L’Etoile Mystérieuse (TinTin #10) by Hergé

This was the first French volume of the series that I read so it took me three times the amount of time to read it. By now, Hergé and his team had a good formula: Tintin is a busybody, mystery arises, villain interferes, Milou/Snowy gets into hijinks, and there is a resolution of discovery. I learned some French vocabulary and liked the giant mushrooms.

Read June 26-July 7, 2024.

The Secret of the Unicorn (Tintin #11) by Hergé

My last volume in English for awhile. I will miss reading these in English. I find Captain Haddock annoying. I am not amused by the alcoholism jokes either. I am starting to warm back up to the Thomson twins though. This volume’s pacing was good, but the story is not as interesting as some of the previous ones. It’s more of a setup for the next volume.

September 19, 2024.

The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker, Bernadette Dunne (Narrator)

This was such an interesting nonfiction book. A lot of nonfiction self help books are very individualistic while this one reinforces groups and doing things for the sake of the gathering. It had ideas that many gatherings overlook including what and whom to exclude, defining the true purposes of gatherings, when hosts should intercede, how to have a great gathering, and how to close gatherings. I actually dislike hosting and don’t like having people in my home. Being part of a gathering is almost universal as it is part of the connections and compassion of being human. I’ve hosted alumni gatherings and I work as a project manager. This book would be useful for many people. I am keeping the ebook for reference when I need reminders about good gatherings.

1.4x. Nov 6-11, 2024.

Butter by Asako Yuzuki, Polly Barton (Translator)

This novel was a lot. The cover said it’s a novel of food and murder. The murder part was actually a bit more open ended. I dislike open ended mysteries, but this book was not really about the mystery. It was more than food and crime. It’s about fat shaming, misogyny, gender, work, loneliness, self love, friendship, and found family. It was a bit long and overwritten in parts. There’s a side plot from the protagonist’s best friend perspective which was interesting, but may have been extraneous. I liked the characters. I loved the food writing. This kind of cross genre, reflective, and dark novel is not something I’ve seen much in western novels. The hardcover was about 450 pages and it took me longer than most novels to read. The book was written with depth and was very well translated. It’s not for most readers but I really enjoyed it. I look forward to seeing what the author has in store.

Nov 9-11, 2024.

Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness by Kristen Radtke

A graphic novel with reflections and information about human loneliness. Like the author, I have experienced loneliness and know it well especially when my mental health was not good. However, I was a lonely child and my relationship with solitude ebbs and flows. I am in a good place with it. I do think western society is a lonely one. This book was a bit too somber and depressing for me at times. It had a lot of merits but it made me more lonely when I finished it since I could empathize. In any case, a good read but there were some dark themes too.

Nov 14, 2024.

Ascendance of a Bookworm (Manga) Part 2 Volume 2, 3, 4 by Miya Kazuki (original author), Suzuka (Illustrator), Quof (Translator)

This series is so comforting. I usually read one at a time; however after a very busy and stressful two days due to my father’s surgery and work, I needed the escape of reading three in a row. It was nice to read a low conflict, but not low stakes fantasy fiction with wholesome characters. The art is great too. I recently made the decision to read the light novel series after I catch up to the available manga. This has re-affirmed my decision because I want to see the whole journey finished in 2025 before starting the anime.

Nov 15, 2024.

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg, Mike Chamberlain (Reading)

Had the hard cover and listened to it as my weekly nonfiction audiobook. I really liked this book until about the 40% mark and then it would not end. It explained how habits form in people, groups, businesses, and organizations. However, it had way too many anecdotes and examples. I liked the message of the book and it is summarized in the appendix, but it did not need to be that long. Narration was good though. It probably helped me finish the book as I got bored in the second half.

1.5x. Nov 12-16, 2024.

The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai, Jesse Kirkwood (Translator), Hanako Footman (Narrator)

Audiobook for about 15%. This novel had a series of small mysteries where a father and daughter detective agency recreate food for patrons. It’s similar to the vignette series in other Japanese literature that I’ve read such as Before the Coffee Gets Cold and What You’re Looking For is in the Library. Each of the mystery chapters are very short and the mystery is quickly revealed after the introduction of each client. It’s a bit repetitive and boring as a result. There is not enough depth on the characters or anything else. The best thing about this book were the descriptions of Japanese cuisine. I actually like the care in which the dishes were described. I am actually tempted to read the next book for that alone, but everything else in this book was forgettable.

1.25x. Read on my new Kobo Clara BW. October 26-Nov 2, 2024.

All This & More by Peng Shepherd

This is an adult Choose your Adventure novel. Great concept, not the best execution. I read The Cartographers and while I didn’t love it, I found some nice moments in there. This novel on the other hand took me awhile to read and I dragged myself to finish it. I did go through most of the options and I skimmed most of the book. The characters were flat which was somewhat understandable with a more plot focussed novel, but I didn’t like them. I did not understand their motivations even if I got to choose it for them. The book was repetitive and there were too many things going on. At first it felt like that’s part of the concept of the story and the reality TV show plot, but then it becomes convoluted. The mystery was disjointed and I was too bored to care after awhile. This makes me hesitant to pick up another book by the author.

October 27-Nov 4, 2024.

Self-Care for People with ADHD: 100+ Ways to Recharge, De-Stress, and Prioritize You! by Sasha Hamdani

Narrated by the author. A very straightforward book with a lot of tips and considerations for ADHD. I am liking these ADHD books as they are giving me ways to consider and reflect on my life. It’s a nice tool for my own self-development and thoughts.

1.25x. October 31-Nov 5, 2024.

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate, Patricia Castelao (Illustrator)

This was a nicely written middle grade novel based on a true story about a mall zoo. While the ending is uplifting, it was sad for most of the book that Ivan the gorilla and his friends were imprisoned in bad conditions.I doubt that I will read more from this series though.

Nov 6-8, 2024.

Chef’s Kiss by Jarrett Melendez (Written by), Danica Brine (Illustrated by), Hank Jones (Colored by), Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou (Lettered by)

Cute magical realism graphic novel.

Nov 7-8, 2024.

The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa

This novel been in my digital Calibre TBR since 2011. I forgot about it and have not heard many people discuss it recently. A few months ago, a friend of ours heard I liked books and gifted to this to me not knowing that I knew about it. She also had not read it yet. This was very lovely Vintage Classics edition and I’m grateful to have it. This was probably one of the best Japanese novels that I’ve read this year and I have read more Japanese translated fiction this year than any others.

It is the story of a single mother who becomes a housekeepr to a math professor. The professor has a memory of only 80 mins due to a car accident. The housekeeper and her son soon become friends with the professor. It’s a found family story which is simple, pure and utterly lovely. I was moved and I did cry a little. There is a lot of math which went over my head, but other than that, wonderfully written. Great translation.

October 26, 2024.

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, Diskin Clay (Introduction), Martin Hammond (Translator), Richard Armitage (Narrator)

Recently, I have become interested in Stoicism. I have wanted to read Meditations for awhile and I found this audiobook narrated by Richard Armitage. I enjoyed most aspects of this work and I need to reread it in print to absorb some of the meditations. I liked it on the whole and will move onto other stoics.

1.3x. October 21-27, 2024.

Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton

Narrated by the author. This was funny and reflective. The author and I are different people except we are of similar age and were living in London in the late aughts. I did not party as much and have less life experiences in some way. I found this well written and engaging. The time flew by with the audiobook over a few days. She was relatable as she tried to navigate her mental health journey and therapy.

1.25x. October 28-30, 2024.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng, Jennifer Lim (narrator)

Audiobook for the first 37%. I’ve had a copy of this book on my shelf for at least five years if not more. Knowing that it was very popular, I had moderate expectations. I thought the novel had some well written elements. While most of the characters are not exactly likable, I was interested in their stories. The novel touched on themes of American identity, fertility, adoption, kidnapping, and racism. I think there were too many themes and plot lines. It could have been more tightly written especially as there was some interesting character work on the surface. The ending felt abrupt. It was unrealistic and not satisfying. I was curious about the TV adaptation and watched a bit of the first episode but then read they made some changes. I decided to cut my losses and stopped since I do not watch a lot of TV these days.

1.3x. October 18-20, 2024.

Your Brain’s Not Broken: Strategies for Navigating Your Emotions and Life with ADHD by Tamara Rosier

My family doctor recommended this book when I got diagnosed earlier this year. As this was my first ADHD book, I did not really know what to expect. It had a few symptoms and behaviours that I had not really seen much about online such as divergent thinking, the importance of boundaries, and perception of interest. I did not use the workbook elements. I got diagnosed to confirm things about myself and fortunately, have been able to manage well through trial and error, self-development, help from others, therapym and meditation. CBT-I actually made me explore the idea of diagnosis since even with all the meditation and sleep, I still felt my brain was a bit different. I found the idea that ADHDers have reversed sleep patterns interesting and thankfully, was not the case with me. This was the first of a collection of ADHD books I have on my TBR. I will read them intermittently to gain any more insight or ideas on how to manage life.

October 12-21, 2024 on Kobo Mini.

Several People Are Typing by Calvin Kasulke

This was a fast and amusing novel all done in Slack messages. I used Slack once at a job over seven years ago. I do not miss it but I do love working from home.

Read on Kobo Libra 2 with my new 8bitdot micro remote. October 23, 2024.

Ascendance of a Bookworm (Manga) Part 1 Volume 6 by Suzuka (Illustrator), Miya Kazuki, Quof (Translator)

The tone of this volume was more serious. While the chronic illness has been part of this story from the start, this would addressed the terminal aspect of it. It was heavier and quite well done. I learned about the anime as well this week and will try to seek it out once I finish the manga.

October 23, 2024.

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami, Philip Gabriel (Translator), Ray Porter (Narrator)

I am still undecided about my views on Murakami as a novelist. I have read a couple of nonfiction articles by him. As a runner, I’ve wanted to read this book for awhile. This was very much a memoir about running. It was a very easy listen as it was short and the narrator did a great job of Murakami’s tone. I did not find anything revelatory in it. I have only recently gotten back to running after a couple years away. I have minor physical issues now which makes me a slower and more cautious runner than before. Even at my prime, I was not a marathoner or a runner like Murakami who was able to run daily and at great distances. I envied and I related to him because running is a fantastic sport especially for loners. I do think he was dismissive about people who walk on runs.

1-3-1.5x. Oct 12-13, 2024.

The Invention of Morel by Adolfo Bioy Casares, Jorge Luis Borges (Prologue), Ruth L.C. Simms (Translator), Suzanne Jill Levine (Introduction), Norah Borges de Torre (Illustrator)

A 1940 Argentinenan sci-fi novella. Pacing is fast and the tone is that of a psychological thriller. The protagonist is a fugitive on what he believed to be deserted island and soon becomes obsessed with a woman whom he sees. As I do not read a lot of thrillers or sci-fi, this was a nice change of pace to my other reads. It was short with a predictable twist but not badly written. I
found this recommendation on Instagram and now I know this is not to be my taste. This was fine.

Oct 13-14, 2024.

More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa, Eric Ozawa (Translator)

The first book did not need a sequel and some people probably felt this was unecessary. I like the characters and the writing. There is a gentle and emotional tone. This second book was heavier as it dealt with grief. I appreciated the journey with the characters and got to know them better. I recommend the first book if you enjoy translated Japanese literature. This second book is a nice add on if you want a heavier yet hopeful conclusion.

October 16-17, 2024.

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion, Barbara Caruso (Narrator)

1.3x. My first Joan Didion. While I had this hardcover, I listened to it all on audiobook. The narrator did a great job. This collection of essays was known one of the best grief books in the last 20 years. Written in 2004 after her husband’s sudden death, Didion reflected on death and grief amidst a busy year. The essays shifted between memories of her husband, her present life with her sick daughter, and reflections and research about death. Didion wrote from an unemotonal tone which I found fascinating and also relatable at times from my own experience with sudden grief. I liked these essays and would read more from Didion.

October 14-17, 2024.

Ascendance of a Bookworm (Manga) Part 1 Volume 4 and 5 by Suzuka (Artist), Miya Kazuki (Original Story), Quof (Translator)

I read these during the week as well. Not much to say other than I am still enjoying this manga!

A Witch’s Guide to Burning by Aminder Dhaliwal

A very good graphic novel about a young headstrong witch who was burned at the stake by her village. This graphic novel was very well illustrated but it felt more like a traditional novel than most of other graphic novels. There is a lot more text and in depth character and relationship work. I liked the themes of healing, time, and friendships.

October 7, 2024.

Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall

Narrated by the author. This is a book of feminist essays. It is specifically written about how mainstream white feminism overlooks the struggles of many women of colour. I was not the audience for this book. It’s written more to educate white feminists and even though I am not BIPOC, I was already more familiar with the topics covered. The essays were written from an anecdotal point of view rather than more research based.

1.5-1.75x. Oct 7-10, 2024.

The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoughue, Tara Flynn (narrator)

Listened to a lot of this audiobook in tandem with the ebook. I adored the narration. Great job by the narrator.

This has been on my list since last year as it was buzzy even from Holly Gramazio who wrote The Husbands, the other contemporary novel which I adored earlier this year. After Colm Toibin’s Long Island and now this one, I should probably add “Irish people having messy relationships” to my wheelhouse. I really liked this book from the beginning and the ending was very satisfying that it shot up to being a novel that I adored. The book was set in 2009-2010 Ireland during the Great Recession. While I have different personality and background to the characters, I was the same age and a lot of this book resonated with me. The novel reminded me deeply about that era. That terrible time where I had an expensive education and could not get a consistent job. The author did a great job with the time setting especially the emotional upheaval of having a broken heart in your early 20s while also not having any work. This book had a wry and funny Irish tone which is why I loved the audiobook. I did have to stop listening to it in tandem right before the climactic scenes. The book builds up a tangled extramarital affair. As in Long Island, I knew it would end in a lot of drama. It made me tenser here though. I realize that the journey to these peaks was great because the character work is so well done.

I really enjoyed the characters and the writing for personal reasons. I am really glad I read such an interesting reflective contemporary novel. It often feels like a lot of the books that I read are removed from my own life and experiences. It’s been a long time since I’ve related so much to a novel. It felt the closest to my own life experiences even though I am different to the characters except maybe not really. I even knew the road that Rachel first lived in London. I lived one road over. I do not remember reading a novel that echoed my own memories and feelings of a time so well.

1.5-2.0x. October 7-11, 2024 on Kobo Mini and Kobo Libra 2.

A Last Goodbye by Elin Kelsey, Soyeon Kim (Illustrator)

A well done children’s book about death using animals.

October 1, 2024.

The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J. Maas

This was a prequel collection of connected novellas. I am reading the series in the recommended order with this being the third book. I continue to feel a tad underwhelmed. I like the protagonist and some of the characters, but I struggle through everything else including the length of these novels. I am not a big plot reader. There is this strange thing with SJM novels where I feel that a lot of happens but as the same time, not a lot of happens due to the length of the novels. The pacing is off. In the down moments, I get bored but then the plot thickens and it’s fine since they finish well. While I did not love ACOTAR, I think I preferred the world building in that series. I wish there was a bit more magic in this one. It feels like the series keeps building up to something big which is why I keep reading. I hope I won’t be disappointed if I continue. The books are dialogue heavy and easy to read overall though. I am considering listening to some of the next book in audiobook to see if it’s easier. I wish there was a full Graphic Audio for this series. I read mostly Kindle Keyboard and Kobo Libra 2 even though I had the book from the library.

Read on Kindle Keyboard and Kobo Libra 2. September 21-October 2024.

The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes with Louis Slobodkin (Illustrator)

Newberry winner from 1944 about bullying. Nice but illustrations were lacking. I hope they can redo the art for future editions.

October 3, 2024.

Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Francesc Miralles and Héctor García Puigcerver, Walter Dixon (Narrator)

I had this hardcover from a Little Library. It’s cute and small. The book does not offer anything I do not know about aging, but it offered a chance to reflect. I have been contemplating the meaning of life these days. I’ve never really had a calling for anything and to this day, work for me is a means for me to make money. There is other work though which includes non renumeration and working on one’s self. Even though I love a lot of things like reading and being with my friends, I do not necessarily know if this is sufficient to define my “ikigai”. I read a great quote the other day:

“The meaning of life is just to be alive. It is so plain and so obvious and so simple. And yet, everybody rushes around in a great panic as if it were necessary to achieve something beyond themselves.” – Alan Watts

I wouldn’t necessarily say I’ve been trying to rush for a bigger goal. I do want to live my life mindfully and spiritually. I am really a simple person and have a very small family. I will continue to try and push my boundaries a bit more through meeting new people, volunteering, and taking care of my mental health. I do like my current work. I love my family and friends. I also love to read, be fit, etc. I will try not to worry too much about what the meaning of my life. This was a nice little book which was not essential reading but allowed me to examine life a little bit.

1.35x. October 3-6, 2024.

Ascendance of a Bookworm (Manga) Part 1 Volume 2 and 3 by Suzuka, Miya Kazuki with quof (Translator)

Two volumes in a row. I am doing these in bulk because I am really getting into the story now. Volume 2 started off slow and I found Myne the protagonist a bit annoying as she was squeamish about butchering and whined a few times. Then again she is a 20 year old woman stuck in the body of a 5 year old. I thought Volume 3 picked up the pace a lot more with new characters, conflicts, and actual fantasy elements. There is a lot of crafting in these books and it notably shows the protagonist struggling in a way that’s realistic or as a realistic as it can be in an portal fantasy. I’ll likely try to binge read this before starting another manga series I want to start. As someone who grew up with anime, I did not read any manga except Sailor Moon for a long time. Now in my thirties, I am finally finding ones that I truly like.

October 6, 2024.

My reading fixation took a pause the last week of September as I watched the Shogun (2024) adaptation and became a bit obsessed with it.

How To Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell, Rebecca Gibel (Narrator)

The core anti-capitalist message of this book is good but the delivery was severely lacking. The author prefaced the book saying that her upbringing and residency in California drove the book. It lacked alternative, every man perspectives. She spent a lot of the book reviewing and extracting from other philosophers, writers, and artists. There isn’t any action plan or tips which tell you how to actually resist the attention economy. While these aren’t needed, the content of the of this book does not help its title. It’s a bunch of privileged, liberal essays. I did not like the narration either. It was too rote and cold.

1.25-2.00x. Sept 18-22, 2024.

Dracula by Bram Stoker, narrated by a full cast including Alan Cumming and Tim Curry

Started reading this via email from Dracula Daily in May. I sometimes listened to the re: Dracula podcast as well. I knew I’d get impatient. I am the kind of reader who reads books in a couple of sessions. In mid September, I found the full cast audiobook which was great so I would listen to that by itself or in tandem with the Standard Ebooks epub. It’s hard to determine how much I listened to on audio and how much was ebook or email.

I enjoyed this book and I do not like horror. Stoker created a very engaging scary story. It was spooky and featured an interesting cast. I wish there had been more Mina and even poor Lucy. I liked the Dracula Daily format but I still prefer to read novels in a shorter amount of time. Good pacing and I am glad I finally read this classic.

1.25-2x. Read on Kobo Libra 2. May 3-Sept 27, 2024.

Love Is My Favorite Color by Nina Laden, Melissa Castrillón (Illustrator)

Recommended by book club friend J. Very lovely illustrations from Castrillon.

Sept 29, 2024.