koreanlinda's reviews
166 reviews

100°C: South Korea's 1987 Democracy Movement by Choi Kyu-sok

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad tense medium-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? No

4.25

I really enjoyed reading this book. Of course, it is not all happy feelings, and in fact, the first half of the book made me feel quite depressed. However, it gets more hopeful afterward. People who were fed government propaganda later learned the truth about the dictatorship and joined the democracy movement. The ending made me cry a lot. It was moving to witness so many people coming together for a common cause. 

Review by Linda (Any Pronouns) in March 2024
Personal essays on DefinitelyNotOkay.com
Artwork on Instagram @KoreanLinda
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Birding Is My Favorite Video Game: Cartoons about the Natural World From Bird and Moon by Rosemary Mosco

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adventurous funny informative inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

4.25

This book is full of fun facts and witty jokes about creatures and critters in nature. I highly recommend that you read a couple of pages during your work breaks. 
We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

3.25

It is a short essay, full of passionate push for gender equality (mostly in Nigeria, and maybe also in the US). I ended up leaving a lower rating because of the author's binary view on gender and repeated insistence that men are physically stronger than women. The book was published in 2012 when nonbinary gender identities were not as well known as now; however, the author's extreme divide between men and women effectively erased people outside that binary and made it hard for me to stay focused on her narrative. I would recommend other feminist books that have more "updated" views on gender.

Review by Linda (Any Pronouns) in Feb 2024
Personal essays on DefinitelyNotOkay.com
Artwork on Instagram @KoreanLinda
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Are You My Mother? A Comic Drama by Alison Bechdel

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 9%.
I had a hard time processing information on pages. Alison Bechdel cramps each page with stories, information, and images. It's dense, much denser than most graphic novels. 
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The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring tense fast-paced

4.25

I felt lots of pain by reading this book. The book is ridden with violence that Thi's family experienced in Vietnam. Thi's mother is the one who gets lots of focus for her pain from repeated miscarriages as well as pregnancies and deliveries during the war. Although the story and graphics are compelling, I could not shed so many "whys" while reading it. Why did Thi's mother keep getting pregnant in environments where it's dangerous for the mother and baby? Why did Thi's father not take care of his children in the absence of Thi's mother? It is hard to blame anyone in the story because they are all victims of extremely traumatic experiences; however, I couldn't help but feel resentful for adults with responsibilities.

I learned a lot about what Vietnamese and Vietnamese Americans went through in the last few generations. I recommend coupling this book with Year of the Rabbit by Tian Veasna, which talks about a painful part of Cambodian history around a similar time as this book. 

Review by Linda (Any Pronouns) in Feb 2024
Personal essays on DefinitelyNotOkay.com
Artwork on Instagram @KoreanLinda

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No One Else by R. Kikuo Johnson

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emotional inspiring sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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Delinquent Daddy and Tender Teacher Vol. 1 by Tama Mizuki

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funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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Lady Murasaki's Tale of Genji: The Manga Edition by Sean Michael Wilson

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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? Yes

2.5

I chose to read this graphic novel because the original Tale of Genji was too long for me. Because the story is condensed, it comes with many consequential shortcomings. 

  • The story is a constant repetition of Genji getting infatuated with a young woman and having sex. 
  • There is no room for character development.
  • There is little room for context. 
  • There is no description of the royal family doing any work but fighting for status and desires. 
  • It has many characters who come in and out of the story. 

The list of characters at the beginning of the book was essential to remember who was who. Unfortunately, the illustrator made little differences among female characters other than age so it was tough to tell them apart. 

The book was only interesting in learning how people in old times were curious about various sexual desires and sought satisfaction through reading fiction. 

by Linda (she/they) in January 2024
Personal essays on DefinitelyNotOkay.com
Artwork on Instagram @KoreanLinda
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The Suicidal Thoughts Workbook: CBT Skills to Reduce Emotional Pain, Increase Hope, and Prevent Suicide by Kathryn Hope Gordon

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.5

This workbook helped me greatly in coping with suicidal thoughts. Not only did I learn about the research findings such as the 3-Step Theory of Suicide, but I also developed a habit of reflective writing, which will go a long way. I recommend this to anyone concerned about their suicidal thoughts. I promise that you will gain a better understanding of your suicidal thoughts and skills that will help you cope with them. 

by Linda (she/they) in December 2023
Personal essays on DefinitelyNotOkay.com
Artwork on Instagram @KoreanLinda
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They Called Us Enemy by Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott, George Takei

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challenging dark informative inspiring tense medium-paced

4.0

It is an excellent summary of what happened to Japanese Americans during World War II. George Takei strings the story beautifully with his personal experiences and reflections. Eisinger Scott Becker makes the story easier to follow and understand with its effective graphics. I'd recommend it to any pre-teen - adult readers. 

by Linda (she/they) in December 2023
Artwork on Instagram @KoreanLinda
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