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repeatbeatpoet's reviews
157 reviews
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
*Listened to the audiobook*
Really enjoyed this! I'll be checking out more of Tia Williams' work because her turn of phrase and pacing in a romance plot were excellent. Her control of tension, building meaning into scenes by using third-person perspectives of the supporting characters, but letting the sparks fly when our mcs come together, all so well balanced.
Only criticisms was I wish we would've had a slower / longer final act, or seen further into the story between Eva & Shane.
Really enjoyed this! I'll be checking out more of Tia Williams' work because her turn of phrase and pacing in a romance plot were excellent. Her control of tension, building meaning into scenes by using third-person perspectives of the supporting characters, but letting the sparks fly when our mcs come together, all so well balanced.
Only criticisms was I wish we would've had a slower / longer final act, or seen further into the story between Eva & Shane.
Who They Was by Gabriel Krauze
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Bildungsroman in the ends. Excellent balance of tone between the hard-edged realities of road life and the emotionality of the inner lives of the people, as deep as anyone else. It’s real-street-politik meets coming-of-age meets Kafka; the unflinching depiction of urban gang life mixing with the journey from boy 2 man, played against the absurdist background of North West London estate blocks named for lauded Victorian writers while its inhabitants are forgotten by the world at large.
Loved it, not for the faint hearted, but this is how people be living outchea
Loved it, not for the faint hearted, but this is how people be living outchea
The Little Book of Vegan Poems by Benjamin Zephaniah
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
Perfectly passable kid-friendly introductory poems about veganism, animal rights, human & non-human liberation. It's a lot of fun, and shows Benjamin Zephaniah's ability to keep it very simple. Big fun.
The Psychosis of Whiteness: Surviving the Insanity of a Racist World by Kehinde Andrews
challenging
dark
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.25
Football's Black Pioneers by David Gleave
informative
medium-paced
3.5
A decent-good primer on each of the first Black players for the 92 teams in the English Football League. It’s about 1-2 pages per player, all stories are written in straightforward language and are easy to read. Would’ve loved deeper dives on particular people, but this is meant to be a ‘wide and shallow’ surface level info book, not a deep dive into wider sporting racial politics/culture.
None of the Above: Reflections on Life Beyond the Binary by Travis Alabanza
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
Essential reading
The Ball is Round: A Global History of Soccer by David Goldblatt
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Doing the Most with the Least by Momtaza Mehri
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
African and Caribbean People in Britain: A History by Hakim Adi
challenging
informative
medium-paced
4.75
Top class, phenomenal detail in the history that really brings people of the past to life, especially the late 17th and 18th centuries. Adi is the first Black professor of History in the UK, teaching the first History of Africa & the African Diaspora masters course in the UK, and this book brings together that expertise and experience clearly and in a really engaging way.
File next to: Peter Fryer, Kehinde Andrews, Marika Sherwood, Paul Gilroy, David Olusoga, and other writers centring on histories of African and Black people.
File next to: Peter Fryer, Kehinde Andrews, Marika Sherwood, Paul Gilroy, David Olusoga, and other writers centring on histories of African and Black people.