Trigger warning for sexual assault. I found the ending pretty stunning. Overall the book dragged on sometimes. Interesting vibe. Think of Godfather musTrigger warning for sexual assault. I found the ending pretty stunning. Overall the book dragged on sometimes. Interesting vibe. Think of Godfather music as I read. I might read the next book. Is it worthy of being #1 on that New York Times authors list? I say nah. ...more
I adore Kensington Market and Chinatown in a way only a visitor can. I never lived in Toronto so I never dealt with the negative aspects of living theI adore Kensington Market and Chinatown in a way only a visitor can. I never lived in Toronto so I never dealt with the negative aspects of living there. My expectations were sky high for this book; unfortunately I felt let down. I liked the topic of the book and the beautiful art. I appreciate that the book is printed and bound in Canada, but did it have to be the most squeaky kind of plastic-y paper? The make of the book made it an uncomfortable experience to read. Not only was the art bunched together at the end of the book instead of throughout the text, the art was all upside down. I wouldn't mind flipping back and forth between text and images as much, if I didn't also have to flip the book upside down every time. Why were these design choices made, I really wonder. Dialogue was like this: "Toisan spelled out phonetically" (English translation) This always took me out of the story. (view spoiler)[I was interested in seeing how the protagonist would overcome certain challenges in her life. At one point, she went to the public library, and had difficulty renewing her library card because she didn't know what a proper photo ID was, and wasn't fluent in English. So how did she manage to pay her bills and get the right ID etc.? I have no idea because the book never really talked about these logistic issues after. (hide spoiler)] Took me forever to finish this book....more
Very wonderful! I gave the podcast a chance before but I am not that into podcasts or audiobooks because I can't focus on it. What I liked to do sinceVery wonderful! I gave the podcast a chance before but I am not that into podcasts or audiobooks because I can't focus on it. What I liked to do since I borrowed this book is listen to the podcast episodes in the background and only catch a few things in my mind, then read the episodes later. I like the weirdness. I like the make of the book and the gorgeous art. I'm afraid the episodes will get more into the romance later on. I prefer the town and ensemble cast. I appreciate the nihilism. ...more
A real slog. I finished it because I have a compulsion to finish books.
Stories I liked: Ling Ma “Office Hours� Jamil Jan Kochai “The Haunting of Hajji HA real slog. I finished it because I have a compulsion to finish books.
Stories I liked: Ling Ma “Office Hoursâ€� Jamil Jan Kochai “The Haunting of Hajji Hotakâ€� Kirstin Valdez Quade “After Hours at the Acacia Park Poolâ€� K-Ming Chang “XÃfù"
Second tier: Lisa Taddeo “Wisconsin� Kathleen Alcott “Temporary Housing� Eamon McGuinness “The Blackhills�...more
This was plain and not memorable. Possibly even worse than the year before. There were about two short stories that I remember and I just finished reaThis was plain and not memorable. Possibly even worse than the year before. There were about two short stories that I remember and I just finished reading. Most of the stories had next to zero charm....more
I borrowed this from the library because of the beautiful cover. This book was too long and pacing was too slow. It really dragged on for me. The mystI borrowed this from the library because of the beautiful cover. This book was too long and pacing was too slow. It really dragged on for me. The mystery was non-existent. Parts of the ending that called back to the protagonist's native roots were somewhat redeeming....more
Not nearly as good as the first book. Too much coincidence involved. Some jerk on goodreads spoiled it in a review, but I was still surprised, which isNot nearly as good as the first book. Too much coincidence involved. Some jerk on goodreads spoiled it in a review, but I was still surprised, which is good....more
Sam's grandparents are so sweet. Otherwise characters are very annoying and I didn't care for any of them. I love video games but this book doesn't maSam's grandparents are so sweet. Otherwise characters are very annoying and I didn't care for any of them. I love video games but this book doesn't make them sound very fun. This book felt way too long. I found the main romance unbearable even though I usually love romance. I was drawn by many things in the book summary and it didn't deliver....more
Loading...
