books read: 2022 april

[meitachi]

I have been having a really rough few weeks. Mental health, how do you even begin.

Anyway, here are some books I read last month.

1. The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen - A gorgeous first graphic novel from a Vietnamese American artist that combines some of my favorite things: fairy tale retellings, immigrant stories, and coming of age self-acceptance stories. Finding the right words is difficult enough without the actual language and cultural barriers of immigrant families. Wonderful use of colors and fairy tales.



2. The Verifiers by Jane Pek - An Asian American story that isn't about Being Asian American -- it's a thriller/mystery where the main character just happens to be Asian American and living in New York! And, yes, her family and identity does inform who she is as a character, but is not what drives the plot. Which is about working kind of as a private investigator for the new high-tech matching dating sites, except she gets embroiled in a death which turns out to be a murder that she wants to solve. Pretty fun overall.



3. Silver Spoon volumes 7-9 by Hiromu Arakawa - Each of these volumes blurs together, to be honest, but they're nice easy breaks to visit this agricultural high school and learn more about the process of farming as a career and not as an escapist fantasy. Plus schoolmate dynamics and the main character's crush on his love interest, which is clearly reciprocated, but they are both awkward high schoolers.



4. Fiona and Jane by Jean Chen Ho - A collection of connected short stories that reflect the lifelong friendship between Fiona and Jane, who grew up and apart together. There's an interesting push-pull dynamic between the friends, between their different respective relationships with their families/identities, and some surprises later down the line. Overall fairly quick, enjoyable read. Growing up Asian in California (or even New York) is such a strange fantastical experience to read about though.



5. A Thousand Steps into Night by Traci Chee - Based off historical JApan but with more magic! The main character is slowly turning into a demon. Had some lovely turns of phrases in the writing, but overall the story was still fairly simple and stragihtforward in presentation and prose. Nothing blew me away, but I liked some of the imagery it evoked.



6. Death at Wentwater Court by Carola Dunn - Surprisingly cozy Golden Age mystery about Daisy Dalrymple, who is a young woman seeking to make a career for herself as a magazine writer. Also she helped solve a murder at a friend's manor. I liked her! I don't always like my detectives. That wins enough goodwill to get me to read the next book in the series.



7. All About Love: New Visions by bell hooks - Lovely collection of essays on love, types of love, and how to practice it and let it sustain us. The chapters on self-love and community love really spoke to me. The bits about religion...less so.



8. The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi - It's like a French version of Six of Crows, really, with a group of teens committing magical heists for their own private reasons. Kind of confusing world-building but intriguing enough characters who were well-drawn enough to keep me engaged, even if I felt like I started actively rooting against the main male lead and his love interest. There is a gay relationship! ...that may end up poly? I'm not sure if I'll read the reminder of the trilogy; maybe Wikipedia will inform me.



9. Kuan Yin by Maya van der Meer - A children's picture book, gorgeously illustrated, that is a slightly revised tale of the origin of Guan Yin/Goddess of Mercy. Sort of threw me off that they kept referring to kings and princesses; she could've been a princess with her father being the emperor instead of a king!



10. Silver Spoon volumes 10-12 by Hiromu Arakawa - Farms are expensive, pigs are cute but tasty, the students finish their first year and get to move into their second year. I really liked the random Russian sister-in-law the main character acquired? Totally ridiculous but she was fun.



11. Joan is Okay by Weike Wang - Joan is a doctor in NYC with an annoying older brother and mother who want to dictate her life, and people around her who assume she is or should be more emotional or socially available than she is. She's an interesting character! The story following her touches a bit on what it's like to have these assumptions put on you by others, even those who are family. And then COVID happens, and there is a strangely abrupt end. Joan may be okay? I don't know if I am though.

Will I make it through this month? Another packed couple weeks of work and relentlessly putting on an "I'm okay and not falling apart" face without actually having time to figure out if I'm okay, or taking the time to get closer to okay. How does that even work.

Comments

[merit]

The Magic Fish was such a lovely read. Definitely one of my highlights of 2022.

Best wishes and big hugs. I hope you have some rest time soon.