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A review by labunnywtf
Fresh Ink by Lamar Giles
4.0
Read for Book Roast's Magical Readathon: NEWTs Exams. Subject: Transfiguration, E Level. (New-to-You Author)
(I should get extra points for reading 11 new-to-me authors in one. )
"When I first cooked for your grandfather, I wasn't a very good chef," Grandma explained to me in Farsi. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Hannah tense up. "But he always lied and said everything I made was delicious when we both knew it wasn't. He said it was delicious because I put so much love into it. Your dinner is good because it was made from love, but you don't need to lie. and neither does she."
Pardon me, I'll be sobbing in the corner over the last story in this anthology for the rest of my freaking life.
I am a huge proponent of reading diversity. Not just because DUH, but we read to know things. We read for escape, sure, but the more we read, the more we learn. Even when reading fantasy and sci-fi, our brains are cataloging little bits and pieces we pick up from every author. Why would you not want to read a book about a world and a culture that you would never experience otherwise?
I've never eaten Persian food, and now I know they have a really gross carbonated mint yogurt drink that I hope no one ever makes me drink. I've never lived on a reservation, or had to go to school with a group of friends who are one thing at home, and an entirely different thing at school surrounded by....people who look like I do right now, writing this review. I don't know what it is to pray to the Twelve Imams, or have hateful graffiti scrawled on buildings or cars about me.
These are 12 very short stories, with very real people. Well, okay, these are 10 very short stories with very real people. The other two are fantasy, though one of them is entirely too close to home for my heart. There is so. much. diversity. Races, religions, cultures, backgrounds, eras. I could've read 100 more, and I need to look up each of these authors and read so much more by them.
Erm, except that there's one author who I have read previously and whose book I didn't care for. But one bad book doesn't spoil the library, after all.
Out of all of these, only one or two weren't solid for me, which is so awesome, considering that anthologies have never really been my friend. And not all of these deal with Big Major Life Issues. I mean, for crying out loud, Scully and a gender bent Sulu meet up at a Comic Con when the power goes out and, like the title says, a Meet Cute occurs, and it's AWESOME.
These are such great stories. If you're looking to add more diversity to your reading (as well you should), definitely pick up this collection. And if some of the stories are less loved, less enjoyed, stick around for the last one. It's a major heart punch.
Received via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
(I should get extra points for reading 11 new-to-me authors in one. )
"When I first cooked for your grandfather, I wasn't a very good chef," Grandma explained to me in Farsi. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Hannah tense up. "But he always lied and said everything I made was delicious when we both knew it wasn't. He said it was delicious because I put so much love into it. Your dinner is good because it was made from love, but you don't need to lie. and neither does she."
Pardon me, I'll be sobbing in the corner over the last story in this anthology for the rest of my freaking life.
I am a huge proponent of reading diversity. Not just because DUH, but we read to know things. We read for escape, sure, but the more we read, the more we learn. Even when reading fantasy and sci-fi, our brains are cataloging little bits and pieces we pick up from every author. Why would you not want to read a book about a world and a culture that you would never experience otherwise?
I've never eaten Persian food, and now I know they have a really gross carbonated mint yogurt drink that I hope no one ever makes me drink. I've never lived on a reservation, or had to go to school with a group of friends who are one thing at home, and an entirely different thing at school surrounded by....people who look like I do right now, writing this review. I don't know what it is to pray to the Twelve Imams, or have hateful graffiti scrawled on buildings or cars about me.
These are 12 very short stories, with very real people. Well, okay, these are 10 very short stories with very real people. The other two are fantasy, though one of them is entirely too close to home for my heart. There is so. much. diversity. Races, religions, cultures, backgrounds, eras. I could've read 100 more, and I need to look up each of these authors and read so much more by them.
Erm, except that there's one author who I have read previously and whose book I didn't care for. But one bad book doesn't spoil the library, after all.
Out of all of these, only one or two weren't solid for me, which is so awesome, considering that anthologies have never really been my friend. And not all of these deal with Big Major Life Issues. I mean, for crying out loud, Scully and a gender bent Sulu meet up at a Comic Con when the power goes out and, like the title says, a Meet Cute occurs, and it's AWESOME.
These are such great stories. If you're looking to add more diversity to your reading (as well you should), definitely pick up this collection. And if some of the stories are less loved, less enjoyed, stick around for the last one. It's a major heart punch.
Received via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.