This was a nice portrayal of sisters and family and reconciliation.
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I read only nonfiction for years. Now, I'm getting back into fiction. (he/him)
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sifuCJC's books
2025 Reading Goal
48% complete! sifuCJC has read 25 of 52 books.
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sifuCJC reviewed Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors
sifuCJC started reading Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors

Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors
Blue Sisters tells the story of three exceptional - and exceptionally different - sisters as they return to their family …

Fionnáin quoted Plants by Numbers by Jane Prophet
Vegetal writing takes place at the intersection of species with human privilege so profound and multilayered it is impossible to account for it fully, as in every written account humans speak for plants. If, as I do, one believes in the observer effect—that an observed system is disturbed by the act of observation whether the observation is by human or an instrument—then even phytographic experiences with no touch, where humans “only” observe, are impacted by the act of human observation, mediated or not, and observation is intersectional. Writing/drawing with Hong Kong plants, and observing them, is a process entangled with British colonialism very differently from the colonial entanglement when writing with the English oak.
— Plants by Numbers by Jane Prophet, Helen V. Pritchard (Page 171)
From the very compelling chapter 'Codely Phytographia: An Artist's Material History of Writing Code with Trees' by Jane Prophet (pp 163-180)
Pleasant witchy story
4 stars
I'm glad I didn't see that this was classified as a romance. It was mostly a cozy story, which was what I was looking for. It was maybe 10 percent romance.
And the ending was way better than expected since in a cozy story, we just care about the journey. Quite enjoyable.
sifuCJC started reading The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
As one of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon knows she has to hide her magic, keep her head …

Learn a bit about physics and a lot about the culture of science
5 stars
Besides learning that the eumelanin molecule itself is a fascinating thing that could be the building block of successful tech that integrates with human bodies, I also learned about Mauna Kea, racism and sexism in scientific institutions, and Afro-Caribbean spirituality. Definitely recommend. You might not learn as much about physics as you expect, but that's OK. The rest of it is just as important. Maybe more so.
sifuCJC reviewed The Life Impossible by Matt Haig
A mystical exploration tale
4 stars
I liked it. A fish-out-of-water story, or really, Brit-out-of-Britain. And I do love a mystical story. By 'mystical,' I mean one where the world isn't what it seems.
sifuCJC started reading The Life Impossible by Matt Haig

The Life Impossible by Matt Haig
When retired Maths teacher Grace Winters is left a run-down house on a Mediterranean island by a long-lost friend, curiosity …

Taylor Drew reviewed Erasing History by Jason Stanley
Clear and concise
5 stars
If the quote I'm pasting below sounds like something you're interested in reading about, then this is the book for you. Note though that I transcribed this from the audiobook, so it may not have the exact same notation as in the print or digital editions of the book.
"Democracy is an ideal. It is an ideal in which every citizen has political equality rooted in the recognition of all people's full humanity. And realizing the ideal of political equality is impossible without an understanding of who has been denied it---and why."
sifuCJC reviewed The Story of a New Name by Elena Ferrante (Neapolitan, #2)
The precariousness of circumstance
4 stars
In a violent town with violent circumstance (domestic abuse, etc.), what prospects did a young woman have in the '60s? All the while I'm reading, inside I'm screaming like at the final-girl in a horror movie, "Get out! Get out!"
An excellent portrayal of learning how childish we are in an adult world, of learning how deeply the world is stacked in favor of men, of learning how opportunities are pure luck when coming from poverty.
I might have to take a break before reading the next one; I'm so tense. But this was good to read right after the first one as it picks up directly.
sifuCJC started reading The Story of a New Name by Elena Ferrante (Neapolitan, #2)

The Story of a New Name by Elena Ferrante (Neapolitan, #2)
Friends Lila and Elena are now in their twenties. Marriage appears to have imprisoned Lila. Meanwhile, Elena continues her journey …

Rainer wants to read Water Moon by Cindy Kay

Water Moon by Cindy Kay, Samantha Sotto Yambao
A woman inherits a pawnshop where you can sell your regrets, and then embarks on a magical journey when a …
sifuCJC reviewed My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante (Neapolitan, #1)
An extremely engaging character and book
5 stars
I had thought this novel was light (I'm not sure why, the name, the cover?). It definitely is not. It's about dealing with social violence and even psychopathy, all while growing up.
But it's written so well. And the narrator's friend is a character for the ages.
Be ready to read the next in the series; this book ends on what felt to me like an inciting incident of a climax. Not exactly a cliff-hanger, but I need to continue.

Sasu reviewed How Emotions Are Made by Lisa Feldman Barrett
Fascinating Theory with Practical Applications
5 stars
Even though it's been a few years since I listened to this one, it often resurfaces in my thoughts. In short, the theory of #emotion presented in this book is powerful because of its flexibility and its ability to explain: - how #reframing is even possible - how there can be such large #emotional differences between cultural groups - how it could have been possible that the way humans construct emotion has changed over the course of #history