The festive season is here!! I didn’t do much for Halloween except buy this super cute vest, watch some movies, bake, eat hella Reese’s, and read one spoopy book. With that done and dusted, the countdown to Christmas has begun!
The Ex Hex by Erin Silver // ★★★.5
Never mix vodka and witchcraft. So of course, a young witch accidentally curses her ex while nursing her broken heart over a bottle of vodka. Not an especially memorable read but delightfully festive, and my only spoopy read of the year at that! Didn’t feel strongly about the couple.
Beasts of a Little Land by Juhea Kim // Gifted
Set against the backdrop of the Korean independence movement, following the intertwined fates of a young girl sold to a courtesan school and the penniless son of a hunter. The Pachinko vibes are strong with this one — from the writing style to the epic cast of characters to the historical backdrop to the themes and heartbreak — but a unique story in its own right! One of my favourite reads of the year. Had a major book hangover after finishing this one; I still carry the book around with me even though I’ve finished it! Can’t recommend this one enough. Also prettiest cover of the year award.
A Fort of Nine Towers by Qais Akbar Omar // ★★★★★
Memoir of an Afghan family journeying across the country, searching for a safe haven. Growing up during a time of bloody civil conflict was harsh and terrifying to say the least, but Qais’ childhood was not without its moments of beauty. Throughout his family’s journey, I was struck by the way strangers looked after each other. Qais was especially curious and adaptable, and had a knack for integrating himself with the new communities that took his family in. There’s a certain poetry to his writing. Another top read of the year and probably one of the most underrated; I only learned about the title myself through Reddit!
Beautiful Country by Qian Julie Wang // Gifted
Memoir of a Chinese girl growing up impoverished and undocumented in NYC. I didn’t connect emotionally to this one, but my opinion is in the minority, and regardless, stories like these are so important to tell. The writing from Wang’s childhood self’s POV felt a bit too stylized and incongruous at times (simple writing, odd translated vocabulary, then a random “white gaze” thrown in), and I think the narrow POV from a child’s POV felt monotonous and left some questions about her family’s circumstances. Furthermore, the memoir only covered her early childhood. However, since my opinion is in the minority, I wouldn’t discourage anyone from picking up this book. That said, I would also like to recommend Front Desk by Kelly Yang, which is a middle grade fiction about an immigrant family, drawing from the author’s personal experience and that manages to explore several heavy themes with so much heart.
The View Was Exhausting by Mikaella Clements & Onjuli Datta // ★★★.5
A fake dating romance between an A-list actress and playboy hotel heir. The central theme of the book is how women of colour in entertainment are not given room to make mistakes. British Indian actress Whitman “Win” Tagore has mastered the art of controlling her public image with the help of her “relationship” with playboy Leo Malinowski, and Leo too uses their “relationship” to distract the press from his latest scandals. I wasn’t quite persuaded by the cool that came with their notoriety, so I wasn’t especially taken by their romance. I also found the discussion about race a bit heavy handed. But if you enjoy fake dating romances and Hollywood stories à la The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, this would be an easy and entertaining pick.
