Recent reads!
And short thoughts
As a wannabe chef, Bourdain's book teleports me to the back of the house of restaurants. I think if coding or designing didn't exist, I would have loved to attend culinary school and tough it out in the kitchen.
Stangers to Ourselves is a great selection of diverse short stories that kept me curious until the very end.
A wild ride is all I can say.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.)
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.
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.