This book is definitely for people who like twists up until the very last page. I am not that person, but maybe you are.


Unable to put down? Yes
Best thriller I’ve read? Absolutely not
Did the ending ruin it for me? Yep

Thank you NetGalley and Harvill Secker for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Braised Pork is perfect for anyone who likes fiction with magical realism themes that was the perfect length. Jia Jia is a widow in Beijing that is determined to find the "fish-man" that her husband sketched before mysteriously dying while in the bathtub. Braised Pork follows Jia Jia as she follows her husband's itinerary for a recent trip to Tibet to see if there is any connection to his death and the "fish-man".

Braised Pork fit many themes within a book that was well under 300 pages, which many books can't say in 2020. Themes included magical realism, dealing with becoming a widow and family reconnection. Magical realism took the forefront as Jia Jia experiences dream like states in which she follows the 'fish-man' into a dark water where she cannot see anything, but is unable to remember what his face looks like when she goes to paint/sketch it once she's awake.

Jia Jia reconnected with her father, whom she hasn't been close with since he left she and her mom when she was young, thanks to her step-mother. The conversation between Jia Jia and her father after she returns from Tibet really brought the plot together and connected the title and familial connection to the 'fish-man'.

I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to read a short, magical realism novel as An Yu raised the bar with her debut, Braised Pork.

Thank you St Martin’s Press for a finished copy in exchange for a review.

Review pending, but The Perfect Father was a choice for my true crime buddy read that I host on bookstagram.

I highly recommend watching the Netflix documentary on this case before reading the book as both provide a lot of information.

I had very high hopes for Ruth Ware’s newest book...perhaps a little too high. This is the most disappointing Ruth Ware yet. I almost considered DNFing in the first half.

However, I did enjoy the setting and the characters of the book. I just find that the first half was slow and I figured out who the murderer was very quick.

I still need to read Turn of the Key and then I’ll be a Ruth Ware completist. I will say - I will still buy whatever Ruth puts out next.

I’m so glad I picked this up for a buddy read after hearing so am many great things about it. Highly recommend

Great read if you need an additional little pick-me up after the election stress! What better way to celebrate President-elect Joe Biden than to pick up a book from a fellow Democrat presidential candidate that stood by his side?

Love Mayor Pete.

I honestly don’t have much to say, besides that once again Backman had made a beautiful masterpiece.

However, I listened to it on audio and I feel like much was missing by consuming this book as an audiobook. I recommend that you read a physical copy instead of by audiobook.