Recent books I've taste-tested

And short thoughts

The Courage To Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga book cover which is a simple white background with a tree and shrubs plus their reflections watercolored in varying greens

Makes me feel like I'm third-wheeling conversations between a philosopher and a disagreeing young student. I shared a lot of the same thoughts the student had but overall had a fun read. The book made me reminds me to consider my goals and motivations for what they really are.

Crying In Hmart by Michelle Zauner book cover which has 2 sets of black chopstick ends at opposing sides of the book holding on to the same strands of yellow noodles on a vibrant red background

I'm a big fan of Hmart and moderate fan of crying. This book felt intimate, bittersweet, and made me hungry because of how descriptive Zauner was with the korean dishes she reminisced and cooked to remain close to her mother. Now, off to tell my mom how much I love her food.

Severance by Ling Ma book cover which is a battered light pink cover with a faded stamp saying A Novel on the bottom left of the book and a white office label housing the title text

I bought this book on a whim, not knowing what it'd be about because I like the shade of pink. I enivioned myself as the narrator, pretending I was heading to work in midtown NY as the world was seemlingly shutting down whenever I read it on the train. Reminiscent of how lockdown felt initially but with a zombie twist.

In Limbo by Deb JJ Lee book cover which features a young girl with monolided eyes whose face emerges from a pool of blue, orange, teal, purple, pink colored water with a red sun and blue skies in the background

A beautifully illustrated graphic novel about Lee's internal push and pull emigrating to New Jersey from South Korea. It's a warm hug for all the Asian girls that grew up feeling othered at school while being told they weren't Asian enough when they went home.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi cover where a teal fleur patterned wall occupies the top half of the space with 2 patterned wooden chairs sandwich a grey cat sitting under a dark brown wooden table that holds 2 cups and sauces filled with black coffee as well as a small lamp between the coffees

Picture this: a small, dimly-lit, basement cafe tucked away somewhere within the busy Tokyo streets with a time-travelling seat guarded by a ghost. A quick read that reminds you that although you can never alter the past, what you do in the present has so much potential. March forward with intention.

Bliss Montage by Ling Ma cover which is white text set along a vibrant backdrop of oranges in clear plastic film that creates shiny texture and drapes

A collection of stort stories that made me feel confused, anxious, sad, or disgusted. Not all stories we read need a clear ending and to envoke positivity. Ma's writing style does wonders for your imagination.

Diary of a Void by Emi Yago cover which features a light blue circle for the text on top of a drawing of the lower body of a woman from neck down wearing a yellow scarf, orange longsleeve, olive slacks, and black shoes waiting to cross a street with scattered yellow leaves near her and a building in the distance with a Japanese sign

I need someone to read this so we can talk about it. The book feels like the pregnancy journal of a Japanese office worker's journey pre and post maternity leave alone. I had no idea where the book was going a handful of times but it seems like the ends justified the means. (For legal reasons, this is a joke.)

Ay, Mija by Christine Suggs cover which includes a drawn airplane, black and white stretching cat, rustic floral patterned mug, hibiscus flowers, black bean pods, a miniture doodle of the author flying down the cover with a sign that says 'My bilingual summer in Mexico', and a honey-comb textured Mexican pastry called pan dulce all surrounding a young girl with short black hair blushing

A vibrant, cute graphic novel about Sugg's trip to her mother's hometown in Mexico as a biracial Mexican-American teen. I felt like I was transported into the author's family home in Mexico watching her grow and find her own way to blend both of her cultural identities.

Our Laundry, Our Town by Alvin Eng cover which highlights a photo of the author's mother sitting on a stool working while the author is a young boy posing in the checkered-floor laundraumat owned by his family

I picked this book up at the library during AAPI Heritage month and was excited because the author is a local! I was able to visit Flushing, NY about three decades before I was born- before it became the Flushing I know of delicious food and one of the largest Chinatowns in Queens.