Truly inspiring! Listening to Michelle Obama narrate her own upbringing in the South Side of Chicago, to her meeting of her future husband, her experience of motherhood, her time in the White House and to the present day, was so captivating.
I learned so much about what makes her a truly remarkable person. An unending drive to reach a higher education amidst adversity, seeking belonging in places that tried hard to exclude a Black woman and a deep awareness of the social pressures of representing a whole, diverse people.
Her insights and commentary on class, race, political divides and gender and economic disparities in America were thoughtful and well explained. Readers unfamiliar with American politics would easily be able to understand her passages and her thoughts on specific moments during Obama’s presidency. She writes with such care, wit and warmth. It’s clear how much importance she put into advocating for girls and women’s rights, as well as improving the lives of youth and the neglected people in American society. She recalls some truly inspirational moments with young people during her time as First Lady in such an emotional way. I adored this memoir and could honestly read hours and hours more. As an audiobook, her narration is sincere and personal and I seriously recommend it. I would absolutely read or listen to any book or podcast she would make in the future!

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa

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hopeful inspiring lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

A sweet, short read that has those cozy book about books vibes. The protagonist, Takako, is down on her luck, freshly dumped and without a job. Her estranged uncle, Satoru, invites her to stay at the family bookshop until she gets herself back on her feet. In her months surrounded by towers of old books, she finds herself a new passion for reading and forms impactful relationships with customers and her family. I really enjoyed the atmospheres of the Jimbocho neighbourhood, the cafes with familiar faces, and the cozy Morisaki bookstore. Book lovers will relate to Takako's discovery of her love of reading and spending endless hours curled around a book.

Takako is at first very quick to judge a person's character, but learns to slow down away from the fast-paced city life and connect with the people around her. I especially loved her quirky uncle, Satoru, and his open and flexible approach to life, It was such a contrast to Takako's more practical nature, and when she accepts him and his love, you see their relationship develop into such a comforting and supportive dynamic. In the first half of the novel, Satoru saves Takako at her lowest and she does so in return in the second half. Truly a positive depiction of familial love.
And some new characters introduced in the second half surprised me with how much I liked them by the end too. This book leaves you with a sense that every person you meet has a whole life of stories, experiences and struggles that you would never know. If only we just took the time to ask and listen, we would understand each other more deeply and see each other with more empathy.

As a translated Japanese to English text, I appreciated that many terms were left untranslated to keep the cultural context. Many famous Japanese authors are mentioned that I would like to read one day too.

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop is a very short read with few plot points but for its length it manages to connect and convey a strong message of hope and love. Reading this in one sitting felt like taking a short vacation from life, just like what Takako had at the Bookshop. A very heart-warming and positive read that I enjoyed thoroughly!

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

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challenging dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Absolutely unhinged and enthralling read that I could not put down. The first person narrative of the deeply unlikeable protagonist made me want to pull my hair out because she is exactly the kind of white, privileged woman that we've all met before. Juniper makes awful decisions and subsequently victimizes herself after trying to pass off an Asian author's work as her own. Reading from her perspective gives you a front seat to her disturbed and twisted reasoning, such that you will start to see how good white tears can be at convincing you otherwise.
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang is a masterful commentary on race and on the authority and ownership of diaspora stories, and includes interesting insight into social media's influence on the publishing world. As an Asian reader curious about the inner drama of publishing, I enjoyed it thoroughly and would highly recommend it!

Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

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adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang

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adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This novel is pitched as an academic rivals to lovers YA fantasy set at an elite boarding school in Beijing with a Chinese American MC and I was completely hooked! The plot was quite unique with a touch of magical realism and thoughtful commentary on social class and privilege throughout. Alice's multicultural upbringing and Chinese diaspora experience were particularly relatable and hard-hitting for me. If you're looking for a novel that makes you tear up and feel SEEN as a Chinese diaspora young person, this was it for me!

There is teen angst, an adorable and sassy romantic interest, Henry Li, and that "oh, OH" moment that makes any reader squeal. The ending wrapped up a little too quickly to my liking but overall I really enjoyed this and would highly recommend to YA readers!

Thank you to HarperCollins Canada and HCC Frenzy for sharing a digital review copy with me in exchange for an honest review.

The Unbalancing by R.B. Lemberg

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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

4.0

The Unbalancing is a short read that I enjoyed immensely, with stunningly lyrical prose and a unique fantasy setting. Those not familiar with the Birdverse and Lemberg's previous work such as I was will easily be able to follow and be immersed in this world.
It's a beautiful queer story about two people falling in love and coming together to save their island and way of life. There are legendary tales of an island's star, its starkeeper, a Bird Goddess, ghosts and an imaginative magic system based on names. One of my favourite parts of this novel were the Ichidi, the in-universe non-binary people that are normalized and described with such beauty. I read this so quickly and will now go on to read many more in the Birdverse!

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mayannecosplay's reviews 36 reviews

mayannecosplay's reviews
36 reviews