Scan barcode
aecorsilva's reviews
109 reviews
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.75
recently, i’ve been having random panic attacks about the death of myself and my mother. occuring more frequently in the evenings, i’ll go look for her in my house and then sob into her shoulder, an outpouring of misplaced grief and fear of the greatest unknowns. even as I’m typing this very long review, i’m overcome with fear i’m missing my mother’s final moments.
recently, i’ve also been thinking about my connection to greek culture. i’m a third-generation greek kid, who’s barely greek at all, who doesn’t really know how to properly make the food and knows only the basics in the language. i’m finding myself longing for stronger cultural connections, but I have no idea how to create those.
by pure coincidence, i reserved this book based off of a tiktok recommendation, with no knowledge of what it was about, and then had it come three months later, last week. and my god, it has been the best thing I could have chosen to read right now. zauner tells of her korean mother: her relationship with michelle and her father, her food, her relatives, and then of her passing from cancer in her fifties. she writes simply, but beautifully: the simplest lines left me absolutely sobbing. as an outsider to korean culture, the food and traditions are perfectly explained, a grounding of the reader in new territory. i found myself raptly following her family’s story, yet also seeing how aspects of her experience reflected mine. zauner describes each individual in a uniquely human way, transcending the written word into the reader’s reality. i’m amazed at the story and fully intend to reread it someday, but for now my eyes are too wet, so i will instead check out the music from japanese breakfast. some books remain as stories, but crying in h mart came into my life at the perfect time and intersected beautifully with my reality. to michelle zauner: thank you so much.
recently, i’ve also been thinking about my connection to greek culture. i’m a third-generation greek kid, who’s barely greek at all, who doesn’t really know how to properly make the food and knows only the basics in the language. i’m finding myself longing for stronger cultural connections, but I have no idea how to create those.
by pure coincidence, i reserved this book based off of a tiktok recommendation, with no knowledge of what it was about, and then had it come three months later, last week. and my god, it has been the best thing I could have chosen to read right now. zauner tells of her korean mother: her relationship with michelle and her father, her food, her relatives, and then of her passing from cancer in her fifties. she writes simply, but beautifully: the simplest lines left me absolutely sobbing. as an outsider to korean culture, the food and traditions are perfectly explained, a grounding of the reader in new territory. i found myself raptly following her family’s story, yet also seeing how aspects of her experience reflected mine. zauner describes each individual in a uniquely human way, transcending the written word into the reader’s reality. i’m amazed at the story and fully intend to reread it someday, but for now my eyes are too wet, so i will instead check out the music from japanese breakfast. some books remain as stories, but crying in h mart came into my life at the perfect time and intersected beautifully with my reality. to michelle zauner: thank you so much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Cancer
Minor: Abortion
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
this book is so long and deeply wordy, but it is absolutely worth it. nabokov's writing style is perfect for this, as humbert's obnoxious narcissistic self-pity is gloriously expressed through his writing. i think this book was brilliantly conceptualised and i'd love to read more of nabokov's work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, and Pedophilia
A Good Man Is Hard To Find: Short Story by Flannery O'Connor
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Child death, and Murder
Minor: Racism
Feminism: A Very Short Introduction by Margaret Walters
Did not finish book. Stopped at 43%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 43%.
I wanted to read this book to get a brief introduction to the feminist movement before I got into reading more theory. However, this book was very UK-centric, which wasn't what I was looking for. Furthermore, it was quite boringly written so not a lot of content stayed with me. I will say it does contain some pretty good works by women which I'd like to check out.
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Toad and his adventures were absolutely the highlight of the book, no way you can disagree
In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
Googol Boy: and the Peculiar Incident of the Great Quiz Trophy by John Michael
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
2.75
The One Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
What Is Marxism All About?: A Street Guide for Revolutionaries on a Move by Elena Everett, Dante Strobino, Larry Hales, LeiLani Dowell, David Hoskins, Julie Fry, Tyneisha Bowens, Ben Carroll, Caleb Maupin
informative
slow-paced
3.0
Fulfils its purpose as an intro to leftism, but isn't particularly interesting and doesn't really go into any particular depth. Read this to learn what the words mean, but go to theory for more insightful explanations.
The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith by Thomas Keneally
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I loved the discussion of racism, and the quality of the prose, but the text is incredibly dense which makes it difficult to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, and Sexism
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Colonisation, and Death
Minor: Alcoholism