Take a photo of a barcode or cover
ambershelf's Reviews (1.3k)
1- doesn’t work that well on audio
2- a more literary mystery than traditional locked-room thrillers
3- a great book at a wrong time for me
2- a more literary mystery than traditional locked-room thrillers
3- a great book at a wrong time for me
.jpg)
The whole book is amazing but especially Chapter 7 on why feminism needs trans people (and not just the other way around) is phenomenal and should be required reading for everyone interested in learning more about intersectional feminism ❤️
In this landmark collection, 18 Afghan women tell their stories of family, war, friendship, and gender identity through the lenses of various characters that span decades. While the quality & length of each story vary quite a bit, I find PEN an essential read that reflects the precarious situations of Afghan women and their resilience.
Through a mother who hopes to give birth to a son, three young women & their deviant boss, a young man who secretly wears his sister's clothes, a school teacher accused of a violent crime, an immigrant who visits his hometown and loses sleep, and a matriarch and village women facing impending floods, PEN is a powerful collection that celebrates the bravery of writers who face unprecedented hostilities toward their creativity, womanhood, and freedom.
Through a mother who hopes to give birth to a son, three young women & their deviant boss, a young man who secretly wears his sister's clothes, a school teacher accused of a violent crime, an immigrant who visits his hometown and loses sleep, and a matriarch and village women facing impending floods, PEN is a powerful collection that celebrates the bravery of writers who face unprecedented hostilities toward their creativity, womanhood, and freedom.
In this sensational debut, NIGHTMARE follows the journeys of mixed native Hawaiian and Japanese women to reclaim womanhood, navigate sexuality, and break free from colonization.
I loved the titular story, a horrific yet gripping tale of girlhood and the oh-so-tiring fact of living in a world built for mean. Through a series of wild & unfortunate events, Kakimoto brilliantly asks, what happens when our body is not just ours? Other standouts include Story of Men, Temporary Dwellers, Madwomen, and Aiko.
The writing style is unapologetic and reminds me of R.F. Kuang's prose at times. For readers seeking more "subtleties," NIGHTMARE leans more straightforward. But I absolutely adored this collection and can't wait to see what Kakimoto writes next!
I loved the titular story, a horrific yet gripping tale of girlhood and the oh-so-tiring fact of living in a world built for mean. Through a series of wild & unfortunate events, Kakimoto brilliantly asks, what happens when our body is not just ours? Other standouts include Story of Men, Temporary Dwellers, Madwomen, and Aiko.
The writing style is unapologetic and reminds me of R.F. Kuang's prose at times. For readers seeking more "subtleties," NIGHTMARE leans more straightforward. But I absolutely adored this collection and can't wait to see what Kakimoto writes next!
Thank you to Libro.fm for the gifted ALC
Spanning decades following Lebanese and Lebanese Americans, DEARBORN is a sharp yet tender collection of 10 tragicomic stories that explore identity, generational conflict, war trauma, sexuality, queerness, and more.
I am completely blown away by this debut, where there are no throwaways; every story is unique and lingers long after I've finished it. The Actors of Dearborn follows an uncle-nephew duo and their shattered American dream. Speedoman examines the collective grief of the Lebanese diaspora & displacement set in a community pool. In Marseille, a Titanic survivor recounts her youth growing up in Lebanon. I Have Reasons to Believe My Neighbor Is a Terrorist follows an older woman and her complex relationship with her neighbor post-9/11. Yursa explores the fluidity of gender identity and sexuality in a tight-knit Arab community.
DEARBORN is one of my favorite short stories this year and one I highly recommend to everyone!
Spanning decades following Lebanese and Lebanese Americans, DEARBORN is a sharp yet tender collection of 10 tragicomic stories that explore identity, generational conflict, war trauma, sexuality, queerness, and more.
I am completely blown away by this debut, where there are no throwaways; every story is unique and lingers long after I've finished it. The Actors of Dearborn follows an uncle-nephew duo and their shattered American dream. Speedoman examines the collective grief of the Lebanese diaspora & displacement set in a community pool. In Marseille, a Titanic survivor recounts her youth growing up in Lebanon. I Have Reasons to Believe My Neighbor Is a Terrorist follows an older woman and her complex relationship with her neighbor post-9/11. Yursa explores the fluidity of gender identity and sexuality in a tight-knit Arab community.
DEARBORN is one of my favorite short stories this year and one I highly recommend to everyone!
Thank you to Astrahouse for the gifted copy
SUNRISE is a collection of stories set in Japan that examines the visible and invisible forces and their effects on generations of women. I love the focus on the inner workings of Japanese women's lives that traverse time. Most of the stories are short and have a slice-of-life feel.
A couple that stands out to me are Book Burning—I'm pretty sure the last book burned mentioned in this one is Norwegian Wood, Precious Stones—a feverish exploration of our family connection, and Shedding—a mysterious disease that causes people to lose their speech and different women's reactions to their symptoms.
The blurb mentioned interconnected stories, but I couldn't quite figure out the connections between the chapters
SUNRISE is a collection of stories set in Japan that examines the visible and invisible forces and their effects on generations of women. I love the focus on the inner workings of Japanese women's lives that traverse time. Most of the stories are short and have a slice-of-life feel.
A couple that stands out to me are Book Burning—I'm pretty sure the last book burned mentioned in this one is Norwegian Wood, Precious Stones—a feverish exploration of our family connection, and Shedding—a mysterious disease that causes people to lose their speech and different women's reactions to their symptoms.
The blurb mentioned interconnected stories, but I couldn't quite figure out the connections between the chapters
Thank you to Berkley for the gifted copy
In this much-anticipated follow-up to THE TRAVELLING CAT CHRONICLES, GOODBYE CAT tells the story of seven different cats and the joy they ignite in their owners' daily lives. While there are references to the first book, readers don't have to have read TRAVELLING to appreciate this book.
My favorites are The Goodbye Cat—the first in the collection that made me cry
In this much-anticipated follow-up to THE TRAVELLING CAT CHRONICLES, GOODBYE CAT tells the story of seven different cats and the joy they ignite in their owners' daily lives. While there are references to the first book, readers don't have to have read TRAVELLING to appreciate this book.
My favorites are The Goodbye Cat—the first in the collection that made me cry
Thank you to Pantheon books for the gifted ARC
Yahya Bas is many things. He is a poet, a notorious jihadist, a half-white, half-Iraqi Londoner searching for his dad. After fleeing the conflict in Syria and ending up in a detention center, Yahya faces many questions from his interrogator, Mister. So Yahya resolves to tell his own story on his own terms.
MISTER is a riveting exploration that not only gives me echoes of THE SYMPATHIZER (Viet Thanh Nguyen) but also delves into a narrative that challenges immigration, colonialism, radicalization, and self-invention.
The novel unfolds through a confession-style narrative that takes a while to get used to. It poses difficult questions, pushing me to reevaluate my preconceived notions. What does it mean to be an "ungrateful" immigrant? Should we empathize with those whose discontent turns into hostility? What if radicalization takes root, or worse, they encourage violence in the very promised land they sought refuge in? How much of these are the doings of the constant "othering" experienced by POC? Gunaratne masterfully prompts readers to confront the implications, forcing us to ponder the state of the West and its promises.
Inspired by the surge in hate post-Brexit, the Syrian civil war, and the rise of Islamophobia & anti-Semitism, MISTER offers a timely reflection on the socio-political landscape. It seamlessly weaves in a coming-of-age story, transitioning from a somewhat slower-paced first half with a touch of YA to a superbly crafted second half that captivates with its depth and intensity.
Surprisingly, this book hasn't garnered more attention, given its Booker-esque qualities—the absence of quotation marks, drawing inspiration from Syria from a non-Syrian writer (iykyk lol), and the ultimate unreliable narrator. MISTER is a thought-provoking gem that demands attention for its bold exploration of societal nuances and the human condition.
Please note that Gunaratne is Sri Lankan British, whereas the MC is half-Iraqi. Parts of MISTER depict refugees likely informed/inspired by their career documenting post-conflict areas around the globe.
I also want to highlight this poignant quote from Gunaratne in an interview with Southbank Centre to give more context on MISTER & their thoughts on writing those outside his community. You can find the whole discussion by googling "Guy Gunaratne on Mister, Mister, slow art, and room to write." The entire interview is brilliant, and I encourage you to read it even if you're not planning to pick this book up!
When asked about whether their writing of individuals often "othered" in the modern news cycle is meant as a platform for the "voiceless," they answered, "It feels very strange to think of novels as platforms in that way. I don't approach writing on those terms. My subject matter might tackle something in the current public discourse, but I struggle, really, to see how novels, and novel writing, when within the kinds of systems we require to make and distribute books, could be used to foster significant shifts in political discourse, especially in a way that requires the immediacy of our current problems. Novels are a slow art. They seem to work on the conscience in a similar way. That's part of the beauty of them, it seems to me. Anyway, when it comes to the kind of thing I'm eager to influence politically, I use other methods – like my body, which means my showing up, away from the desk, among other people."
Yahya Bas is many things. He is a poet, a notorious jihadist, a half-white, half-Iraqi Londoner searching for his dad. After fleeing the conflict in Syria and ending up in a detention center, Yahya faces many questions from his interrogator, Mister. So Yahya resolves to tell his own story on his own terms.
MISTER is a riveting exploration that not only gives me echoes of THE SYMPATHIZER (Viet Thanh Nguyen) but also delves into a narrative that challenges immigration, colonialism, radicalization, and self-invention.
The novel unfolds through a confession-style narrative that takes a while to get used to. It poses difficult questions, pushing me to reevaluate my preconceived notions. What does it mean to be an "ungrateful" immigrant? Should we empathize with those whose discontent turns into hostility? What if radicalization takes root, or worse, they encourage violence in the very promised land they sought refuge in? How much of these are the doings of the constant "othering" experienced by POC? Gunaratne masterfully prompts readers to confront the implications, forcing us to ponder the state of the West and its promises.
Inspired by the surge in hate post-Brexit, the Syrian civil war, and the rise of Islamophobia & anti-Semitism, MISTER offers a timely reflection on the socio-political landscape. It seamlessly weaves in a coming-of-age story, transitioning from a somewhat slower-paced first half with a touch of YA to a superbly crafted second half that captivates with its depth and intensity.
Surprisingly, this book hasn't garnered more attention, given its Booker-esque qualities—the absence of quotation marks, drawing inspiration from Syria from a non-Syrian writer (iykyk lol), and the ultimate unreliable narrator. MISTER is a thought-provoking gem that demands attention for its bold exploration of societal nuances and the human condition.
Please note that Gunaratne is Sri Lankan British, whereas the MC is half-Iraqi. Parts of MISTER depict refugees likely informed/inspired by their career documenting post-conflict areas around the globe.
I also want to highlight this poignant quote from Gunaratne in an interview with Southbank Centre to give more context on MISTER & their thoughts on writing those outside his community. You can find the whole discussion by googling "Guy Gunaratne on Mister, Mister, slow art, and room to write." The entire interview is brilliant, and I encourage you to read it even if you're not planning to pick this book up!
When asked about whether their writing of individuals often "othered" in the modern news cycle is meant as a platform for the "voiceless," they answered, "It feels very strange to think of novels as platforms in that way. I don't approach writing on those terms. My subject matter might tackle something in the current public discourse, but I struggle, really, to see how novels, and novel writing, when within the kinds of systems we require to make and distribute books, could be used to foster significant shifts in political discourse, especially in a way that requires the immediacy of our current problems. Novels are a slow art. They seem to work on the conscience in a similar way. That's part of the beauty of them, it seems to me. Anyway, when it comes to the kind of thing I'm eager to influence politically, I use other methods – like my body, which means my showing up, away from the desk, among other people."
Thank you to Grove Atlantics & NetGalley for the gifted eARC