hello!! currently trying out substack as a new place to yap every week, as this blog is on indefinite pause!
Review of The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng
I have to preface this review by saying that The Garden of Evening Mists is by far one of the “slowest” books I’ve ever read. As many reviews have mentioned, Tan attempts to “capture stillness on paper” in the same manner as Aritomo, and I would honestly consider his endeavor a success. The novel is practically a carefully pruned garden itself, with lovely, meditative prose and poignant themes that meld into one another, almost an act of “borrowed scenery” amongst the end-of-empire narrative.
Review of Autobiography of Red by Anne Carson
Carson possesses an incredible dexterity when it comes to the written word along with the creative chops to substantiate the narrative itself, suffusing this work with clear appreciation and love for the tale and how it can be adapted and interpreted anew.
Review of If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha
I appreciated a lot of the themes that Cha brings up, and she peels back a layer when examining Korean culture, making what would otherwise appear “exotic” something familiar and accessible—a testament to the importance of reading books by Own Voices.
Review of “Before the Coffee Gets Cold” by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Short and sweet story, so here’s a short and sweet review. Before the Coffee Gets Cold gave me the general feeling I wanted out of a book today—something heartfelt and warm
Review of “The Shadow of the Wind” by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Barcelona breathes in this story. She exists as the setting, seeps through the characters, whistles as the shadow of the wind itself. Zafón has crafted an incredible ode to storytelling, one that revolves around a mystery infused with the smell of sulfur, and he does so with incredible prose and style.
Review of “Beach Read” by Emily Henry
3 Stars, but this review goes into why I think stars are rather meaningless…This was my first real foray into contemporary adult romance. I'm neither disappointed nor surprised, rather relatively lukewarm towards this book, but I find it difficult to say if it's just my unfamiliarity with the hallmarks of the genre.