This was a bit of a mixed bag for me. First of all, the book didn't seem to match the mood of the title, and there was no tteokbokki appearing in thisThis was a bit of a mixed bag for me. First of all, the book didn't seem to match the mood of the title, and there was no tteokbokki appearing in this picture. I did find many moments I enjoyed/appreciated in the first half of the book, which is basically an edited version of direct transcripts of the author's first year in therapy. In found the vulnerability and transparency refreshing the constant reminders that all of us are struggling, all of the time, even if your particular struggles do not match those here. I admire what the author intended to do with this book: to stand up and be open about these stigmatized issues (especially in Korea, I think), so that others could se that it wasn't only them.
The second half of the book did not work for me, however. A series of very short essays that are reflections on life following therapy. Each essay is so short and so restricted to a single topic, I found myself skimming them just to finish the book. I wish they had been either interspersed with the therapy notes or combined into longer, more connected essays. Their in betweenness didn't do anything for me. ...more
I was visiting a little bookstore in a neighboring town, trying to decide on a book to buy when I saw this. The hosts of Book Riot Podcast have mentioI was visiting a little bookstore in a neighboring town, trying to decide on a book to buy when I saw this. The hosts of Book Riot Podcast have mentioned this SO MANY TIMES that I thought it was probably time to read it.
I probably should have skipped it. Look, the main problem is, I had no idea who Chang was when I started this, and had never heard of his restaurants. I got the feeling I was supposed to be super impressed by him, and I just wasn't. In fact, the lasting impression I had of this book after finishing it was that I wished Chang had taken better ownership of his anger issues.
I've already given my copy away to someone who does know who he is, so hopefully they may enjoy it better. ...more
I had no idea who Zauner was before picking up this book, but between the great title, the effective marketing campaign, and my interest in Korean-AmeI had no idea who Zauner was before picking up this book, but between the great title, the effective marketing campaign, and my interest in Korean-American immigration stories, I just couldn't wait for this to come out in paperback.
This is a memoir that feels incredibly personal and still raw. You're not going to get a lot of distance for analysis here. Zauner is in her feelings this whole book, which is kind of amazing. This is a book about feeling like an outsider. About mixed-race identity. About mothers and daughters who don't "speak the same love language" and the misunderstandings that causes. It's about cancer, and about being robbed of the time you might have had to learn to love each other better, to learn each other's stories, to pass on culture and food.
And yes, it's about food. As caretaking. About learning to cook your culture's food without someone to teach it to you — just sheer force of will and the internet.
Zauner's writing is so personal some may feel excluded, but for me it wrapped all the way around and I saw myself in her so many times — even in moments where our identities/experiences had only the tiniest overlap.
I bought this book for my teenager, as it was at the top of all the banned book lists, which seemed like a good indicator that it would be worth readiI bought this book for my teenager, as it was at the top of all the banned book lists, which seemed like a good indicator that it would be worth reading. Then, as people continued to talk about it, I decided I had better borrow it from him.
I loved this book immediately. The illustration style is straightforward, inviting, warm, humane. The story is an unfolding of learning and discovery of gender that organically underlines how fluid it all is -- how the markers of gender are so heavily dependent on a particular time, place, social class, society. Maia's journey in slowly finding and drilling down on those things that feel authentic, comfortable, and frankly discussing the tradeoffs of conforming to one expectation or another.
One doesn't have to be questioning one's gender to find this book a revelation (though how helpful this book could be if you were!) The whole vibe of this is liberatory -- reminding us we can all be brave enough to pursue the becoming of who we truly are. In particular there were two scenes that felt like fireworks going off in my brain. First, the "controversial" blowjob scene -- which I honestly wish I could put in the hands of every teenager in their country. While conservatives wring their hands over the "obscenity," I was blown away by the honest depiction of someone trying something sexual with a partner that they thought they would be into, realizing they were NOT, communicating that, and their partner respecting that and moving on. I am comparing this to my own sex ed class, where we were shown a chart of a boy's arousal during sexual activity, and a line that depicted his "point of no return," where, it was heavily implied, it would be too late for us girls to say no.
I still get furious thinking about it. Obviously.
The other moment was unexpected. Maia meets up with Jana Bee, who introduces em to the concept of nonbinary identity and neopronouns. But something about Jaina's presentation -- hair, clothes, and especially that SWEATER made my heart fill with glitter. I am now on a quest for a real-world sweater that fills my heart with as much joy.
Listen. This book is incredible. And incredibly important. It needs to be on the shelves, available to kids who don't even know yet that they need it. ...more
I have never met a "staff recs" section in a bookstore like the one at Hooked. Enough books I have read and loved (some of which fall far from the beaI have never met a "staff recs" section in a bookstore like the one at Hooked. Enough books I have read and loved (some of which fall far from the beaten path) to fill my heart with trust, and then always somehow a handful of I DID NOT KNOW THIS BOOK EXISTED UNTIL THIS SECOND BUT NOW I NEED IT IMMEDIATELY. Like this one.
Listen, I don't now when Asian-Amereican immigration stories became a thing for me, but here we clearly are. Plus it's a graphic novel! And it's queer! And it grapples with the anti-Asian hate that rose during the pandemic.
I loved the energy in Gao's art, and I loved the honesty and humor in this. Given the subject matter, I think this finds an ultimately uplifting balance between the fear and the joy, and I'm impressed at how quickly such a timely book was brought to press.
This book blasted my heart to pieces. A complex set of essays about Asian American identity and Korean American immigration in particular, and art andThis book blasted my heart to pieces. A complex set of essays about Asian American identity and Korean American immigration in particular, and art and poetry and history and racism and violence. Hong's ability to make the historical. the structural, the cultural personal and emotional is the through line through this collection. that veers between wide cultural moments, niche artists, viral videos, and her own life.
I read this during a readathon, and while it was amazing to sit down and read this in one sitting, I would love to come back to this someday when I can spend ore time with each essay, because there's SO MUCH to unpack here....more
This is a memoir/investigative piece by Kim, who spends two semesters in North Korea teaching English to elite college men. The tension this entire boThis is a memoir/investigative piece by Kim, who spends two semesters in North Korea teaching English to elite college men. The tension this entire book is under is sometimes dizzying. Kim walks a careful line between winding to find out as much about North Korea as she an and not wanting to arouse suspicion. She wants to tell these young men as much about the outside world as she can, but is held back both by restrictions on what she is allowed to teach/discuss, as well as the fear that she might make them more miserable in the end, as they currently seem to buy into the myths of North Korea's superiority over the rest of the world. (As for what current means in the context of this book, it ends shortly after the death of Kim Jong-il in 2011.) Add in that the school is run by Evangelical Christians (which she is not), and that all of her emails, phone calls, and most conversations are monitored, and the levels of secrecy, self-censorship, and faked opinions/identity/facts, quickly become suffocating.
I wish I hadn't left this on my shelves so long before reading it, but I am glad to have read it now. Reading it right after my Scientology binge was interesting, as there were a lot of unexpected parallels in the cult of personality and some of the mind/reality control. (Obviously, there are a lot of differences, too. But maybe only because LRH was never successful in taking over an entire country.)
An intriguing counterpart to all of the memoirs of defectors and refugees....more
One of those books that had been on my shelves for WAY too long before I finally read it, and then once I did I loved it so much I'm embarrassed by hoOne of those books that had been on my shelves for WAY too long before I finally read it, and then once I did I loved it so much I'm embarrassed by how long it took me to get around to it.
I really, REALLY loved this. as a queer Muslim memoir, yes, it contains the conflict and displacement and rejection that you would expect, but it is also SO FILLED with the euphoria of slowly finding/creating yourself, in a way that demonizes no one but fear.
So many people have read this book, and written about this book, and all the things that they say about how good it is are absolutely true. Given the So many people have read this book, and written about this book, and all the things that they say about how good it is are absolutely true. Given the content, you know you are going to be in for a lot of racism and corrupt institutional power and weaponized poverty, but there are a few CWs you may not be expecting: cruelty to animals, a chapter about the moral relativism of Hitler, and domestic violence. Just a heads-up.
I cried and cried at the end, but it ends up feeling affirming? And hopeful? Faithful, in a strange way. I am absolutely glad that I got around to reading this. ...more
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