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aweekinthelife's reviews
488 reviews
Magical/Realism: Essays on Music, Memory, Fantasy and Borders by Vanessa Angélica Villarreal
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
listened on audio (libby) with a hardcover book (also library) for reference.
i've been appreciating these cultural critique/memoir type books (reminds me of How To Read Now by Elaine Castillo) and Villarreal does this one so well.
i picked this up after all the rave about it on bookstagram and was warned that the audiobook may not be the best way to read this because of the content/format. i agree that this is not a great standalone audiobook because there's a lot of visual layouts and photos/captions that aren't mentioned at all in the audio. this ends up being a smooth listening experience, but i feel like at least 10% of the book is missing on audio (as opposed to Year of the Tiger by Alice Wong where all the photos were mentioned and described int he audiobook).
also appreciate the discussions of linguistics that doesn't make me cringe! (oftentimes linguistics in popular writing seems like it is just written for a general audience excluding linguists)
i've been appreciating these cultural critique/memoir type books (reminds me of How To Read Now by Elaine Castillo) and Villarreal does this one so well.
i picked this up after all the rave about it on bookstagram and was warned that the audiobook may not be the best way to read this because of the content/format. i agree that this is not a great standalone audiobook because there's a lot of visual layouts and photos/captions that aren't mentioned at all in the audio. this ends up being a smooth listening experience, but i feel like at least 10% of the book is missing on audio (as opposed to Year of the Tiger by Alice Wong where all the photos were mentioned and described int he audiobook).
also appreciate the discussions of linguistics that doesn't make me cringe! (oftentimes linguistics in popular writing seems like it is just written for a general audience excluding linguists)
Behind You Is the Sea by Susan Muaddi Darraj
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
a series of related short stories (probably my favorite short story style!) centering around a Palestinian-American community in Baltimore. i got increasingly invested in the people and community as i learned more about them and the final story was probably my favorite because of my emotional investment and how it wrapped up other stories.
dear elia: Letters from the Asian American Abyss by Mimi Khúc
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.75
most of my social circles are past the going into academic phase of life, but as someone wrapping up a final semester of a masters program while reading this, i think everyone could benefit from this before going into the world of academia. maybe especially useful for asian american women, understanding how all of the ways we're socialized converge into a specific kind of unwellness.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Suicide
Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
format reminds me of Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi where the book traces through a family’s story across generations.
a little slower to get into but appreciated the ending and that it was open ended and not necessarily tied into a neat bow
a little slower to get into but appreciated the ending and that it was open ended and not necessarily tied into a neat bow
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction and Drug abuse
Moderate: Gun violence and Self harm
Catalina by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
mostly internal monologue of Catalina, an undocumented college student in her final year at Harvard.
for another book on similar vibes about women of color in PWI college experiences, check out The Unfortunates by JK Chukwu
for another book on similar vibes about women of color in PWI college experiences, check out The Unfortunates by JK Chukwu
We Refuse: A Forceful History of Black Resistance by Kellie Carter Jackson
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
appreciated this history focused on Black women resistance throughout history & peppered with the author’s own experiences and lineage. a good and hopeful counter to the current environment.
Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
first book finished in 2025 and worth all the hype i saw it receiving in 2024. thoughtful and beautifully written despite Cyrus being an (intentionally) frustrating character a lot of the time.
definitely interested to read anything kaveh akbar writes in the future
definitely interested to read anything kaveh akbar writes in the future
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer and Terminal illness
The Queen of the Night by Alexander Chee
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
intended to read this as part of the #AsianClassicsReadAlong hosted by @ktlee.writes but december got the best of me and i ended up picking this up only after the readalong finished.
this is my third Chee of the year and i am impressed with how different each of the books are and the history and voice he gave the main character. the historical research is stunning (and the Comtesse is based on a real person!) but i wasn't as pulled in as I expected to be. i think love stories, even tragic ones, are still not quite my thing. but appreciated the read nonetheless!
this is my third Chee of the year and i am impressed with how different each of the books are and the history and voice he gave the main character. the historical research is stunning (and the Comtesse is based on a real person!) but i wasn't as pulled in as I expected to be. i think love stories, even tragic ones, are still not quite my thing. but appreciated the read nonetheless!
There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension by Hanif Abdurraqib
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
everyone saying Hanif Abdurraqib is an auto-buy author who will get you immersed and engrossed in his narration even if you're not that into basketball is telling the truth. i look forward to reading more of his backlist next year.
very engaging on audio, highly recommend.
very engaging on audio, highly recommend.
The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred by Chanda Prescod-Weinstein
informative
mysterious
reflective
4.25
listened to this on audio, which was well done but it took me a little bit to get into the book. i think i personally would've followed some of the initial physics of the first chapter better in print, but maybe the disconnection was also because i started the book while in transit and navigating around a different city.
once we got into the chapter about the physics of skin and melanin though, I was fully hooked.
once we got into the chapter about the physics of skin and melanin though, I was fully hooked.