Review: Crying in H Mart

Crying in H Mart
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book took me forever to read. I started it at least ten times. It felt too depressing each time so I put it down. After months, I finally picked it as my book club pick so I would make my way through the book. Even then, it took me days to finish.

I can’t put my finger on exactly why this book didn’t have as profound as effect on me as it seems to have on many others. The writing was totally fine and I did love the food and all the evocative scenes.

But I think in the end, it felt like the story was about grief, yes, but not about growth. Not about what she learned. Such it made it an interesting and very sad story but harder for me to relate to it and make it my own.

Still I am glad I read it and grateful for more stories of grief out in the world.

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Review: The Long Answer

The Long Answer
The Long Answer by Anna Hogeland
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this quiet but textured book with stories around infertility, family, sisterhood, and how we and our stories help each other.

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Daily Joys – 191

Daily Joys – 191

 

Love my people. Watching Korean tv and resting.

Daily Joys – 190

Daily Joys – 190

 

Feeling light today. Grateful.

Daily Joys – 189

Daily Joys – 189

 

Better than I thought. We’ll take the win.

Review: Kaleidoscope

Kaleidoscope
Kaleidoscope by Cecily Wong
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Heartfelt and beautiful book about family, sisterhood, loss and love. I enjoyed this story and recommend it.

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Review: I Let You Go

I Let You Go
I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Ok I know I am in the minority but I disliked this book. I found the characters stupid and despicable and I really felt awful by the time I was done reading it. I gave it two stars because I did keep reading it and some of the twists were interesting but I was of course able to guess the biggest ones and honestly, I was so unhappy by the end that I am sorry I read this book.

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Review: Naughts & Crosses

Naughts & Crosses
Naughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

2.5 stars

I am in the minority on this one or maybe I’ve read too many dystopian YA books by now that this was not interesting, not different or unique in any way except for the small twist of switching skin colors which was clever and interesting but not enough to make the book worthwhile for me. It might be the audio which I thought was terrible.

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Daily Joys – 188

Daily Joys – 188

Lunch with a friend, walk with another. How lucky am I?

Daily Joys – 187

 

Daily Joys – 187

 

Still loving painting.

Review: After You’d Gone

After You'd Gone
After You’d Gone by Maggie O’Farrell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars

Maggie O’Farrell is such a wonderful writer and this, her first novel, is no exception. This is the story of Alice who takes the train to visit her sisters and while there sees something so shocking that she has to turn around and go right back home and then walks into traffic and ends up in a coma.

The novel unwinds in bits and pieces from there and shows us Alice and her family members, each with their own stories and bits and pieces of life until it all comes together. This is a rich, multi-layered story with wonderful characters. Highly recommended.

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Review: The Picture of Dorian Gray [Penguin Twentieth Century Classics]

The Picture of Dorian Gray [Penguin Twentieth Century Classics]
The Picture of Dorian Gray [Penguin Twentieth Century Classics] by Oscar Wilde
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I know this book and story are very famous and I can give it 5 stars for the concept but overall I didn’t think the story was as compelling or interesting as the 250 pages warranted. Maybe it would have been a more interesting short story.

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