All About Books discussion

Cant' wait! Looking forward to everyone's reads!

Reading Challenge ~ 24 books √ {6/5/21}
Word of the Year ~ #miss

Plans:
Building my TBR list
Theme challenge
~ one of my GR groups does a Tea of the Month challenge; going to do July [reminder]
GR requests for recommendations

2021 - Travel Challenge
Duration: January 1, 2021 - December 31, 2021

6/5
1. Banana ~ Tokyo, Japan, Isehara √
2. Forgive Me ~ London, England, Kesterley √
3. Braised Pork ~ Beijing, China, CBD √
4. The Guest List ~ Connemara, Ireland √
5. If I Had Your Face ~ Seoul, South Korea, Gangnam √
6. American Dirt ~ Acapulco, Mexico √
7. The God of Small Things ~ India
8. The House of the Spirits ~ Central African Republic, Chad and/or Chile

Choose a country and either read a book where an author is from that region or the story is set there / bb

Good reading to you in 2021!

Leslie wrote: "Good reading to you in 2021!"

Thank you Leslie!

2021 - Reading Women of Color Food Writing Challenge
Duration: January 1, 2021 - December 31, 2021

2/7
1. Mango and Peppercorns ~ Vietnamese; Miami √
2. Crying in the H Mart ~ Korean; Eugene OR; Philadelphia √
3. Tiny Moons ~ Malaysian; Shanghainese
4. Chop Suey Nation ~ Chinese/Canadian
5. Longthroat Memoirs: Soups, Sex and Nigerian Taste Buds ~ Nigerian
6.
7. Black, White, and the Grey

Read a book about food, cocktails, tea, coffee, olive oil, cocoa beans, or anything else food adjacent

Making a recipe is encouraged but not required

As I welcome 2021, I went through my 2019 and 2020 posts. 2019 I wrote was a tough year. 2020 I shared a post as I didn't know what else to say.

2021 please be kind ...

Yesterday, was able to go to a Japanese marketplace. I picked up two finds that I look forward to reading this month.

She and Her Cat
Kitchen

I guess you can say these spoke to me with the mood I have been in. If anything, as a reminder to me.

We all believe we can choose our own path from among the many alternatives. But perhaps it's more accurate to say that we make the choice unconsciously. We're constantly making choices. With the breaths we take every day, with the expression in our eyes, with the daily actions we do over and over, we decide as though by instinct.

~ Kitchen

Finally started Days of Distraction

Towards a long-winded sentence: "Nope, this is not going to work for me."

I text to my mom: Did you really like Nashville?
She replies: Yes. Everyone was so nice.

Don't get me wrong, Nashville is a nice city. When i arrived Downtown, the scene of that one block stretch felt like Vegas. After walking down one side of the block, I had had enough.

But this much is clear: She wearied of him. He was not up to date. She declared herself a new woman and left him. She had better things to do than live with him.

August 1904, San Francisco Call
The plaintiff in the case is Hippolytus Laesola Amador Eca da Silva and the defendant Yamei Ken (sic) Eca da Silva. He was a Chinese interpreter employed by the Government. She is a graduate of a New York school of medicine and became sufficiently versed in the ways of doctors and women to gain a hearing before the clubs of her sex. Her husband was not "up to date," according to his testimony yesterday, and she, declaring herself a "new woman," left him . . .

Memory of my RD days

CES is four long days of Las Vegas product porn.

And though they are not ever quite what we want from a party, we are lured to them by their offers of free food, free drinks, free swag.

After finishing Part 1 of Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know, submitting my recommendation as a must-read.

Key take-aways:
- Rethinking
- Beliefs vs. Values
- Task conflict (while trying not to spill over relationship conflict)

Wrapping up Part 2 and here are some key take-aways:

- Diminishing prejudice by destabilizing stereotypes
- Motivational interviewing
- Influential listening; inverse charisma

Part 3 and Conclusion key take-aways:

- Rewriting the textbook
- Build cultures of Learning

- Escape tunnel vision
- life plan checkup
- chasing happiness away
- find meaning
- invest in learning

Began Severance last night and just finished it this morning.

It's a different take on a post-apocalyptic world view.

Shen fever is a fungal infection spread by fungal spores that once spreads into ones' body, they are mere zombies - in that they reinact certain routines. No cannibalism. However, there's stalking - at least for a band of survivors.

If you have a copy of this book and years later do a re-read, it holds names of stores, landmarks, etc. There are many themes pertaining to being a millennial; immigrant.

There are similarities to prior read Days of Distraction albeit post-apocalypse.

I'm fond of her noting Chicago - she currently lives in the City.

To live in a city is to live the life that it was built for, to adapt to its schedule and rhythms, to move within the transit layout made for you during the morning and evening rush, winding through the crowds of fellow commuter. To live in a city is to consume its offerings. To eat at its restaurants. To drink at its bars. To shop at its stores. To pay its sales taxes. To give a dollar to its homeless.

Obviously things have been different and we're all looking forward to what the new normal will look like.

Read You Let Me In in one sitting.

It's a quirky read in the paranormal fantasy with gothic horror for good measure.

I would have to say I can relate to some of the comments: "what the f--- did I just read?!!?!??!" Honestly, if I had know about the faeries, I may have taken a pass.

Read Forgive Me.

The main theme is forgiveness (hence, title), but even more so.

If you watched the movie Devil, it is relatable to the theme of this novel.

This has a high rating; a recommendation if you have time to fit this into your reading list.

Tomorrow will be Spring ~ this year seems to be flying by. Taking a pause here on some updates.

Removed Days of Distraction from my Travel Challenge as the setting really was mostly in the U.S. Added Seven Years of Darkness.

As new releases come out, I should then begin the Women of Color Food Writing Challenge. Can't wait for some really interesting reads.

In my welcome 2021 post, I'm still in that "mood". Not sue why, but if anything, it's increased by the AAPI hate crimes. Last year, in addition to COVID and the pandemic, my heart feared this. Feeling helpless and yet being cognizant of my surroundings while reminding my daughters to be vigilant ... this is so insurmountable. My heart is breaking.

Why I made mention of the initial post, i wanted to keep these titles in mind moving forward, Asian-inspired reading theme:

Strange Weather in Tokyo √
The Chosen and the Beautiful √
Seven Years of Darkness √
Crying in H Mart: A Memoir √
Pachinko √
The Paper Daughters of Chinatown

Note: what will the end of 2021 look like. It is my plan to travel overseas later in the year.

It's not so much about what you do in life. It's who you do it with.

The ending was not what I expected in The Chain. Talk about misunderstandings.

Four scenarios of when a deal falls through on an offer to purchase; hence "chain" effect.

I was pleasantly surprised with the food writing mentioned. And since food writing is a genre read of mine and I had delved in real estate sales, chuckled when I read the following:

She had read a few blog post on set design and knew that to entice people into a property you have to encourage them to picture themselves living there. Nothing does that as much as beautifully arranged food.

Another recommended read!

So...Seven Years of Darkness.


Had I not read Penance, maybe I would have got into this read.

Not sure if it's the story or the translation? Or it could be I just was not into it, although why since I've been into reading Asian lit. What I did enjoy was the Author's Note...and discloses she was a mayor of two gloomy, unsettling towns which are actually fictional towns in the story that she is "revealing to the world".

Fate sometimes sends your life a sweet breeze and warm sunlight, while at other times a gust of misfortune. Sometimes we make the wrong decisions. There is a gray area between fact and truth, which isn't often talked about. Though uncomfortable and confusing, none of us can escape the gray.

This novel is about that gray area, about a man who made a single mistake that ruined his life. It's about the darkness within people, and the lightness made possible by sacrificing oneself for someone else. I am hopeful that we can say yes to life in spite of it all.

I had abandoned Braised Pork last December, having lost interest in the story. Yesterday, while storing books I had out in the open in my Segovia Entertainment Center {noting to look back on as it's one of my coveted pieces of furniture] I came across the book in my stacks. Since I'm in an Asian lit mindset, started from the beginning {honestly I had not gotten far into this read}.

Sometimes, we don't ask for things because we don't want to be broken. But that's how we drive away the life we care about

She was broken, yes, but she knew what she wanted all along.

~ Braised Pork

Do you ever feel that sometimes, when something happens to you, something deep inside you changes? You can't undo it, and you wonder whether this is the person you want to be. So you just stay, contemplating whether you like your new self until something else happens to you and you start the process all over again.

~ Braised Pork

My review of Three Bedrooms in Manhattan.


We are witness to when two strangers meet and what takes place in three different bedrooms. The scenes make for dramatic events evoking loneliness, self-doubt, and mistrust. The honesty, if you can call it that, is raw, simplistic yet arduous. Its dated and gritty; as much as I am bothered by the themes presented in an erotic way, domestic violence and adultery obviously still exists. The fact that the characters are searching for that established relationship ~ well, aren't we all?

For months now, Combe's life had been going nowhere. But, until two days ago, he had at least been walking stubbornly in one direction.

As if knowing this is closely based on the author's own story of his own meeting with his second wife, and what his biographer asserts that the author lies about himself compulsively, this makes for "autobiographical fiction."

If you enjoyed Breakfast at Tiffany's, then you will enjoy this read. Like Breakfast at Tiffany's, it's not a long read {noted as a tautly constructed novella}. It adds an interior and noir feel, which Simenon described as "hard".

What an Easter read!

I really can't remember what prompted me to add Three Bedrooms in Manhattan - perhaps it was a chosen piece that didn't get enough votes for a group read? I'll have to research.

I unfortunately did not like Breakfast at Tiffany's, even though my youngest daughter enjoyed it. I feel it's a toss up whether its the novel or the movie [Audrey Hepburn fan]. Now Capote's true crime In Cold Blood, I believe captures what he wanted to convey.

What drew me to read this "novella"? I felt this to be a challenging read. And challenging is an understatement. True to noir in the likes of The Big Sleep, Mildred Pierce, Strangers on a Train, and of course Breakfast at Tiffany's.

OMG, I was reviewing my noir-crime shelf and realized I have read Simenon's other piece of work The Blue Room. I enjoyed The Blue Room more.

I have enjoyed the Georges Simenon books I have read, mostly Maigret mysteries.

Re: Breakfast at Tiffany's - I found the novella so much more layered and interesting than my memories of the movie (which was not one of my favorite Hepburn films). I suppose I should rewatch the film to be fair as I have read the book more recently...

But Capote's masterpiece for me was In Cold Blood even though I find the concept of a nonfiction novel disconcerting. And I think that the 1967 movie adaptation was also compelling.

Leslie wrote: "But Capote's masterpiece for me was In Cold Blood even though I find the concept of a nonfiction novel disconcerting. And I think that the 1967 movie adaptation was also compelling"

I totally agree: astounding

Leslie wrote: "I have enjoyed the Georges Simenon books I have read, mostly Maigret mysteries.

Re: Breakfast at Tiffany's - I found the novella so much more layered and interesting tha..."

My daughter is a Hepburn fan and I'm thinking she enjoyed both the book and the movie.

LauraT wrote: "Leslie wrote: "But Capote's masterpiece for me was In Cold Blood even though I find the concept of a nonfiction novel disconcerting. And I think that the 1967 movie adaptation was also compelling"
..."

I concur!

As for In Cold Blood, it's a great piece of writing. If not for To Kill a Mockingbird, I would have considered to vote for In Cold Blood as the Great American Read. That or Charlotte's Web would be another nomination.

I haven't read Go Set a Watchman - anyone read it yet?

Cathie wrote: "I haven't read Go Set a Watchman - anyone read it yet?"

I did, and found it great, even more than the more famous To Kill a Mockingbird.
Definitly not as mature, not "worked upon", but more real, more close to what the reality of southers sates had to be at the time. Atticus is more...real, less ideal.
Let me know what you think of it, if you do read it

LauraT wrote: "Cathie wrote: "I haven't read Go Set a Watchman - anyone read it yet?"

I did, and found it great, even more than the more famous To Kill a Mockingbird.
Definitly not as mature, not "wo..."

Thanks Laura! I was skeptical when reading sequels/prequels especially when a novel stood the test of time like Mockingbird has. At times letting a novel holds its own usually is best; however, your comments do interest me, esp. about Atticus.

Mango is the first completed read for my Reading Women of Color Food Writing Challenge.

My review for Mango and Peppercorns

Through powerful narrative, archival imagery, and 20 Vietnamese recipes that mirror their story, Mango & Peppercorns is a unique contribution to culinary literature.

Mango and Peppercorns is a memoir by Tung Nguyen, Katherine Manning, and Lyn Nguyen who share their stories and perspectives.

It reflects on a Vietnamese refugee landing in Miami, and the relationship between herself and her sponsor, that spans over three decades. It also reflects on the relationship between mother and child, influenced by two vast cultures, and how the essence of time open up to understanding.

It's never easy to leave home, especially in harsh circumstances much less live with fear and regret. Coming to grips to survive and heal and how they persevered is the journey they are taking us.

Having established one of top Miami restaurants, Vietnamese cuisine was a lucky gem for the community; that opportunity to experience diversity through food.

Personally, I felt this to be a story of healing for Tung than American dream propaganda, although I do feel some of that in the narrative. May we be reminded of cultural diversity and shared generational traditions.

As always, appreciate recipes - wished pictures were included for some of the dishes. The flan with ginger sounds delish!


I will have to share what dish I make...I think it may be the mac and cheese! There is beauty in food writing which is why I am enthralled by this genre.

Cathie wrote: "LauraT wrote: "Cathie wrote: "I haven't read Go Set a Watchman - anyone read it yet?"

I did, and found it great, even more than the more famous To Kill a Mockingbird.
Definitly not as ..."

But it is not a prequel/sequel in the sense of the term: it was the "real"novel, the one that Harper Lee wrote to begin with. It was rejected by the editors, who sugessted to cut t the way it was finally published, centered on the Scout kid. That's the reaon it is not "pulished", it's rough. But truer

LauraT wrote: "Cathie wrote: "LauraT wrote: "Cathie wrote: "I haven't read Go Set a Watchman - anyone read it yet?"

I did, and found it great, even more than the more famous To Kill a Mockingbird.
De..."

Ah okay, thank you for clarifying! Very interesting!

Adding NOTE:

Pachinko is on my to-read list above. If it wins May's fiction poll, will get a copy and join the discussion.

I added Swerve to my to-read list due it being nominated and finding out what it was about. I kind of guessed the story by the reviews written. But I plan to read in July - 7/4 birthday - and the setting is 4th of July weekend gone awry,

Ancient Çatalhöyük

Puzzled by the pictures, Cathie... what & where are they?

Leslie wrote: "Puzzled by the pictures, Cathie... what & where are they?"

Thinking the same thing

LauraT wrote: "Leslie wrote: "Puzzled by the pictures, Cathie... what & where are they?"

Thinking the same thing"

My bad, I'm reading Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age and wanted to post pics on each lost City. It seems you can't post pics unless it's from a website. So I tried and: Eureka!

However, been busy and haven't gotten back to the book nor the post. At least though it's "date stamped" I completed the City Çatalhöyük.

Next City is Pompeii.

Cathie wrote: "Next City is Pompeii."

Have you ever been there?
Astonishing!

LauraT wrote: "Cathie wrote: "Next City is Pompeii."

Have you ever been there?
Astonishing!"

No, not to any of them. However, the last City mentioned, Cahokia, is in IL, near St. Louis, MO. The times I drove from Chicago to St. Louis, it is somewhat nearby, but never went to visit there. This is perhaps the closest out of the four I will attempt to visit since I'm in IL. And to be honest I didn't even know it was noted as one of the oldest cities.

I have been to Belize and toured one of the Mayan ruins. It's amazing how huge the ruins are; I felt dizzy when we were climbing atop one of the high ruins. The air/altitude was different too. And it was slippery with the algae and moss. Lol

The four cities the author shares are centuries old cities with Çatalhöyük being the oldest.

Stemming away from lost cities, I have been to Chocolate Hills, which is in the island where my parents are from, Bohol, Philippines.

Massive "chocolate-colored" hills, and considered the eighth wonder of the world.

Ancient Pompeii



View of Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius


An eruption of Mount Vesuvius (background) in A.D. 79 buried the ancient Roman city of Pompeii under volcanic ash and rock. The World Heritage site is now the scene of an ambitious restoration project

Cathie wrote: "Stemming away from lost cities, I have been to Chocolate Hills, which is in the island where my parents are from, Bohol, Philippines.

Massive "chocolate-colored" hills, and considered the eighth ..."

Wow what a place!

Ancient Angkor



Angkor Wat is just one of dozens of extant Khmer temples in the Angkor area of present-day Cambodia


Tree roots overtaking walls of the Ta Phrom temple

Placeholder for Cahokia

Finally finished Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age. Worth a read - I"m a bit exhausted; it's like you signed up for an Archaeology class and this is one of your references to add to your bibliography. Hope you enjoy some of the pictures - visuals added value to this read (book cover below)

So...moving on!

I'm excited to find out poll results for May & June read winners:

Pachinko won AAB's May read!

The Last Flight won my other group's (LOR) May read! (I voted for this novel even though I have already read it late last year) Really enjoyed this thriller suspense and gave rating of 5 stars! It's that good, really. Current rating is 4.12 and there's a giveaway for a paperback. I will join in the discussion; can't wait on what others thought.

I'm watching one of my other group's (LD) if Twilight has enough votes to be included in the next group reads poll, to begin sometime in May. We shall see!

American Dirt won my other group's (BB) June read! Have the book, so will wait to begin then.

2021 - One Book for Each Year Challenge
Duration: May 1, 2021 - December 31, 2021

2/9
1. 2012:
2. 2013: The Ocean at the End of the Lane
3. 2014: The House of the Spirits
4. 2015:
5. 2016:
6. 2017: Perfume
7. 2018: The Sound of Waves
8. 2019: Pachinko √
9. 2020: Stories We Never Told √

Choose a book on my To-Read list that I added that year.

Finished Stories We Never Told. True to the novel's name with some serious twists.

Had had this on hold due to having to return book to library. Glad I re-requested.