Book: American Panda by Gloria Chao

Book Summary: At seventeen, Mei should be in high school, but skipping fourth grade was part of her parents’ master plan. Now a freshman at MIT, she is on track to fulfill the rest of this predetermined future: become a doctor, marry a preapproved Taiwanese Ivy Leaguer, produce a litter of babies.

With everything her parents have sacrificed to make her cushy life a reality, Mei can’t bring herself to tell them the truth–that she (1) hates germs, (2) falls asleep in biology lectures, and (3) has a crush on her classmate Darren Takahashi, who is decidedly not Taiwanese.

But when Mei reconnects with her brother, Xing, who is estranged from the family for dating the wrong woman, Mei starts to wonder if all the secrets are truly worth it. Can she find a way to be herself, whoever that is, before her web of lies unravels?

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this book, courtesy of Pansing in exchange for an honest review. 

I absolutely loved this book! Not only did it give me the representation I very much seeked, it also dealt with quarter-life crisis issues which I was all too familiar with in my uni days.

Mei’s self-exploration in her first year at uni was startlingly similar to mine. I remember being afraid of living in a shared space in uni and wondering how I could ever survive the years ahead with strangers. It was heartening to see Mei slowly break out of her hermit shell, liberated from both her parents’ expectations of her and her own standards.

The romantic angle was also very heartwarming. I’m usually not one for contemporary love stories but something about this book had me right from the get go. I was very happy to see Darren being there for her throughout the book but I would have loved to see him a bit more fleshed out.

The cultural aspect of the book was another key point. Although set in the MIT area, it didn’t break away from Mei’s cultural heritage and I loved reading multiple instances of Chinese culture blending seamlessly into the story. It would have been better if the Mandarin terms interspersed in the book came with translations (some did, but others didn’t) but it was a good first step towards seeing more diversity in YA novels.

I’ve rated this 4 Stars on Goodreads cos it was very wholesome and enjoyable.  It’s available in all good bookstores (and also probably in your local library. The e-book is already available in my library which is unprecedentedly fast).

Book: Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

Book Summary: Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children
No Solicitations
No Visitors
No Quests

Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere… else.

But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children.

Nancy tumbled once, but now she’s back. The things she’s experienced… they change a person. The children under Miss West’s care understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world.

But Nancy’s arrival marks a change at the Home. There’s a darkness just around each corner, and when tragedy strikes, it’s up to Nancy and her new-found schoolmates to get to the heart of the matter.

No matter the cost.

I didn’t expect to like this as much as I did! I’m usually not a fan of magical realism – they’re usually too confusing for me to make out. Is there really magic in here or is it supposed to be normal life? And even though this book was clearly magical realism – it was full of whimsy – I actually made it through and liked it a lot.

To be fair, I couldn’t really connect with any of the characters but the interesting plot made up for it. McGuire’s writing is also very beautiful to read. She has this unique perspective of writing normal every day things – such as describing a dorm room or how classes work in the school.

However, one gripe I had was the narrator I listened to. I listened to this book on Audible and usually it’s pretty easy for me to get into a book while I’m doing my chores or whatnot. But the narrator for this book was too droning and monotonous that I had to stop multiple times in the book and just not listen to it for a couple of days even though I really liked the story. I guess she wanted to emphasise on the whimsical nature of the story but it was too much for me to handle.

I really recommend the book and will continue on the series but I think I’ll borrow the sequels from the library instead.

Book: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Book Summary: “It may be unfair, but what happens in a few days, sometimes even a single day, can change the course of a whole lifetime.” 

Amir is the son of a wealthy Kabul merchant, a member of the ruling caste of Pashtuns. Hassan, his servant and constant companion, is a Hazara, a despised and impoverished caste. Their uncommon bond is torn by Amir’s choice to abandon his friend amidst the increasing ethnic, religious, and political tensions of the dying years of the Afghan monarchy, wrenching them far apart. But so strong is the bond between the two boys that Amir journeys back to a distant world, to try to right past wrongs against the only true friend he ever had.

The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father’s servant, The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country that is in the process of being destroyed. It is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption; and an exploration of the power of fathers over sons—their love, their sacrifices, their lies.

A sweeping story of family, love, and friendship told against the devastating backdrop of the history of Afghanistan over the last thirty years, The Kite Runner is an unusual and powerful novel that has become a beloved, one-of-a-kind classic.

This book was gifted to me by my brother and what a heartbreaking book it was. This is not my first Afghanistan-based book but it definitely brought a fresh perspective on how I view the country. It’s a country of both hope and despair and that distinct contradiction was fascinating to read. Hosseini’s writing was amazing as usual and I was amazed with the theme of “full circle” that played throughout the novel.

There were numerous times when the book made me tear. I felt for Amir and how he went through life searching for ways to redeem himself. In fact, I felt for all the characters because they all felt so real because of their flaws and inherent goodness. The friendship between Amir and Hassan, and the frail nature of Amir and Sohrab’s relationship brought me to tears. There were so many moments where they all reached for one another in their own ways that I couldn’t help but feel moved.

The first 5 star read for me this year. I’m looking forward to watching the movie soon as well, even though I have a feeling it will break my heart.

Book: Ultimatum by Matthew Glass

Book Summary: November 2032. Newly elected U.S. President Joe Benton learns that previous estimates regarding the effect of global warming on rising sea levels have been grossly underestimated. This visionary, deeply unsettling thriller predicts the way the world will be in 25 years.

This was the first environmental science fiction book I’ve ever read. I didn’t even know such a genre existed prior to reading this book. It was a fascinating story about how the world grapples with the ever-increasing onslaught of carbon emissions and I was left quite disturbed on how easily this could happen in the real world in a few decades if we don’t take serious action now. Perhaps it’s because of the Trump administration that I was even more disturbed that I would usually be.

The first half of the book was a bit tedious as it underscored the back-and-forth fragile nature of bilateral negotiations. I was a bit bored but somehow I managed to push through and read through it all. I guess my background as a Political Science Major was the reason for that.

The second half of the book was better as it felt like there was genuine progress in the negotiations instead of just dilly-dallying. The stakes were also higher and eventually culminated in actual strikes which took me by surprise. I thought it wouldn’t happen. But it did. And it chills me when I realise that this could easily happen real life when two superpowers lock heads.

A pretty solid book. Do pick it up if you are interested in environmental fiction book!

Book: Artemis by Andy Weir

Book Summary: Jazz Bashara is a criminal.

Well, sort of. Life on Artemis, the first and only city on the moon, is tough if you’re not a rich tourist or an eccentric billionaire. So smuggling in the occasional harmless bit of contraband barely counts, right? Not when you’ve got debts to pay and your job as a porter barely covers the rent.

Everything changes when Jazz sees the chance to commit the perfect crime, with a reward too lucrative to turn down. But pulling off the impossible is just the start of her problems, as she learns that she’s stepped square into a conspiracy for control of Artemis itself—and that now, her only chance at survival lies in a gambit even riskier than the first.

This is the much-awaited new novel from Andy Weir! Weir is of course the author of the much-acclaimed book The Martian (which has been adapted to a great and pretty faithful movie) and its potato shenanigans.

I’ve read quite a few reviews that were disappointed with this book, largely on how it was similar to The Martian. But I didn’t mind that at all. I loved that Jas was a POC main character to begin with, having her own adventures on Artemis, the moon colony. Say what you want, but representation in media and entertainment is a crucial thing. It does have an effect in inspiring the next generation to believe they actually be whoever they want and that the options are out there. And that is very important for any child growing up.

Moving on to the actual story. This is a story about Jas who is a low-key smuggler on the moon colony. She also gets paid to do some minor crimes as a side hustle lol. Then in cames the once-in-a-lifetime heist; she is offered to destroy several out-of-base machinery that belongs to the multi-dollar company. But of course, things go horribly wrong and that’s where the story kicks off.

Overall, I really liked the plot and characters in the book. Jas was a witty, sassy girl and the events that happened in the book were well-paced. Weir did his magic again of making the book sound pretty science-y and tech-y but still understandable to the layman. I guess the only gripe I had was the random love story that was inserted at the end of the story. There were several hints leading up to it but I felt like it was completely unnecessary to the story. It would have been much better and cleaner without it. Also, I listened to this on Audible and Rosario Dawson (the narrator) did a pretty good job in making the different characters come to life. She has quite a talent in playing different voices.

Recap: December 2017

I’ve been wanting to do monthly recaps of the stories I’ve read or watched for ages but I couldn’t find the time. Well, it’s 2018 now and I’ve decided that I will make the time hahaha. So here are the stories I’ve eaten in December:

Books:

1. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi – an autobiography by the late Paul, who was a neurosurgeon. His writing was so beautiful and poetic and by the end of the book I shed a tear cos I couldn’t believe that someone with so much talent is gone from this world. I finished this on the train to work too so it was doubly hard to stop myself from full-on crying.
2. Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor – Revolutions of Terror by Nick Abadzis – It’s no secret that Ten is my favourite Doctor and it was fun just getting into his familiar world and being whizzed across different planets, each with a story to tell.
3. Off The Page by Jodi Picoult & Samantha van Leer – This was a mistake to read because a) it was a sequel / companion to an earlier novel which I didn’t realise and b) it really wasn’t the book for me. It was a mix of fantasy and contemporary and I am always bad with magical realism. I just can’t get my head around it like too much of it does not make sense. Sigh.
4. Teen Titans: Book One by Geoff Johns – I LOVE THIS. I am not a fan of DC but I think this was the first book? volume? that I actually love. The pacing was great, the plot was pretty detailed, and all this without sacrificing the different personalities of the characters. Also, I love Beast Boy. I didn’t really like him in the TV series but I gained a better perspective of him in this book. Definitely gonna pick up the second book when I spot it in the libraries.

TV Shows: 

1. Food Wars (Season 1) – I didn’t know I would like an anime show about food but I did. It felt like Haikyu!! with all the different competitions but centred around cuisine. I guess the only thing I didn’t like about it was how unnecessarily sexual it could be in almost every episode. Cue unwanted shot of a female character’s butt or bottom. To be fair, there was also a nudist male character and it was hilarious but still unneeded.
2. Designated Survivor (Season 1) – Again, I heard great reviews about this online (thanks, @caricakes!) and they were right. The premise of this show was already something out of the ordinary with the designated survivor becoming the POTUS after a disastrous bomb that wiped out the whole previous government (this isn’t a spoiler; it literally happened within the first 10 minutes of the show). I think what made this such an escapist show was Tom Kirkman and how he is such a great president. He is everything Trump is not right now. And so, it felt great just to have a 40-minute episode on how Kirkman would deal the challenges his government faces.

Movies:

1. Tokyo Idols (2017) – Watched this on Netflix on my day off. It was a fascinating if not strangely creepy documentary on female idols lives in Japan. It’s even weirder than in South Korea cos at least then the fans are around the age of the idols or at most just slightly older than them. But in Japan, these female idols have middle-aged / retirement-age men as fans. And just like their South Korean counterparts, these idols have to do fanmeets, hi touches, individual photos with their fans as part of their new album promotions. It was…really strange. I tried my best to understand why these men are worshipping these teenage girls (their fanchants are really crossing into the religious line with group hand movements) but I just couldn’t. Certainly an eye-opening documentary to watch.
2. Loving Vincent (2017) – This was so good! It’s a fictional film but it explores what might have happened to Vincent van Gogh in his final days, and what made him commit suicide. Or if he was actually murdered. The acting and plot was great but what was the best was that it was hand-painted in van Gogh’s style! And I mean each frame of the film was hand-painted. It was extraordinary. Please check this out.
3. Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) – This was…a bore. To be fair, I am not a big Star Wars fan but I have watched every film except for Rogue One. I really didn’t know where the plot was going half the time and I ended up on Instagram scrolling through my feed lol.
4. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) – I had low expectations for this film since it was a remake but I was looking forward to The Rock! He always makes fun movies. And this was the same! It was so enjoyable and I ended up laughing out loud numerous times in the cinema.
5. The Secret Life of Pets (2016) – I put this on in the background while I was cleaning my room last weekend and I liked it. It wasn’t great and honestly, I think the trailer is better than the movie, but it was okay.

Songs:

1. Universe album by EXO – EXO’s winter albums are always so sweet and soothing for the end of the year and this one is no exception. They have great vocals and song composition. My favourites right now are: Universe, Been Through, Stay.
2. Instagram by DEAN – My K R&B King is back! And his new song is great as always. Can’t wait for the full MV and album to drop~
3. HUMBLE by Kendrick Lamar – This song is a jam. I play it when I want to feel bawse aka my walk from the station to work when I need to conquer the day.
4. Young, Dumb & Broke by Khalid – On the contrary, I listen to this at the end of the work day and when I just want to chill. Sempoi~

Book: Warcross by Marie Lu

Plot Summary: For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. Needing to make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.

Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

 Wow, I loved this book. It was so enjoyable and was a great addition to my read shelves, especially when the year is coming to a close. There reason why I rated it 4 Stars on Goodreads was because there were a few clichés (at least three times where the phrase ‘I let go of a breath that I didn’t know I was holding’ were used) and tropes (reminiscent of Divergent and Hunger Games with the ‘One Girl to Save the World’ vibe). But, overall, I still enjoyed it. I couldn’t stop turning the pages.

 The world-building was pretty good. I could visualise how NeuroLink would work – mostly because it doesn’t seem like such an impossible idea today, what with the advancement in VR etc – and would love to be in a Warcross game. I imagined it to be a techy version of Quidditch haha.

 But what I really loved was the plot twist at the end! Not to spoil anything but I didn’t foresee at all that that character was behind everything. The book build them up as this genius, wholesome character with a sad backstory but it makes sense that they would make the leap and do something so disastrous. After reading many YA novels for a while, I was pleasantly surprised that Marie Lu could still pull a fast one on me.

I am definitely going to pick up the sequel. Eagerly awaiting it.

Book: A Secret Sky by Atia Abawi

My cousin lent me this book over three months ago after she raved about how heart-wrenching it was on her Instagram. Sticking to my true self, I finally read it recently.

 Book Summary: Set in present-day Afghanistan, this is the story of two teenagers, one Pashtun and one Hazara, who must fight against their culture, their tradition, their families, and the Taliban to stay together. Told in three rotating perspectives – the two teens and another boy in the village who turns them in to the local Taliban – this novel depicts both the violent realities of living in Afghanistan, as well as the beauty of the land and the cultures there. And it shows that love can bloom in even the darkest of places.

 I’ve been having a pretty good run with books recently and this one doesn’t stray from the trend. What I thought would be a sappy romantic book turned out to be a pretty extreme version of Romeo and Juliet. The Pashtun and Hazara ethnic groups don’t interact with each other often and they have a long bitter history between them which doesn’t help matters. 

What really astounded me was how small things like meeting a boy to talk (no touching no kissing) was enough to slander someone for being obscene or bringing “shame” to the family. And of course, it was the girl who had the shortest end of the stick. It was mind-blowing to me that such things still occur in the world. The mother of the girl even poured boiling water on her arms and considered honour killing. Her own daughter. My God.

 It goes to show that it is culture that ruins the image of a religion and not religion itself. These were so extreme that even a fellow Muslim like myself is sickened when I read the book.

 The ending of the book was greatly written and well-thought-out. It portrayed the indecisions of a terrorist and how not everyone is in it for the “philosophy”. Some are just desperate to get good money for their families back home after unable to get gainful work. Others may have been brainwashed by the madrasahs that were distorting the Holy Quran but deep-down had their doubts about the morality of the terrorist organisation. It was splendid to see in a book cos these angles are not always highlighted in mainstream media.

 Overall, I loved this book for spinning a well-loved trope of forbidden love and shedding new light on what it’s like to live in present-day Afghanistan.

Book: The Good Immigrant (edited by Nikesh Shukla)

 I borrowed this out of the library after seeing @wordrevel on Instagram raving about it. And it certainly lived up to that review. 

The Good Immigrant is a collection of short essays from 21 POC authors who mainly come from the British entertainment industry. It was certainly an enlightening read, gaining insights from how racial discrimination and hostility from society restricted their careers or their life in general. While I had an inkling that these do occur around the world, it was startling to read them as the essays felt very personal at times and it was easy to visualise yourself in their shoes. 

Coming from a minority group in my own country also helped me frame the book in a new light. I could sympathise with some of the issues raised in the book (see Bim Adewunmi’s What We Talk About When We Talk About Tokenism) but I also felt more grateful that I didn’t suffer through blatant and hurtful discrimination in the way that coloured most of the essays. 

To put it simply, this book definitely gave my brain an academic massage. I’m not saying that the language is tough but the ideas and issues compacted in this book definitely made me ponder. It’s been over a year since I graduated university and it was a nice welcome to read something that powerful again.

Book: Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

NEVERNIGHT by JAY KRISTOFF

LOCB Rating: 5 out of 5 gravebone daggers

Additional Comments: Get your hands on this book. Pronto. It’s the next big thing in the fantasy genre (if it isn’t already).

I literally finished this book 30 minutes ago and voila, I’m here already typing away at the keyboard writing this post up. That is how much I need to talk about this book to the world. If you like an action-packed, detailed plot that doesn’t shy away from realistic violence / gore, you’re in luck cos this book is exactly what you have been searching for.

Plot Summary:

In a land where three suns almost never set, a fledgling killer joins a school of assassins, seeking vengeance against the powers who destroyed her family.

Daughter of an executed traitor, Mia Corvere is barely able to escape her father’s failed rebellion with her life. Alone and friendless, she hides in a city built from the bones of a dead god, hunted by the Senate and her father’s former comrades. But her gift for speaking with the shadows leads her to the door of a retired killer, and a future she never imagined.

Now, Mia is apprenticed to the deadliest flock of assassins in the entire Republic—the Red Church. If she bests her fellow students in contests of steel, poison and the subtle arts, she’ll be inducted among the Blades of the Lady of Blessed Murder, and one step closer to the vengeance she desires. But a killer is loose within the Church’s halls, the bloody secrets of Mia’s past return to haunt her, and a plot to bring down the entire congregation is unfolding in the shadows she so loves.

Will she even survive to initiation, let alone have her revenge?

Review:

This was a brilliantly paced book, and not at the expense of the plot too cos it was thoroughly detailed, especially with the world-building in the beginning. The characters felt real, with their own flaws, and you can’t help but root for Mia Corvere, the main protagonist. Her backstory alone in the first few chapters is enough to make you weep. I certainly wouldn’t be as brave as her if I was in her shoes. What I absolutely love about Mia is that she’s a strong, feisty character that knows what she wants and fiercely sticks to her principles even when the stakes are high. She also has the cool ability of being a Darkin, aka bending shadows to her will. I also love Mister Kindly – her sarcastic daemon loyal to her side and never fails to crack me up. I hope he gets stronger and develops cool powers too. Also, I have a feeling Mia using Mister Kindly as a tool to get rid of her fear will bite her back in the end. She’s not really facing her fears if they’re removed from her

The set-up of the Red Church and the assassins’ education is pretty badass. Acolytes are taught in the arts of Truths (poison-making), Pockets (stealth and thievery), Songs (battling with weapons), and Mirrors (basically using your charms and sex to gain enemy secrets). It was entirely cool but unlike Hogwarts where I think I could stand a chance to be an outstanding student in at least one subject (ahem Transfiguration), I think I would have been killed off in the first few days of class in the Red Church. And that is literally what happens. Not good enough and you would probably die from any of the lessons taught.

The plot twists in this book are also insane. Kristoff is not hesitant to kill or maim characters left, right and center – I’ll admit that there were two deaths that caught me completely by surprise. I actually hoped he didn’t kill one of them off cos he had so much potential but gah. I want a spinoff just focusing on the LoB and how he came to be who he was (for those that have read it, you know exactly who I mean).

The only flaw I could find in this book was the slow beginning. It took me nearly 150 pages into the story before I was fully invested in it. But once I hit that point, I was a goner. The book took hold of me and I could do little else but continue to flip the pages and reading wherever and whenever I could just to know what happens next. I guess it’s not really a flaw as the Nevernight world is so complex and foreign from our own – Kristoff needs time and pages to ease the reader into it.

I’m really excited where the story will take us next. Kristoff ended the book with multiple plots and subplots left loose and I could only wander what would happen in the next installment. Would Mia get her revenge? What other obstacles lay in her path? What exactly is a Darkin and why is she one?

Nevernight is the first in The Nevernight Chronicle trilogy – with Godsgrave already published, and the third book (currently untitled) slated for 2018.

I’m gonna get my hands on the second book tomorrow at the bookshop 🙂

Sidenote:

I’m really glad I bought early-bird tickets to the Singapore Writers’ Festival now! I was previously hesitant since I could only attend the last weekend but now I can’t wait to attend Kristoff’s talks during the Festival and get to know how he comes up with such rich characters and engaging plots.