Posted on March 27, 2024 in Books
Family Style: Memories of an American from Vietnam by Thien Pham
While the art was not my favourite, I really liked this graphic novel which captured the immigrant experience, cultural identity, and family. I empathized with the protagonist not knowing English, starting at school, ESL, immigrant parents working hard, and all that entails when you emigrate.
Setting: CA, USA.
March 13, 2024.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Performed by Nick Offerman. I acquired a physical couple of the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and I thought I’d try my first Twain book before reading Finn. I think both of these books benefit from audio narration since Twain wrote the dialogue phonetically. Offerman has a great voice, but I did not really feel engaged with this story. I did not relate to the characters or setting. It was amusing at times and I can see why Twain is liked. I do not think it holds up as well compared to other classics I’ve read from the time. I will read more Twain later.
Setting: Missouri, USA.
1.5x. March 9-16, 2024.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
A couple of my book friends really liked this and I had a used copy from somewhere. I started it on audiobook for the first chapter. The narrator was good but I had time and energy to finish it all by print on one Sunday. The writing was sometimes so-so. The protagonist started out quite unlikable especially to service people and the plot and the twists were a bit contrived at times. Having said that, there is pathos and a lot of character development. I enjoyed the platonic friendship at the core and all the genuine kindness that changed Eleanor by the end of the novel. I also thought the theme of modern loneliness was done well. This book is part of the “up lit” trend of the last few years. I am someone who wants more positivity and coziness when I read so this worked for me. It was a good, quick read.
Setting: Glasgow, Scotland.
March 17, 2024.
How to Say Goodbye: The Wisdom of Hospice Caregivers by Wendy MacNaughton
Very short little book with the author’s art at hospice facility. It was moving. It was a book that I could reread again even though there very little text. I did like the remember to “get uncomfortable with uncertainty”.
Setting: San Francisco, USA.
March 18, 2024.
The Fox Maidens by Robin Ha
Great retelling of the nine-tailed fox folklore. It had strong female characters and the right amount of history and horror. Recommended if you like East Asian mythology. The art was great. Before I started it, I realized that I had read Ha’s work already. I own her graphic Korean cookbook. I had to put her memoir on request.
March 19, 2024.
Posted on March 20, 2024 in Books
March has been a more stressful and crazier month so I have been less into the books as I wish.
Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White
Read by the author. This was delightful. White did not have the polish of a professional voice actor. Instead, it felt like a father or grandfather reading a story to his kids. Lovely. A good reread. I remember the last time I read this I was a kid as well.
Setting: Probably Maine, USA.
1.0x. March 1-6, 2024.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Wawaguchi
I read this in two sittings. I started it at a Silent Book Club event. It was the first time I’ve read that much prose in a loud bar. This was a nice little novel. It was lighthearted but had some emotional stakes. I did find myself a little interested in the characters, but I wish there was more character work in general. The prose would move between past and present, background and foreground, a lot. I think I prefer What You are Looking For in the Library more as it connected the stories a little better. There are three more sequels to this coffee series. I am not discounting reading the next one, but not anytime soon.
Setting: Tokyo, Japan.
March 4-9, 2024.
The Switch by Beth O’Leary
Narrated by Daisy Edgar-Jones and Alison Steadman. I liked The Flatshare and have a couple of other Beth O’Leary books from a little library. On a thread in the Reading Glasses Slack, others recommended The Switch as well. This novel focused on a grandmother (Eileen) and granddaughter (Leena) switching their homes for two months, one in rural Yorkshire and another in London. Leena’s story had grief and emotional stakes which seems to be a trademark of O’Leary’s protagonists. If it was just Leena in the standard hallmark plot of woman goes back to small town and meets local hunk who has a small child then I would not have finished this book at all. Thankfully Eileen and the actor Alison Steadman (who was Mrs Bennett in the 1995 “Pride and Prejudice”) made this better. I enjoyed reading about a 79 year old woman living in London for the first time and being a wholesome busybody. Unlike The Flatshare though, the romantic male leads for Leena and Eileen were not as developed. Something I liked about The Flatshare that set it apart from a lot of contemporary romances was that the male lead was developed and not a romantic novel trope. All in all, not a bad listen over the week.
Setting: England.
1.25x-1.5x. March 5-9, 2024.
Mooncakes by Wendy Xu and Suzanne Walker
I thought this graphic novel would be cozier with baking on the cover. It was more of a fantasy coming of age adventure story with a strong inclusive romance. The art and one of the characters reminded me of an old friend of mine. Overall, I felt it lacked a little something by the end. Still cute though.
Setting: Fantasy.
March 10, 2024.
Posted on March 9, 2024 in Books
That Can Be Arranged: A Muslim Love Story by Huda Fahmy
Cute and lighthearted graphic memoir.
Setting: USA.
March 1, 2024.
A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall (ARC)
This book publishes April 23, 2024. Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the ebook Advanced Reader Copy (ARC).
This is an epistolary debut fantasy novel. It’s set in world centered on oceans. The novel was slow and it only picked up in the last third for me. What kept me reading was that the characters and their relationships. Everyone was likeable and there were developed romantic and platonic relationships. The book seemed to be a set up for a sequel or series. The ending did leave me intrigued but I am unsure if I will continue. As someone who likes epistolary novels and classics, this book’s prose and style was a lot. The floral and almost overwrought writing prose is not for everyone.
This was my first ARC and I am grateful for it but I do not plan on reading too many because my current TBR is too overwhelming.
Setting: Fantasy.
Read on Kindle. March 2, 2024.
Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Pérez
Read by the author. This has been on my TBR for awhile. I think I started it back when it was published in 2019. A couple of my book club friends were reading it so I finally committed to listening to it at least. The beginning of the book felt like I was back at school because I have a background in public policy, development, and took gender classes as well. I had read some of the studies the author used. The author and I are both alumni of the same graduate school which made more sense to me. This sense of deja-vu cared through a lot of the book for me. I did not always align with her conclusions or how it was presented. It’s a lot of information which sometimes lacks cohesion since it covered so many subjects. I do think this book is very important and it was fitting that I finished it at the start of Women’s History Month.
1.25x. February 25-March 3, 2024.
Watership Down: The Graphic Novel by Richard Adams with Joe Sutphin (Illustrator) and James Sturm
I loved this. It reminded me that the novel is a masterpiece. It’s not a book I would like to reread because it had many dark elements. It is the perfect allegorical novel about the hero’s journey, change, environmentalism, and political corruption. Seeing it illustrated was even more visceral as the rabbits are hurt constantly in their quest to find a home and to be free. I liked the moments where they discussed their folk stories and the importance of it in all cultures. I even think the original novel is sometimes underrated when compared to other epic novels. I hope adaptations like this one can keep the story in the active in culture. The recent TV adaptation was unwatchable. I hope there is a better one in my time. I am now tempted to read the follow-up anthology.
Setting: England.
March 3, 2024.
Posted on March 7, 2024 in Books
Kiki’s Delivery Service by Eiko Kodano, Emily Balistrieri (Translator)
As a fan of Studio Ghibli, I was excited that this book had finally been translated into English. Originally published in Japan in 1985, this middle grade novel is quite similar to the movie especially at the start and has the essential characters. I really adored this lighthearted coming of age story which felt like a classic to me. In fact, it reminded me of E. B. White, Mary Norton, and other classic Western children and middle grade stories. Kiki and Jiji go on some low stakes adventures with mostly friendly folks along the way. It made me smile and laugh. It was very cozy to read on a Sunday morning. Recommended for young readers and for Ghiblli fans.
Setting: Alternate light fantasy / magical realism.
Feb 24-25, 2024.
All Creatures Bright and Beautiful by James Herriot
Read by Nicolas Ralph. I really like these audiobooks. They are very lighthearted yet there are some sad and reflective stories too. They are funny. One of my favourite lines in the book was something like “Herriot may be limited in other ways but he sure knows how to wrap a cat!” The narration is fantastic. I am going to take small breaks between the books now due to other audiobooks, but I would like to keep going.
Setting: Yorkshire, UK.
1.25x. February 20-28, 2024.
The Dire Days of Willowweep Manor by Shaenon K. Garrity with Christopher Baldwin (Illustrator)
I think this was recommended by the Storygraph based on the similar books I had read. Very cute young adult graphic novel about a girl who falls into another world which has elements of her favourite gothic novels. It’s fun, diverse, and subversive. It’s made all the better by the various literary references in it.
Setting: Fantasy.
February 29, 2024.
My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell (Corfu Trilogy, #1)
Recommended from a book club friend after I mentioned the James Herriot books. I immediately
found the BBC Radio 4 Full Cast Dramatization on Libby. I love Libby. Most of my audiobooks are from there now. I did read the Alexandria Quartet by Laurence Durrell many years ago and vaguely remember it as being boring. Unsurprisingly, I found Laurence “Larry” the most annoying character in this book. He was a condescending prig and most of the book was ruined by him. I did like Gerald and his obsession with animals. The dramatization was good. I do not think I will continue with this series though.
Setting: Corfu, Greece.
1.0x February 29, 2024.
Posted on March 4, 2024 in Books
Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
I enjoyed Harrow’s The Ten Thousand Doors of January and when this became the Reading Glasses book club pick, I thought I would enjoy it. I wish I liked this book more. I didn’t dislike it and I read it quickly. This was well written and I did like the characters. I liked the illustrations and I think it’s objectively a good novel. I tried but I don’t like a lot of horror. It isn’t scary so much as I don’t enjoy creepy, dark tones in novels. It was not even darkly funny enough since Opal and her brother were realistically very poor. As someone who likes fantasy, magical realism, and a sentient house, the fantasy elements were alright but not enough to cover the dark tone. I almost rushed to finish it just so that I could be done with it. I don’t blame the book because I understand why it is good. It reminded me that I don’t really like haunted houses or dark horror. Still a good book if you enjoy horror and haunted houses.
Setting: Kentucky, USA.
Read on Kindle. Feb 17, 2024.
My Picture Diary by Fujiwara Maki
This is a visual diary manga from 1981 about a former actor who has become a housewife. It details her days with her toddler son and her depressed husband. It had many slice of life moments but it also had a lot of more bleak moments of poverty and marital problems. It ended on a lighter note at least. The style of it was interesting since Maki was able to really make do with very simple drawings and words. I wish she had written more before she passed in 1999.
Setting: Tokyo, Japan.
Feb 18, 2024.
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
My first Claire Keegan. A sad yet satisfying Christmas novella. I went in not knowing it was about Christmas or the Magdalene laundries in Ireland. I remember how haunting the movie was and it angered me. Beautiful writing. Great character work. Can’t wait to read from Keegan.
Setting: Dublin, Ireland.
Feb 18, 2024.
All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot
Read by Nicolas Ralph. It seems like I am going through early twentieth century English memoirs. After the Diary of a Provincial Lady, I decided to stay in the same era. I have wanted to try this classic for years and the new narration is great. It was lighthearted and fun. There were some mildly annoying clients and characters, but the writing and beauty of the setting. It was 15 hours but I went through it quickly because I got addicted to listening to it. In the last month, I’ve switched to listening to more audiobooks than podcasts.
Setting: Yorkshire, UK.
1.25x. February 15-20, 2024.
The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen
Lovely, beautiful YA graphic novel about a boy and his mother sharing fairy tales. As usual, I’m a sucker for fantasy mixed with coming of age and East Asian emmigration stories. The ending left me verklempt.
Setting: USA.
Feb 24, 2024.
Recovery: The Lost Art of Convalescence by Gavin Francis
Read by the author. A very short audiobook meditating on modern ideas of convalescence and healing. I heard the author speak about his book on an NPR podcast. His Scottish accent made this a good and interesting listen. It was not as light hearted but reflective and useful as I am interested in health.
1.25x. Feb 19-23, 2024.