The Rape of Nanking
It’s been awhile since I’ve felt such a deep and profound sadness while reading a book. The Rape of Nanking is a historical recounting of the Japanese invasion of Nanking (a major Chinese city) during World War II, probably one of the most horrific events of the war.
The Fire Next Time
The Fire Next Time consists of two essays by Baldwin, the first being fairly short and the second being much longer. I felt like his first essay to his nephew was easier to understand. The second essay was much longer and feels like Baldwin is writing a lengthy journal entry as a thought experiment.
The Catcher in the Rye
It's interesting to read a book that is usually a mandatory part of an English class curriculum. I feel like a teacher isn't holding me responsible for analyzing the deeper themes of the writing and it's up to me to decide how far I want to take my understanding of the literature.
Daisy Jones & the Six
Daisy Jones & The Six is a story told through all of the voices of its characters, like reading transcripts from a televised interview...When I first started reading, I thought "I'm going to hate this book if it's going to be structured this way..." Surprisingly, I found the book to be thoughtful and engaging.
The Great Believers
The Great Believers is a moving and tragic story about characters who are undergoing or have been affected by the AIDS crisis in Chicago. It makes AIDS feel even more real and devastating, as it ravages through the tight-knit communities and friendships of the characters in this story.
The Last Romantics
The Last Romantics is a story about a semi-dysfunctional family (as all families are), told mostly through the perspective of the youngest daughter Fiona, as she is recounting her life in old age. I did not find this story to be particularly impactful or memorable.
Failing Up
This book was an absolute breeze to read. It's really short and sweet, and if you are a big fan of Hamilton (which I assume most readers are), Leslie Odom Jr. will dedicate 2 chapters to recounting his Hamilton experience.
The Overdue Life of Amy Byler
The Overdue Life of Amy Byler is a really sweet (and surprisingly funny) book about a semi-well-adjusted middle-aged mom who goes on a short adventure of self-discovery. While the main character, Amy, is often times filled with self-doubt and haunted by a troubled past, she is surrounded by people who all love her to pieces and would do anything for her.
The Gifted School
I didn't expect to like this book so much, but something about this story and its characters really resonated with me. The Gifted School is a book that deals with the modern day anxieties of parents wanting their kids to go to the best schools and be recognized for their high IQs and "genius."
Everything I Never Told You
Everything I Never Told You is a book by Celeste Ng, who also wrote the bestselling book, Little Fires Everywhere. I liked the characters in Everything I Never Told You, and thought that the book was engaging.
The Silence of the Girls
The Silence of the Girls is a novel about the legend of Achilles, but told through the perspective of Briseis, a Trojan woman who becomes Achilles’s slave. The reality is that when we reflect on “heroes” like Achilles, we think of his exploits in battle and tragic end, but no one really considers the collateral damage of his actions.
Queenie
Queenie is a young adult fiction novel by Candice Carty-Williams that mostly felt like a lot of words and no deep meaning. It tells a story of a young woman in her mid-20s in modern-day UK, and it is about her dealing with millennial traumas - a bad break-up, terrible online dating, etc.
Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan
Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan is a book written by Jake Adelstein, in which he recounts his experiences as an investigative journalist in one of the biggest newspaper companies in Japan, the Yomiuri Shinbun. I really liked the exposition of this book and getting a first-hand look into Adelstein’s experiences as a rookie reporter.
The Girl He Used to Know
The Girl He Used to Know is a romance novel that follows the storyline of a couple who fall in love in college, separate due to an unknown reason (that the book slowly reveals), and find their way back to each other a couple years later.
