A Kind of Refugee by Larissa Babij

Rating:

5 Stars

Themes:

Non-Fiction, Memoir, War

Thoughts:

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is a really great book. Larissa writes in such a brutally honest way that makes us face the reality that she is facing living in an active war zone that many here in the West have become to be war weary of and have lost compassion and empathy that is deserved (I’ve actually seen people complaining that money is being send over to Ukraine). The illustrations are sparse and simplistic in a way that shows beauty but bare back enough that it's not overly detailed to distract from the importance of the books messages. I hope more people read this and gain a better understanding to speak from a more educated and humanitarian point of view.

Favourite Quote:

"But Ukrainians have been damaged for generations. You will not find a family without personal stories of violent arrest, deportation, unnatural death, or forced resettlement. People are more reluctant to talk about family members who committed these acts against their fellow citizens. I can attest that being uprooted from your homeland under duress of war, refashioning yourself in a new land amongst new people in a new culture and language leaves scars that last for generations. Soviet Ukrainians were severed from their land through collectivisation, deportation, and forced resettlement - violent policies their own government devised to subordinate human life to an abstract ideal - without even leaving their country."

Comments

Vincent: A Graphic Biography by Simon Elliott

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Comic, Non-Fiction, Biography Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is a great little book on Vincent van Gogh. It is very detailed containing pieces of his life such as changing careers and failed love interests that are often not considered when we think of van Gogh, instead favouring his art and mental health. The illustrations were really well done and at times helped to bring levity to the story which isn’t often the happiest of lives.

The War of Sober by Edward Rand

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Non-Fiction, Self-Help, Addiction, Psychology Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is a great book not just for addicts trying to establish and maintain their sobriety but also psychologists, counsellors and the people working with them. It approaches the experience of addiction from the perspective of going to war and may help those who can’t get along with the 12 steps, contingency management or other forms of therapy traditionally used. It’s also helpful to have Edward detail his own experiences and approaches throughout so it feels less clinical and shows he does know what he’s talking about when he mentions the difficulties so it comes across less patronising than some self-help addiction books. Favourite Quote: "It doesn't matter what happened yesterday. Win or lose, if we are still alive, we must decide to be different today and then make the correct choices today, because friends, ...

Broken Glass by Sarah Kay

Rating: 3 Stars Themes: Poetry Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This collection is mixed for me, some of the poems were really good and all were definitely emotive but I think so many poems on the Hamas attack and subsequent war which is highly politically charged a little difficult to tackle. Favourite Quote: "What good is it to open my heart when in the end, you will stab it in the back?"

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