banana_hutch's reviews
371 reviews

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

4.25

Simultaneously heartwarming and heartrending, this book is difficult to put down. I tore through it. Set in Germany during the late 1930's and early 1940's, and narrated by Death, 'The Book Thief' tells the tale of Liesel, her foster family, her town, and each of their places in the greater context of WWII, the Nazi party, Jewish people, and bombs.

I want to spill every detail of this book just so I can talk about it, but I also want you to pick it up and discover it for yourself. It won't take you long to read, and it's an enchanting, tragic story.

Red Clocks by Leni Zumas

5.0

I really loved this book! It's set in a present-day America where abortion is illegal regardless of circumstances, where a law requiring adopted babies to have two parents is about to go into effect and where pregnancies started through IVF are no longer permissible.

It follows four women - Roberta (The Biographer), Gin (The Mender), Susan (The Wife), and Mattie (The Daughter) - and their lives as they navigate life in their small town.

It's beautiful and sad.

Confessions: An Innocent Life in Communist China by Kang Zhengguo

3.0

This is one of the longest, most detailed set of Chinese memoirs I've read thus far. Much of Kang Zhengguo's story mirrors that of other Chinese citizens who were labelled as landlords or reactionaries, only this book has more meat to it than some others that I've read. It took me much longer to finish than others have.

His family class and his desire to learn (particularly literature and foreign languages) made him a perpetual target for the Communist party. He spent time in labor camps doing jobs of varying difficulty, was run out of school and his town, changed his name, was adopted as an adult by a peasant in the hopes it would make his life a bit easier, and experienced numerous other bizarre and horrifying setbacks even after his exodus to the United States.

Kang's story provides a glimpse into the life that ordinary Chinese led during Mao's leadership of the Communist Party.

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

3.5

This is a charming, warm, beautifully written book. It made me cry.

Moondogs by Alexander Yates

4.0

This book weaves several stories together to tell a larger one. There's Howard, the American businessman who gets kidnapped in the Philippines. There's Ignacio, the kidnapper, who intends to sell Howard to terrorists. There's Benny, Howard's estranged son, who has arrived in the Philippines after his mother's death to try and mend fences. There's Monique, and American embassy employee. There's Efrem, a skilled sniper who joins a group of special police officers with magic powers. It's a strange, entertaining book -- full of magic, politics and culture.

The Good Women of China: Hidden Voices by Xinran

4.0

This book is both heartbreaking and fascinating, like many of the stories that have emerged about living through the Cultural Revolution. Xinran relates her own experiences and stories by weaving them through the stories of other Chinese women. These are stories she picked up as a journalist and radio personality during the opening up of China during the 1980's, and each one illustrates the ongoing plight of women in Chinese society.

I love reading about Chinese history, and I finished this book very quickly. If you have an interest in history, Chinese culture, or feminism, this is definitely a must-read.

Grass Soup by Zhang Xianliang

3.0

Black Boy by Richard Wright

4.0

This is one of those books I don't know how I missed reading in school. I remember my little brother having to read it, but somehow it was never assigned to me. So, finally, I picked it up. It's a hard read, but an important one. And still so relevant to what's going on in our country today.

The Grand Tour: Being a Revelation of Matters of High Confidentiality and Greatest Importance, Including Extracts from the Intimate Di by Patricia C. Wrede, Caroline Stevermer

3.0

The second installment is not nearly as enjoyable as the first. The story switches from letters to a more diary style, and a lot of the charming writing style is thus lost. The character of Kate is also pretty much unbearable in the second book. I still love Cecy - that's a girl who gets stuff done.

While it is by no means terrible, the change in style and quality is enough that I have no desire to pick up the third one.

Sorcery & Cecelia: or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia C. Wrede, Caroline Stevermer

4.0

This book was so charming and adorable. I was delighted to discover that it is just the first in a series! Hooray!