Jess

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary digital ARC. This has not influenced my review or rating of this book, and I was not compensated.

So this series seems really hit or miss for people but I love it. It gives me a lot of the warm and empathy you get from Louise Penny without some of the heavy-handedness, and I truly love all the characters. I thought this one was even better than the first book because you're familiar with the cast of characters and can dive right into the mystery. Plus there were lots of twists and turns in this one that kept me guessing.

This harrowing middle grade historical fiction had me on the edge of my seat, and knowing that this book is a fictionalized journey based off her mother's own experience getting to South Korea adds a tremendous amount of perspective.

Fascinating and absorbing, and recommended to readers with a passing interest in urban planning or those who enjoy podcasts on “did ya know” topics. This would make a great book club pick or gift for the hard-to-buy-for person in your life.

Inventive and fast-paced, with touches of unearthliness. Really liked the ending. The journey that Ming Tsu takes is so vivid in my mind, having done the drive from California to Utah and back several times, and that made it all the more interesting to me.

This book was invaluable to me as a college junior, and I figured it was due for a reread as I figure out what I'm doing with my career as it relates to academics. Some may find Newport's approach obvious but it reinforces the building blocks of what makes for a less stressful collegiate career. (Others may critique his overemphasis on elite colleges but ah well.)

Still an absolute go-to and one I would get for any college student today.

This book was brutal but beautiful, navigating haenyeo, han, comfort women, and Japanese occupation and suppression of Korea in the 20th century. As you can imagine, many trigger warnings related to comfort women. I thought the author deftly handled the complexities of WWII, the Jeju Massacre, and the Korean War, and also bringing other countries and territories into the dialogue without trying to assert expertise.

I didn't really know what to expect from this book, other than it's a memoir in verse that has been on my list for a while. Raw and lovely, glad I read it.

Long time fan of Cal's and finally got around to reading this. Thoughtfully laid out and structured with some hard truths, and the thesis of this book is going to rub a lot of people the wrong way.

Hooked me from the start and there were times I got impatient, but by the end I was much more invested not only in Willa but also the social commentary.

Thank you to my friend Elena (elena.luo on IG) for passing along her ARC!

Would love to see this taught alongside Little House in the Big Woods or Little House on the Prairie. Lovely to see Omakayas' growth as the seasons change in this book, and as she encounters more complicated and heart-rending experiences.

3.5 stars... so hard to rate these books but they definitely keep one's interest.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It pains me to say this since I thought Shelter was a phenomenal read, but this book tries to do too much. It attempts to cover: fracking, the impact of oil money disrupting traditional communities, rural/urban dynamics, absentee parent/family issues, sexism and misogyny (including academic sexual harassment, rape, and assault), racism (being biracial, the experience of Native Americans, and more), and the rise of white supremacy. Ultimately we end up with a very uneven book where instead of interlacing these areas with the complexity they deserve, we end up with pockets of topics that start and stop with little cohesiveness.

I also found Elinor an unsympathetic main character who reminded me a lot of the MC in The Flight Attendant.

Glad I read this during the day

3.5 stars. A bit uneven at times but the end was satisfying (even if some elements went way too fast and others far too slow). Did a combo of Kindle, audiobook, and print.

Wow, this book. Much like The Nickel Boys was my top pick for 2020 and immediately shot to the top of my favorites, this book has done that for 2021. Loved the blend of subversion and charge with pastoral, plodding, and liturgical.

2021 review:
I forgot how bananas the plot gets around page 110 or so. Easy's internal observations especially in the first part of the book are phenomenal, but the action scenes, character development, and sex-adjacent plots were a bit much. Bumping down to 3 stars.

2017 review:
4 stars. If you enjoy Sherlock Holmes or are a more recent fan of Joe Ide's Isaiah Quintabe novels, pick up the first volume in the Easy Rawlins series. Based in L.A., Easy gets pulled into a seemingly simple task that becomes more more involved. The bodies pile up. But what's really at play?

To be honest, I didn't love the actual plot of this story. I felt like it was overly complicated and involved too many nefarious would-be villains but for a seemingly simple end. However, I loved Easy Rawlins as a character - his insights on things, his pride over his home, and his complicated back story in Houston and as a former WWII GI.

Thank you Feiwel & Friends and NetGalley for the e-ARC! This has not influenced my review one way or the other.

Ahhhh I love Hur's books so much. They're atmospheric and twisty, but they also get into cultural and societal aspects of historical Korea without drowning the reader in facts. Plus they're just straight-up good mysteries. The Red Palace lived up to expectations and exceeded them, even giving readers a touch of romance without it becoming a distraction to the story.

- Loved the royal intrigue and palace politics in this book
- Getting a chance to see what women's lives are like between 1400-1800 Korea is really neat; there are surprisingly more professions women may pursue than you would think
- All of Hur's books are standalones so you don't need to read them in order

Thanks to Knopf and NetGalley for the digital ARC. I wasn't compensated for this review, and all opinions are my own.

Wow, this memoir. I think I was worried that the book would be much more focused on Zauner's musical career (which didn't interest me that much, as I didn't even know who Japanese Breakfast was before I heard about this book). But it ended up being this beautiful, complex, at times painful book about mother-daughter relationships, grief, food, what it means to be part of two cultures at once (but never really enough). At no point was this book over the top or sickly-sweet. But it was also pretty raw. Definitely a memorable book that I will be purchasing for my shelf.

A very difficult yet historically and culturally important read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Rick Riordan Presents/Disney-Hyperion for the digital ARC of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and influenced by the gifted copy.

This book starts off with a simple plot. Riley is the only one in her family lacking elemental magic (and is adopted), and she cooks up an idea with her sister Hattie to split Hattie's magic so Riley can truly be part of the community. And then things go awry.

I had a great time learning about aspects of Korean mythology in a fun, half-magical, half-quotidian plot. While this book is shelved in middle-grade, I'd suggest this for more mature young readers as there's a fair bit of violence and danger. I look forward to reading the sequel!

Devoured this in a day! Loved it, though I'm sure readers will complain about it being unrealistic. Who cares? Very immersive and felt like I was visiting Seoul again.

Flew through this, it was exactly what I needed. Suggested for fans of Becky Chambers' Wayfarers series.

Artistic, journalistic, interpretive, experimental – but I had a hard time connecting or even following the threads. I think that's a me problem, but I found it tough to keep up with this one.

Well, I definitely do not recall reading this in high school but it was assigned

Thanks Penguin Teen and NetGalley for both the digital ARC and finished physical copy. This has not influenced my review one way or the other.

While I don't tend to read a lot of historical YA or even YA romance, I really loved this book. Last Night at the Telegraph Club is a love letter to San Francisco, a cautionary tale about xenophobia and homophobia, a young woman's coming of age, and more. I thought Lo did a great job weaving in historical elements by showing instead of telling, and Lily's character development as she navigates friendships, family, and love felt very organic and rich.