Mini-Review: Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo

Lee2 Comments

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 was simultaneously the best and most infuriating book I have read so far this year.

By best I mean:

The writing style was super interesting and something I’d never read before. The story was compelling and I didn’t want to put it down once I picked it up. And the characters were (sometimes unfortunately) completely believable.

By most infuriating I mean:

Men suck and women should have more rights.

This book may be primarily geared towards the South Korean woman, but I maintain this has something that will speak to every woman and I’m so glad it’s been translated to English.

Click to Purchase Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo

First Lines Fridays: March 27, 2020

LeeLeave a comment

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

  • Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
  • Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
  • Finally… reveal the book!

First Lines:

I placed my thumb and forefinger on the icy flesh, spreading it taut above the breastbone as Uncle had showed me.

Getting the preliminary incision correct was imperative.

Did the quote pique your interest? View this book on Goodreads!

 

First Lines Fridays: March 20, 2020

LeeLeave a comment

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

  • Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
  • Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
  • Finally… reveal the book!

First Lines:

Even when there are no prisoners, I can still hear the screams. They live in the walls like ghosts and echo between footsteps.

Did the quote pique your interest? View this book on Goodreads!

 

First Lines Fridays: March 13, 2020

LeeLeave a comment

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

  • Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
  • Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
  • Finally… reveal the book!

First Lines:

Kidnap. Parse the word. It ought to mean lying down with baby goats. Words can be so misleading.

Did the quote pique your interest? View this book on Goodreads!

 

First Lines Fridays: March 6, 2020

LeeLeave a comment

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

  • Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
  • Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
  • Finally… reveal the book!

First Lines:

There is no lake at Camp Green Lake.

Did the quote pique your interest? View this book on Goodreads!

 

Words from Books

LeeLeave a comment

vicissitude

/vəˈsisəˌt(y)o͞od/
noun

  1. a change of circumstances or fortune, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant
  2. (literary) alternation between opposite or contrasting things
But from fifteen to seventeen she was in training for a heroine; she read all such works as heroines must read to supply their memories with those quotations which are so serviceable and so soothing in the vicissitudes of their eventful lives.

– Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey

Review: Failure to Appear by Emily L. Quint Freeman

LeeLeave a comment

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Failure to Appear is an emotional look at one woman’s life as a fugitive in the late-60’s through 80’s.

This book read almost like a slice-of-life novel, which is an interesting way to share an experience that most people will never have. The pacing of the memoir, an easy but steady walk through almost 20 years, helps to balance the emotional nature of the events the author lives through. Freeman rolls out her story as if telling it to a friend and it makes you appreciate it all the more.

In addition to a portrayal of fugitive life before the digital age, the book touches on several serious and moving subjects from the open violence of the Vietnam war to the passive violence of the AIDS crisis. We learn about American and LGBTQ+ history from the first-hand perspective of a deeply caring woman.

It was easy to forget while reading that this wasn’t just some story, but the life of an actual person. Coincidences, lucky breaks, and tragedies alike take on a whole new weight every time the reader remembers that this is the life of a thinking and feeling person who simply wanted to do the right thing.

I recommend this book to everyone, but especially other LGBTQ+ people and anyone with a particular interest in the day-to-day of our history.

February 2020 Reading Wrap-Up

LeeLeave a comment

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
(The Twilight Saga, book 4)
Rating:  ★★☆☆☆ – it was ok
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  January 30 – February 3
Read Count:  3
Favorite Thing:  Um… I guess I liked the fact that Bella’s personality almost came back once she became a vampire.
Least Favorite Thing:  All that lead-up for nooo big battle…

I miss pre-Edward Bella, she was actually funny and at least minorly interesting.

My Posts About Breaking Dawn

The Sin Eater’s Daughter by Melinda Salisbury
(The Sin Eater’s Daughter, book 1)
Rating:  ★☆☆☆☆ – did not like it
Review:  Yes
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  January 17 – February 7
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  The cover?
Least Favorite Thing:  HOW CAN I PICK JUST ONE???

I’m so mad at this book. The ending was so stupid and the plot just dropped off into the void and the whole premise was just a lie and I’m pissed.

My Posts About The Sin Eater’s Daughter

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
(Harry Potter, book 7)
Rating:  ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Audiobook
Reading Dates:  February 8 – 11
Read Count:  2-ish*
Favorite Thing:  Neville
Least Favorite Thing:  Iiiinfoooo Duuuumps

That whole “who is the master of the wand” thing was so convoluted lol

*I have read the whole series multiple times, but since I can’t remember how many times or when I did these read-throughs I have decided not to try and count them.

My Posts About Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta
Rating:   ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Audiobook
Reading Dates:  February 1 – 12
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  The narrator Robin Miles
Least Favorite Thing:  I’m so depressed omg

Like don’t get me wrong I liked how it ended up, but getting there was the most depressing ride I’ve been on in a long time. That said, I really do recommend this book it was beautifully written and the story is so important.

My Posts About Under the Udala Trees

Meet Cute: Some People Are Destined to Meet
(Multiple Authors)
Rating:  ★★★★☆ – really liked it
Review:  No
Format:  eBook
Reading Dates:  February 4 – 13
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  THESE MEET CUTES WERE SO CUTE
Least Favorite Thing:  Now there are like 14 books I desperately want to read that don’t even exist…

Oh man, I don’t even like romance and I thought this was the cutest book I’ve read in a long time. And it was SO diverse!! This collection was a breath of fresh air and I’m so glad I read it.

My Posts About Meet Cute

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
(Anne of Green Gables, book 1)
Rating:  ★★★★☆ – really liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  February 6 – 17
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  It’s just so sweet…
Least Favorite Thing:  Why did we have keep stopping to describe the scenery in excruciating detail? Like it was quaint for a minute, but then it just got exhausting. I get it, it’s pretty, calm down.

I finally read Anne of Green Gables! I’ve been saying I would read it for like a year and just not reading it because I suck. But it’s finally happened! It took me a minute to get into, but once I did I really enjoyed it. Also the ending hurt me, that was some cruel shit.

My Posts About Anne of Green Gables

The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton
(The Belles, book 1)
Rating:  ★★★★☆ – really liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Audiobook
Reading Dates:  February 14 – 18
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Such a cool magic system!
Least Favorite Thing:  Auguste was annoying…

I think I was meant to trust/like Auguste, but I didn’t even for a second lol He was just too full of himself and irritating. This was a great book, I can’t wait to read the next one!

My Posts About The Belles

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer
(The Twilight Saga, book 3.5)
Rating:  ★★☆☆☆ – it was ok
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  February 17 – 18
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Fred
Least Favorite Thing:  Surprisingly, I can’t think of anything.

So I was pretty sure my main problem with Twilight was the romance, but now I’m so incredibly certain. I actually kind of liked the premise of Twilight from Bree’s POV. I didn’t even mind the sparkly thing that much.

My Posts About The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

Black is the Body by Emily Bernard
Rating:  ★★☆☆☆ – it was ok
Review:  No
Format:  Audiobook
Reading Dates:  February 12 – 20
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  I can’t think of anything…
Least Favorite Thing:  Just wasn’t very interesting…

I hate to give this 2 stars because this wasn’t a badly written book by any means. It’s just that it didn’t really hold my attention or excite me in any way. I can’t pinpoint exactly what it was that kept it from being all that interesting, but I definitely wasn’t very interested.

My Posts About Black is the Body

The Everlasting Rose by Dhonielle Clayton
(The Belles, book 2)
Rating:   ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Audiobook
Reading Dates:  February 21 – 25
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  That glamour trick
Least Favorite Thing:  The ending felt anticlimactic…

The ending was so close to being badass and then they just let it go and wrapped it all up with an epilogue. Is this going to keep happening with books I read?

My Posts About The Everlasting Rose