4.5 rounding up to 5 - this is a wonderful, beautiful poetry collection of a Vietnamese American woman recounting her life, her family's history, and 4.5 rounding up to 5 - this is a wonderful, beautiful poetry collection of a Vietnamese American woman recounting her life, her family's history, and many poems are odes to them or about them, with the collection's true emotional core within the poems to her brother that committed suicide. Some absolutely heartwrenching sequences here, and I loved the experimental form many of the poems took, using some family portraits, blocks of words resembling members of the family, some text being superimposed on other pieces of text, etc.
This is an inventive, fresh collection that I'd widely recommend to anyone wanting to pick up some poetry....more
A new all time favorite. Practically zero critiques from my end (maybe one story line with El Cucu didn't seem to come full circle or make sense conteA new all time favorite. Practically zero critiques from my end (maybe one story line with El Cucu didn't seem to come full circle or make sense contextually? but that's all I can think of), but this was an incredibly dark and fascinating exploration of childhood trauma, abuse, creating narratives for ourselves through our pain that go against the grain, and all through such lush, vivid prose. Monica Ojeda is a brilliant writer and one of the best today, no doubt in my mind. Masterpiece.
Of course, this is a very upsetting, triggering, and disturbing book - proceed with caution. But for me, this was a massive win....more
Absolutely loved this, one of my favorite reads of 2025 so far. Wish it had been shortlisted for the international booker in 2023.
The writing in this Absolutely loved this, one of my favorite reads of 2025 so far. Wish it had been shortlisted for the international booker in 2023.
The writing in this is phenomenal, so deftly and elegantly rendered. The first part was probably better for me as it used a bit more variety in form (like some stream of consciousness, or diary entries, etc), but the second part brilliantly portrayed life in the "great northern waste." So many beautiful turns of phrase - if you want a slow, reflective literary memoir on a man's experience through the Chinese cultural revolution, this is a revelation and speaks so much to human endurance and perseverance....more
So glad I finished June with such a banger - a beautifully written lyrical coming of age queer story that had all the heightened, hallucinatory explorSo glad I finished June with such a banger - a beautifully written lyrical coming of age queer story that had all the heightened, hallucinatory explorations of the senses I could have asked for....more
What an incredible journey this book took me on, I utterly loved it. Do I think by the end it had overstayed its welcome a little bit? Yes. Did I fullWhat an incredible journey this book took me on, I utterly loved it. Do I think by the end it had overstayed its welcome a little bit? Yes. Did I fully understand everything going on either, especially in the final 100 or so pages? Absolutely not. But this book is incredibly well written and constructed - that said, it is only for a very specific reader who embraces a challenging, experimental, and often abstract text. The book plays with form, structure, is often meta textual, and the lines between reality and fiction are blurred - the main character of the book is a fictionalized (?) version of the author herself, then one section is the actual author doing an academic literary analysis of Alejandra Pizarnik, a real Argentinian poet around whom the novel is also centered.
This is one of the more bizarre and memorable reading experiences I've ever had - and while the ending is hard to fully parse and understand, I think it all comes together quite well thematically with the messages and ideas the book is trying to convey about writing, language, authorship, and personhood. Brilliant, riveting, intellectually stimulating stuff, with beautiful writing - it isn't perfect per se, but as a piece of literature, a work of art, this is simply dazzling stuff....more
Absolutely LOVED this book. I read The Hole in January 2025 and enjoyed it quite a bit, the atmosphere, writing style, and tone are definitely similarAbsolutely LOVED this book. I read The Hole in January 2025 and enjoyed it quite a bit, the atmosphere, writing style, and tone are definitely similar between that and The Factory, but this one managed to do so much more in terms of its commentary, critique, and experimental execution.
I get why the ratings are low, but this is an incredible foray into existential meaninglessness through the lens of meaningless corporate work. It wasn't easy to read this necessarily, the chapters switch POVs of three characters with no real distinction, sometimes you don't know who is saying what to whom, and even in the specific POVs you shift in the past or future (perhaps?) in the events taking place during each chapter. I've seen many negative reviews speak against that, but for me that was very clearly intentional and I enjoyed the disoriented, hazy feeling I got while reading this book.
This is a book that requires the reader to think, to engage with the text directly, and to question themselves and their own place within "the factory." For me, The Factory is one of the most perfect deconstructions of critique I've ever read, if you aren't interested in work place criticism this isn't for you, but I feel very strongly about how society places its value on work and how we let ourselves be defined by work and the kind of work we do, and this book looks at all of that while showing it is "the factory" itself that imposes itself on us in all facets of our lives. I loved this so, so much....more
I think the low ratings and generally negative reaction to this book is more of a reflection of the western and or European audience who have picked tI think the low ratings and generally negative reaction to this book is more of a reflection of the western and or European audience who have picked this up, likely expecting something different from what it is. I myself am one of them, but I think how I approached this book, and just my own reading preferences, played a big part in why I loved this as much as I did.
If you aren't familiar with the community of Indian Muslims here, or Islamic religious practices, beliefs, customs, or laws, then this book will be VERY difficult to understand, especially as the translation itself, while masterfully done, doesn't give the reader much in the way of easy explanations for many words or references. If you want to understand what's going on, you need to be actively interested in learning more about the society being portrayed here, and you need to be curious in googling what things mean. For people completely unaware, this book forces the reader to actively engage with the text and learn to piece together the pieces in each of the stories that often go unsaid, but with context give each story so much more flavor and meaning.
It's a beautiful book, not perfect per se, it doesn't read like it was ever meant to be a cohesive collection together, and a couple of stories dragged for me, but for the most part this is an incredible read, and one that is highly worthy of its Booker Prize victory. An important milestone in literature- outstanding....more
I loved and devoured this - almost perfect even for me, there is a bit of an exposition dump towards the end that I didn't love, but thankfully the boI loved and devoured this - almost perfect even for me, there is a bit of an exposition dump towards the end that I didn't love, but thankfully the book didn't end there, but went extra steps beyond that and it ended in the most hollow (and best of) way. Such a beautifully deep, dark, and probing book. It's not horror in the typical sense of gore, blood, and physical violence, but very much psychological and true life human horror. Aka the scariest there is. ...more
I did a "readathon" of sorts, where I read five books in roughly 24 hours. This was one of them, and my favorite by far. I loved Pasaribu's collectionI did a "readathon" of sorts, where I read five books in roughly 24 hours. This was one of them, and my favorite by far. I loved Pasaribu's collection, Happy Stories, Mostly, but this is just as good, and I believe to be the first poetry collection I've ever rated five stars. I genuinely love these poems, several made me cry, I appreciated Pasaribu's voice and perspective, and the collaborative efforts between them and the translator, Tiffany Tsao, is a testament to how much love and attention went into the collection to convey these poems as accurately as possible in English.
This novella is me, in a nutshell. The author clearly hates himself, but also recognizes he has talent in something, is funny, and knows he's fucked iThis novella is me, in a nutshell. The author clearly hates himself, but also recognizes he has talent in something, is funny, and knows he's fucked in the head, but through lolz and hilarious fourth wall breaks in the narrative, this prequel to No Longer Human was highly entertaining from beginning to end for me, and very, very relatable....more
I was hooked from page one - this book is so up my alley it's absolutely insane. French philosophical literature, highly inspired by Camus, serving asI was hooked from page one - this book is so up my alley it's absolutely insane. French philosophical literature, highly inspired by Camus, serving as poignant and sharp societal critique through the use of extensive internal monologuing? Sign me up, please. My copy has, unfortunately, some typos, missing periods, and minor errors like too many spaces between regular print and italicized words, but that notwithstanding this is a fabulous translation, very evocatively done, and on the merit of that alone I think has a decent chance to win the International Booker Prize this year....more
5 stars. My first time reading a "literary thriller," but the writing was utterly superb, but let's be honest, I'm sure the original text is amazing b5 stars. My first time reading a "literary thriller," but the writing was utterly superb, but let's be honest, I'm sure the original text is amazing but Sophie Hughes is the GOAT. Even for a bad book like Perfection she somehow made it readable.
Clean is absolutely a slow burn, but with short chapters, and rather accessible prose, while still being deep, thoughtful, and at times a bit like a fever dream (can we always trust what the narrator is witnessing or what she perceives the situation to be?). But this is a dark book with the right amounts of bleakness and existential ponderings that I personally eat up. Little to no dialogue and mostly just this domestic worker recounting her life and the events leading up to the crime she is defending herself from from this unknown, unseen, and unheard of jury? Sign me up!
The final 60 pages really clinched this for me, and the final few in particular I haven't been able to stop thinking about. Everything culminated beautifully here in terms of the story and is just open ended enough to leave you questioning everything you just read. I would widely recommend this book, but trigger warning for animal death at the end - personally, I cried....more
Definitely not a book for everyone, but this book is hyped and for absolutely good reason (not often I say that, either) - if you're chronically onlinDefinitely not a book for everyone, but this book is hyped and for absolutely good reason (not often I say that, either) - if you're chronically online and born sometime between the 1980s and 1990s, there will be something in this book you can relate to on some level. It's very American, and very of the time, so I won't say this is some new all time masterpiece, but it hit me hard and I was thoroughly entertained and enjoyed my time reading this hot mess of a book. Easy 5 stars....more
Kawakami became one of my all time favorite authors last year when I read four of her books and gave three of them around 5 stars. This is another fivKawakami became one of my all time favorite authors last year when I read four of her books and gave three of them around 5 stars. This is another five star and for me the main standout in an exemplary ouevre of fiction. If I had to pick 5 books to read stranded on an island, this would be one of them. This is one of the best written pieces of fiction I have EVER come across and I love it with all my heart.
I am such a nitpicky reviewer, but there honestly is nothing here I would change. Beautiful, sad, hopeful, inspiring, thought provoking, scientific, fantastical, anthropological, there's nothing here this book isn't and it does it all exceedingly well. Just wow....more
This is my third book by Yoshimoto now, and I was amazed to learn this was her debut effort - at age 22/23??? Beautifully written and crafted, with suThis is my third book by Yoshimoto now, and I was amazed to learn this was her debut effort - at age 22/23??? Beautifully written and crafted, with such tender explorations of the heart and soul, against a gorgeously quiet backdrop of Japan. Yoshimoto has this incredible gift for writing such vivid, artistic scenes, as if they were oil paintings, yet without ever being overly descriptive or using excessive/florid language.
The novella Kitchen has of course a few questionable references or descriptions of trans characters, and perhaps could have been a little longer or more fleshed out in some regards (namely with the girl who is in love with Yuichi), but overall I'd rate it a strong 4.5. The short story, "Moonlight Shadow", however, was utterly phenomenal, an absolute suckerpunch in the feels and the true standout here that made me ugly cry at the end. In just 40 pages, one of the most memorable and beautiful short stories I've ever read.
Fantastic book and pairing of works, not sure if every edition of Kitchen has the short story, so if not, would HIGHLY recommend this one....more
Absolutely loved this - I feel like this is Kawakami at her most mature, with a rich, fleshed out authorial voice that her previous books I read, whicAbsolutely loved this - I feel like this is Kawakami at her most mature, with a rich, fleshed out authorial voice that her previous books I read, which I loved, didn't quite possess. From what I can gather by publishing date, this was released (in Japan, 2020) roughly 15-25 years after the others, so that would make sense.
The Third Love, for me, was such a breath of fresh air amongst the translated Japanese literature I've read, in that it directly discusses and approaches difficult topics that are normally eschewed, or at most, are mentioned in characters' thoughts but rarely voiced in dialogue. In that regard, this book is quite modern, with many breathtaking observations on the nature of relationships, but the twist that I love is that these remarks are on the basis of understanding more about traditional, classical Japanese history, stories, and society. Essentially, the book looks at various forms in which love, desire, and passion takes shape in relationships between men and women in Japanese society, both in the present as well as in the past.
In my reading experience, contemporary Japanese literature often looks at industrialization and World War II as the main factors behind how modern society has developed and changed from what it was before. This book, however, analyzes how love, sex, and relationships were expressed in Japanese society "long, long ago", before industrialization and Westernization played a part, but doesn't ignore political or religious influence as put upon by the Chinese or Buddhism either, getting a glimpse at Japan's true roots.
With the crux of the novel resting on a pair of people who travel to the distant past in their dreams and form bonds there and in the real world, the book positions itself in many dualities: the past/present, reality/dreams, fiction/non-fiction, love/desire, modernity/tradition, community/individualism, just to name a few.
As someone who doesn't know much about Japanese history, I thought it was fascinating to get an intimate glimpse into a few parts of their society throughout time. And the protagonist's experiences in the distant past, both as a sex worker and a handmaid to a princess, made her personal journey of self-realization in the real world all the more impactful, and you truly get a 3D view of so much of what love means along with different ways you can love someone over the course of a relationship.
The book isn't perfect: while it was very readable and generally had sharply written passages, a few sections seemed a bit lazy - not sure if it was an issue of the translation, or further editing of the original text needed to be done, but a few parts were overly repetitive and there were a few too many "very" and "really" in what is otherwise a stately, prosaic writing. I noticed also at least two typographical errors in the novel and there's one on the back cover too. Did they rush release this for some reason?
Anyway, I love this book, I love this author, and I'm so glad I read this. My favorite by her so far, simply outstanding....more
Simply WOW - what a gorgeous, breathtaking, beautifully written and evocative novel. This book is quite literally everything - fiction, non fiction, pSimply WOW - what a gorgeous, breathtaking, beautifully written and evocative novel. This book is quite literally everything - fiction, non fiction, philosophy, all weaving together seamlessly through observations on many different types of love, all based on almost any metaphysical, conceptual, or physical substrate. Here we explore predominately romantic love through musings on nature, music, senses, death, language, technology, history, basically everything. And all of it set against the oncoming apocalypse and its aftermath through the love between our two protagonists through space and time.
Just phenomenal. Not a book to read quickly, some passages absolutely went over my head, and the back and forth between genres and long pieces of dialogue written fully in stream of consciousness was absolutely hard to process at times, so if you're up for a challenging and intellectual read, would ABSOLUTELY recommend this. One of the best books I read all year....more
God, I love Gina Chung so much. Green Frog is an all time favorite for me, especially among short story collections, and while I don't quite love her God, I love Gina Chung so much. Green Frog is an all time favorite for me, especially among short story collections, and while I don't quite love her debut as much, this is still a phenomenal book.
The main character for me was extremely relatable, a 30 something dysfunctional hot mess, but not in an over the top way like Emily Austin does her characters. She's just sad and struggles to wash her dishes or vacuum or change her unsatisfying job and drinks a bottle of wine at home because sometimes just existing is too much, you know?
Sea Change does a great job balancing hard topics like explorations of grief and loss with a gentle, empathetic, and compassionate approach through characters even when then say or do things that they shouldn't. Gina Chung just has a very humane approach to her characters, and there were many fascinating connections to the natural world and animals here too. Even in the midst of so much sorrow, there's beauty and wonder to be had in the brief time we have on this planet.
I do have some critiques, like the chapters in the past for awhile weren't quite as engaging as the present day (though I still liked them and they served an important role in the narrative), and after reading Green Frog, I expected this book to lean more into the weird or the speculative, but no, none of that, this is just a very grounded in reality literary fiction that looks at our relationships between friends and lovers and family and is super well done. Would highly recommend....more
Breaks my heart to say this is a 4.5 rounding up to 5 - this was SO close to being a 5, and perhaps even my favorite read of the year (or at least tieBreaks my heart to say this is a 4.5 rounding up to 5 - this was SO close to being a 5, and perhaps even my favorite read of the year (or at least tied with The Setting Sun). The first three stories were so emotional, poignant, and beautiful that the final two had to be as stellar and while they were very good they didn't quite live up to that momentum.
This book is all about meditations on memories and what they mean, how they impact us presently - and as someone who thinks a lot about the past and memories in particular I knew this book would be personal and deep for me, and it was. Yoshimoto's writing is stellar and the translation from Yoneda, just like with The Premonition from 2023, is some of the best I've ever read. The style is so fluid and simple, yet impactful, it's just so stunning to read.
Finally, I'd say I appreciate how this book looks at pain, grief, trauma, guilt, and sorrow, but from a slightly different perspective - usually the books I read focus more on the negative, but this book tries to find light and meaning through the ways our paths are shaped, no matter how painful. It was a breath of fresh air for me and something that I didn't realize I needed to read. Masterful book, would highly recommend to anyone/everyone....more