Read for a history class on Asian American Cuisine and History :
The Fortune Cookie Chronicles is a collection of essay by Jennifer 8 Lee that focuses on Asian/Asian American history and problems through the lens of food. While an interesting premise, some of the essays are nonlinear or could have been trimmed down. I personally preferred The Best American Food Writing 2019 or You and I eat the same which explored similar themes but with more concise stories and better explorations of identity.

Finished over one day for book club so quick review: A Personal Matter is certainly better than Nip the Buds and left quite a heavy impression on me after reading it. While some of the topics/mannerisms/tropes feel out dated, the story was still hard-hitting for me. The self-destruction and aimlessness of Bird are well-described.

Inspirational autobiography from Assata Shakur. While some books on politics/race can be sometimes confusing due to its academic or theory-heavy nature, this autobiography is very witty and gut-wrenching and paints a strong picture of the wrongs of the justice system and the police.

I like the overall message but the chapters dragged on and his examples of people you should follow ( Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Lincoln etc...) made me roll my eyes.

IMO way better than 1984 and Animal Farm, George Orwell's wit and social commentary are amusing as he drags himself through Paris and London.
Pros: His time in the kitchen in Paris. The short hilarious chapters dedicated to one-off characters.
Cons: His time spent in London.

The Coffee Primer at the start was ok but not that in-depth compared to other coffee-related books. I liked the part detailing home roasting. Other than that the rest of the book was just a list (which maybe would be interesting in a world that travel is possible?) but also a shame that it excluded any LA roasters. Also, the font and coloring made it hard to read.

I understand the criticisms of Bukowski but I still find that this book is very enjoyable. It was my first poetry book and I felt like I read it at the right time of my life since I am a recently graduated, unemployed, former Angelino. The poems were grotesque and grimy but also had a lot of wit and longing to it. Overall, really enjoyable.

Once you read one coffee book you really have read them all. While I was looking for tips on espresso, this book was another general overview of the process, roasting, and making of coffee with nothing special in it besides the author's snark. Something hilarious with the author stating that espresso is simultaneously too hard for the average person to get but also not complicated enough for people to be interested in. It later devolves into a recipe book in order to just fill in the pages.

Read The World Atlas of Coffee by Hofmann for coffee info without the snark