"just completed my reading goal of 60 books for the year with linh lu‘s upcoming release, the napper!

thuy is an international student, struggling to cope with her new environment and the gaping hole left by her childhood. oscar is the opposite � where thuy is stressed, he is stable. where she is troubled and tense, he is tender and tolerant. thuy is split in three different directions, between three homes. chapel hill, paris, hanoi. this book has emotional chaos, sexual vulnerability and fickle relationships that may just blossom into more.

i want to preface this by saying i’m so grateful that linh reached out to me and sent me this arc. i truly loved this book. it was reminiscent of ‘past lives� and mieko kawakami’s writing � like a warm summer breeze on a night where the sky is exceptionally blue. she fully encapsulates the feeling of having different homes in different cities and different people, and maybe realising that you are your own true home.

support indie authors and read the napper � out august 20th!"

"As a South Asian-American, this book resonated deeply with me because of how the protagonist navigates the balance between her upbringing in Vietnam and her experiences going to boarding school and college in the States, reflecting on the diverse experiences we all encounter as young adults growing up between multiple cultures. Having studied in the States and studied abroad, I was surprised by how much I related to this book, especially in understanding who I was in my early twenties and how my experiences shaped my identity.

The Napper is a deeply personal, page-turning, and relatable memoir about Thuy, an international student from Vietnam, discovering herself throughout her journeys in the States, Paris, and back home in Hanoi. The book explores the intersectionality of culture in Asia, America, and Europe, and examines how our inner dialogue and past experiences influence our decisions and shape who we become. Thuy is deeply self-reflective and introspective, and she displays authenticity in exploring how love, art, education, and family contribute to our growth into the people we aspire to be."

"If you'd like to host a very pretentious picnic requiring you to shop at high-end specialty markets for artisanal ingredients, schlep tons of vintage dishware and cutlery to a public location, and arrange everything just so on Turkish towel from Anthropologie purchased specially for the occasion... this may be the cookbook for you. Please do not invite me, though. I'll be across the way enjoying an egg salad sandwich, a can of orange Fanta, and all the energy I didn't waste on preparing food to eat on the literal ground.

All respect to anyone who does want to do this; I am clearly not the target demographic for this book and I'm sure elaborate picnics are fun if that's your thing. I did grab a few recipes from the book, but if I do make them it definitely won't be for a picnic."