Georgette
I suspect that the most remarkable thing about this collection is the theme and the illustrations. It would make a tidy little volume to gift to someone who doesn't typically read poetry or doesn't have any preferences because it reprints or reproduces work already published elsewhere. If you're a seasoned poetry reader, there's nothing new to find except the beautiful colour block illustrations.
ARC courtesy of NetGalley.
Oh my gosh, how cuuuute is this manga? The cover is gorgeous. I was hoping the manga would also be in colour but it was in B&W line art. Not sure if that's because it's an ARC?
Blissful Land is an adorable story about 13 year old doctor-in-training Khang Zipa, who lives in a small mountain community somewhere in Tibet. He is dedicated to his future vocation and is an absolute nerd for herbs. He returns home from foraging one day to find that his future foreign bride has arrived. It was an arranged marriage he knew nothing about, but Moshi Rati is not only super cute but has an agreeable personality. No conflict there.
Also, no sarcasm from my end. This manga felt like a relaxing holiday between the more “serious” books on my current reads.
This is probably the second book I've read that takes place in Tibet (the other was far more serious) and I enjoyed the detail that went into it. Blissful Land packed the herbs, medicine, food and culture into the story, and because Khang Zhipa and Moshi Rati were strangers to each other's culture, we got to listen in as they explained it to each other. without feeling like it's an info dump.
Zhipa has a lot of heart and potential for his age. Rati is resourceful and hardworking. Parts of the story already hint how well they will complement each other. Both are young and learning to grasp the idea of being together. I keep expecting some nasty surprise to pop up, but it's been wholesome.
Perhaps my only complaint is that I can't tell the parents apart from the teenagers!
As far as art style goes, the cover is gorgeous. It's B&W on the inside, starting out with tonal washes, but progressing into line art, shading, and more typical manga art such as exaggerated facial features. I wish they kept this more consistent, or better yet, make it full colour like the cover. But it does make you wanna take some colouring pencils to the page and do it yourself!
ARC courtesy of NetGalley.
As a dabbler myself, I have often admired people who have the artistry and patience to create pictures out of calligraphy strokes or writing. I just didn't have the artistry or patience to figure out how it's done. Luckily, Schin Loong demystifies the process from ground up in this book on Calligraphic Drawing.
The book starts with the basics, such as types of nibs, nib holders, ink and paper ... y'know, just in case you're an utter beginner. Even when you're not, the sections on troubleshooting and basic stuff are a useful reference. If not, just skip ahead to the point of the book.
I own a good number of the items listed and I practice the fine art of calligraphy. However, my skill level impresses mostly myself and non-practitioners, and my flourishes end up looking like I squiggled it on blindfolded. I'm looking forward to upping my game.
The drills were useful, and the section on flourishes made me face my lack of creative improvisation. I followed the exercises almost exactly, except when there were too many small lines, which I improvised to the best of my ability. Arriving at the first exercises with involved pigeons, I quickly found that I suck at visualising animals... or at least, I'm gonna need to practice at the speed of not reviewing a manual with a growing list of approved requests in my NetGalley shelf. My pigeon looked like someone stepped on it.
Fine. Skipped ahead to Lettering and Cartouches. This proved more immediately relevant to me, as a bulk of my skill revolve around lettering. Cartouches, which has nothing to do with touching a car, are those fancy things you see in ornamental calligraphy banners or scrolls.
Loong starts you off with basic lines, before adding more and more lines, and suddenly, you're looking at a fancy ornamental thingy of your own. Mine had lines bristling in every direction, but I could see my potential if I actually put some more hours into it.
And then, we're back to more animals. If I ever get around to half-assing or three-quarter-assing these, it'll impress myself and a maybe a few mediocre calligraphers.
All in all, useful reference to have on your shelf. I hope to get back to it when I'm more free and see if make that pigeon fly.
ARC courtesy of Quarto Publishing Group ??? Rockport Publishing and NetGalley.
The last time I read this kind of book in a Malaysian context was [b:The Malaysian Book of the Undead 6080375 The Malaysian Book of the Undead Danny Lim https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327196347s/6080375.jpg 6373057]. Both books are encyclopedias of fantastic creatures endemic of our country, so many were immediately familiar to most and possibly even sighted by others.As a book, ‘Creatures of Near Kingdoms' presents itself as one-page entries by Zedeck Siew, accompanied by a woodcut illustration by Sharon Chin. All 75 of them.I read somewhere else that this book spent a long time in the making, and I think it was worth it. The fauna and flora were described in lush prose that leaves you wondering about Haunted Frangipanis and Obligation Worms and Allergy Bunnies. The illustrations lent an old-time-y sense of being back in the old days where collectors and scientists machete their way through the tropics to discover specimens.Most of them start with “Look”, which is a nice hook that connects all the entries together, but also grated on my eye-ear after a while. Not a one-sitting read for this spotter. I eventually left the book in the toilet so I can get a few more pages in, and be away long enough to wonder what else is coming. Feel free to adapt this strategy.Do I recommend this? Heck yeah. It's the kind of book I'd come back to over and over, just to dip in at a random page and see what I find. Hopefully I won't find some other nefarious creature hidden inside the four pages that are mysteriously thicker than others.
To be fair, this book never promised to be rocket science; it just promised to be the next best thing to instant gratification. ‘Take Me' is a quick and dirty (haha) book with a guaranteed HEA/HFN (Happily Ever After/Happy For Now, if like me you had to Google that).
Hope Stiles is an art student who needed to quickly raise some cash. Deacon Vick is a famous sculptor and famously reclusive. He needed a model and she needed to pay tuition. They are both attractive and within minutes of meeting each other, the situation escalated to something long ending up somewhere dark.
There are seven chapters and a sexy situation in each. If you enjoy sexual tension and/or a build up, then there's not much of that here. The deep dark secrets only came out towards the end of the book and it doesn't create that much of a ripple to knock the HEA/HFN off-course. There was one of those caveman-staking-territory moment, but because it's a short book, it doesn't take up a lot of time. A lot of the focus is on the sexy times.
I was unaware that this sub-genre (?) of erotica is out there and can appreciate that it takes a lot of skill to squeeze some character development between the steamy parts. I'm not completely sold on this particular title, especially since just coming off a much better erotic romance. But it's a quickie between heavier books, so I can't really complain.
ARC courtesy of NetGalley and HARLEQUIN - Carina Press.
Like many people, I stumbled upon Celeste Barber's Instagram account when she started posting her photos and videos lampooning models and other celebrities. She is an absolute riot and most of her posts guaranteed at least a chuckle, if not a full blown belly laugh.
I can't say I was eagerly awaiting her book or anything, but when I saw it, I thought, “Why not?” I'm glad to report that I have no regrets. ‘Challenge Accepted!' talked about her younger days and career-building, answered burning questions about #HotHusband, got on the bandwagon of some current issues, and talked about how she found herself Insta-famous. You can hear Barber's voice clearly coming off that pages, something which I enjoyed.
As expected, a lot of the book is funny, but she also hit other unexpected emotional notes on the way there and back. Behind this funny lady's funny Instagram is indeed a person who is real, not hung up about not looking like a model, and simply out to make the world a better place with her brand of humour.
Existing fans would probably appreciate this book.
ARC courtesy of NetGalley.
I strongly suspect that the reason I enjoyed this book so much is because we all have worked in a soul-sucking company and have to put up with hostility, gaslighting, sexism and career sabotage. We rarely get to act on our fantasies of burning it all to the ground together with all the people who made work life a misery for us.
That's The Escape Room in a nutshell. Four ruthless investment bankers found themselves tricked into an escape room scenario in an elevator. Faced with clues that alluded to people who were once part of their team, their secrets boiled to the surface as they tried to solve the mystery of getting out of the room and who could have possibly set them up to this slow torture of each other's company.
This book was easy to read and hard to put down. While it required the type of suspension of belief that you need to watch most movies, there was satisfaction in watching deserving individuals get their comeuppance with no clue where it's coming from. Revenge is a dish best serve cold indeed.
ARC courtesy of NetGalley.
Vincent is a cliched high school story about finding love and deciding what to do once you get it. The artwork is in a rather cute comic style, but the fonts were small and cramp on certain pages (on this ARC anyway).
And while I feel it's cliched, this graphic novel still plays on a theme that many could relate to, which is why the plot remains eternal. Vincent's thought process is entirely relatable as he navigated his new relationships, and his friends keep him grounded and add hilarity through unhelpful advice.
Single was a quick read that jumped straight into the kind of exchanges anyone on dating apps would already be familiar with. Due to the formatting and layout of the Kindle ARC, the conversations are a bit hard to read and really diluted the potential. I can't help feeling that it could have been presented better. The conversations were okay, a couple were funny but I really struggled to finish this book.
ARC courtesy of NetGalley.
This is a useful reference with interesting stories attached to each crystal. An enjoyable read, something for every new or seasoned crystal collector.
I think what caught me off guard about this book is that it's set in 18th century London but originally written in Japanese. But that was what originally drew me to The Resurrection Fireplace - I do enjoy some Japanese authors as well as most novels set in the dawn of medical forensics.
This book had a somewhat confusing start but as things unfolded, we find that Dr Daniel Barton's school of anatomy is in possession of three bodies, one of them an unexpected discovery in their special hiding place in the fireplace.
The plot progresses into a dual timeline in which we soon realise that we were following the footsteps of the bodies before they ended up on the slabs. At some point, a blind magistrate got into the investigation, which proved to be so interesting a character that I was starting to think that this book was about him.
The plot twist was not something that I expected, and was the kind of thing that could be fully appreciated with a rereading. An entertaining read and satisfying finish once you get past the first chapters.
While I make it a point to support local publications, I have low expectations. The running joke is that I have a gift of going to the book shop and finding obscure self-published tomes that haven't been through an editor, buying them anyway and then raging at my friends about how this book could be SO MUCH BETTER if it was given a casual look-see by another person who knew English.Emerging Malaysian Writers 2018 had an army of editors who are accomplished and published writers and poets (well, only one identified as a poet) in their own right. The anthology featured 14 pieces, out of which half are poetry contributed by 5 poets, and the remaining 7 are short stories of various genres (one in Malay).And like most anthologies, there's something for every reader. Here are a few of my somethings:‘Break' by Chloe Lim featured an unusual narrator observing a class of students. The POV made a more interesting story out of what would be a tired plot from the perspective of a cookie cutter narrator. Sukanya Dhanarajan's piece is less of a short story and more of a memoir about ‘A Long Time Ago in Japan'. Nonetheless it was very easy to get into her tale of what it was like moving to a strange country before the Internet made it easier to do things. ‘The Missing Tomb' by Peter Soh slipped between the present and past of a family, with one heck of a climax.Sanjugtha Vineswaran's ‘Sellamah's Home' is probably my favourite of the 14 pieces - a ghost story with a twist at the end.And while I'm not going to review everything (there's one piece that's so short, this paragraph is longer), I was pleasantly surprised by how this is a decent collection put together with care. As expected, I don't love ALL the pieces, but I liked enough of them to recommend this book if you're looking for new Malaysian voices. I did not buy this at a book shop. I was part of the group that crowdfunded this anthology. If you want a copy, you can order one here.
Another useful, step-by-step guide on how to pick up a new hobby and create beautiful things. I must state my appreciation for such detailed books because my interest is very entry level and commitment free: a spare eraser, a penknife, and an ink pad. Block Print Magic shows the full depth and potential of the art with beautifully shot photographs and clear explanation. Each tool is shown and described. Projects start easy and layers on the complexity. A great addition to your library if you ever want to start block printing.
ARC courtesy of NetGalley.
I've not come across a novel with an omniscient narrator in years! Or maybe that hyperbole on my part... the POV jumped out at me because it switched from character to character every few paragraphs rather than alternate chapters. I remember this style from older books, something nobody does anymore because where's the tension and mystery if we know what everyone is up to?
But this describes ‘Ghostly Embrace', a story with three distinctive timelines linked by Louis the 18th century carpenter who was murdered in a bed that he handcrafted, and whose spirit was subsequently stuck there. Are there bad erotica horror stories out there with this very premise? Sure are, don't ask me how I know. As the bed change hands and were quickly returned, Louis found home twice: First with Marina in the early 20th century, and again with Katie in the 1970's. Even as a ghost, Louis managed to reach out to the women and integrate into their lives. Both timelines were enjoyable, although Marina's was my favourite.
Despite the lack of mystery, ‘Ghostly Embrace' was still a decent read as you end up caring what happens to Louis and the lives he quietly watches over. Took me about two days to read because I had to find out how it ends.
ARC courtesy of NetGalley.
This book is set in an era that I find fascinating, particularly how easily it is for uncooperative women to get shut away in an asylum and subjected to torture masquerading as treatments. I say “uncooperative” because you can get committed simply by being headstrong and embarrassing your family in public.
Phoebe Smith committed one too many social “errors” and ended up in Goldenglove, a mental asylum for women. Her sister Charlotte plotted and got herself committed, planning to find Phoebe and get them both out. Easier said than done. Once inside, she was Woman 99, having to hide her socialite status and navigate wardens and fellow inmates who may or may not be insane.
If you've read literature about the mental asylums of the 19th century, particular the investigative works of journalist Nellie Bly, you pretty much know what to expect. It was hard to tell whether the asylum was interested in curing their patients or interested in receiving fees keeping them locked up. It was hard to tell who was really in the grips of mental illness, who was feigning it under an agenda, and who was forced to submit. The mind games and fragile bonds of trust added to the tension, creating a possibility that Charlotte could fail in her mission.
The conclusion stayed on my mind for a long time. This was one of the best books I've read in a while.
ARC courtesy of NetGalley.
This is a nice, fluffy read with plenty of tension and sexy moments and heart. Exactly what the doctor ordered to clear up a dry spell of not being able to get any reading done! Oliver's career as a model was drying up and he was nearly broke. Upon eavesdropping on some ladies, he struck upon a plan that is both desperate and genius - why not play the role of a desirable book character taking lonely, unfulfilled women out on dates?
While the idea took off, Oliver proceeds to get wrapped up with his first client Bailey, creating a rift between him and his best friend Skye. Turned out that both Bailey and Skye were vying for political positions. That drama played out mostly in the background while Oliver's Book Boyfriend business found success with the help of his neighbour Janine.
Everything finished off tidily but that didn't detract from the enjoyment of getting there. This is a fairly quick read.
ARC courtesy of NetGalley.
Tan from South Yorkshire only wanted to retire after a grueling but successful few years of running his fashion labels. He was fraying at the seams from the tremendous pressure, and wanted to spend more time with his husband, maybe start a family. He never planned on being famous, never thought he would go on to being one of the most recognisable and loved faces in the TV-watching world.
When the world saw him on the first episode of the newly-zjooshed Queer Eye was also the first time he had ever been in front of the camera ever, but as we all know, three seasons in and Tan (together with the other four) have gotten their art down to an ... well, art.
Naturally Tan is an easy read and wonderful insight to Tan France's life before Queer Eye and how it changed his life after. He speaks about meeting his husband Rob and the steadfastness of their relationship through his fashion career and TV career, about his own experience of growing up as a gay South Asian kid in England, and how he feels the weight of responsibility of being brown and gay in the very public eye.
As a great fan of Queer Eye myself, anything these guys do are of interest to me and a memoir of Tan's life so far was too good to pass up. I was not disappointed. Tan reveals a lot about the casting process for the show, and how the existing cast already struck up a rapport before any of them were officially cast.
A fun, insightful read and fans, and a great filler while you're waiting for the next season.
ARC courtesy of NetGalley.
I often enjoy titles from Button Poetry authors because it is an extension of the glimpse we see of them on YouTube. This book is a deep dive into Blythe Baird's world, full of difficult topics that would warrant trigger warnings, but then again, what poet doesn't use words to give voice to difficult topics on their journey to healing? Raw and candid, Baird talks about eating disorders and body image, mental health and sexual assault. If you can relate, it is gut-wrenching to see yourself in her words. If you can't relate, it still packs a punch.
You've heard of list-icles. Now meet the list-ovel... list-novel? Anyway, I didn't know how this format was going to work out in telling a story but it's been an entertaining ride. Dan, who agonises about leaving his stable teaching job to open a book store, write lists as a coping mechanism. When you list down everything, you can still tell a fairly decent story. So Dan's wife Jill got pregnant and this sends him into a secret panic mode because the book store was not making money and babies cost a lot. He had to come up with money before their child arrives. This list of a book managed to sketch out the relationship between him and Jill, his employees at the book store, and his attempts to raise cash. Pretty fun read.
This eARC of ‘Twenty-one Truths About Love' is courtesy of NetGalley.
Raych Jackson and I may hail from opposite sides of the earth but the (former) church girl and Christian guilt heaped upon us is the same everywhere, which makes me both feel a kinship and yet sad at the same time. Using Job from the Bible as a running theme, Jackson takes us on a trip through problems in both religious and reality, pointing out that human behaviour will always be in conflict with religious teachings. I have experienced and questioned the same things. It resonates. I hear you.
This eARC of ‘Even the Saints Audition' is courtesy of NetGalley.
In 1998, this was probably one of the highlights of the graphic novel industry, and among my favourite comic styles. I followed what I could find of Michael Turner's Witchblade series but never got around to starting Fathom until this collection. I don't think I'll proceed; it was laborious trying to follow the story. While the art is what I remember from that era, I don't think it dated very well unless you're unto oversexualised portrayals of the human form, which was also popular and expected of the same era. Fans would probably find this pleasingly collectable. 2.5 stars for the art, 0.5 star for the nostalgia.
This eARC was courtesy of of NetGalley.
Creative Journaling was a great deal of fun and full of wonderful ideas on how to take your journal to the next level. Completely accessible, fully-illustrated (for those of us who don't want to destroy a perfectly nice blank page). The sections on junk journaling, travel journaling and mixed media journaling opened up further possibilities to explore. And you can work with whatever you have lying around the house. We all have pretty scraps of paper and hoards of stationary to work from.
This eARC was courtesy of NetGalley.
I first heard of Michael Lee through Button Poetry, specifically the beautiful cinematic rendition of his poem ‘Pass On', which dealt with the grief of his friend Stephen's murder. This poem (along with Neil Hilborn's OCD) became the bedrock of me venturing into spoken word poetry and establishing a community in my city.
I snatched this ARC up as soon as I found it on NetGalley.
It took me a surprisingly long time to get through, partly because a lot of the pieces didn't resonate, and partly because there was a lot of grief and death that I didn't want to process in one sitting. Stephen makes cameos here and there, which is expected and represents a passing milestone that I can recognise. Poetry is how we make sense of a senseless world, no?
Here's a snippet of Lee digging through the mess and finding lines:
I curse archeologists
for their basic tools telling us
basic things.
Sometimes I think scientists are lazy. I too
could dig a heart out of a chest,
but what do any of them know
about pulling the history from a body
without killing it?
This eARC was courtesy of NetGalley.
This is a pretty book to pick through, exploring how people around the world find their zen and surrender to a calmer way of life through a collection of untranslatable words like ‘abbiocco' (Italian for post meal coma) and ‘fjaka' (do-nothing chilling), both of which I'm experiencing right now. Interspersed with relaxing activities and interesting factoids, this book is nice if you want to learn to slow down.
This eARC was courtesy of NetGalley.