Posted on September 2, 2023 in Books, The New Yorker
Garlic & the Vampire and Garlic & the Witch by Bree Paulsen
Very cute and extremely low stakes (pun intended) middle grade graphic novels. I liked the second book slightly more but I liked how easy both were to read. I think I prefer the Tea dragons more for poignancy, but really liked this series and its very lovely artwork.
4.25/5 stars. Read August 27, 2023.
Better Living Through Birding: Notes from a Black Man in the Natural World by Christian Cooper
Narrated by the author. My favourite book podcast and a someone in my book club recommended this in the same week. Over the years, I have consumed less memoirs because they started to feel more packaged due to the influence of publishers and ghost writers. They weren’t bad exactly, but they felt a bit more self-indulgent as an industry. Cooper is not a celebrity in the same way though and he does have a background as an editor and writer. He is intelligent, reflective, and considerate telling his story. His audio narration is great. He is expressive and warm. I am so glad I listened to it. I was really engaged and really wanted to finish the book after I read my print ones. I found the writing about his love of birds, nature, and family quite moving. His stories about traveling were good too. The book had the right amount of reflection for me. There are bird songs in the audiobook! I loved that. Probably one of the better memoirs I’ve read in the last couple of years.
4.5/5 stars. Listened August 17-29, 2023. 1.3x most of the time.
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
Narrated by the author. This is a short YA novella in verse. I borrowed it because I had read a great interview about Jason Reynolds in the New Yorker and then watched more interviews with him. His championing of children’s literature is wonderful. This novella is about gun violence and the endless cycle of revenge especially in youth gangs. The poetry aspect of it is well done and I am glad I listened to the audiobook.
4/5 stars. Listened August 29, 2023. 1.3x.
Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree
Narrated by the author. The book that named a genre. While cozy fantasy has always been a thing especially in my world, this book led the charge of the genre being prominent in book culture recently. I lined up the audiobook for it and the library hold finally came in. I decided to start with the audiobook or go between them. Baldree has been a prolific audiobook narrator for years. I was not sure about his narration at first but when the voices started, I was impressed. In the end, I listened to the whole thing on audiobook. It wasn’t long and it did have a cozy vibe. The plot is rather slow and there is a lack of depth in some ways. I found the romance was not built up well enough. I wanted more character and relationship development. It’s not an essential read nor is it my favourite cozy fantasy of this year. I do think it has its charming moments especially as an audiobook. I enjoyed how easy it was to listen to it while I did my chores or physio exercises. This book is a vibe as the kids say. I had a chocolate chip cookie because it featured one prominently. I look forward to listening to the prequel.
3.75/4 stars. Listened August 29-31, 2023. 1.3x.
Some Writer!: The Story of E. B. White by Melissa Sweet
This is a favourite of some friends in my book club. It’s a well done middle grade biography with great illustrations and art. I learned a lot of things about E. B. White and the book is a lovely homage to his writing. I read this during a silent book club meeting with a couple bookish friends.
3.5/5 stars. Read August 31, 2023.
New Yorker
July 24, 2023: I found this newer edition beginning of August. Since I had been reading all these 2021, I was glad to find a newer one. Maybe it was the not great weekend that I read it but I found this edition on the grim side. It had stories about M.S., Haiti and its gangs, changing Nashville, bears, and neoliberalism. Maybe I shouldn’t read these on my off days.
August 9, 2021: This had a David Seders essay which I read in his most recent book and did not have many articles I was interested in.
August 16, 2021: The James Webb Space Telescope. Learned about Jason Reynolds and watched some interviews with him as a result too. I skipped the Fiction and was reminded about Ted Lasson S2. I read the review about “Annette”. I like the actors in the cast but probably won’t watch it since I watch very few movies and TV these days because of books.
Posted on August 30, 2023 in Books
I will need three parts this month because of all the children, middle grade, and audiobooks I have been consuming. Wow!
Continue reading →Posted on August 27, 2023 in Books
The second book in the Daughter of the Moon Goddess duology. I have had this book for many weeks from the library and they kept allowing me to renew it. I wanted to start it many times. It took me two non consecutive Saturdays before I could finish it since it’s just shy of 500 pages and I wanted to give it time and full attention.
Continue reading →Posted on August 23, 2023 in Books
GoodReads suggested one of these books to me. I don’t usually find that many recommendations on GoodReads but the author and the reviews sounded promising. I requested all three books from my library. All of the books are children’s picture books, two them have no text in the story, and all have themes of being lost and found.
The Only Child
This is the author’s most well known work. The story was based on their experience of growing up lonely under the one child policy in China. I really resonated with this story as we have similar backgrounds. Loneliness was a theme of my life as well. I still work on it in therapy and how to connect better to myself and others. I cried at the end of this book which is rare. I’ve been more emotional lately though. That’s not a bad thing and this book really captured specific feelings and experiences that I could really relate to. Beautiful artwork.
4.75/5 stars.
Stormy: A Story about Finding a Forever Home
This is a shorter story about a stray dog. This also made me cry at the heels of the last one.
4.25/5 stars.
The Flamingo
The colouring on this was the best of all. Ghibli vibes. I didn’t cry with this one but I almost did. Lovely stuff.
4.25/5 stars.
Read all three on August 14, 2023.
Posted on August 19, 2023 in Books, The New Yorker
Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See
A historical fiction novel about a woman doctor in the 15th century China. It’s been awhile since I read Lisa See’s Shanghai Girls. I really liked how she handled Chinese culture, history, and female relationships in that novel. Here again, she excelled in those things. The book has nuanced portrayals of women. The protagonist is flawed and privileged, but there is character development due to her many interesting female relationships. This was also a medical drama and there was even a surprise mystery. The medical content was not too gory but it was unavoidable. I think the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) would be hard to grasp or understand for most people. I got the gist of it due to my background. I will never understand the appeal of bound feet and it makes me cringe. It’s one of the reasons I don’t like reading these Chinese historical books. This was a nicely researched historical drama that would make a great Chinese TV series.
4.25/5 stars. Read August 5, 2023.
Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski
Like many women, I liked Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski. I’ve been exploring stress and anxiety research recently. I really liked the first chapter about completing the stress cycle and tips on stress management. I wish it had discussed this more. A lot of the other content I was familiar with such as gender roles. It was very feminist but any of these tips could be applied to all genders. I think it had some nice tips in the end but not as essential health reading.
3.75/5 stars. Started July 31, 2023 but I mainly read this August 6, 2023.
A Man Without a Country by Kurt Vonnegut
This is another book which I bought over a decade ago and didn’t read until now. It was a pristine first edition hardcover too. I’ve read two Vonnegut novels. I really liked Slaughterhouse Five but not Cat’s Cradle and don’t remember why. While they were strange and dark, I liked Vonnegut’s unique voice. He was a good writer. I liked the essays and there was good dark humour in most of them. I did find it a bit depressing after the first few essays. It was a product of its political time so it’s a bit strange to think back on the George W. Bush years and the Iraq war. He was right about a lot of things that apply now. I do think it’s for the best he didn’t see what’s happened in the last 15 years. The book left me a bit hopeless which is why I can’t give it the full 4 stars.
3.75/5 stars. Read August 6-8, 2023.
The Moth Keeper by K. O’Neill
Cute. Very Ghibli-esque. I like the Tea Dragon trilogy more but this was still a lovely cozy fantasy graphic novel. I liked the imagery and the gentle tone in O’Neill’s work. I understood and appreciated the theme of loneliness, isolation, community, and yearning.
4/5 stars. Read August 9, 2023.
These Precious Days by Ann Patchett
Audiobook read by the author. A lovely book of essays written by an author I’m growing to love. Intimate essays about her life, friends, family, death, illness, and books. I discovered that I had already read a couple of these essays in the New Yorker which told me that I am really a New Yorker reader and Patchett lover. These essays feel like hanging out with a friend. I have the trade paperback version, but decided to listen to the audiobook since she narrated it. I am going to keep my paper copy a little more before giving it away because I enjoyed this book so much.
4.5/5 stars. Listened July 31-Aug 9, 2023.
Posted on August 6, 2023 in Books, The New Yorker
Still lots of graphic novels and illustrated works. I achieved my 52 books very early this year as a result.
Continue reading →Posted on August 4, 2023 in Books, Stationery
I think I may have tried reading this before. I definitely read the author’s website when this first method first got popular.
I have used a Filofax for years. I’ve experimented with Bullet Journalling as well. I’ve tried it and most of the tenets of it does not work for me personally. Over the years, I’ve found that all I really need is a dated agenda which has space for daily to do and events. I mix it with use of my digital calendar. I keep my daily to-do under 10 items (usually) and sometimes, they are repeating daily routine like my morning pages, meditation, and making food. I like checking it off. I use a digital calendar for events to go alongside my Filfoax. Work gets its own calendar and I cross reference my two digital ones.
In addition to this, I do morning pages (really one page) and a pre-bedtime evening journal. This is enough reflection and writing for me. I’ve discovered that I really can’t live without a dated agenda though. Even though I miss some days or weeks, I always go back to it. Buying the filofax refills once a year minimizes wastes of buying a whole new agenda. I prefer the Two Days Per Page Diary.
This book was fine and I think a lot of people would benefit from it. I think you can get the gist of this method via the author’s website, Youtube, and other online resources. The book felt very padded with philosophy and general self-help organization things which I did not need. I skimmed a some of it as a result. Good to try at least.
3.25/5 stars. Read July 14-21, 2023.
Posted on July 29, 2023 in Books
Chinatown Pretty: Fashion and Wisdom from Chinatown’s Most Stylish Seniors by Andria Lo and Valerie Luu
This was a pre-bedtime slow read. This is a photography book featuring the portraits and stories of seniors from Chinatowns across North America. Like the authors, I’ve also noticed this style in this community. My late mother was on the way to adopting this style completely. It’s a great book featuring really moving and touching stories of migrants who have made their lives here.
4.25/5 stars. Read June 8-July 1, 2023.
Nimona by N. D. Stevenson
Funny and great storytelling. I did find the font very small though. It’s not my favourite visual graphic novel but the characters made up for it. I wish there had been more.
4/5 stars. Read July 2, 2023.
The Tea Dragon Festival (Tea Dragon, #2) by Katie O’Neill
Such a a lovely and wholesome series. I like that the universe keeps expanding and it’s pleasant. I love dragons. I need this kind of gentle reading these days.
4.25/5 stars. Read July 7, 2023.
DNF: Selected Poems by Walt Whitman
Did not finish. I found this book and Leaves of Grass a few weeks ago as I have been decluttering my book collection. I read a couple from this book and decided that there was no way I would read the whole of Leaves of Grass. I put that in a Little Library. I remember liking Walt Whitman years ago but as I went through these books, I didn’t find it engaging. I kept trying but I have too many other books that I want to read.
Anne of Avonlea by L. M. Montgomery
I found two copies of this book last year. This edition was from a public school and had the 90s cover which I remember seeing as a kid. I really enjoyed this installment and one aspect made me laugh out loud very hard. I love Anne as a character. I was having a couple of rough days when I read this which likely affected my enjoyment. I debated about giving this 5 stars but while I loved the experience, I don’t think I will reread this book. I will likely give the whole series 5 stars.
4.5/5 stars. Read July 8-10, 2023.
Heartstopper, Volumes 1-2 by Alice Oseman.
The first volume took ages to come to me from the library. After that first one, I decided to get it via express ebook from my library. I quite liked using my iPad for graphic novels. Lovely, wholesome, light hearted goodness.
Both 4/5 stars. Read July 13, 2023 in book (vol 1) and ebook (vol 2).
Posted on June 25, 2023 in Books
I have been following Kate Beaton and Hark! A Vagrant when it was still a Livejournal blog. I have loved her work and felt a kinship to her comics for many years now. I read both her children’s books. I was excited to read this graphic memoirs which I know she had been working on for over six years.
I am glad that more have discovered her talent with this work. It took me a few months to get it from the library because of the long wait list due to it being listed for and winning Canada Reads.
This graphic novel hit me like a bus. I knew it would be somewhat tough because the topic of the oil sands has been fraught in Canada for many years. However, I did not expect the trigger warnings of sexual assault, sexual harassment, misogyny, depression, loneliness, exploitation, classism, and more. My mental health has not been as great this year so I’ve been more sensitive to triggers.
Continue reading →Posted on June 20, 2023 in Books
It’s been a good reading month so far that I’ve realized I can split this into two parts at least. I’ve been consuming more books than usual for a variety of reasons including audiobooks.
Medallion Status by John Hodgman (audiobook)
I forgot to include this relisten in last month’s post. I listened to the audiobook again during insomnia nights after I finished Vacationland. I like Vacationland more but I still love Hodgman. I a bought a trade paperback copy at a local book store since I really should own one of these books at least.
Read original review here. 3.5/5 stars. Audiobook. Relistened early to mid May 2023.
The Art of Making Memories: How to Create and Remember Happy Moments by Meik Wiking
This took me awhile since I’ve been using this as an evening and pre-bed time book. I’ve been trying to read before bed and this was the right size and mood. I did not learn a lot of new information and most of the book are short capters filled with photos and recollections of Wiking’s life experiences. Like the Marie Kondo book last month, I am finding these lighter and slow self-help books relaxing. They are very gentle. These authors have privilege and these books don’t really add a lot of value in terms of information. They do relax me with their gentler tone about improving one’s life in small ways. There’s no drama or too much information to absorb. I have always found fiction too engaging to read before bed. I also like learning from nonfiction but it can also capture too much. I think I’ve discovered something new to my reading habits and reading routine.
3.5/5 stars. Read May 17-June 3, 2023.
The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
This was a charming debut novel recommended by someone in my book club. It’s a lovely book with gentle characters who are going through life the best they can. They have to contend with families, grief, illness, growing up, and many other things. There are two central characters from two different backgrounds and a couple of side characters as well. The focus around this reading list made the writing tight. I had read all the books on this list and actually read A Suitable Boy last year when I read about this one. I don’t regret that as it was one of my favourite books from last year. The climax of this novel was very sad and almost made me give it a lower rating, but it reminded the characters and the reader how books are there for us. Good stuff.
4/5 stars. Started on Kindle May 23 and finished on book by June 5, 2023.
The Tea Dragon Society by Kay O’Neill
Cozy fantasy at its best. Very gentle and loving children’s book. I look forward to the other two books in the series.
4/5 stars. Read Jun 8, 2023.
A Prayer for Crown Shy by Becky Chambers
This was the right book at the right time for me. I liked it much more than the first one as the characters and story found its rhythm. It’s lovely, reflective, emotional, philosophical, and spiritual. I needed this gentle and hopeful novel with nice characters.
4.5/5 stars. Read June 13, 2023.
Posted on June 4, 2023 in Books
Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins-Reid
I listened to the audiobook because it had an ensemble cast. The audiobook made it for me. I found the Evelyn Hugo novel more engaging. I am a less interested in celebrity musicians than I am with old vintage Hollywood. There were also way more characters in this one and I found the ending a tad less satisfying. I think if I had read the book, I would have found it much more boring. I didn’t really care about the star crossed romance or most of the band dynamics.
3.5/5 stars. Audiobook. Listened 1.3-1.4x. May 3-7, 2023.
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
I read this one with a friend. I am trying to read more classic books again. We both had the book but had never read it. This was not long thankfully but it was slow because there is no one to really root for. Poor bored Emma Bovary. I know she’s suppose to be insipid and vain, but it doesn’t help the reader to cheer for her. I didn’t like any of the characters. I felt sorry for her husband Charles who was a mediocre man. The tone is strange as this is a black comedy and satire. In terms of classic novels about women being exploited or taken advantage of because they are romantic, I prefer Anna Karenina and Thomas Hardy’s female characters. I also wonder if my translation of it affected the quality.
3/5 stars. May 2-8, 2023.
Kurashi at Home by Marie Kond?
This is a coffee table book that does not really add anything to Kondo’s other books. I found it relaxing to read. It’s well translated and keeps her gentle tone. I am not a minimalist like Kondo but I really find her style so cozy and comforting. While it didn’t teach me anything, I found it a lovely book to sit with.
3.5/5 stars. May 9, 2023.
How to be alone by Lane Moore
This title is misleading. It’s not a self-help book. It’s a collection of essays by someone who has felt lonely in their life. I am someone who has felt a lot of loneliness in their life. Some people are prone to it. Often it happens because of bad or inadequate childhoods. Unlike the author of this book, I did feel loved at times thankfully. I tried to listen to the audiobook but I gave up very quickly. I don’t really like the author’s style. She is not that funny to me and she used a lot of capital letters for emphasis. She spent time discussing her various relationships and her anxious attachment style. While I did not like her writing style or would recommend it, I actually related to a few things. I do not see a lot of people writing about loneliness in this manner. Her discussion about looking for love as a romantic, dreaming about their soul mate, or their attachment to pop culture ships were all things I experienced as well. I appreciated her for being vulnerable in her writing about these things. I wish there was more of it in the world.
3/5 stars. May 9, 2023.
Thornbound by Stephanie Burgis
And we’re back to reading. I had a bad week between the last book and this one. I read this on the plane. I read the first book in this series on a flight in late 2021 and enjoyed the characters and central romance. I found myself a less engaged this time. It’s a really light series. I may continue and finish the trilogy.
3/5 stars. Read on Kindle May 21, 2023.
Whose Body by Dorothy L. Sayers
As someone who likes Agatha Christie, I’ve been curious about Sayers for years now. She was a Golden Age mystery author as well. I have read about people’s adoration of Lord Peter Whimsey too. This book feels like P. G. Wodehouse’s Jeeves and Wooster but with murder and whodunit aspects. I’ve read all those stories but they blur together after awhile with a silly aristocratic single protagonist and a very competent valet. Just like Jeeves and Wooster, I like the Golden Age era and side characters. I liked Peter’s mother in this and the valet Bunter. Peter was a bit silly and I did not get a good read on the character. I was impressed with the brief PTSD flashback scene and the way Sayers deftly addressed it. Other than that, I found the book was bogged down by the criminology and too many details on how the murder happened. The novel felt unpolished in parts and it did not make me want to read more from this series. However, I did like the supporting characters and lots of reviews noted that Peter has great character development in the series. This was something those Jeeves and Wooster stories didn’t have. Apparently, there’s a romance too so I think I’ll keep reading on.
3/5 stars. Read on Kindle May 21-23, 2023.
She and Her Cat by Shinkai, Makoto
This is a one volume manga about a young professional woman and her cat. There are themes of adulting and loneliness. It’s short and rather melancholy in parts. I could relate to this and I think a lot of young women can as well in this new more isolated age. A short but sweet read.
3.5/5 stars. Read May 30-31, 2023.
Posted on May 2, 2023 in Books
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
Maybe it was all the hype around this and the emerging “cozy fantasy” genre term but I expected to like this more than I did. I think it was has some lovely moments. I really like Mosscap the robot. It’s wonderfully short as well. It didn’t wow me the way others have though. A solid novella. I will consider reading the sequel.
3.5/5 stars. Read April 5, 2023.
The Dragon’s Promise by Elizabeyth Lim
The sequel to Six Crimson Cranes which was one of my favourite reads from last year. I was a bit disappointed. I partly blame myself as I have been in a reading rut related to some health issues recently. This sequel was too long at 500 pages though. In the first book, I was not bored with the action and there seemed to be a more cohesive journey and mission for Shiori. In this book, there are several side quests. It was too much and I basically got bored. I think if this book were half the length, it would have deserved it’s rather nice ending. This makes me rethink reading more from Lim as I think there was too many characters and quests in this book.
3/5 stars. Read April 5-8, 2023.
Vacationland by John Hodgman
I adore John Hodgman. Ten years ago, I started listening to his podcast Judge John Hodgman and it remains my absolute favourite podcast and one of my favourite things in general. I became a MaxFun supporter for the show. He is so considerate and humanist on that podcast. I like his sometimes streams of Get Your Pets and Zoning Out where he plays Sim City. He is so chill and compassionate when interacting with guests. In the past few months, I have been suffering from insomnia and to help me sleep or keep me company in the bad nights, I’ve relistened to a lot of the JJHO again. I was running out of episodes so I decided to get the audiobooks. This one was good. I missed some of it when I fell asleep in the middle but I liked the start and the end especially the reflections on his mother’s passing.
4.5/5 stars. Audiobook.
This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Jillian Tamaki
This was part of a banned books list. I didn’t realize until I started it that I had already read another graphic novel from Mariko Tamaki. This was well illustrated. It’s a coming of age story and realistic with some of the dialogues by the younger leads. There is a teen pregnancy storyline which was okay. I preferred more the dynamics between the lead and her mother. In any case, a nice book.
3/5 stars. Read April 22-23, 2023.
The Cat Who Saved Books by S?suke Natsukawa
A cute, cozy novel. Low stakes. For bibliophiles. I gave this a generous 3.5 when most of the book is a firm 3. I liked the ending.
3.5/5 stars. Read April 27-30, 2023.