megtristao's reviews
1101 reviews

"'In the future, White supremacy will no longer need White people,' the artist Lorraine O’Grady said in 2018, a prognosis that seemed, at least on the surface, to counter what James Baldwin said fifty years ago, which is that 'the White man’s sun has set.' Which is it then? What prediction will hold? As an Asian American, I felt emboldened by Baldwin but haunted and implicated by O’Grady. I heard the ring of truth in her comment, which gave me added urgency to finish this book."

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This creative nonfiction book is a collection of essays by poet and author Cathy Park Hong. I think this book would be appreciated by people with a love/knowledge of art, as art and artists play an important role in many of the essays. As someone who is not Asian American, I look forward to seeking out own voices reviews to see what stood out to others in this collection. I do recommend the audiobook, as it is narrated by the author.

"It was easier to hide behind their traditions than to challenge their own beliefs and understanding of how things in the world of the brujx worked."

Loved the queer representation (trans, gay, lesbian) and how this book showcased the diversity of Latinx cultures (the main characters are Mexican, Cuban, Haitian, Colombian and/or some mixture of those nationalities). Sometimes the traditions were a bit over-explained, but I always enjoy learning more about other cultures. A fun but emotional adventure story incorporating folklore and ancient legends, with a nice dash of romance. Although it could be predictable, this book had me "in my feels" for the last third or so, so I didn't really mind that I knew what was coming. Also, I loved Julian's found family. I wouldn't have minded spending more time with them, but the book was already a bit long, and I understand they weren't the focus of the story. Good YA read!

"do i think someone created AIDS?
maybe. i don't doubt that
anything is possible in a place
where you can burn a body
with less outrage than a flag"

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"prediction: the cop will walk free
prediction: the boy will still be dead"

Loved this cookbook. There's a short introduction to each country, which taught me so much about each place (including the different colonial influences on the food), along with Q&A interviews from a bibi or two from each country. I thought some of the interviews were a little shallow and repetitive, but the focus of this book was the food, and that was displayed beautifully. I also appreciated how the authors shared the recipes in traditional ways while also sharing how to adapt for "Western" kitchens if the reader doesn't have the same equipment or can't find the exact right ingredients.

First, I picked this up thinking it was a romance, and it is not. Yes, there is a romance and it is important, but I didn't find it to the be the "central" part of the story. Rather, this is a lovely and sometimes hard-to-read story of a young woman struggling with imposter syndrome, self-harm, unstable relationships with her parents, and general uncertainty about her life and its trajectory. (That makes the book sound dark, but it is not! Just realistic.) My favorite part of this story was Grace's group of friends, who were absolutely delightful though not without their own flaws and struggles. Recommend, especially for other young women going through transitory periods in their lives.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free advance copy.

I really enjoyed this one! A fast-paced, well-plotted mystery set in an Ojibwe community in the Upper Peninsula. I think the book could read a little clunky for people who are already familiar with Ojibwe customs, as there are a lot of explanations, but as someone who is unfamiliar with the culture, I loved learning so much. Also, the book is marketed as YA, but the main character is 18-going-on-19 and I think it has a lot of adult appeal. I would recommend to both teen and adult mystery fans! I also got some Beartown vibes, as the story begins with a girl and a gun in the woods and hockey plays a major role, but they are definitely different stories.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a free advance copy.

Short, well-done audiobook. While listening, there were times I thought "wow, this is so '90s!" and other times when I was sad to realize how little has changed. :( I wish I hadn't known what this book was a retelling of before I read it, as I think the plot would have been quite unexpected otherwise. So, read it without knowing anything about it if you can! (Hence this very vague review haha.)

This is a debut collection of 10 stories set mostly in China or featuring Chinese immigrants in the U.S. Some of the stories verge on the speculative. My favorites were "Hotline Girl" (hotline girls = not-so-dystopian-future public librarians?!), "On the Street Where You Live" and "Gubeikou Spirit." The titular story was TENSE, and I also enjoyed "Shanghai Murmur." Overall, this was a very even collection, which I find to be rare for short stories: There weren't any stories I particularly disliked, but I also don't think any will be in my most memorable stories of the year. I also appreciated that none of the stories were overly long, so it was an easy collection to move through.

Sigh. Another lackluster YA cult book for me this year. Maybe I just *want* to like cult books? There were some interesting aspects, and I know this is minor, but I was very bothered how the characters kept referring to "Africa" as one of their missionary destinations but specified countries everywhere else (Italy, Russia, etc.). At first I thought it might be intentional to indicate the cluelessness/ethnocentrism/white saviorism of the characters, but I think I was being too generous with that thought.