I really loved this book about a 35-year-old woman, Mika, who had put her baby, Penny, up for adoption back when she was 19 years old. As a condition I really loved this book about a 35-year-old woman, Mika, who had put her baby, Penny, up for adoption back when she was 19 years old. As a condition of the adoption, the adoptive parents, Thomas and Caroline, had to send her yearly updates on the child's progress, which Mika had happily followed from afar. That is, until one day, Penny reaches out to Mika directly and plans a spontaneous trip to see her in person.
What you need to know about Mika is that her life is a mess - she was in a shitty relationship, she just got fired from her job, she has a strained relationship with her parents, and well, she's just sad all the time.
So when Penny reached out to Mika, Mika's life is turned upside down as she tries to navigate life as a mother and tries to establish a relationship with Penny, while also trying to get her own personal life together.
There were many moments throughout this book that bordered on rom-com territory (which I actually really enjoyed) but I was most impressed with how the book handled the themes of motherhood/parenthood. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of navigating through the various family dynamics including Mika's relationship with her Japanese immigrant parents (Shige and Hiromi), Mika's journey of discovering what her role is in Penny's life, and Penny's relationship with her adoptive (white) parents. Each of these relationships is unique and complex, with their display of familial love represented in vastly different ways.
Mika and Penny's relationship is also quite interesting because of the role that Mika plays in Penny's life (what role does being a birth mother play in the life of an adopted child?) and also because their upbringing was so different - one was a child of immigrants with a very traditional, strict, and emotionally distant upbringing, while the other was a child of color raised by two white parents who are very open and supportive and never pressures the child to live up to their unrealistic expectations.
Overall, the story and characters were very well-developed and layered. I enjoyed the audiobook tremendously and listened to it at regular speed.
__________________________________ If you like the following books, then you might enjoy Mika in Real Life or vice-versa:
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Talking as Fast as I Can was one of my favourite celebrity audiobooks of all time, so naturally, when I found out that Lauren Graham wrote another memoir, I knew I had to give it a listen! [image] This was such a nice continuation of Lauren's first memoir. As with the previous memoir, she narrates this book with tons of enthusiasm. It's full also full of humour as well as interesting behind-the-scenes look at acting as a profession (and the Hollywood hierarchy that celebrities usually don't talk about).
It appears that the target audience for this book is aspiring actors and directors, as this book offers a lot of industry advice and tidbits.
Overall, I find Lauren to be a great storyteller and a fantastic narrator (I listened to the audiobook at regular speed and was fully engaged). Although she doesn't dive into as much detail about Gilmore Girls in this book (since it was all covered in the previous one), it does make me want to rewatch the shows! ...more
I love books about women in STEM and this audiobook was such a joy to listen to.
First of all, the audiobook was fantastic (I listened at regular speedI love books about women in STEM and this audiobook was such a joy to listen to.
First of all, the audiobook was fantastic (I listened at regular speed). I couldn't stop listening to it and couldn't bring myself to hit pause whenever I had to go back to work or go to bed...
This was a great debut about being a woman in science in the '60s. The story and narration made me feel a whole host of feelings -
I adored Elizabeth Zott's quirky, no-nonsense personality (she's like a female version of Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory!); I admired Elizabeth Zott's intelligence and passion for chemistry; I related to her views about marriage; I felt frustrated and angered by her mistreatment at work; I loved Elizabeth and Calvin's relationship; I was heartbroken by Calvin's sad life and history; I fell in love with Six Thirty; I was intrigued and inspired by Zott's cooking show; I laughed at all the Mad, Harriett, and Wilson moments; and, I nearly cried by the end of the book because I didn't want the story to end.
When Melody's life was uprooted - her mom had decided it was time they moved back to Korea to live with her father - she was understandably displeasedWhen Melody's life was uprooted - her mom had decided it was time they moved back to Korea to live with her father - she was understandably displeased (leaving your friends and world behind is hard) but was also in for a major culture shock.
Adapting to Korea, the conservative lifestyle, and the strange customs of wealthy Korean families (i.e. being constantly set up on blind dates with the sons of other wealthy Korean businessmen) was hard for Melody and interesting to read about.
I enjoyed the journey of watching Melody slowly warm up to Korea. I also really liked that this book touched upon themes of belonging - for many Asians born outside of Asia, it can be difficult to connect and feel a sense of belonging to their ethnic country of origin. Speaking from experience, looking Asian and being able to speak the language just isn't enough to fit in - there are so many nuances in the way people dress, behave, and speak that can make you stand out as a foreigner, even in your "home" country.
Although I did find Melody annoying at times (she's rather selfish and insensitive - I guess not unlike most North American teenagers), I think it helped contrast the different mentality and culture of a teen who grew up in the USA versus those who grew up in Korea.
While this was a decent debut novel, it still left a lot to be desired. For example: 1. The conflicts were too easily resolved and the relationships (particularly the relationship between Melody and her father, Melody's mom and sister, Melody and her best friend, and the romantic relationship) felt a bit underdeveloped 2. Melody's inconsistent struggle with Korean. We know, early on, that Melody's Korean is passable and she often isn't able to understand the Korean that's spoken amongst her family. She also struggles with her Honors Korean class. So... why doesn't these struggles extend beyond school and family? She seems to have no trouble navigating the City, ordering food, and taking transit. When I travelled to Asia, I still often struggled with my passable Cantonese/Mandarin/Japanese language skills. 3. Melody's dad and his apparent wealth. There are several reviews that brought this up - Melody's dad seems to be loaded. And yet, Melody and her mom were only living in a dingy apartment in New York and Melody was always under the impression that they were just getting by. How? Did he not send money over? Did he never buy them and send them lavish gifts? Also, how is it that Melody never knew her dad was rich and lived a luxurious lifestyle? Did he only become rich in the last year or so and was finally able to afford a private chef, chauffeur, apartment mansion, and to fly his family over in first class?
Audiobook Comments: The audiobook was well-narrated, at a decent pace. I listened to it at regular speed and enjoyed the narration.
--------------------------- If you like the following books, then you might like I Guess I Live Here Now and vice versa:
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I think fans of Circe will enjoy this beautifully crafted retelling of Medusa.
In many ways, this book gives the reader a very high-level ove3.5/5
I think fans of Circe will enjoy this beautifully crafted retelling of Medusa.
In many ways, this book gives the reader a very high-level overview of the story of Medusa - how Medusa's powers came to be, the reasoning behind Perseus' quest to behead a Gorgon, the debacle between Perseus and Andromeda, and finally the story of Athene.
The writing was lovely and I really enjoyed learning about each character. I love that Medusa was portrayed as a misunderstood character. I also found the depiction of Perseus particularly funny - an insensitive and rather simple-minded brute. Very different from the hero that he is often depicted as.
I will admit that this book covers a lot of backstories and introduces a lot of characters that can be hard to keep track of for those who are unfamiliar with Greek mythology.
I really enjoyed the audiobook, which was narrated by the author (and which I listened at regular speed). ...more
Asian-American history is not something that is often discussed in North American schools so this book offers a lot of great background to bridge thatAsian-American history is not something that is often discussed in North American schools so this book offers a lot of great background to bridge that information gap. Although it is a relatively short book, it covers a great deal of information from the history of the earliest Asian migrants to the USA, to the issues of citizenship (in a society where people are categorized as being either "white" or "black", what category do Asians fall under, and what rights are they entitled to?), to the internment of Japanese-Americans.
As the title suggests, this book focuses primarily on the history of Japanese-American citizens but it also covered Asian-American history in general as well, since the deep-rooted racism towards Chinese, Mongols, Indians, etc. also impacted the Japanese-American community and further exacerbated the anti-Asian sentiment that ultimately led to the internment of over a hundred thousand Americans (and Canadians - let's not forget that Canada also played a part in this) of Japanese origins.
I learned a lot from this book as it included a lot of interesting (and racist) case laws and rulings that really make readers realize the entrenchment of white supremacy throughout North American history.
Audiobook Comments: I listened to the audiobook (at x1.1 speed), which was well-narrated and captured and maintained my attention.
This was a cute middle-grade story about a girl in Wuhan, China at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. With her dad as a front line worker an2.5/5
This was a cute middle-grade story about a girl in Wuhan, China at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. With her dad as a front line worker and the city under lockdown, she does what she can to help her friends and neighbours through her love for cooking.
Although this might be a good book for children of future generations to read and learn about the coronavirus pandemic, I felt like the pacing of the timeline of events was a bit off. The details of the pandemic were a bit lacking, and the emotions, confusion, worry, fear and panic that a lot of people experienced was also missing from this book. There was just too much focus on Mei's video game and cooking obsession and not enough emphasis on the human aspect of helping each other out during lockdown. It seemed to me that this story glossed over the serious and important details of the pandemic.
May 15, 2023 Review: I decided to check out the ebook because it included a foreword by Lisa Kudrow (which was too short for my liking), and severaMay 15, 2023 Review: I decided to check out the ebook because it included a foreword by Lisa Kudrow (which was too short for my liking), and several pictures as well.
March 24, 2023 Review: I finished this audiobook with an overwhelming urge to find Matthew and give him a big hug.
This was such an open, honest, and deeply reflective account of Matthew Perry's struggles with addiction, told with the perfect amount of sarcastic humour that makes you realize that Matthew Perry really is Chandler Bing in real life.
Chandler Bing is, hands down, my favourite character from Friends. It's no secret that Matthew had struggled with substance abuse throughout his acting career but the severity of his addiction as explained in this memoir, took me by surprise.
Fans of Friends will know about, or will have noticed Matthew's significant weight fluctuation throughout the show's history and he does not shy away from explaining why. [image]
Although there are a bunch of fun and interesting tidbits about Matthew's childhood (beating up Justin Trudeau LOL), failed relationships, and the auditioning process and behind-the-scenes on Friends, much of the book focused on "the Big Terrible Thing" - Matthew's alcohol and drug addiction. He goes into great detail explaining what addiction is like (kind of like this, I guess: [image]), how it has affected his life and his relationships/friendships, and how difficult it was to stop.
Ultimately though, listening to this book will make you realize that Matthew is a real life Chandler Bing (minus the Monica, and a bit sadder), and that all he wants is love and a family! [image]
So naturally, this memoir was sprinkled with classic Chandler-style (or I guess technically the Matthew-style) humour, which was much needed as the topics discussed were very serious, dark and depressing. [image]
Audiobook Comments: The audiobook was just fantastic, and you really can't enjoy this book any other way. I listened to it at x1.25 speed which I found to be a comfortable listening speed for this book....more
As far as celebrity memoirs go, this was rather unremarkable.
The most interesting and well-written parts were the ones that Constance found the most As far as celebrity memoirs go, this was rather unremarkable.
The most interesting and well-written parts were the ones that Constance found the most traumatic - her elementary school English class experience (where she was accused of plagiarism), and her time on Fresh off the Boat (where she experienced sexual harassment).
There's just something about this audiobook that feels incomplete... Perhaps it's because I was rather disappointed that she didn't go into more detail about her time on Crazy Rich Asians or The Hustlers. Or maybe it's because there was a bit of a disconnect between Constance's recollection of childhood memories, her journey toward becoming a successful actor, and her experiences as an adult/famous actress - I think this book would have benefitted from further self-reflection to tie all these experiences together with a central theme and with more of a focus on the Asian-American experience (from her childhood up to adulthood/parenthood).
Audiobook Comments I love that the audiobook was narrated by Constance herself (as all celebrity memoirs should). I found that the x1.25 speed was the most comfortable listening speed for this audiobook. ...more
The ending of this volume hit me harder than I thought it would.
Three years have passed since the events of Volume 9 and Hazel and her companions havThe ending of this volume hit me harder than I thought it would.
Three years have passed since the events of Volume 9 and Hazel and her companions have met some new faces along the way including: - Bombazine, a seemingly friendly dude with a mysterious past - Skipper and his merry band of pirates
This volume wasn't as fast-paced as the previous volumes as it appears to be setting the tone for some really crazy shit to befall Hazel's friends and family. [image]
Also, Alana is giving me major Nancy vibes (from the show Weeds). [image]...more
This audiobook started off interesting but was ultimately far too long and repetitive. I was honestly bored by the time I was 30% into the audiobook. This audiobook started off interesting but was ultimately far too long and repetitive. I was honestly bored by the time I was 30% into the audiobook.
Audiobook comments: Although I enjoyed listening to Bono’s Irish brogue, his impressions of other people, and the inclusion of snippets of some of his songs (most of which I really enjoyed and will check out the full version), my primary issue with the audiobook was that the sound engineer/editor went a bit overboard with all the sound effects which often drowned out the narration and was quite distracting.
General comments about the book: I have always loved 70’s and 80’s music (probably because that’s all my parents listen to at home) but to be honest, I wasn’t too familiar with most Bono and U2’s works (I was honestly surprised that the band was Irish and that their songs tend to tackle social, religious, and political issues). Prior to listening to the audiobook, I was only familiar with a few of their hit songs and knew that they did a bunch of charity concerts (in fact, I love this comedic bit by Daliso Chaponda, who - to paraphrase - stated that it's not a real crisis if Bono isn't there with a charity concert. Full youtube clip here).
As the title of this book suggests, this book is split into 40 chapters, or rather, 40 songs in which we either learn about the origin of the song, or learn about how a particular song represents a part of Bono’s personal life. I started listening to Bono’s music as I listened to the audiobook (listening to the song identified in the beginning of each chapter) and realized I really enjoy U2’s music (a lot of really fantastic songs I’ve never heard before!). Knowing the background behind some of these songs makes me appreciate the music even more as well.
The reason for the low rating (despite enjoying the music and some of the background that was provided) was that this book dragged on for far too long! A 20 hour audiobook / 40 chapter memoir of Bono's ramblings that meanders from topic to topic and keeps circling back to U2's activism and philanthropic works was just too much. The book lacked structure and although Bono attempted to connect his songs with major life events, much of it felt very repetitive. I lost interest early on and hard time focussing on the content by the end of the book.
The 40 songs referenced in this book (of which I was only familiar with three…) were:
1. Lights of Home - hey now, do you know my name? - the perfect opening song / chapter to Bono’s book 2. Out of Control (I love the acoustic version featured in this audiobook!) - this chapter focuses on Bono’s teenage years and how the U2 band came to be 3. Iris (Hold Me Close) - this song was written for Bono’s mother, Iris. Naturally, this chapter is about Bono’s relationship with his mother who passed away when he was 14. 4. Cedarwood Road - Cedarwood Road is where Bono grew up with his father and brother. This chapter discusses his relationship with his father and brother. 5. Stories for Boys (I love the reimagined acoustic piano version featured in this book!) - this chapter focuses on Bono’s friendship with Guggi (Derek Rowen), how the nickname Bono came to be, and Bono’s relationship with Jesus Christ. 6. Song for Someone - Mount Temple Comprehensive School. This is where Bono meets the other future band members of U2. More importantly, it was during this time that he met his future wife Alison Stewart. 7. I Will Follow- the early years of U2 (1978) 8. 11 O’Clock Tick Tock - U2’s first time in London and trying to break into the British punk scene. Bono’s Cockney accent is so funny! 9. Invisible (the acoustic version of this song sounds great and almost… country?) - U2’s experience working with British record producers 10. October - Bono’s relationship with the band mates and how their music has evolved technically and thematically (including religious and political influences) 11. Two Hearts Beat as One - Bono’s wedding and relationship with Adam Clayton and members of the Virgin Prunes 12. Sunday Bloody Sunday - importance of drums in the song to represent war and the troubles in Northern Ireland and the IRA. The song depicts the two of Derry in 1972 and the backlash from their Irish fans 13. Bad - Bono meets his idol, Bob Marley! 14. Bullet the Blue Sky - Bono and Ali visits Central America and explored liberation theology. 15. Where the Streets Have No Name - Bono and Ali are in Ethiopia and experiencing the great famine that plagues this nation and the start of his anti-poverty campaign. 16. With or Without You - learn more about Bono’s wife, Ali and how Bono learned to navigate marriage. We also learn that he wrote Sweetest Thing as a belated birthday gift to Ali (after he forgot her birthday) so she was able to choose where the proceeds go (in which, to this day, all proceeds continues to go to Chernobyl Children International). 17. Desire - Bono in Los Angeles and finding out that he’s going to be a dad! 18. Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (no song playing at the beginning of the chapter!) - Ali gives birth and Bono decides to write a song using the baby’s heartbeat (Jordan Joy) 19. Until the End of the World - Bono and the conflict between Ukraine and Russia (before the current war) 20. One - Bono and the fall of the Berlin Wall and the writing of the music for U2's album, Achtung Baby (including how the song 'Until the End of the World' and 'One' came to be). 21. The Fly (I definitely prefer the version of the song found in the audiobook - cleaner, clearer and jazzier) - The Edge and Aislinn's divorce makes Bono re-evaluate relationships which helped inspire the song, The Fly. 22. Even Better Than the Real Thing - Bono has to deal with bandmate Adam Clayton's drug and substance abuse. 23. Mysterious Ways - Bono discusses feminism amongst other things. 24. Stuck in a Moment - more discussion on drugs and Bono's friendship with Michael Hutchence. 25. Wake up Dead Man - Bono explores using electronic music/EDM in their own music 26. The Showman - Bono discusses showbiz and performing 27. Pride (in the Name of Love) - Bono meets Bill Clinton at the White House and discusses his activism 28. Beautiful Day - Bono talks about his dad's later life and mortality (which inspired the songs, Kite and Beautiful Day 29. Crumbs from your Table - More activism related to DATA (debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa) 30. Miracle Drug - Bono’s activism takes him to the fight against HIV/AIDS 31. Vertigo - U2 stepping out of their comfort zone and teaming up with Apple Music. 32. Ordinary Love - U2 at the Oscars and Nelson Mandela 33. City of Blinding Lights - This is the song Barack Obama played when he became president, so this chapter is about Obama and Trump's presidencies. 34. Get Out of Your Own Way - Bono discusses the ownership of his music (an issue that is prevalent in the music industry) 35. Every Breaking Wave - this chapter was all over the place, much like most of this book. 36. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For - At this point, I kind of zoned out and had a hard time keeping up with Bono's ramblings. 37. Love is Bigger than Anything in its Way - This chapter was a blur. 38. Moment of Surrender - discusses terrorist bombings of music halls in Paris 39. Landlady - This chapter was also a blur. 40. Breathe - By this chapter, I couldn't wait for the audiobook to finally be over.
And finally, the credits aptly feature the song 40.
tl;dr - I probably would have enjoyed this audiobook a lot more if I was a fan and if I was familiar with most of Bono / U2’s songs. Overall, this book was way too long, with too much repetitive self-congratulatory information about Bono's activism.
This book was everything that my BIPOC polyglot soul needed - my multilingual self is in love with the concept of Silver Working, a magic system that This book was everything that my BIPOC polyglot soul needed - my multilingual self is in love with the concept of Silver Working, a magic system that is based on the ability to translate words using the understanding of their etymological roots.
Plot: The story takes place in 1828 when an orphaned Chinese boy in Canton becomes the ward of a British man - Professor Lovell. The boy adopts the name Robin Swift and, with the help of Professor Lovell, quickly learns numerous languages and enrolls in Oxford University's Royal Institute of Translation (aka Babel) - the only school that accepts foreign and female students.
Babel trains polyglots to utilize their translation skills to help with Silver Working - magical bars inscribed with a word and a translation, that can only be activated by those who have a deep understanding of both languages and the etymology of the words used. These bars help build the foundation and infrastructure of this alternate version of England, making the country entirely dependent on the production of these bars in order to maintain their power and status in the world.
As Robin learns more about the intricacies involved in the art of translation and the power that England holds, he begins to struggle with his knowledge and experience of British imperialism and colonialism.
What I loved: I loved that this book covered various topics that have always fascinated me - the art of translation, etymology, linguistics, and colonialism. It's also (unsurprisingly, given R.F. Kuang's academic background) very well researched without it being overly expository or full of infodumps. All of the etymological and translation tidbits were provided in a very digestible formats. This book was honestly everything that I was hoping A Deadly Education would be.
The setting was also fantastic. While some parts of Oxford has been fictionalized, the descriptions definitely transported me back to the days when I was there as an exchange student.
What I didn't like: As much as I loved the magic system, I also felt like it could have been developed a bit more and explored in more detail to really emphasize its importance in this alternate British society. It's just a bit hard for me to suspend disbelief in the importance of the silver bars when most things that they're used for in this fictional world can be substituted with science and technology that already existed during that time period...
Also, I'm not sure if this is the fault of the narrator or just the way the book is written but the story dragged at times. Furthermore, despite the incredibly ethnically diverse cast of characters, I often found them to be rather dull (I also don't think their vocabulary and way of speaking accurately reflect both the time period they're in or the country that they represent). Finally, while I didn't mind the ending, I didn't love it... I need to know if will there be a sequel!
Audiobook Comments: I listened to the audiobook which was a strange experience for me as it was the first time I listened to a book with footnotes (the male narrator read the main story while the female narrator read the footnotes). The seemingly random interjections by the female narrator were jarring at first, but I slowly got used to it.
tl;dr - This is a must-read for polyglots and anyone with an interest in etymology and linguistics.
This was a really enjoyable and lighthearted rom-com audiobook to listen to (I really liked the narrator's voice - she kind of sounds like Felici3.5/5
This was a really enjoyable and lighthearted rom-com audiobook to listen to (I really liked the narrator's voice - she kind of sounds like Felicia Day!)
In terms of the storyline though, I must say I was a bit disappointed that there weren't actually any serial killers (I guess I was hoping for a novel that was similar to Finlay Donovan is Killing It). Instead, the story was more about Phoebe's obsession with true crime and her initial paranoia that her neighbour might be a serial killer (spoiler alert: he's not - but how entertaining would it be if one of them happened to be a serial killer?).
Overall, an entertaining and lighthearted audiobook to listen to.
This was a very well-rounded collection of melancholic poems that deals with themes of immigration, abuse, racism, and numerous other dark and sa3.5/5
This was a very well-rounded collection of melancholic poems that deals with themes of immigration, abuse, racism, and numerous other dark and sad themes.
As with most poetry collections, there were some poems that stood out to me more than others, including Assimilation; Drowning in Dawson's Creek; My Father, The Astronaut; and, Bless This House.
Here's a passage from Assimilation:
The refugee's heart often grows an outer layer. An assimilation. It cocoons the organ. Those unable to grow the extra skin die within the first six months in a host country.
As much as I like listening to poetry via audiobook or reading it via ebook, I did have some difficulty navigating between the glossary at the end of the book and the poems (as there are many Somali words included in the poems). ...more
I read 230 books in 2022 (which excludes my 9 DNFs and includes 32 audiobooks and 272.68 hours) with an overall average rating of 3.7. and an average of 108 pages read per day.
Of the 230 books, 54 were new releases published in 2022. Without further ado, here are my...
✔ 1. Read a biography of an author you admire - People Change ✔ 2. Read a book set in a bookstore - Booked on a Feeling ✔ 3. Read any book from the Women’s Prize shortlist/longlist/winner list. - The Vanishing Half ✔ 4. Read a book in any genre by a POC that’s about joy and not trauma - Will ✔ 5. Read an anthology featuring diverse voices. - Reclaim the Stars ✔ 6. Read a nonfiction YA comic. - Welcome to St. Hell: My Trans Teen Misadventure: A Graphic Novel ✔ 7. Read a romance where at least one of the protagonists is over 40. - The House in the Cerulean Sea ✔ 8. Read a classic written by a POC. - Giovanni's Room ✔ 9. Read the book that’s been on your TBR the longest. - The Plains of Passages ~ 10. Read a political thriller by a marginalized author (BIPOC, or LGBTQIA+). - The Perfume Thief(DNF) ✔ 11. Read a book with an asexual and/or aromantic main character. - How to be Ace ✔ 12. Read an entire poetry collection. - Call Us What We Carry ✔ 13. Read an adventure story by a BIPOC author. - Daughter of the Moon Goddess ✔ 14. Read a book whose movie or TV adaptation you’ve seen (but haven’t read the book). - Franklin's Bicycle Helmet ✘ 15. Read a new-to-you literary magazine (print or digital). ✔ 16. Read a book recommended by a friend with different reading tastes. - Giovanni's Room ✔ 17. Read a memoir written by someone who is trans or nonbinary. - Welcome to St. Hell: My Trans Teen Misadventure: A Graphic Novel ✔ 18. Read a “Best _ Writing of the year” book for a topic and year of your choice. - This is How You Lose the Time War ✔ 19. Read a horror novel by a BIPOC author - The Hacienda ✘ 20. Read an award-winning book from the year you were born. ✘ 21. Read a queer retelling of a classic of the canon, fairytale, folklore, or myth. ✔ 22. Read a history about a period you know little about. - Seven Fallen Feathers ✔ 23. Read a book by a disabled author - Year of the Tiger: An Activist's Life ✔ 24. Pick a challenge from any of the previous years’ challenges to repeat! - 2021. #9. Read a middle-grade mystery - Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase
This was probably my least favourite Sarah's Scribbles book so far, but it still had a decent amount of funny comics. I found the comics on being weirThis was probably my least favourite Sarah's Scribbles book so far, but it still had a decent amount of funny comics. I found the comics on being weird and introverted, along with the cat comics particularly funny and relatable.
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---------------------------------------------- Average rating for this series: 4/5 Check out my reviews for the rest of the series: Book 1: Adulthood is a Myth (4.5/5) Book 2: Big Mushy Happy Lump (5/5) Book 3: Herding Cats (3.5/5) Book 4: Oddball (3/5)...more
I love a mystery that has tons of suspects, and boy, where there are a lot of suspects with interconnected storylines!
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The story centers around Brynn Gallagher who left Saint Ambrose after her favourite teacher was found dead (murdered) in the woods. Four years later, she finds herself back at the same school with an internship at Motive, a true crime show that is interested in her story pitch about finding the truth behind the murder of her beloved teacher. And so begins her investigation, which starts with getting back together with Tripp Talbot - her ex-best friend, and one of the three kids who found the body in the woods.
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I really enjoyed the character development and the way the mystery unraveled. I loved the true crime aspect of the novel and found the plot and relationships between the characters very believable. There's no doubt in my mind right now that McManus is currently one of the best YA mystery-thriller authors.
This was a beautiful graphic novel that shows how black hair care/culture connects these women. I loved the artwork and the distinct look and hairstylThis was a beautiful graphic novel that shows how black hair care/culture connects these women. I loved the artwork and the distinct look and hairstyle of each character. I also really liked the colour scheme (soft pastel colours) that was used throughout the comic.
This comic consists of several slice-of-life stories where we get a glimpse into the lives of each of these four women as they go about their wash day routine - either doing their own hair, having a friend help them, going to a salon, or visiting family - while also showcasing female bonding, friendship, and talking about guys and depression.
Each character was full of life and felt very real and authentic. The stories were very short though and leaves readers wanting more. ...more
This is a book that I'm sure many immigrants and children of immigrants can relate to (I know I certainly did!).
Laura Goa explores her multi-hyphenated identities and how she fits in in different places such as: - fitting in at a predominantly white school in Texas, after immigrating from Wuhan - fitting in at a college that has a large Asian population in which she was viewed as being too white-washed - fitting in back in China, where she is seen as being more of a foreigner than a local, especially after having lost her language skills from living in America for so long - coming to terms with her sexual identity, and figuring how she will fit in with her family (and meet their expectations) once she comes out to them
Gao's struggles really resonated with me. I think most immigrants and children of immigrants experience similar cultural identity crisis - how do we 'fit in' and assimilate to our surrounding community without forgetting about our roots and heritage? What's the cost of fitting in?
I thought Gao did a great job touching upon these topics. I also thought the artwork and colour-schemes were charming.
I will note that there wasn't as much discussion on Anti-Asian racism as I thought there'd be, especially seeing as the author was originally from Wuhan (whereas in my community, a Wuhanese restaurant was attacked due to Anti-Asian hate). But seeing as this is a memoir, I suppose the author was fortunate enough to avoid severe discrimination for being Wuhanese. ...more
This was a historical fiction centered around a haunted mansion in Mexico.
I'm not sure if it was the writing style or the way the book was narrated, This was a historical fiction centered around a haunted mansion in Mexico.
I'm not sure if it was the writing style or the way the book was narrated, but I thought the characters lacked emotion and weren't as interesting as they could've been. The pacing was also quite slow and the story just wasn't scary or thrilling enough for me.
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