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oosij's reviews
108 reviews
Sirens & Muses by Antonia Angress
5.0
what a way to end pride month, quite honestly. the characters feel so real, so human, and you can't help but be enthralled in their rather intertwined lives even though they're ambiguously not the greatest people out there. i solidly enjoyed that.
The Last Days of California by Mary Miller
3.0
quick read - i finished within a few hours. a slow and rather uneventful slice-of-life view into a 15 y/o's evangelical family's road trip towards a looming rapture. a lowkey fascinating insight into a teenager's quest to better understand herself, all the while battling her beliefs and self-doubts.
Jane: A Murder by Maggie Nelson
4.0
beautifully written. maggie nelson weaves an emotional look into her aunt jane's murder with her haunting poetry, jane's journal entries, and clippings of news articles revolving around said murder. the brief mention of the other rape-murders linked to jane's death is horrifying and sickening, reminding us just how fragile it is to live as a woman (a girl!) in this world.
Funny Story by Emily Henry
3.5
had fun reading it. the sarah dessen of the adult world strikes again, i suppose. one of her better books imo.
The Price of Salt: Or Carol by Patricia Highsmith
3.5
the vibes? immaculate. the two main characters, therese and carol? i don't particularly care for them, unfortunately. i'm also not the biggest fan of the "love at first sight" trope, so the entire time i just couldn't help but notice the lowkey disappointing dynamic between the two leads - therese is young and head-over-heels smitten, and carol comes across rather distant and unlike a lover.
don't get me wrong, i still thoroughly enjoyed the book! it's always, always, always refreshing to see a lgbtq+ story not be horrifically "heterotized" or ballooned into some cartoon life, and i appreciate that the ending - though bittersweet - read hopeful. i just can't help but wish i fell for the characters more...
time to watch the movie???
don't get me wrong, i still thoroughly enjoyed the book! it's always, always, always refreshing to see a lgbtq+ story not be horrifically "heterotized" or ballooned into some cartoon life, and i appreciate that the ending - though bittersweet - read hopeful. i just can't help but wish i fell for the characters more...
time to watch the movie???
American Reckoning: The Vietnam War and Our National Identity by Christian G. Appy
5.0
so relevant to what's happening even today here in the states (à la 🍉). highly, highly recommend. absolutely loved how, particularly during the war on terror when soldiers would post photos of themselves committing heinous and immoral acts of inhumanity, the author points out america is always more worried about its reputation/image than the acts themselves. ain't that familiar?
Group Living and Other Recipes: A Memoir by Lola Milholland
i struggle to give a rating to memoirs... i enjoyed reading this one though! i received this book through storygraph's giveaway, so i had no prior knowledge of the author or what exactly this memoir would be about. i was thoroughly pleased! and what a way to end my aanhpi month of reads.
loved fantasizing about the concept of group living while reading this book, despite being an absolute introvert that vehemently needs her alone time and space.
and yes, i've obviously bookmarked the recipes in this book (that sesame noodle one is calling my name).
loved fantasizing about the concept of group living while reading this book, despite being an absolute introvert that vehemently needs her alone time and space.
and yes, i've obviously bookmarked the recipes in this book (that sesame noodle one is calling my name).
Human Acts by Han Kang
5.0
i cried. an incredibly raw book that tells the tale of a brutalized people, united in their pains caused by political unrest and the eventual massacre in gwangju. tl;dr: i'm feeling the 한/han in every facet of my body right now.
Same Bed Different Dreams by Ed Park
1.5
written well, i just did not like that lol. bonus points for making me fact check actual korean history. hated rhee syngman being written in a lowkey positive light.