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Everything Everywhere All At Once
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) begins with the story of Evelyn Wang, a Chinese American immigrant, and her race to keep her teetering family business running. A high-stakes meeting at the IRS with Evelyn's husband and father takes a sharp and completely unexpected turn, and Evelyn finds herself suddenly thrown into an interdimensional, surreal adventure.
Teen Review: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart is a #1 New York Times bestseller, won the Goodreads Choice Award and was Amazon’s #1 Young Adult novel of 2014. But does this book live up to its hype? In my opinion it does.
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
After I finished this brief (160 pages), unexpected, quirky gem of the book, I didn't have the words to describe it. Long after I finished Convenience Store Woman (2018) by Sayaka Murata, I kept thinking about it. This offbeat, moving story follows 36-year-old Keiko, who has spent half her life working at a convenience store. She’s content with her life.
Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
To say Xingyin has lived a sheltered life is putting it mildly. She, her mother, and her mother's attendant live alone in the Palace of Pure Light on the moon, for Xingyin's mother is the moon goddess.
Crumbs by Danie Stirling
Rating: 4/5
This graphic novel takes place in a magical universe in a special town. There is magic, a seer, quirky tech, a bakery, a musician, a mystery and romance. This is a cozy, magical read with some adventure.
SeinLanguage by Jerry Seinfeld
SeinLanguage by Jerry Seinfeld is perfect for anyone who has sat there thinking, "Boy, nothing sounds better right now than reading the first 90 seconds of every Seinfeld episode in one sitting," which is what I said to myself right before checking out this book.
Heartstopper Vol. 1-4 by Alice Oseman
Rating: 5/5
This is an extremely cute romance graphic novel series with beautiful art. This series has recently been adapted by Netflix. Charlie Spring was outed and heavily bullied his first year at Truham Grammar School for Boys. Entering year 10 Charlie is hopeful about the new year. Until he develops a crush on Nick Nelson, a year 11 in the rugby team, a possibly, maybe not, entirely straight cute boy.
The Half Life of Valery K by Natasha Pulley
Loosely based on true events at a Russian nuclear facility in the 1960s, The Half Life of Valery K (2022) follows the story of a Russian nuclear scientist, pulled from a freezing gulag to lend his expertise to what seem to be human radiation trials at the mysterious City 40. Never sure who to trust and who to fear, he picks his way through a minefield of misinformation and mystery.
Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen
Crossroads (2021) is the first novel I’ve read by Jonathan Franzen, an author who made a big splash when his first novel, The Corrections, was released, just over twenty years ago now. Franzen has gone on to write other popular novels (with single word titles), including Freedom and Purity, along with multiple essay collections.
American Like Me by America Ferrera
This conversational collection of essays is great reading or listening. In American Like Me: Reflections on Life Between Cultures (2018), 32 authors share their personal experiences growing up in America as 1st or 2nd generation Americans. Some vignettes cover a specific childhood incident; others reflecting, as the children of immigrants, on their parents’ choices; still others speak on current matters.
Tin Man by Sarah Winman
Tin Man (2018) is a slim volume packed full with beauty and emotion. It's a story about love - young love, first love, friendship, hidden love, lost love and all the heartbreak that ensues. It's a coming-of-age story of two young boys who find solace in each other after the loss of and rejection from their parents. It's a bittersweet study of loneliness, grief and acceptance.