a loose sort of collection of stuff i have read
| pachinko by min jin lee | one of my fav fiction books of all time. its a historical fiction book set in Korea and Japan in the 20th century. it follows a mother and her two sons. themes of immigration, lost, identity, chance/luck, stereotypes, choices, and more. a beautifully written book. everytime i read it, i find something new. i cry more tears. this book can never get old. its a treasure |
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| **NEW** sonny's blues by james baldwin | my friend and i have been reading the birth of tragedy (1872) by friedrich neitzsche together. during our last discussion, she shared that baldwin's sonny's blues was an excellent example of a tragedy where the dionysiac power of jazz provides comfort to the characters. admist a chaotic world full of racism, disease, drugs, poverty - all elements of suffering - sonny and the unnamed older brother both try to understand each other on how to move through such a cruel world. incredible story and writing, but no suprise there when it comes to baldwin | no cover |
| fingersmith by sarah waters | thrilling, erotic, and cunning! if you enjoyed park chan-wook's the handmaiden (2006), you might enjoy the novel it was based on! or maybe you're interested in historical fiction, crime novels, and lesbians. i do think i enjoy the ending of fingersmith better than the handmaiden, but the film was more exciting. themes for the book include: identity, erotic literature, codes of "properness" based on class, gender, and inheritance. | coming soon |
| i'm thinking of ending things by ian reid | a book that is very bad for my mental health, but i love anyway. i saw the movie first. i watched it with my sisters and boyfriend, but i really wish i watched it alone. i wanted to violently wail in compassion and solidarity with the main character. the ending punched me in the gut. i felt so seen. reading the book is no less painful. i cried and cried and cried. |  |
| my dark vanessa by kate elizabeth russell | an incredible, sensitive story surronding the conversation of consent, age-gaps, and and the "perfect" victim. blown away by this book. my little sister let me borrow her copy. we had a very deep conversation after i finished it. glad she felt she could share with me this book. i could tell she was really touched by the story. |  |
| kitchen confidential by anthony bourdain | absolutely adore bourdain. i started listening to the audio book version, but dropped it. then i started watching a cook's tour. months later, i saw this copy at the thrift store and restarted it. i devoured this book. it's raunchy, impolite, and sensational. rip anthony bourdain |  |
| paradise kiss by ai yazawa | this story. the art. everything. just touches me every time. its been a while since ive read this one, so i really forgot the depth of this story. nearly all the characters go through great arcs. i love caroline/yukari and miwako. i think many young women go through some of the same troubles in their romantic endeavors. i am proud of both |
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| dune by frank herbert | wow! what a well-illustrated book. herbert truly believed in this universal. so carefully crafted. although i did not understand everything, i did really enjoy this. the movies were great, but the book added a immense level of depth and nuance to each character. i recommend it! i dont think i have read so much so quickly since i was a child. i will have to read this one a few more times to truly understand its entirety, but it has been a pleasure |
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| fetish by valerie steele | great book that looks at the intersection of fetish clothing, haute couture, and mainstream fashion! loved the images. i wish some things were different (more focus on f/f fetish dynamics) but over all an interesting read. love jean paul gaultier and vivienne westwood and theyre featured a ton in this book. i wanna get some leather gear now |
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| charlemagne's tablecloth: a piquant history of feasting by nichola fletcher | delightful book! great overview of feasting history. included historical art that really demonstrated his points. a little heavy handed in european medieval history and onward, but still a great read! so fascinating. i want to read more food history |  |
| open veins of latin america by eduardo galeano | amazing book. no words can explain my frusteration with the oppression latin america and her citizens has faced, but galeano somehow eloquently describes the horrors. i'm still working through reading the book because i have to put it down so often because i get so upset from it's contents. a must read. |  |
| latino heartland: of borders and belonging in the midwest by sujey vega | very important book. i feel that latinos and chicanos living in the american midwest are a neglected topic. most literature focuses on the southwest, florida, or new york. vega delves into a mexican community not to far from where i grew up, so this book was very touching to me on a personal level |  |
| the yellow house by sarah m. broom | a gift from my cousin. it took me a while to get around to reading it. foolishly and ironically (if you read the book), i got the book wet before even reading it. it is part-autobiography, part-research. a memoir for the yellow house broom grew up in. this house was in constant disrepair. it was a problem child. although not as drastic, i grew up in a similiar situation. its difficult. its embaressing. i was touched by how relatable broom's story was. amazing book |  |
| memorial: a novel by bryan washington | ill have to reread to give a more proper review, but i remember enjoying it a lot. a very moving and somber story of a couple going through a rough patch in their relationship. themes of family, abandonment, and distance (both physical and emotional). the writing style was unique. there was no use of quotations, so at times it was difficult to know who was talking and when. however, overall it was a good read |  |