A stark recounting of Sissay's childhood and the way the care system and systemic racism failed him. Even though it was a story of a pretty dark account, I wanted it o be longer to recount how he dealt with those issues after he left the care system at 18, but perhaps that's coming in a future volume.
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I read a lot, and try to keep things varied and am always interested in broadening my outlook through something new. Currently writing a memoir about walking, mental health, and grief. Can be found elsewhere on the fediverse talking about things other than books at nickbwalking@zirk.us and nickbwalking@me.dm
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Nick Barlow's books
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2024 Reading Goal
22% complete! Nick Barlow has read 11 of 50 books.
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Nick Barlow finished reading I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
A heartbreaking and hilarious memoir by iCarly and Sam & Cat star Jennette McCurdy about her struggles as a former …
Nick Barlow finished reading Invention of Essex by Tim Burrows
Nick Barlow finished reading Imperial Island by Charlotte Lydia Riley
Nick Barlow started reading Crow: from the life and songs of the crow by Ted Hughes
Nick Barlow finished reading The Transgender Issue by Shon Faye
Nick Barlow reviewed My Name Is Why by Lemn Sissay
Nick Barlow finished reading My Name Is Why by Lemn Sissay
Nick Barlow reviewed Way of the Fearless Writer by Beth Kempton
Nick Barlow finished reading Way of the Fearless Writer by Beth Kempton
Nick Barlow finished reading Fire Born of Exile by Aliette de Bodard
Nick Barlow finished reading The Lathe Of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin
The Lathe Of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin
“The Lathe of Heaven” ; 1971 ( Ursula Le Guin received the 1973 Locus Award for this story) George Orr …
Nick Barlow set a goal to read 50 books in 2024
Nick Barlow reviewed The Gilda stories by Jewelle Gomez
Challenging style, interesting ideas
3 stars
This has one of my personal bugbears - constantly shifting perspective within scenes. Sometimes this can work, especially if it's making a wider point in the structure of the story, but here it's unfocused and jumping, making it hard to follow who is thinking what and who knows what at any particular point in a scene. A shame, because the central idea here of looking at two hundred or more years of history with a black lesbian vampire at the heart of the story is very good and throws up lots of interesting angles and ideas. The idea of powerful billionaires hunting vampires in order to secure their own immortality rings a lot differently now, when powerful men are literally injecting the blood of the young, than it might have done when originally published in the 90s.
Nick Barlow reviewed The Power by Naomi Alderman
Interesting after watching the TV series
4 stars
Yes, yes, I should read the original before watching the adaptation, but sometimes you can't help it. What's interesting here is the way the TV series tells the story in a much more conventional way than the novel, especially omitting the framing device that allows the novel to speed through many parts. There are times when I wished it would slow down a little and explore ideas a bit more, but it's a good read and raises a lot of interesting questions - and what if our whole existence is just part of a fable to explain the lost history of a distant future?