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koreanlinda's reviews
198 reviews
Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.75
I dreaded writing this review. I struggled through this book. I saw myself on too many pages. I am not morbidly obese, but I had my portion of body image issues and self-hatred. I experienced violence as a child and cruel treatment in my adolescent years. I have chronic physical and mental illnesses, and I am prone to addictive behaviors.
I am both in awe and shock. I am awed by Roxane Gay's writing style: plain and straightforward. I try to write essays in an honest manner, but Gay's bareness in writing is on another level. I am in shock because someone was able to bear such a level of naked self on a page. I did not know it was possible, yet Gay proved it was.
I recommend this book to everyone to relate to Gay's experiences or, if not, to bear witness to the experiences of people who continue to live after experiencing sexual violence, people who live with fat bodies, and people who have addiction issues. Gay will help you humanize these people to the maximum.
I am still heartbroken a day after finishing this book. So raw, so bare, so vulnerable, and so sad. But I am very glad I read it.
Review by Linda (Any Pronouns) in January 2025
Personal essays on DefinitelyNotOkay.com
Artwork on Instagram @KoreanLinda
I am both in awe and shock. I am awed by Roxane Gay's writing style: plain and straightforward. I try to write essays in an honest manner, but Gay's bareness in writing is on another level. I am in shock because someone was able to bear such a level of naked self on a page. I did not know it was possible, yet Gay proved it was.
I recommend this book to everyone to relate to Gay's experiences or, if not, to bear witness to the experiences of people who continue to live after experiencing sexual violence, people who live with fat bodies, and people who have addiction issues. Gay will help you humanize these people to the maximum.
I am still heartbroken a day after finishing this book. So raw, so bare, so vulnerable, and so sad. But I am very glad I read it.
Review by Linda (Any Pronouns) in January 2025
Personal essays on DefinitelyNotOkay.com
Artwork on Instagram @KoreanLinda
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Self harm, and Vomit
Letters on Ethics: To Lucilius by Lucius Annaeus Seneca
Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.
The book is quite interesting since Seneca explores various ideas about life and the world; however, it could not sustain my attention since it is a collection of numerous letters. The letters were written to be read one at a time, not all at once. Although I read a few letters at a time, I concluded that I probably wouldn't finish it at such an ever-so-decreasing pace.
Letters from a Stoic: Epistulae Morales Ad Lucilium by Lucius Annaeus Seneca
Did not finish book. Stopped at 53%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 53%.
The book is quite interesting since Seneca explores various ideas about life and the world; however, it could not sustain my attention since it is a collection of numerous letters. The letters were written to be read one at a time, not all at once. Although I read a few letters at a time, I concluded that I probably wouldn't finish it at such an ever-so-decreasing pace.
The Husbands by Holly Gramazio
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I listened to this book over a few long road trips, and it is a perfect book for such setting. The pace is not too fast or not too slow. It keeps going at a steady speed and makes you wonder what will happen next. And voila!, you are at the destination. (In addition, Miranda Raison's lively narration is fabulous.)
The setting is super interesting. A mysterious husband comes out of Lauren the protagonist's attic, and every time he goes up, a new one comes down. Not only her partner changes, but her body and environment change slightly as well, such as hairstyle or job.
The story arc is quite like a NA (new adult), except it does not focus on sexual exploration. Lauren, a single woman at the beginning of the story, goes through a year of experiencing various lifestyles with various partners from the attic. During that process, she undergoes challenges that push her to reflect and grow.
Although the story is entertaining, the protagonist is annoying. She is a self-centered immature woman in 20s. She is short-sighted and falls for the convenience of changing partners and her lives through the magic of attic. She gets obsessed and dependent, which gradually takes her to her irreversible demise. Only after she makes a dramatic change to her approach to life, she gets a chance to redeem herself.
While the writer attempts at making the story more inclusive of LGBTQ+ community by inserting a bisexual supporting character, it falls short in my queer eyes. Because the whole book is filled with Lauren having relationships with numerous men, the pressure of heteronormativity is heavy. However, if the author is heterosexual herself, I think it is appropriate that she writes what she understands the best in terms of romantic and sexual relationships.
I see the author is "a writer, curator, and a game designer." Perhaps the ingenious setting for this story came from her game designing experiences. I enjoyed following Lauren's adventure in this imaginary world. I recommend it for a light reading on vacation or a car ride.
Review by Linda (Any Pronouns) in December 2024
Personal essays on DefinitelyNotOkay.com
Artwork on Instagram @KoreanLinda
The setting is super interesting. A mysterious husband comes out of Lauren the protagonist's attic, and every time he goes up, a new one comes down. Not only her partner changes, but her body and environment change slightly as well, such as hairstyle or job.
The story arc is quite like a NA (new adult), except it does not focus on sexual exploration. Lauren, a single woman at the beginning of the story, goes through a year of experiencing various lifestyles with various partners from the attic. During that process, she undergoes challenges that push her to reflect and grow.
Although the story is entertaining, the protagonist is annoying. She is a self-centered immature woman in 20s. She is short-sighted and falls for the convenience of changing partners and her lives through the magic of attic. She gets obsessed and dependent, which gradually takes her to her irreversible demise.
While the writer attempts at making the story more inclusive of LGBTQ+ community by inserting a bisexual supporting character, it falls short in my queer eyes. Because the whole book is filled with Lauren having relationships with numerous men, the pressure of heteronormativity is heavy. However, if the author is heterosexual herself, I think it is appropriate that she writes what she understands the best in terms of romantic and sexual relationships.
I see the author is "a writer, curator, and a game designer." Perhaps the ingenious setting for this story came from her game designing experiences. I enjoyed following Lauren's adventure in this imaginary world. I recommend it for a light reading on vacation or a car ride.
Review by Linda (Any Pronouns) in December 2024
Personal essays on DefinitelyNotOkay.com
Artwork on Instagram @KoreanLinda
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
Ah... I feel a strong urge to leave this country again. Knowing that such beliefs about BIPOC and immigrants are not limited to the narrator of this book depresses me. 77,297,721 votes in the 2024 US Presidential election are proof and those votes are not even all the people who want to take America "back" from us.
I strongly recommend this book to people who love thrillers and who want to learn about Asian American experiences. It is ironic that this book was written by a young Asian woman author from a prestigious educational background and became a bestseller. Although R. F. Kuang writes in Acknowledgement that she felt well supported in her experience of publishing this book, everything shared about the US publishing industry in this book greatly discouraged me (an Asian American writer) from ever attempting to enter it. Ah... I will need time to recover from Yellowface.
Review by Linda (Any Pronouns) in December 2024
Personal essays on DefinitelyNotOkay.com
Artwork on Instagram @KoreanLinda
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Ah... I feel shitty after reading this book. I don't mean that I regret reading it. I'm glad I did, but the content of the book is so disturbing that it churns my stomach. In the form of a fictional thriller, the story delves into White supremacy and Anti-Asian racism in the US (so well that it disgusts me). They are strewn throughout the book, but their essence is captured in the narrator's following words:
Athena had fucking everything. It wasn't fair...Athena had it made. You people--I mean, diverse people--you're all they want--"
I have been victim to people like Candice and Diana and Adele: people who think that, just because they're "oppressed" and "marginalied," they can do or say whatever they want. That the world should put them on a pedestal and shower them with opportunities. That reverse racism is okay. That they can bully, harass, and humiliate people like me, just because I'm white, just because that counts as punching up, because in this day and age, women like me are the last acceptable target. Racism is bad, but you can still send death threats to Karens.
Ah... I feel a strong urge to leave this country again. Knowing that such beliefs about BIPOC and immigrants are not limited to the narrator of this book depresses me. 77,297,721 votes in the 2024 US Presidential election are proof and those votes are not even all the people who want to take America "back" from us.
I strongly recommend this book to people who love thrillers and who want to learn about Asian American experiences. It is ironic that this book was written by a young Asian woman author from a prestigious educational background and became a bestseller. Although R. F. Kuang writes in Acknowledgement that she felt well supported in her experience of publishing this book, everything shared about the US publishing industry in this book greatly discouraged me (an Asian American writer) from ever attempting to enter it. Ah... I will need time to recover from Yellowface.
Review by Linda (Any Pronouns) in December 2024
Personal essays on DefinitelyNotOkay.com
Artwork on Instagram @KoreanLinda
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
She and Her Cat by Makoto Shinkai, Tsubasa Yamaguchi
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I read this book because I loved the Blue Period series by Tsubasa Yamaguchi. It turns out Yamaguchi only did the artwork, and the story was written by Makoto Shinkai. I did not like the story much because it was too simple and slow. It is mostly plot-driven, and I didn't get attached to any characters. I think younger readers might enjoy it more. The artwork is done beautifully at least.
Review by Linda (Any Pronouns) in December 2024
Personal essays on DefinitelyNotOkay.com
Artwork on Instagram @KoreanLinda
Review by Linda (Any Pronouns) in December 2024
Personal essays on DefinitelyNotOkay.com
Artwork on Instagram @KoreanLinda
Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
3.75
This book landed on my lap magically. (I mean, it caught my attention on display in a library.) I was already deep in thought on the topic of loving my body, and Rupi Kaur's poems helped me think about it more, also from different angles.
The biggest strength of Kaur's poems is that she bravely bears vulnerability.
The biggest strength of Kaur's poems is that she bravely bears vulnerability.
i don't know why
i split myself open
for others knowing
sewing myself up
hurts this much
afterward
It is painful to hear the stories of violence that she and other women experienced at early ages. But that's what writing can do for you. By writing, you shed the pain, and at the same time, others shed it, too, while reading.
What makes this book weak (presumably weaker than Kaur's later books) is that many poems reveal Kaur's heavy dependence on male partners. It pained me to witness that. The book is filled with poems of heartbreaks and healing, but the healing won't last if you stay dependent on men as in "every revolution/ starts and ends/ with his lips" (p.48). Kaur also disturbingly uses the word "love" for certain past relationships that were abusive or toxic. For example, "love made the danger/ in you look like safety" (p.104). In my opinion, that is not love, but rather infatuation or delusion. I hear that her later books are better, so I look forward to reading them.
Review by Linda (Any Pronouns) in December 2024
Personal essays on DefinitelyNotOkay.com
Artwork on Instagram @KoreanLinda
What makes this book weak (presumably weaker than Kaur's later books) is that many poems reveal Kaur's heavy dependence on male partners. It pained me to witness that. The book is filled with poems of heartbreaks and healing, but the healing won't last if you stay dependent on men as in "every revolution/ starts and ends/ with his lips" (p.48). Kaur also disturbingly uses the word "love" for certain past relationships that were abusive or toxic. For example, "love made the danger/ in you look like safety" (p.104). In my opinion, that is not love, but rather infatuation or delusion. I hear that her later books are better, so I look forward to reading them.
Review by Linda (Any Pronouns) in December 2024
Personal essays on DefinitelyNotOkay.com
Artwork on Instagram @KoreanLinda
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Blue Period, Vol. 1 by Tsubasa Yamaguchi
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
I enjoyed reading volumes 1-14 and look forward to reading the future volumes. Not only is the story's pace adequate for leisurely reading, but the characters are also lively. As a beginning artist, I also enjoyed learning about art, art history, and art school. The animated series is on Netflix now. Check it out while it's on!
Review by Linda (Any Pronouns) in November 2024
Personal essays on DefinitelyNotOkay.com
Artwork on Instagram @KoreanLinda
Review by Linda (Any Pronouns) in November 2024
Personal essays on DefinitelyNotOkay.com
Artwork on Instagram @KoreanLinda
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
"Do you know what it means to be empathetic? ... It means that when you are being forcibly taken to a dungeon, when you have a large knife pointed at your back, when you are trying to be brave, you are able, still, to think for a moment of the person who is holding that knife."
"I have never known a mouse who has made it out of the dungeon only to go back into it again. Goodbye, friend. Goodbye, mouse among mice."
There are problematic aspects similar to those in traditional storybooks. A male character "saves" a female character, and another male character objectifies a female character: "That is why I brought the princess here, really, just for some beauty... some light of my own." For that reason, I would not recommend this book to children. I believe parents and teachers can find other books on the theme of empathy and courage where hetero-normativity and sexism are less present.
Review by Linda (Any Pronouns) in November 2024
Personal essays on DefinitelyNotOkay.com
Artwork on Instagram @KoreanLinda
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Reader, expect a heart-smitten story about a tiny mouse, Despereaux! This book came into my life through a kind friend who loved the story and lent it to me. How sweet of them!
It is a children's story with a simple plot, but it is thrilling to follow Despereaux's adventure. I also loved the casual way the author incorporated some virtues that they valued, such as empathy and courage.
It is a children's story with a simple plot, but it is thrilling to follow Despereaux's adventure. I also loved the casual way the author incorporated some virtues that they valued, such as empathy and courage.
There are problematic aspects similar to those in traditional storybooks. A male character "saves" a female character, and another male character objectifies a female character: "That is why I brought the princess here, really, just for some beauty... some light of my own." For that reason, I would not recommend this book to children. I believe parents and teachers can find other books on the theme of empathy and courage where hetero-normativity and sexism are less present.
Review by Linda (Any Pronouns) in November 2024
Personal essays on DefinitelyNotOkay.com
Artwork on Instagram @KoreanLinda
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Sexism, Violence, Death of parent, and Classism
In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness by Peter A. Levine
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
I enjoyed reading about half of the book; I actually skipped several chapters. The main reason was that the book is quite technical. It is more geared toward the people who work in the industry, for example, counseling therapists, than trauma patients like me. Levine goes in depth about steps in the treatment process, which I didn't need.
For readers like me, I recommend the following chapters: 1, 2, 8, and 9. They are recounts of traumatic experiences of Levine's patients and himself, and these chapters were much easier to follow than the others.
Nonetheless, I learned a lot from the book. The biggest find was that my chronic neck and shoulder pain might be connected to my trauma. None of the "physical" doctors I have met for my condition mentioned the possible psychological cause for it, and the idea didn't occur to me until I read this book. This book taught me that the trauma lives in our physical bodies as much as in our heads, if not more.
I feel hopeful about my chronic conditions with the new revelation. I look forward to reading and learning more about the body and mind connection from here on.
Review by Linda (Any Pronouns) in November 2024
Personal essays on DefinitelyNotOkay.com
Artwork on Instagram @KoreanLinda
For readers like me, I recommend the following chapters: 1, 2, 8, and 9. They are recounts of traumatic experiences of Levine's patients and himself, and these chapters were much easier to follow than the others.
Nonetheless, I learned a lot from the book. The biggest find was that my chronic neck and shoulder pain might be connected to my trauma. None of the "physical" doctors I have met for my condition mentioned the possible psychological cause for it, and the idea didn't occur to me until I read this book. This book taught me that the trauma lives in our physical bodies as much as in our heads, if not more.
I feel hopeful about my chronic conditions with the new revelation. I look forward to reading and learning more about the body and mind connection from here on.
Review by Linda (Any Pronouns) in November 2024
Personal essays on DefinitelyNotOkay.com
Artwork on Instagram @KoreanLinda
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Medical trauma, and Car accident