“She wanted to be liked. Perhaps this explained the parties, the crystalline laughter, the well-coiffed hair, the rehearsed smile. She thought that men such as her father could be stern and men could be cold like Virgil, but women needed to be liked or they’d be in trouble.”

Honestly, I found this book boring. It’s plot develops slowly up until the last 6 or 7 chapters, at which point it just gets really strange. I just don’t think the writing was good enough to support the slow pace.

There were several other issues I had with this novel; exaggerated gender stereotypes, flat supporting characters, and really terrible dialogue. All of these took me out of the story.

While the ending was weird, it held my attention. This book was NOT scary. I wouldn’t read it again, or recommend it.

“Sometimes our prejudices color our thoughts when we least expect them to. If we can recognize that, and learn from it, we can become better people.”

I just stayed up way too late in order to finish this book. Entirely charming, and wholesome. This is a story about love, family, and tolerance. In this book you’ll find a delightful cast of characters, an intriguing message, and plenty of feel-good moments. I highly recommend.

I have never read anything like this before, and I ended up really enjoying it. This is a queer coming-of-age memoir told through chance encounters in the virtual world. I laughed (and occasionally cringed) at these stories. Dyck's honesty is aggressive and stimulating.

“Remember this, Ren. Sadness alone can't harm anyone. It's what you do when you're sad that can hurt you and those around you.”

This is the story of a young man whose older sister was killed and left for dead. He travels from Tokyo to a small town where she had been living. He begins to piece together clues in an effort to solve her murder. However, at its heart this book is a character study focused on grief & loss.

The characters are well-composed, the prose is beautiful & minimalist. The pace was a little bit slow, but I still found it enjoyable. The ending was incredible (I teared up). I loved this book, and hope that you enjoy it too!

“Privilege is a peculiar possession. To those who possess it, privilege is weightless, tasteless, odorless, soundless, and colorless. Those who have the least access to it are painfully aware of its mass, density, taste, odor, texture, sound, and color.”

In this book, Sen writes about her experience as an emigrant from Calcutta. A unique and clever look at race, privilege, and whiteness.

I really loved the beginning of this memoir. During the middle chapters, I thought her arguments weren't quite as focused, or engaging. The last chapter was my favorite of the entire book - incredibly well-written.

“So many memories and secrets, so many burdens. Every life has such weight. I don’t know how anybody carries even one.”

I thought this was a well-constructed book. I'm impressed with how many plot lines Turton was able to manage throughout this story. An enjoyable read for most of the book. But, the ending left me kind of disappointed.

I found this to be a really cute YA novel - A really fun read!

"From what I understood, love was an extreme idea. A word that seemed to force something indefinable into the prison of letters. But the word was used so easily, so often. People spoke of love so casually, just to mean the slightest pleasure or thanks."

Set in Korea, this book explores Yunjae's childhood & teenage years. The fascinating part? Yunjae was born with a brain condition Alexithymia that makes it difficult for him to identify and experience emotions.

This has been my favorite pick for Asian Readathon 2021 so far. Great storytelling, convincing characters, & engaging prose. Strongly recommend.