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hashim523's reviews
180 reviews
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
5.0
A sprawling saga that spans four generations and 79 years, I was immersed from the very start. I knew so little about the history of Koreans in Japan, and felt privileged to follow Sanju from pre-World War II colonialism into the modern era.
I think sometimes with a book this long, I find myself getting tired. Often, there are parts of a book of 500 pages that drag along, and I can't get myself through certain sections quick enough. With Pachinko, I could have continued for another 500.
I love that nothing in Pachinko is truly black or white. There are no true evil, villainous characters, only people trying to do what they think is best with what they know and what they are taught. I could empathize and care for just about all of them.
I hope the TV show holds up!
I think sometimes with a book this long, I find myself getting tired. Often, there are parts of a book of 500 pages that drag along, and I can't get myself through certain sections quick enough. With Pachinko, I could have continued for another 500.
I love that nothing in Pachinko is truly black or white. There are no true evil, villainous characters, only people trying to do what they think is best with what they know and what they are taught. I could empathize and care for just about all of them.
I hope the TV show holds up!
The Wrong End of the Telescope by Rabih Alameddine
4.5
I love books on immigration, refugees, and finding a new home. I love books that look at our history, and how we got to the present. I love books about acceptance and hope, comings of age and queerness. And I LOVE books that break my heart.
Loved this one!
Last Summer on State Street by Toya Wolfe
5.0
It’s through this book I learned about the Robert Taylor Homes - a set of 28 public housing high rises in Chicago, from the 60s to the early 00s. Named after Robert Taylor, who had advocated for integrated, multi-income housing scattered throughout Chicago, these buildings were instead built along a single 2-mile stretch. This sequestered a population of poor, mainly black folks to what would become a haven for gang violence and drug dealing.
Last Summer on State Street is one of the most haunting books I’ve ever read. It follows four young black girls living in these Robert Taylor Homes as they attempt to hold on to their childhood, but are instead forced to grow up much too fast. Taking place in the late 90s in Chicago, the events are grounded in reality, and explore generational trauma, police brutality, and the effects of structural racism. I don’t know many books that have left me shaken the way this one has.