Clearing My Bookshelf: What Can We Learn From the Great Depression by Dana Frank

 What Can We Learn From the Great Depression by Dana Frank

4/5

This book is full of information about the 1930s that I didn’t know, and I’d say if your only exposure to the time period is from high school (history and Steinbeck) to give this a read. There’s something illuminating and interesting to learn that some of our social issues are rooted in something so recent in history. Social issues and federal program/institutions that seem to us as always being around are, in fact, less than 100 years old. It turns out that the racist inaccessible lack of support for impoverished people isn’t a bug. It’s a feature!

Clearing My Bookshelf: So Easy So Good: Delicious Recipes and Expert Tips for Balance Eating by Kylie Sakaida

 So Easy So Good: Delicious Recipes and Expert Tips for Balance Eating by Kylie Sakaida

3/5 

I think that the message of the book is good but, ultimately, the content here is conveyed through her social media account. I’d say that if you want non-dieting food advice this or her social media is a good start, but I couldn’t see myself having this on my shelf to reference at a later date. 

Clearing My Bookshelf: The Binding by Bridget Collins

 Clearing My Bookshelf: The Binding by Bridget Collins

4/5

Tags: animal abuse, animal death, arson, cheating, homophobia, kidnapping, marital affair, memory manipulation, murder, non-linear narrative, pet death, pregnancy, pregnancy from sexual assault, rape, suicide

Sometimes you read a book and it vibes with you; this was that kind of book. It was a quick, easy, and enjoyable read after all the dense nonfiction that I’ve been reading. 

Clearing My Bookshelf: We'll Prescribe You a Cat

 

We’ll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida

Quotes
“It seemed that having a pet disrupted the flow of one’s daily routine.” (25)

“Learned that finance was all about collecting commission from customers/ If you were lucky, the value of the products you recommended would increase, and the client would thank you. But it wasn’t your job to make your customers any profit. The goal was to make them deposit more and more money.” (29)

“Megumi had heard from her mom friends that therapy and mental health care were becoming trendy among kids.” (153)

“They say cats are capricious, but human beings are much more unpredictable.” (179)

“The amount of time you spent together probably matters, but less time doesn’t mean less love. Whether it’s a day or year, human or cat and even if we may never see them again, there are those who are irreplaceable in our lives.” (268)

Clearing My Bookshelf: Buy What You Love Without Going Broke by Jen Smith and Jill Sirianni

 

Review
Thesis of the book is in the intro.

This book is mostly dealing with the question of how do you feel happy while achieving your financial goals. This book is a mix of pop psychology and basic finance advice. It’d say if you’re looking for financial strategies you’d need another book to accompany this one. It’s firmly self-help and won’t get into capitalist critiques or the insidious nature of marketing.

Clearing My Bookshelf: Ruin Their Crops on the Ground by Andrea Freeman

Ruin Their Crops on the Ground by Andrea Freeman

Review
The thesis of the book is on page 1 and page 9.

I would call this a general/introductory book about food as a political technology. While the book covers many topics in different communities it doesn’t go in depth about one in particular. A good read but it is more of a heavily cited combination of different sources where the author isn’t making a strong argument throughout. The most we hear about her argument is in the introduction and the last chapter with the middle just building framework to support an idea.

On a personal level it did bring me a modicum of comfort to hear that nutrition on an individual basis is influenced by the racial, ethnic, or socio-economic factors. I think a lot of early 2000s diet culture places food choices as the sole result of the individual. This has really pained me all my life that when given no foundation on how to each better society said it was my fault alone. While I have to be the impetus for the change in my life I found solace in understanding how my eating habits were shaped by the different family histories I inherited from my parents.

Clearing My Bookshelf: Sharks Don't Sink: Adventures of a Rogue Shark Scientist

“Sharks Don’t Sink Adventures of a Rogue Shark Scientist” by Jasmin Graham

Review
The thesis of the book is on 109 - 111. I’ve linked some quotes on my blog.

A well written quick read that I enjoyed cover to cover. Graham was able to write a book that no one else could because of how she carefully weaves her life throughout the book. Most of the chapters talk about childhood, college/graduate school, and present events. We’ll hear about where Graham is now and where she’d like to go then we’ll hear what/how her past experiences affected her.

It was a lovely read and it really flew by. I appreciated how she was able to articulate how her identity positively and negatively affected different experiences in her life. It was heartening to hear how well her endeavors are going.