National Dish: Around the World in Search of Food, History, and the Meaning of Home by Anya von Bremzen with Kathleen Gati (Narrator)

This a food and travel memoir. I am surprised I have not encountered the author before. Maybe I did read one of her essays in the American Travel Writing anthologies. I thought this would be a fairly easy and interesting listen since I love food and travel, but I was bored about half way through. Each chapter focussed on a different country: France, Italy, Japan, Spain, Mexico, and Turkey. The France one was one of the shortest and the one I knew about the most. There seemed to be a lot of research into each chapter but it also felt like too much information about each of these food cultures. It sorta of meandered with history, culture, and food. It did not help that I became less interested in the countries in the second half. It was not badly written but the writing was not to my taste.

1.5x-1.75x. May 4-7, 2025.

Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century by Kim Fu

A speculative fiction short story collection which I read slowly over the course of a month for a reading challenge. I do not like reading books slowly but since this was short stories, I would read one or two after other books. As usual, I did get very impatient and read the last four stories in one go. I am not a horror person and some of the stories were more in that genre. Other than that, I found Fu’s writing and style engaging. She really captured female characters in particular very well and in few worlds. As with any collection some were too my taste and others not so much. Overall, enjoyable albeit creepy at times.

Read April 1-May 9, 2025.

Greta & Valdin by Rebecca K. Reilly

This debut contemporary kiwi novel had good buzz last year. I liked most of it but there were caveats. Let’s start with the good stuff. There is diversity as the whole family is multi-ethnic Russian / Maori / Catalan, queer, and neurodivergent. While not much happens, the chapters are short and the pace was not slow. It had some dryly amusing moments. The audiobook had kiwi actors and I dipped 15% of the audio. I much preferred to read the dry style though. The setting of New Zealand was interesting as well.

Now for the stuff I found lacklustre. There were too many characters all related to each other and many of them had similar names. It was a bit strange and almost incestuous at times. The novel was narrated by the two sibling main characters and they have a very similar voice and perspective. Their neurodivergence may also have affected their ability to effectively communicate with other characters. The reader was presented info from this odd family but a lot of things are left unsaid or secretive. I was more interested in their parents especially Betty their Maori mother. Her distance from her background and her relationships with the men seemed more fascinating than Greta and Valdin. Overall, a nice debut.

1.5-2.0x. May 9-10, 2025.

Playing catch-up as reading so many books means I am perpetually behind schedule on reviewing them. It was a very audiobook focussed week as I spent more time running.

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This contains mild spoilers and implied one big spoiler.

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Ascendance of a Bookworm: Part 5 Volume 4 by Miya Kazuki, You Shiina (Illustrator), Quof (Translator)

This was more of a filler volume. I am not sure how this series will end. There are so many threads and characters. This volume had a lot of domestic duchy politics. Wilfred has gotten worse. I feel sorry for him except I prefer all the other people who are way more competent like his sister Charlotte. It was great to see more commoners again including a Gunther narrated side story. I did not miss Ferdinand and I almost rolled my eyes with Rozemyne’s obssession to try to get him to praise her. I really do not like this ship. It’ll take a lot at this point for the author to convince me of the romance.

April 5-6, 2025 on Kobo Library 2 and Clara BW.

Grief is for people by Sloane Crosley

This was a memoir primarily about the author losing her best friend and mentor. It’s a grief book with some side stories including an invasive home burglary and publishing industry drama. The tone of the book was reflective but also had dry humour discussing the events. The tone did not work for me even though I did relate to what Crosley wrote about grief. I had empathy and sympathy and some parts of it were written well. I did not really mesh with her writing style overall.

2.0x. April 6-7, 2025.

Monstress, Volume 9: The Possessed by Marjorie M. Liu (Writer), Sana Takeda (Illustrator)

Every time a new volume comes out, I completely forget what happened in this series. Yet I still find it engrossing and amazingly illustrated. I do hope that the books are approaching a finale soon. Maybe I will do a reread of the series when it’s done.

April 7, 2025.

Supercommunicators by Charles Duhigg, Narrated by the author

I should not have finished this. I need to be much more particular about these self-help science books. I have nothing against the genre and I do learn some things. I do not think Duhigg’s style works for me. This is my last of his books since I do not seem to retain much from it. His explanations were fine but I did not like a lot of the case studies used. It seemed I already knew most of the info from from real life and other books. I did not learn much nor did I find it enjoyable when compared to something like Everything is Tuberculosis. I felt I needed to rush through this audiobook.

1.6-1.75x. April 9-10, 2025.

The Wedding People by Alison Espach, Helen Laser (Narrator)

This felt a bit tricky to review. I did like aspects of this novel but I wish I liked it more considering its popularity. I liked the protagonist Phoebe. I related to her in some ways and I liked seeing how her journey unfold. There were some interesting and funny moments. There was a lot of dialogue and banter but it sometimes felt a bit too much and too quippy. The ending was nicely open ended. Not my favourite of the year. It landed better for many people so I do not think it is a bad book. I listened to about two chapters on audiobook. The narrator was not my favourite so I did not listen to much of it.

1.6x April 7-10, 2025.

Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys

For a long time, due to possible dyslexia, I thought this book was called “Wild Sargasso Sea”. I remember wanting to read this many years ago when I heard that it was about Bertha Mason from Jane Eyre who I always thought got a sad treatment in Charlotte Bronte’s novel. I really liked Jane Eyre but it was messy. This novel is messy too. It’s actually incoherent at times because a lot of things have to be inferred and there’s some stream of consciousness writing. Rochester is not remotely likable and Rhys wrote him more as an archetype of English colonial powers than an actual character. I did like how lush and atmospheric the writing was and how sadly she portrayed Antoinette. Even though she was white, Antoinette and her poor family were ostracized, used, and tormented by everyone around them. I found that sadly realistic. I can see why the book is considered a postcolonial and feminist classic even though the prose rattled at odd turns. I am glad I finally read it.

April 11-12, 2025.

A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching: Getting to Know the World’s Most Misunderstood Bird by Rosemary Mosco with Janet Metzger (Narrator)

This was a funny and easy going bird book. I needed something light after Supercommunicators and the last two novels. I have become really into ornithology in the last couple of years. I like reading about other bird watchers too. This one was funny and informative. Pigeons are maligned and even I was wary of them as a kid. Now I see them as vestiges of human carelessness and survivors of bad stewardship. The book gave good insight and advice on how we should treat them.

1.5x. April 11-13, 2025.

Ascendance of a Bookworm: Part 5 Volume 1 by Miya Kazuki with quof (Translator), You Shiina (Illustrator)

Royal Academy Third Year. Fun! These are some of the better parts of the stories after the commoner years in part 2. A lot happens at the Academy and it feels like things are opening wider politically.

March 31-April 1st, 2025 on Kobo Libra 2 and Kobo Clara BW.

Ascendance of a Bookworm: Part 5 Volume 2 by Miya Kazuki with quof (Translator), You Shiina (Illustrator)

The Royal Academy has that nice touch of dark academia with all the secret library stuff. Or is it light academia since it’s not that dark? This book was mostly about an intense ditter game and a religious ceremony. I warmed to Wilfred warmed a little in this part as he is realized again how inadequate he is. I hope he develops. Also he has a new potential romance. Him and Rozemyne are not end game so I am not worried but I wish the engagement would end soon though.

April 1st-April 2nd, 2025 on Kobo Libra 2 and Kobo Clara BW.

Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton with Louise Brealey (Narrator)

Beautiful memoir about a woman who rescued a hare during the pandemic. I’ve been waiting to read this ever since I saw the cover. It has gorgeous illustrations. I was fortunate enough to get the physical copy from the library and the audiobook at the same time. Grateful that I could be late a couple days since my library has no overdue fees. I learned a lot about hares who are mysterious animals that have never been domesticated. The writing is reflective, slow, and considerate about the human relationship with nature. I adored this book.

1.5x. March 31-April 2, 2025.

Mismatched: A Modern Graphic Retelling of Emma by Anne Camlin, Isadora Zeferino (artist)

This was a well illustrated graphic novel adaptation of Emma. It had its cute moments. It also felt like it was checking boxes since the character development had to be rushed for the format.

April 3, 2025

Ascendance of a Bookworm: Part 5 Volume 3 by Miya Kazuki with You Shiina (Illustrator), quof (Translator)

Well, I dislike Wilfred again after the retainers complained in the prologue of this chapter and his own story at the end of this novel. What an idiot. This was my least favourite volume in awhile. It was slow paced and covered about a week. Also I am not a shipper of the main couple so the constant hints and discussions about them from others was tiresome. I also wish Ferdinand would be nicer to Rozemyne since he’s a tsundere. I’m frustrated since it seems he’s everyone’s favourite male character. I much prefer the commoner people from Myne’s life like Lutz and her family. I need to take a break from these novels.

April 2-3 , 2025 on Kobo Libra 2.

Everything is Tuberculolsis by John Green (Narrator)

I adored John Green’s The Anthropocene Reviewed. It was one of the audiobooks I listened to when I was recovering from COVID which was apt considering Green has become a great health writer. This book is mostly a history about tuberculosis and about his friend Henry who is a TB survivor. This book hit so many points for me as someone who has an academic background in population health and social epidemiology. Green’s nonfiction writing is a great mix of research and reflective, insightful thoughts. He has a very humanistic and empathetic tone. He is a fantastic narrator too. I loved this book so much I looked for and bought a signed copy at my local indie.

1.5x. April 3-4, 2025.

Love & Saffron: A Novel of Friendship, Food, and Love by Kim Fay (Author/Narrator), Kimberly Farr (Narrator), Cassandra Campbell (Narrator), Mark Bramhall (Narrator), Maggi-Meg Reed (Narrator)

This was a sweet historical and epistolary novel between two women in the 1960s. It was short, had recipes, and a lovely wholesome vibe. Full cast narration on the audiobook too.

1.5x. April 5, 2025.

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I read 30 books in February. It was a bit too much even for me.

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I think I am reading too much again.

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