It’s been a busy month! I thought I’d only get around to reading two books, so I’m pretty happy with reading four, even if it is the fewest books per month I’ve read all year. That brings my annual total to a pretty 80! I haven’t had time to write my annual recaps yet, but I’m excited to look through my 2020 stats, draw up some graphs, and share my favourites like I did for 2019. It’ll probably take until February. Just being realistic here!
This past month I gravitated toward middle grade and YA. I’m in the middle of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, and maybe I’ll reread Percy Jackson in January.
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
★★★★ // Goodreads
Only ignorance! only ignorance! how can you talk about only ignorance? Don’t you know that it is the worst thing in the world, next to wickedness?
I thought this was supposed to be a delightful horse book for kids, but it was actually pretty sad, depicting the cruelties inflicted on Victorian horses. In fact, this children’s classic was originally written for adults as a manual on horse welfare. Nevertheless, this story endures with children for its teachings about morality and empathy, and for Black Beauty’s spirit, resiliency, and good nature.
Front Desk by Kelly Yang
★★★★★ // Goodreads
I used to think successful meant having enough to eat, but now that I was getting free lunch at school, I wondered if I should set my standards higher.
A middle grade novel about the hardships of immigrant workers, following 10yo Mia Tang—front desk manager at the Calivista Motel and aspiring writer. Loosely based on Yang’s personal experience.
I did not expect to love a middle grade novel so much. I’m so impressed by how many real and heavy topics this book touched on—how vulnerable immigrant workers are taken advantage of, poverty, fear of safety, harmful “positive” stereotypes, anti-black racism in the Asian community, and more. It wasn’t moralistic or contrived either, and the action-packed plot kept the story moving forward. No wallowing here! Mia is so brave and enterprising, and has so much heart and drive.
Parachutes by Kelly Yang
★★★★.5 // Goodreads
I nod, thinking about the term. Lately, I’ve been thinking it doesn’t apply just to foreign students. Heather and her friends are kind of parachutes too. They all have trust funds and safety nets protecting them if they fall. All I have is me. And if things don’t work out for me, I’d free fall.
Parachutes: teenagers dropped off to live in private homes and study in the US while their wealthy parents remain in Asia.
Grabbed this right after finishing Front Desk and read it in a day, all 496 pages of it. A little more telling than showing in this one, but no more egregious than most YA novels. Once again, Yang draws from her personal experience, covering heavy topics in an accessible way, including rape culture and institutional dismissal of sexual assault; the dynamics of foreign parachute kids and American born Asian kids; the pressures of college admissions; “face,” wealth, and privilege; and more. It was also an entertaining read that had drama and glamour between the heavy stuff.
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
★★★★ // Goodreads
Most people become bankrupt through having invested too heavily in the prose of life. To have ruined one’s self over poetry is an honour.
A man obsessed with his own beauty sells his soul for eternal youth but as his soul deteriorates, so does his portrait.
Superficially, I loved the wit and cynicism, and the dilemma of aesthetics, pleasure, and morality. I mean, don’t we all seek pleasure to some extent? There’s still so much I need to unpack. I kind of wish I did a buddy read for this one! If you’ve read this classic, let me know your thoughts!
Now I’m fascinated about Wilde the man himself. I just watched the trailer for Wilde and Jude Law looks good…
What book did you end the year with?