ambershelf's reviews
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Jing Jing is a tech publication staff writer who reports on the supposed life-altering inventions by Silicon Valley billionaires and start-up bros. Unlike her longtime boyfriend, J, a lab technician applying to grad school, Jing Jing's life seems to be going smoothly with a clear direction, moving upwards in the corporate ladder. But with her request for a promotion ignored again, new management laying off "culturally unfit" employees, and J's acceptance to a grad program in Ithaca, Jing Jing needs to take matters into her own hands. Does she move with J? Does she stay at her job?

DAYS OF DISTRACTION is a tender yet humorous novel that examines the Asian American experience. It follows a narrative style similar to a stream of consciousness that jumps between Jing Jing's current situation and her ruminations on historical events. DAYS OF DISTRACTION covers a lot of incredible themes, such as relationships between Asian women and white men, where Chang includes historical context about interracial marriages that I wasn't aware of.

Another topic that stood out to me is Jing Jing's experience working in a white men-dominated industry. She is usually not acknowledged for her work and often gets confused with the other Asian woman in the office by her white colleagues. I've also experienced these things at workplaces, and I'm sure they happen to every POC.

Other outstanding discussions from DAYS OF DISTRACTION include how other immigrants expect Jing Jing to fit into a certain stereotype and negate her childhood trauma when she doesn't fit the mold. Chang's exploration of performative activism, especially in workplaces, is another illuminating discussion.

The writing style of DAYS OF DISTRACTION reminds me of GOODBYE, VITAMIN (Rachel Khong) and CHEMISTRY (Weike Wang). All three books examine the complexities of being invisible as Asian women yet only being seen for their skin color at times. DAYS OF DISTRACTION is a remarkable debut novel, and I look forward to Chang's future work.

Ruby is a psychologist with a thriving business. She is also accused of murdering her husband, Jason. Narrated from Ruby's perspective, she reflects on how her past has led to this moment of being wrongfully accused. More importantly, how to free herself when there are three dead bodies before Jason's in her wake. Blood Sugar is a fast-paced, twisty thriller with a unique protagonist who the readers cannot help but root for.

As the tenth anniversary of iconic magician Violet Volk's disappearance approaches, her younger sister Sasha begins to encounter disturbing experiences. Fearing for her sanity and her family's safety, Sasha finally confronts the painful truths about Violet and their tumultuous relationship in the past. The well-produced audiobook features a large cast to bring interviews, podcasts, letters, and Sasha's POV to life. Acts of Violet is a fascinating family drama in which the ending goes a bit off the rails, but it is otherwise a fun read.

Nine strangers receive a piece of paper with their names in the mail, with eight others on the list. While none are connected, a frightening pattern emerges as they are murdered, one after the other. Albeit a well-written novel, Nine Lives isn't a particularly original one. I also don't think the motive makes much sense, and the particular OP-type villain isn't my favorite.

Helen has a perfect life. A successful architect husband, a beautiful Victorian house, and a baby on the way. Things start to change when she meets Rachel in a prenatal class. As the two women grow closer, Rachel's increasingly erratic behavior threatens to derail Helen's seemingly peaceful life in unexpected ways. A fast-paced thriller that had me on my toes with lots of twists and turns!

Zoe and Hailey are exchange students studying in Berlin. When an apartment listed by a well-known thriller writer comes up, the two move in excitedly until realizing their landlady is watching them. The pacing is a bit slow for my liking as a thriller. The book also depicts sex/drug parties that aren't my scene but could be a fun read for partygoers.

Set in the late 90s, Real Easy follows a group of dancers at the Lovely Lady strip club and their involvement in multiple missing person cases. Shifting between the POVs of the dancers, detectives, and the killer, Real Eazy is a fast-paced murder mystery peering into the lives of sex workers. I'm not a big fan of this type of violence against already vulnerable women as an art form, but this is still a gripping and profound read.

Lyla and Graham are a wealthy couple who invites self-made successful people to live in their guesthouse and ruin their lives with twisted games. But not Demi, who unwittingly becomes the subject of the wicked entertainment, and who never goes down without a fight. Good Rich People is a satirical thriller with an intriguing concept but lacks layers and could use much more work on character development.

In this seminal book examining racial health disparities, Linda Villarosa investigates the toll of systemic racism and its impacts on the health of Black Americans. I admire the balance between large-scale research and personal stories that illustrate the heart-wrenching experiences Black Americans encounter in the healthcare system. While a heavy and tragic read, this is such a vital topic everyone should learn more about.

Based on his social experiment of inviting online detractors to have a chat on the phone, Dylan Marron recapitulates his experience working on the award-winning podcast and the lessons he learned from it. This is a thought-provoking yet humorous book about having difficult conversations with those who hold vastly different beliefs from us and how we might use empathy to build bridges across divergent ideas.