omnomicons's reviews
138 reviews

The Leavers by Lisa Ko

4.0

quite a moving portrayal of what it’s like to live at the margins of the american immigration system, but deftly told through the lens of a boy and his mother. both deming/daniel and his mom are very well characterized (polly a little more so) and I found myself unable to put the book down. im not sure the shifting narrative, especially the jumps between third and first person, were necessary. deming/daniel’s journey throughout the novel made it impossible to put down. even when i was mentally yelling at him for the choices he was making, I found it impossible to blame him completely; strangely, I felt a sense of relief when he finally hit bedrock on his downward spiral. looking forward to reading more from lisa ko!

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

5.0

I can’t give this anything but 5 stars unfortunately. this was one of my favorite books as a kid and I reread it for the first time in probably 10 years. it still hit every single emotional chord that it had a decade ago, even with me being a much more discerning reader now. zusak has a unique and engaging narrative style, the characters are flawed but you love them so much it’s crazy. history and germany are both characters in the story rather than exposition. without fail, the last bit of the book always puts a lump in my throat. truly the only complaint I had while reading was that I was getting through it too fast and I wanted to savor it more. 

Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum

4.0

the bad first: it dragged on a bit at times, and I had to push myself to get through the entire book. additionally, I think the tone of the English translation is very direct and matter of fact, whether that’s negative is just personal preference. 
the good: I really really enjoyed the philosophical nature of the vignettes. the book has little plot but focuses on different employees and patrons of the bookstore, devolving into their thoughts and motivations. these different stories weren’t always that exciting, but gave me a lot to think about, especially in terms of what’s actually right vs. what society has conditioned us to believe and do. we’re taken through the characters thought process instead of it feeling like the author is force feeding us. I highly recommend this book if you’re not easily bored and need things to ponder!

Disorientation by Elaine Hsieh Chou

4.0

Well written and sharp satire! I appreciate that Hsieh Chou skewers nearly every subgenre of Asian: the activist Asian, Asian meninist, self hating Asian, grew up in an Asian suburb Asian, etc etc. sometimes I felt the plot slightly lost its way, but over all a twisty journey very much reminiscent of Yellowface (don’t tell anyone, but I actually liked the resolution of Disorientation more than Yellowface). I actually thought the plot of Disorientation was also better, but you can’t win against the beautiful writing of R. F. Kuang. Nevertheless, Disorientation was very well written. Sometimes the message was a little heavy handed, but overall a fantastic book. 

Sex and the City by Candace Bushnell

2.75

Utterly unbelievable that people live this sort of life, but entertaining nonetheless to hear about it. Sort of aligns with SATC the show, but less romantic and more ironic. 

It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

3.0

Definitely intended for an age range below mine, but still a great read. I was surprised by how moved I was by this book and I think it really honestly shows the pressures of being a teenager. Knowing Neil Vizzini ultimately committed suicide himself just makes the whole thing more heartbreaking, but he created some beautiful art while he was here, and I’m grateful to him for that. 

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

3.25

Archetypally, yet beautifully, Gothic. I could practice feel floral lace stockings conjure on my legs reading this. I did think the pacing was quite slow (and a little boring) to begin with, and it was an effort to push through the exposition. however, once I got about 40% into the novel it became haunting and addicting. Who is Rebecca? What is the truth of Manderley? Truly left me uneasy yet unable to stop reading. Kinda gives Jane Eyre in a way. 

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

3.25

another great, twisty, dark thriller by Gillian Flynn. The mystery of the novel is as good quality as Sharp Objects, but I think I liked this one better because of the shifting perspectives shedding light on how the puzzle pieces of the story fit together. I also liked the ending (although I could see others being unsatisfied with it) because it was sort of strange and unexpected and not despite that.

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

4.25

beautiful, intimate, and moving. i regret i read this on kindle because i could almost feel the texture and scent of the old paperback with a creased cover that it was meant to me (and that now i want to buy). Baldwin takes you into the gay scene of 1950s Paris and into the mind of David, the narrator. A man repressing his sexuality, David and his attitude towards his various lovers is heartbreaking. I could feel his anguish, self-hate, and love he felt for the people around him. this is also definitely one of those books where I’ll have to read it several times to understand all the different sides. anyone wanna form a literary circle and talk about this book w me :D

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

4.25

I quite liked it! It’s definitely graphic and gory, but that aspect is balanced out by Larsson’s discussions on ethical philosophy in the realms of industry, crime, and gender. I’ve never had a mystery book invite so many philosophical questions and I found that I really liked that it wasn’t just a cut and dry whodunnit. Both the main characters are extremely multifaceted and interesting, and even the side characters are fleshed out and keep you guessing. I really enjoyed learning about Swedish society and geography as well. I don’t think I’d pick up any of the sequels but I really devoured this book!