Read : 23

The first half of the year has been a bit scattered for me, with a lot happening in the background. Work and life took over, leading to many changes, and my reading mood was all over the place.

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Cosy Books

• What You Are Looking For Is In The Library by Michiko Aoyama ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.0)

  • "The Earth goes around. We gaze at the moon, illuminated by the sun. Feet on the ground and facing the sky, we go forward, changing as we do. In order to deliver a larger truth to the person looking down at an open page.” If you can relate to this quote, it closely captures what the book promises to offer when you read it!

  • This is a healing book, with themes similar to those in other books you might be familiar with. It’s the kind of book that lets you experience a slice of life and helps you feel less isolated with all the troubles you may have in real life, knowing there’s someone else who might be in a similar situation as you.

• How The Penguins Saved Veronica by Hazel Prior ⭐️⭐️⭐️(2.5)

  • This is the first book of the Veronica McCreedy series. I read it out of order, as I found the second and third books by accident at a secondhand bookshop. I thought the second and third books were really great, as the story revolves around the penguins and the exploration of their natural habitat (I basically learned something there, which I love!).

  • The story is about an old lady who is in search of her long-lost grandchild (who is quite a mess, really!). It includes a background story of her love life in the early 1940s (when wars were more common than saving the environment!). She has grown to be a wealthy woman and eventually has the ability to fund scientific research on penguins (she’s fond of them!). I like how Prior explores themes around grief and loss, family relationships, mending broken relationships, self-exploration to discover what you really want in life, a snippet of how the world was during wartime, and the love story between Veronica’s grandson and the penguin scientist.

  • It’s an easy read—chicklit, which usually is a breeze for me.

• Britt-Marie Was Here ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.0)

  • Britt-Marie is a peculiar character who can’t stand a mess! That’s how I remember her, and sometimes I felt like the author was describing the future me, lol! The story is about a lady with quirks that are both sad and indicative of an innocent and beautiful heart. This book made me laugh at her quirky thoughts and cry at her innocence, realizing how lonely she is and how poorly her husband treated her.

    I think this book is clever and wise. However, I couldn’t connect with the story as much as I expected. I found myself skimming the surface and hoping for a more transformative experience. Despite being less engaging than I thought it would be, I rate it a 3.0. Still, Britt-Marie is a memorable character, and I love her!

Related blogpost : Mini Booknotes : Welcome to Hyunam-dong Bookshop

Fantasy, Magic, Magical Realism

• The Forest of Stars by Heather Kassner ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.0)

  • I love this book! If you like dark fairy tales, circus, and gothic themes, this Young Adult novel is for you. It’s about a 12-year-old girl whose mother died, leading her on an adventure to search for her lost father. The story is filled with amazing scenes, magical qualities, and unique abilities in the children.

  • Louisa is an unforgettable character, and I admire her ability to ‘walk in the sky’ (her feet never touch the ground!). The story follows a girl who has to hide her real ability, thinking she is a weird human among the ‘normal’ society in her village. She eventually finds her own people, learns to love herself, makes genuine friendships, and embarks on an adventure to find her father.

    Many reviews mention that this book has a slight Coraline by Neil Gaiman vibe (which I haven’t read but is definitely on my TBR!).

• The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.0)

  • Similar themes to Alice in Wonderland! This book is about a 12-year-old girl who travels in a fairy world, embarking on a quest that teaches her about life. I love the world-building, the characters, and the plot. I appreciate the whimsical setting of this book, which at first glance seems perfect for middle grade children (or even for adults). I learned about many magical creatures in this book, most of which I was not familiar with, such as Spriggans, Golems, Wyverns, Kobolds, and many more.

  • The only problem I had with these creatures is that I wish the author had added some descriptions of what they look like as they are introduced. Unless children are familiar with all these folklores these days, I might be at a disadvantage because I am not too familiar with them.

  • Aside from that, I feel the story has something lacking (I'm not sure what exactly). I also have issues with the writing style, which I doubt is suitable for a 12-year-old child to read. For example, “It licked her fingers so passionately” ~ hmm, you did what to a 12-year-old? Was this for adults or middle grade readers? I’m not too sure. I might need to sit with my thoughts longer before picking up the sequel.

ARC Copies

• The Necromancer’s Apprentice by Beverly Twomey ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.5)

  • "Journey through grief and magic, woven with heartwarming whimsy." I

  • I have written a full review of this book. Full booknotes here

  • Release date : Oct 1st, 2024

• The Sibyl & The Thief by Cordelia Kelly ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.0)

  • "Courageous she-heroes on magical quests of friendship, redemption, and life’s meaning in a whimsical, mystical world.”

  • Release date : Sept 18, 2024

  • I have written a full review of this book. Full booknotes here

Uplifting

• Elevation by Stephen King ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.5)

  • This book is about a man named Scott who lives in a small town and experiences a strange medical condition in which he weighs lighter each day despite looking a little overweight physically. This is the first book I’ve read by Stephen King. The only reason I hadn’t picked up any of his books before was because of "IT" (a horror movie that haunted my childhood in the 90s).

    "Elevation" isn’t a horror book, which is why I decided to read it. It is a wholesome experience, though somewhat sad, and left me pondering life's possibilities at the end of the novella. I'm not too familiar with King's writing style (I assumed it was as good as the movies made based on his books), but I felt "Elevation" was a little weak for me. Perhaps my expectations were too high, leading to a bit of disappointment with this first experience reading his work.

    However, I did find myself consistently turning the pages and feeling engaged with the story. I love how King creates memorable characters around Scott as he touches their lives, forming genuine friendships and a caring community as his weight reduces to finally zero.

    Maybe I will find other books by King (definitely not horror like "IT") and hopefully, I will better understand his writing style next time.

• The Lido by Libby Page ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.0)

  • I picked up this book randomly from Book Excess bookshop during my birthday trip to Johor in May, not knowing much about it. I was hoping for something joyous and uplifting, and this book truly made my heart beam.

    The writing style reminded me of Carole Matthews—it's focused on life rather than intense romance, delving into female friendship and personal ambitions. The story follows Kate, a journalist who gets assigned to write an article about a closing public pool (the lido). She meets Rosemary, an elderly widow in her 80s who has been deeply connected to the lido since childhood. For Rosemary, the pool is a place of joy and healing, where she spent time with her late husband and found solace throughout life's challenges.

  • As Kate explores Rosemary’s story, she reflects on her own life choices, childhood memories with her beloved sister, and ultimately finds hope and healing. This book beautifully explores themes of heartache, loss, grief, personal healing, and the strength of female friendship within a tight-knit community.
    

Thriller & Murder

• The Last Lullaby by Carin Gerhardsen (#3 of Hammarby Series) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • Childhood trauma, serial killer, dark secrets—suspenseful Swedish complex crime series.

  • This is Book 3 of the Hammarby Series, which my husband recommended to me many years ago while we were still dating. I regret not picking it up sooner because I was immediately hooked by the writing style. I enjoyed piecing together the clues and solving the mysteries.

    As the series progresses from Book 1 to 3, we not only uncover multiple murder mysteries but also delve into the secrets of our main characters. It’s a fantastic blend of murder mystery and slice of life. While I loved Books 1 and 2 more than the third, the series as a whole is incredibly engaging.

Related blogpost : Booknotes of Hammarby Series (Book 1-3)

Grief & Loss, Dystopian

By Banana Yoshimoto

These are my second and third book by Yoshimoto. I’ve read Moshi Moshi which shares similar writing theme to the following books.

• The Premonition ⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • This novel follows 19-year-old Yayoi, who moves in with her aunt and begins to navigate life while developing feelings for her adopted brother. The story explores themes of realization, growing up, and confronting reality, with a complex and somewhat challenging romantic dynamic.

• Kitchen ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • This book is split into two stories that delve into love, loss, grief, and the resilience required to live fully. The first story centers on Mikagi, a girl who uses cooking to manage her grief by preparing meals for others. The second story features Satsuki, a 20-year-old who takes up jogging to cope with her sadness. Both characters find ways to accept their losses and confront their pain. The book touches on extreme sadness, loss, transgender experiences, family, and friendship, offering a warm and comforting reading experience through its elegant writing.

• Accidental Malay ⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • A straightforward story about the bi-racial issues in Malaysia. Jasmine, the main character, is a damsel in distress, grappling with her newfound identity as a Malay Muslim, who is pressured for not choosing Islam as her path. This book follows her journey of soul-searching and identity exploration as she decides what she truly wants in life. The story touches on actual events, current political issues, and boldly critiques Malaysian society. I really appreciate the author's courage in addressing taboo topics that can potentially offend the majority ethnic group in the country (but the author did not lie, though! - so that’s the spicy part. I have more thoughts on this, coming soon!

Related blogpost : 24 books of January in Japan

Dark & Disturbing Dystopian

• Asa: The Girl Who Turned into a Pair of Chopsticks by Natsuko Imamura (the author of The Woman in the Purple Skirt

  • A complex, emotional journey through whimsical, dark tales that are metaphorical, reflective, haunting, and evocatively memorable.

  • Full booknotes here (publish in aug)

Related blogpost : Booknotes : The Woman in the Purple Skirt

Historical Fiction

• Brotherless Night by V.V. Ganeshananthan ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • Stunted dreams of a 16-year-old girl amidst ethnic tension, power disputes, family loss, and irreversible decisions that shatter both family and country

  • Full booknotes on the blog and on my youtube

• The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • This book shares similar themes with Brotherless Night. It follows the friendship of two girls, Mi-Ja and Young-Sook, who have known each other since childhood but grow apart amidst the tension of World War II in the 1930s. Through their perspectives, we see how their lives become bitter and challenging over the next 6-7 decades.

  • Hanyeo (Sea Women) is a fascinating exploration of a Korean community where women, known as Hanyeo, work as divers in Jeju Island. This culture highlights women as the primary breadwinners and caregivers, which feels unusual even for an Asian like me.

  • I appreciated the strong female characters and the meticulous research the author conducted on the Hanyeo community. The book also ties in real historical events like the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings and makes a reference to the classic story Heidi, which Koreans seem to love.

    However, I was frustrated by the depiction of men’s misogynistic behavior, particularly their excuses for why women should do all the hard work, including diving. The rationale given—that men need to protect their testicles from the cold—seemed absurd to me.

  • Think this one deserve a space for its own wordy review, I plan to write a more detailed book note on this soon!

• Heidi by Johanna Spyri ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • I have a loose memory of Heidi from when my mother used to read it to me before bedtime. I have read it when I was 5 or 6, once I knew how to read. I remember vividly, it was also the book that made my mother dream of living in Switzerland. I re-read Heidi again right after finishing The Island of Sea Women, where it was mentioned a few times.

  • Heidi tells the story of an orphan who lives in the Alps with her grandfather and brings joy to everyone she meets. The book follows her adventure when she is forced to leave the mountains and her eventual decision to return to her grandfather and friends.

• Accidental Malay ⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • A straightforward story about the bi-racial issues in Malaysia. Jasmine, the main character, is a damsel in distress, grappling with her newfound identity as a Malay Muslim, who is pressured for not choosing Islam as her path. This book follows her journey of soul-searching and identity exploration as she decides what she truly wants in life. The story touches on actual events, current political issues, and boldly critiques Malaysian society (Ethnic focused). I really appreciate the author's courage in addressing taboo topics that can potentially offend the majority ethnic group in the country (but the author did not lie, though! - so that’s the spicy part). I have more thoughts on this, coming soon!

Non-Fictions

• On-Writing by Stephen King ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Great for writing tips and little snippet of King’s personal life.

• The Qu’ran by Muhammad AS Abdel Haleem ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - The best and most elegant quran translation I have read!

• The Culture Map ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

• 7 Rules for Positive Productive Change (Micro Shifts, Macro Results) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

• Lead The Way in Five Minutes A Day by Jo Anne Preston ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

• How To Be Strategic by Fred Pelard ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Related blogpost : Booknotes : Feel Good Productivity

Until next time, happy reading friends! Happy Saturday!

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