!! I have heard amazing things about this and I'm in my sci-fi fantasy era this year :D
1crybabybea commented on a post
crybabybea commented on punkerella's update
punkerella started reading...
Elite Capture: How the Powerful Took Over Identity Politics (And Everything Else)
OlĂşfáşšĚmi O. TĂĄĂwò
6crybabybea commented on crybabybea's update
crybabybea started reading...
Punch Me Up to the Gods
Brian Broome
3crybabybea started reading...
Punch Me Up to the Gods
Brian Broome
3crybabybea commented on crybabybea's review of What Moves the Dead (Sworn Soldier, #1)
This was a super atmospheric, claustrophobic gothic story.
Though I haven't read The Fall of the House of Usher, the inspiration from Poe is pronounced and clear. Some imagery and creepy scenes felt plucked right out of his stories, especially the overwhelming feeling of madness and hysteria that slowly descends as the story goes on. I'm not the biggest fan of Poe, so I enjoyed when Kingfisher leaned on more outwardly eerie elements with the fungal horror and zombified fauna.
For such a short book, it takes a long time for the story to actually get going. I appreciated the setup for what it was, relying on a gloomy mood and mysterious scenes, but I felt like I wanted just a bit more something to happen. However, Kingfisher's writing overall is consistent and evocative, she really knows how to set the mood and immerse you into each scene. Her sense of dry humor and the witty dialogue really fit well with the story, though it's not something I personally enjoy a lot of.
I struggled to get through this and ended up feeling very meh with not much to say. Very moody, dreary, and slow-paced. Super interested in reading more of Kingfisher's works since I did enjoy her writing!
5crybabybea commented on crybabybea's update
crybabybea finished reading and wrote a review...
This was a super atmospheric, claustrophobic gothic story.
Though I haven't read The Fall of the House of Usher, the inspiration from Poe is pronounced and clear. Some imagery and creepy scenes felt plucked right out of his stories, especially the overwhelming feeling of madness and hysteria that slowly descends as the story goes on. I'm not the biggest fan of Poe, so I enjoyed when Kingfisher leaned on more outwardly eerie elements with the fungal horror and zombified fauna.
For such a short book, it takes a long time for the story to actually get going. I appreciated the setup for what it was, relying on a gloomy mood and mysterious scenes, but I felt like I wanted just a bit more something to happen. However, Kingfisher's writing overall is consistent and evocative, she really knows how to set the mood and immerse you into each scene. Her sense of dry humor and the witty dialogue really fit well with the story, though it's not something I personally enjoy a lot of.
I struggled to get through this and ended up feeling very meh with not much to say. Very moody, dreary, and slow-paced. Super interested in reading more of Kingfisher's works since I did enjoy her writing!
5crybabybea wants to read...
Watchmen
Alan Moore
0crybabybea commented on a post
Post from the What Moves the Dead (Sworn Soldier, #1) forum
crybabybea commented on a post
hello Pagebound friends! i inherited this quest from our founder, Lucy. while i don't know her original criteria for choosing the first 40 books, i've come up with some general guidelines that i think this quest should follow. this is going to be a bit of a long-winded post but i wanted to let everyone know my thought process going forward!
since the title of this quest specifically highlights "Critically Acclaimed", and based on the books that are already included, this will be the general criteria for now:
⢠positive reviews from respected critics or publications ⢠awards and nominations ⢠commonly included on "best of" or other similar lists ⢠scholarly attention, such as the book being referenced in academic discussions, essays, or scholarly literary analysis ⢠longevity & relevance, meaning memoirs that continue to be relevant to cultural and professional discussion across a long period of time
however! there are some caveats that i think need to be mentioned.
i think there is room for some variation considering how common freelance book critique is on the internet, how influential online critique/reviewing has become, and how the internet has expanded literary circles.
i also think it's important to recognize that marginalized authors often do not receive the same amount of professional literary praise as non-marginalized authors. awards and mainstream critics & publications historically favor white, Western, often cis male authors, and marginalized authors often get fewer or less serious reviews. on top of that, there are many publishing barriers in place for marginalized authors that mean their books often don't get marketed widely and their work is often overlooked, or sometimes strategically suppressed or banned.
because of these issues, i will also take into consideration things like: ⢠consistency, as in the book receives praise from multiple sources and not just virality ⢠cultural impact, as in if the book is sparking deeper conversation in literary communities (both professional and casual) for its craft, style, and impact ⢠adding on to the above, memoirs that are especially recognized in literary circles (both professional and casual) for courage, honesty, or an overall contribution to social/cultural understanding
TL;DR: i'd like to stick to memoirs that are specifically acclaimed for their literary merit and cultural or scholarly impact, rather than just memoirs that are bestselling/popular/viral. i want the books included to be works that contribute meaningfully to conversation and literature. i especially think this will help the quest not get overwhelmed by a ton of celebrity memoirs or other similar releases.
now with that all being said, i'm open to any suggestions and would be happy to sort through and see what i think is a fair addition :)
28crybabybea commented on crybabybea's review of Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling
A vivid and eye-opening ethnographic work that directly challenges the usual narratives around migration and smuggling.
Much of the fearmongering around migration centers on the US-Mexico border, but De LeĂłn turns his attention to the journey from Honduras to Mexico, showing how migration is entangled in a deep history of violence, poverty, and exploitation.
De LeĂłn writes with clarity and empathy. Each scene feels incredibly real without tipping into melodrama. The people he gets close to are intensely human, but he approaches their stories with the respect their intimacy deserves, and his highlighting of specific experiences is intentional and provocative. He approaches his research with ethical care, never sensationalizing but never dipping into dehumanizing pity. Instead, he showcases their complexity. The line is blurry between migrant and smuggler, criminal and asylum-seeker, helpless and powerful.
What struck me most was how the smuggling world becomes a microcosm of suffering under capitalism and the long-lasting effects of global colonialism. They aren't outlaws and criminals by nature, but workers forced to operate in an underground economy that demands deception, aggression, risk, and cruelty because legitimate structures refuse to sustain them. People are forced into predatory roles, and violence becomes a condition of survival. That same violence, in turn, produces more displacement, more poverty, and more migrants, creating an unending feedback loop that sustains violence in perpetuity.
De LeĂłn doesn't excuse cruelty, but contextualizes it as part of a broken system brought on by global capitalism, colonialism, and reinforced through modern militarized border policy. As he becomes more and more entrenched in the smuggling business, he has to re-examine himself, his own positionality, and the privilege of being able to opt out and leave at any time. He comes face-to-face with the depth of struggle faced by migrants and smugglers, and forces the reader to reconcile alongside him.
Soldiers and Kings gives voice to the voiceless, allowing some of the most demonized people in the world to show the nuance of the conditions they are forced into. One of the most necessary books on migration I've read, it refuses the binary of "good migrant" and "bad smuggler", exposing both as symptoms of systemic rot.
6crybabybea finished reading and wrote a review...
A vivid and eye-opening ethnographic work that directly challenges the usual narratives around migration and smuggling.
Much of the fearmongering around migration centers on the US-Mexico border, but De LeĂłn turns his attention to the journey from Honduras to Mexico, showing how migration is entangled in a deep history of violence, poverty, and exploitation.
De LeĂłn writes with clarity and empathy. Each scene feels incredibly real without tipping into melodrama. The people he gets close to are intensely human, but he approaches their stories with the respect their intimacy deserves, and his highlighting of specific experiences is intentional and provocative. He approaches his research with ethical care, never sensationalizing but never dipping into dehumanizing pity. Instead, he showcases their complexity. The line is blurry between migrant and smuggler, criminal and asylum-seeker, helpless and powerful.
What struck me most was how the smuggling world becomes a microcosm of suffering under capitalism and the long-lasting effects of global colonialism. They aren't outlaws and criminals by nature, but workers forced to operate in an underground economy that demands deception, aggression, risk, and cruelty because legitimate structures refuse to sustain them. People are forced into predatory roles, and violence becomes a condition of survival. That same violence, in turn, produces more displacement, more poverty, and more migrants, creating an unending feedback loop that sustains violence in perpetuity.
De LeĂłn doesn't excuse cruelty, but contextualizes it as part of a broken system brought on by global capitalism, colonialism, and reinforced through modern militarized border policy. As he becomes more and more entrenched in the smuggling business, he has to re-examine himself, his own positionality, and the privilege of being able to opt out and leave at any time. He comes face-to-face with the depth of struggle faced by migrants and smugglers, and forces the reader to reconcile alongside him.
Soldiers and Kings gives voice to the voiceless, allowing some of the most demonized people in the world to show the nuance of the conditions they are forced into. One of the most necessary books on migration I've read, it refuses the binary of "good migrant" and "bad smuggler", exposing both as symptoms of systemic rot.
6crybabybea commented on jsaurelia's update
crybabybea commented on Rosemaryfell's update
crybabybea commented on amyjoreading's update
amyjoreading earned a badge
Feminism Without Exception
Gold: Finished 15 Main Quest books.
2crybabybea commented on amyjoreading's update
amyjoreading earned a badge
Feminism Without Exception
Silver: Finished 10 Main Quest books.
1crybabybea commented on a post
She does start coming off a bit self-righteous.
I ended up borrowing this because of @crybabybae and the discussion around her basically stalking the doctor's kids. Here are my thoughts from just the intros: the doctor died so she can't confront him--what is left? The kids(but what about the people who worked in his practice with him?)...but I will hold off on judging one way or another until I see how far and in what way she goes about it. But the other thing, she does acknowledge that it was "crazy" to do it.
Without my family providing me with more memories of MĂĄ or joining me in processing the worse experience of our lives, I have been stuck running place going nowhere. And that can make a person do crazy things, like joining a cult, track down the killer's family.... So it will be interesting to see if she if it really goes to "I could go to jail for this" route and if she ever fully acknowledges that was wrong to do so.
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