Author: jeanne188

Friday Reads
Aug 19

Looking at my Goodreads, I have found something that is really interesting to me. I started using the website to keep track of my reading in 2013. Now 9 years later, I have marked a total of 499 books completed. Any day now, I will finish reading my 500^th book! What do I do to celebrate?!

I guess I will take a break. For Friday, I will relax and go see a movie.

I will also think about the next books I will read.

The end of summer is proving to be a busy time, but I do want to make time for them.

Two books I have in mind are:

Fifteen Dogs by André Alexis

The gods Hermes and Apollo make a wager. What would happen if dogs are given the same intelligence as humans? The story follows a group of dogs as they navigate the world with new awareness.

The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi

One day a mother opens the door and finds the wrapped body of her son. This leads the family on a struggle to better understand a person they thought they knew.

Friday Reads

August 12

It is morning. A breeze is blowing the blinds and a radio is playing in the background. Friday is here so it is time for a Friday Reads.

With it being late summer, I have decided to take it easy with reading. I should be able to reach my goal of 52 books if I read one book a week from now until the end of the year.

The two titles I have chosen this week are speculative books on climate change and environment.

Watershed by Doreen Vanderstoop is by a small press called Freehand Books. It is set 30 or 40 years from now when the glaciers have melted and there is a devastating drought on the prairies.  Willa Van Bruggen runs a goat farm with her family. Vanderstoop is an author based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The book is her debut novel. Doreen Vanderstoop is part of an in-person author reading night at Shelf Life Books in Calgary on August 16 at 7 pm.

On Such A Full Sea by Chang-Rae Lee imagines a future planet where environmental disaster has meant workers such as Fan will have to travel the world and she will end up in the self-contained labour settlements in America where many neighbourhoods have been abandoned. It is a look at a possible near future if environmental and social issues are not addressed in the tradition of Octavia E. Butler and Cormac MacCarthy.

That is it from me this week. Happy reading!

Friday Reads
August 5

Today, I am excited to tell you about the books I plan to read this Friday and into the next week.

First is The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid. It takes place in Pakistan. A man introduces himself to an American stranger about his love affair with an American woman. I have had the book for a while and have a couple more by the author. Now that there is a new book called The Last White Man, I have decided to go back to read older works by the author.

The next book I have on my list this week is This Is How We Love by Lisa Moore. I have meant to read books by Lisa Moore. Now that she has this new book out, I had decided to take the plunge and get into her writing. For the longest time I held onto an ARC of her earlier book Caught that I found at a Little Free Library. I was glad to be able to obtain her new release this year and am finally getting around to it a few months later.

The third book on my list is the YA title This Time Will Be Different by Misa Sugiura. I started reading the book this week. While I might be busy during the weekend, I think I will be getting back to the book during the week. It is a perfect commute book I can read while on the bus. I am already 100 pages in. So far I find it will be quick read about CJ who is helping out at her aunt’s flower shop and connecting to the past experiences of the Japanese American community.

Next, I have a non-fiction book I would like to read. I know I should have read it ages ago. I have an interest in urban studies and am in the process of publishing a poetry book about my experiences of city life where I live. The book is The City in History by Lewis Mumford, which also has a 6-part documentary series on the National Film Board of Canada website.

Finally, I have one more book I would like to try to finish in August. That book is Golden Son by Pierce Brown. It is the second book in a sci-fi series, where there are clear references to Ancient Rome and Greece, as well as a society divided into classes. It is about one man who is in the Red class of labourers, and how he fights to become part of the ruling class of Golds.

Well. That is it for me this week. Hope you have a good day and happy reading!

Books Mentioned in Post:

The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid

The Last White Man by Mohsin Hamid

This Is How We Love by Lisa Moore

Caught by Lisa Moore

This Time Will Be Different by Misa Sugiura

The City in History by Lewis Mumford

Golden Son by Pierce Brown

August Summer TBR 2022

Welcome to my website JKStar88 Reader. I am here to tell you about the books I would like to read for August.

This will be long list for me, so let’s get started.

Golden Son by Pierce Brown

The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi

Fifteen Dogs by Andre Alexis

Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel

Writers & Lovers by Lily King

Carry Overs

French Concession by Xiao Bai

The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nigh Vo

Love After Love by Ingrid Persaud

Extras

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini

What happens when you are on an island paradise and you never want to leave?

That’s what Aloe Malone discovers when she steps on the beautiful beaches of Blue Haven. At age 25, Aloe worked at a restaurant. She wins the lottery and decides on taking a chance.

There, she meets new friends, a retired couple, a former soldier and an opera singer. She enjoys the views and wonderful dining options. It is a place folks pay good money to go and they get treated to the comforts and care they would not get in the everyday would back home in the big city.

Then one day, Aloe finds a mysterious journal written by a woman who seems to have left it behind, and Aloe begins to notice unsettling things about the place she is staying as well as about the friends she spends time with. There is more to Blue Haven than what Aloe sees on the surface.

Blue Haven is a sci-fi thriller that is subtle in its approach with a mystery and tension that builds over time until Aloe must confront the truth about the place she is staying, as well as herself.

I gave the novel 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

Friday Reads on A Saturday

July 23

It is on the morning of Saturday. I had a late night at a music festival, then got home and read until 1 am. I am having a late start though I wanted to get up early to read some more. I definitely got the sleep I had wanted.

I am here to tell you about the books I would like to get to this Fri… no Saturday and into the next week.

First I can say I have finished two novels I have been working on. They were Less by Andrew Sean Greer and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. They were both short leisurely reads.

Less was released a few years ago. It won the Pulitzer Prize and will be getting a sequel. It is about a writer named Arthur Less who travels to different parts of the world and meeting with the men he has relationships with.

The Great Gatsby is a modern classic about a man on Long Island who has a party at his mansion and the neighbours and famous people are invited. The book takes place during the Jazz Age is supposed to be a slice into the lives of the guests who show up to the party.

Now that I have read The Great Gatsby, I can go on to the next novel I have, The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo, which is a retelling. It follows Jordan Baker an adoptee with a Vietnamese background who finds herself living the American Dream though as a person of colour doesn’t have equal standing at that time in history.

Next, I have a book that is on my currently reading list. I started to read the book back in May and am getting around to it again. That book is Love After Love by Ingrid Persaud. It is a book about widow and her son. They live in Trinidad. A family friend moves in to help with household expenses. If secrets is revealed, it can lead to devastating consequences.

My library book pick of the week is Flowers of Darkness by Tatiana de Rosnay. It is about a writer who is in a residency in a near future Paris. A few unsettling things have occurred, so there is triller/mystery element to the story. The description on the inside flap is intentionally vague, so I will have to read it to find out what the book is about.

Finally, I have one more book to talk about. That book is Counterfeit by Kirsten Chen. This is a contemporary novel set in San Francisco. Ava seems to have it all: a law degree, a husband who is a surgeon and a toddler. Suddenly she finds her personal life falling apart, and she meets a friend from college who seems to be doing well for herself. Winnie wears expensive clothes and accessories because she has made it through the sale of counterfeit luxury goods. The novel was released a few weeks ago and received some hype around it online.

Thanks for visiting and I hope to see you again!

Books Mentioned in Post:

Less by Andrew Sean Greer

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo

Love After Love by Ingrid Persaud

Flowers of Darkness by Tatiana de Rosnay

Counterfeit by Kirsten Chen

Friday Reads
July 15

Friday is here again which means it is another Friday Reads. Hope you have enjoyed your week full of good books, I hope.

Today, I will tell you about 3 books I had in mind to read for this Friday and into the next week. Here goes.

Fall On Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald is by Canadian author, playwright, and actor. It takes place in the 19^th and early 20^th century, following the Piper sisters from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. They move to and survive in New York City, as well as WWI. The book gained greater popularity when it was chosen to be in Oprah’s Book Club in 2002. The book is already on my July TBR, so I am happy I am getting around to reading this book.

I am putting more effort to reading newer releases. The book I have chosen for this category is Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen. It is about an Asian American woman who seems to have it all: a law degree, a surgeon for a husband, and a toddler. Beneath the façade her personal life falling apart. She meets and old friend who seems to have made it big through the sale of counterfeit goods. The book was released in June 2022.

Finally, I have one more book to talk to you about. That book is Goliath by Tochi Onyebuchi. It is a sci-fi novel set the near future where the Earth is emptying. Those with the means are leaving earth to live in colonies in outer space. I wanted to read the book when it was first released in January 2022. I am glad I am able to read this now. This book is also my library book pick of the week.

Books mentioned in this post:

Fall On Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald

Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen

Goliath by Tochi Onyebuchi

Friday Reads

July 8

After a busy day, it is good to take some time to wind-down, listen to some music, and enjoy a cool glass of water. It is Friday again which means another Friday Reads.

The books I have chosen are a mix of ones I am already reading for the July TBR, and books I am pulling from my shelves because they catch my fancy.

These are the books I have selected:

Freshly Opened Titles:

The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

The Great Gatsby b F. Scott Fitzgerald

Library Pick:

You’re History: The Twelve Strangest Women in Music by Lesley Chow

Already Reading TBR Books

Less by Andrew Sean Greer

The Book of M by Peng Shepherd

July TBR 2022 Summer Reads

I will be brief for this post. I want to spend more of the evening reading and less on the computer. It is after dinner where I am. I enjoyed fresh veggies and salmon. I can still taste the sauce it was in that had ginger and garlic. I received a few items in the mail. They are some cute stationery items I am collecting to store until the time is right to go back to journaling again. I have the materials and am saving scrap paper wherever I go so I have them on hand when I feel like being crafty again. At the moment, I am enjoying the reading plans I have set for myself. I am pushing myself a little more in terms of the quantity as well as quality of books I am reading. I would like to reach my goal of reading 52 books this year and maybe more if I tried.

These are the books I have in mind for July.

Carry-Overs From June

Land of Big Numbers
by Te-ping Chen

Green Grass Running Water
by Thomas King

Less
by Andrew Sean Greer

Fresh Titles

The Belles
by Dhonielle Clayton

The Merry Wives of Windsor
by William Shakespeare

Diamond Grill
by Fred Wah

Fall on Your Knees
by Ann-Marie MacDonald

The Wolf and The Woodsman
by Ava Reid

Friday Reads on a Saturday

June 25

Almost every post, I talk about how quickly the year is passing by. It is already June and soon will be July.

I am enjoying the weather and the so far manageable heat where I live. Not sure about other places. I also had time to enjoy music at a festival, delicious food and beverages, and walking around the city and seeing the streets lively with activity. The effects of Covid are still being felt and is a reality for so many, but the world continues to turn. What are these sorrows, pains, and fears? They are real, but so are the stars in the sky with light that is ancient by the time they can be detected with human sight. Who knows what we are to any observers lightyears away from us?

Yes. I tend to go into philosophical and scientific musings sometimes. This post is supposed to be about the books I am interested in reading this week. I will definitely not get to all of them, but I have high hopes of getting to them some day.

Books For this Week:

Green Grass Running Water
by Thomas King

Radio Silence
by Alice Oseman

Mini-Haul:

Blood Washing Blood: Afghanistan’s Hundred Year War
by Phil Halton

Alligator
by Lisa Moore

Leave Society
by Tao Lin

Library Pick:

The City We Became
by N.K. Jemisin

Friday Reads
June 17

The official start of summer will soon be here. I have actually been in summer mode since the end of May, and I find that the days are passing by quickly with the assignments that keep popping up and keeping me busy. I have to say that I am not doing the reading I would like to do, but I am actually on track for my reading challenge for 2022. I have technically read 26/52 books I have set for my goal this year. Today, I am adding more books even though I know it will take me a while to get to them.

So here are the books on my Friday Reads.

Less by Andrew Sean Greer

Angel’s Blood by Nalini Singh

Mini-Haul

Putin’s People: How the KGB Took Back Russia and Then Took on the West
by Catherine Belton

The Summer of Bitter and Sweet
by Jen Ferguson

Library-Haul

When I’m Gone, Look for Me in the East
by Quan Barry

Necessary People
by Anna Pitoniak

Friday Reads

June 10^th

After trying out a more ambitious approach to my reading.  I find I have to be more realistic. I want to read all the books, but I can only go at a pace I am comfortable with.

For this Friday Reads, I have drifted back towards titles I have been meaning to read. I got distracted by some newer works, but I feel it is time to go back to ones I had planned to read before and give them a go. If you can tell that I have been watching British booktubers, that is correct.

Here are the books I plan to read this week

The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur

The Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis

The Book of M by Peng Shepherd

Book Added to Collection

All The Seas of the World by Guy Gavriel Kay

Friday Reads
June 3

It is a quiet evening as I write this. With June here already, there is a sense that the world is moving ahead no matter of the problems. The Earth still rotates and travels around the sun. The days go by, and flowers bloom in the garden and grassy fields. The rain falls one day, and the next day it is sunny.

I have here my Friday Reads for the first weekend of June.

The books are split into 3 categories:

Books I am reading, A Library Book Haul, and a Mini-Book Haul

Hope you enjoy and find something interesting to you.

Currently Reading

The Summer Tree
By Guy Gavriel Kay

Frankly In Love
By David Yoon

Library Haul

The Electric Hotel
By Dominic Smith

My Ackee Tree: A Chef’s Memoir of Finding Home in The Kitchen By Suzanne Barr with Suzanne Hancock

The Premonition: A Pandemic Story
By Michael Lewis

Mini-Haul

The Idiot
By Fyodor Dostoevsky

Animal
By Lisa Taddeo

June TBR 2022 Summer Time Reads

June TBR 2022

Hi. My name is Jeanne. Welcome to my blog, JKStar88 Reader

Today, I am here to do a June TBR.

These are the books I hope to get to in the month of June. Are you ready for them?

First, I would like to read Frankly In Love by David Yoon.

I haven’t read any books by David Yoon. I’ve held on to his debut novel for a few years now. He has since released a few more books, so I am excited to finally put it on my TBR for June.

It is about Frank Li in Love, a Korean-American boy. He is 18 years old and is dating the girl of his dreams. His parents have other ideas. They want him to date a Korean-American girl.

He turns to a family friend to help him out. They essentially fake date so his parents don’t find out who he is actually dating.

The book was popular on book tube awhile ago. Now that the hype has simmered down, it is time for me to take it off the shelf.

The next book on my list is Alligator by Lisa Moore.

Lise Moore is an author who recently released a new book. Started reading it, but have decided to go back to reading Alligator, which is a book I started before.

I’ve talked about it in a previous post.

I would like to read the library copy I have before it is due back at the library. If I make time this week, I should get it done.

The book is about a cast of characters who call St. John’s, Newfoundland home.

The title says alligator which might mean the book is about nature, or it could be a metaphor about what appears on the surface is not what there all is there to know about individuals and neighbours.

Lisa Moore draws inspiration from Flannery O’Connor, so I will have to see about that and the things people want to hide about themselves in town.

I am doing my best to read new titles released this year. I have a few already, but I tend to put off reading them.

I have decided that has to change slightly, so I have a book released this past week in my possession.

That book is Either/Or by Elif Batuman. The book is a follow-up to the Idiot which was inspired by a book with the same name by Fyodor Dostoevsky.

While I found the novel by Elif Batuman to be so-so, I decided that when I heard that there would be a follow-up novel, that I had to get it.

Now Either/Or is here, and I am trying to hype it up in my mind so I will read it immediately.

The story is about the second year that Selin spends in her undergraduate degree in Harvard. It is meandering dense novel where nothing seems to happen. Sometimes the style works for me, sometimes it doesn’t.

So, I’ll have to see how I find this second novel.

It is almost summer. For me it is the perfect time to read horror and thrillers. I have meant to read Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler.

I have read the Parable of a Sower duology, which I found intense. I think I found Fledgling at a thrift store and it has sat in a box under by desk for awhile now.

I also have other titles by Octavia E. Butler as ebooks, but I have decided that this relatively short book about vampires as my way back to the many worlds Butler has created through her very impactful speculative novels.

Finally, I have one more book to talk about in this June TBR video.

That book is Green Grass, Running Water by Thomas King. I keep starting and stopping this novel. You might be able to see a trend when it comes to my reading habits.

Thomas King is an Indigenous novel I have read a few works by. The first thing I read was his Massey Lecture, The Truth About Stories.

There is a lecture series in Canada called the CBC Massey Lectures held by the public television and radio network where a lecturer is chosen to deliver a talk about a matter of public importance. The Truth About Stories is an important book for me that I read early in my life engaged in the work of writing and journalism. It helped me to understand the role of storytelling in Indigenous cultures and started my journey in understanding my role as a settler in colonized land.

I actually have a few more recent books by Thomas King, but I have decided to go back to this one from 1993.

That is it for me in this post. See you again for more.

Books Mentioned:

Frankly In Love by David Yoon

Alligator by Lisa Moore

Either/Or by Elif Batuman

Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler

Green Grass, Running Water by Thomas King

Friday Reads

May 20^th

Welcome to another Friday Reads. I’m here to tell you about the books I am reading and would like to read this Friday and into the next week.

I am marking the start of the 4^th week of the Asianreadathon. The month of May has been busy, so I haven’t read as much as I wanted. The month is not over yet, so hopefully I can check off more books on my reading list.

I am having fun picking out the books to read this month, and getting to know the works of writers that were on my radar, but did not get a chance to read before now.

I am having a good time with the Asian Readathon as well as Asian Heritage Month activities.

So now we’ll get to talking about the books.

Of the books I spoke about last week, one that has kept my attention was Love After Love by Ingrid Persaud.

It is the story about a widow, her teenage son, and the colleague that moves in with them.

The family are Indo-Caribbean who are from Trinidad. I got far enough in the book where the reader sees the son head out on his own to New York City. He doesn’t have any clue of the new life he would have, but he is determined to get away from his mother now that he feels he is now older.

He moves in with relatives and sets out to find work.

Next, the book I am interested in reading is Mango and Peppercorns by Tung Nguyen, Katherine Manning, Lyn Nguyen, and Elisa Ung.

Published in 2021, the book was released in time to commemorate the Fall of Saigon which Tung Nguyen escaped on a boat and spent nine days on the ocean.

Tung Nguyen is a talented chef and the book details how she ended up in Miami and began a new life where a significant portion of her life is spent working at a Vietnamese restaurant.

It is mixture of a food memoir and family story.

Finally, one more book I want to get into. It is A Separation by Katie Kitmura.

I have enjoyed reading her previous novels, so I am interested in finally getting around to this. It is about a young woman going through a time of separation from her husband who has been unfaithful.

It is slim volume, so should be a quick and emotional read.

Friday Reads

May 13

Today, I am doing a Friday Reads. These are the books I have read, am currently reading, and would like to get to this Friday and into the next week.

First is Shatter Me by Teherah Mafi. I went back to read this last week after putting the book down for a few months. So far I am finding it to be an interesting read.

The main character Juliette seems to care too much about the people around her, even those who are clearly her enemies.

She was taken into prison and has lived in a cell for more than 200 days. Her power means that she is lethal to those she touches.

Those in charge in her world would like to use her powers for their ends.

Juliette does not want to be part of their plans and does not be the one to cause harm to people.

I have read more than 100 pages and would like to continue further into the book.

On Sal Mal Lane

Next, I have a book by Ru Freeman, who is a Sri Lankan American author.

The story is about the Herath family who move into a new neighbourhood.

The book is about the family getting to know their new neighbours and in the process the reader gets to learn more about the members of the family.

The novel takes place in Sri Lanka with a map inside that shows the provinces and cities in detailed and elegant way.

I look forward to reading a book by a Sri Lankan author I have read from yet.

This week has been busy with Asian Heritage Month events. I will talk about just one more book, and hope that I will actually have time to read this week.

The last book in this post is:

Love After Love

I borrowed the book from the library two years ago when Ingrid Persaud won the Costa Book Award.

I didn’t end up reading it then. I had to return it to the library before I got around to it.

I was excited to see it at the book store the other day, so I decided at that moment to purchase it.

The story is about an older woman who becomes a widow. She invites a colleague to move in to live with her and her son to help with household expenses.

There are secrets that when uncovered can lead to heart-breaking consequences.

That is all I know about the book. I would like to get to it soon.

Thanks for checking out this site and I will see you next time.

Friday Reads
May 6, 2022

Today, it is time for a Friday Reads. These are the books I have read, am currently reading, and will be reading this Friday and into the next week.

First, I would like to say that I have finished one book this past week. That book is A Visit From The Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan. This is about two main characters Bennie and Sasha. The book opens with the two working for the same record company. Bennie is an executive and Sasha is an assistant. From there, the book moves backwards and forwards in time, and the reader gets to meet the many people whose lives Bennie and Sasha intersect while part of the music and party scene. Ambition leads to greed and excess in lifestyle and drug use. There are predators in the business, and there are ones dedicated to the craft, as well as the sell. They all have their part in the cast of characters that readers meet. The same persons who can be cruel, are also vulnerable and mortal as well. The book is raw and emotional, showing ugliness in human characters and well as beauty and tenderness that music is supposed to be able to capture. I had to debate what rating I would give it, and finally settled at a 4 although it could have been a 3. I had to read all the way to the end for the score to settle in my minds, and I don’t think it is quite settled yet.

I also started The Birthday Girl by Melissa de la Cruz last week as part of my read for the Asianreadathon. The book deals with similar themes as the Qoon Squad, but not as intense or with as many characters. I will see if I will have time to read the rest of the book this week. If follows Ellie who is celebrating her 40^th birthday with a glamorous party. She is successful with a career and family, but someone from her past has returned which threatens to upend her current life. At first I thought the book would be a mystery thriller, but it is more of a contemporary drama about a rich woman and how she remade her life the more obscure life she had.

Next, I would like to talk about books I would like to read this week.

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

A dystopian YA fantasy, Juliette is 17 years old and finds herself in prison. She has stayed there for more than 200 days. Her touch is lethal. She was locked up because of the horrible power she has. Then she is let out of prison and the Re-establishment wants something from her.

I started this book a few months ago. I have a long list of books I have started, and it is time to pick this book up again.

The book fits with the Asianreadathon as Tahereh Mafi is an Iranian American author.

Diamond Grill by Fred Wah

Next on my list Diamond Grill by Fred Wah. The book is by a Chinese-Canadian author who has long been on the Canadian literary scene. Only now am I getting around to reading his works. I begin with Diamond Grill which is about a family with a Chinese restaurant in small-town Canada.

This is about the early Chinese workers in Canada who had to establish their own businesses because they were not welcome in white owned and dominated businesses, trades or professions.

It is an important story for me personally as someone with family members who have established and worked in rural restaurants and diners in Canada.

I found this 10^th anniversary edition in the used book section of a local independent bookstore and it was first published in 1996.

This is How We Love by Lisa Moore

A new book, This Is How We Love is the latest from the Newfoundland author. I started reading her previous book Alligator in preparation for this new release. The story follows 21-year old Xavier who finds himself attacked while outside during a winter storm. The story weaves in Xavier’s story along with various generations of his family members, and friends.

I generally enjoy books by Newfoundland authors, and this book is on my most anticipated book releases of the year, so I can’t wait to start this week.

Alright. That is it for me this week. I’ll talk to you again next week.

Friday Reads
April 29^th

May is a few days away. That means it is Asianreadathon time again. I take part every year, and I wish there was more time to read all the books I want to read.

There are only 5, but they are challenging because three are in Chinese, one is in Japanese, and one in English. One of my goals this year is to improve my reading comprehension in Chinese and I know it will take me more than just one month to do it. I feel the motivation as well as the need to dedicate the time because I really need the ability to read an write in Chinese as someone of Chinese descent, but also for social, academic and professional requirements.

Below is my official TBR for May, but I might have more to throw in as my interest will likely wonder to other books I have the fit the challenges for the readathon this year.

Happy Asian Heritage Month for those in Canada!

Happy Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month for those in the United States!

I only have a few books in Chinese or Japanese, so I am making effort to read them in May for #asianreadathon in May for #asianheritagemonth in Canada and #asianamericanpacificislanderheritagemonth in the United States

1. Tang Dynasty Poems in Mandarin

2. Once Upon a Time in Hong Kong by 馬家輝

– a literary fiction novel in Cantonese

3. Detention

– Novelization of a Taiwanese horror movie

4. 火の路 by 松本清長

– A nonfiction text about a historical village in Japan

5. The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo

The first book in a trilogy, Escaping First Contact established a universe where humans have long been at war with an alien species. In this universe Rammy flies the space craft while Kosa is the woman military officer in charge. While fighting aliens they been taught to fight for a long time, Rammy and Kosa find themselves trapped with their foes on a ship that belongs to an even more stranger and stronger foe. They must find a way to work together with long term enemies to fight a greater threat, and somehow make it home before the greater enemy captures them.

For a brief amount of time, Rammy and Kosa find themselves form a bit of a found family with their traditional enemies and other alien beings. Alternating between action and fighting, with quieter moments where character-building and back stories are given, the author creates compelling and strange beings that are human and nonhuman as they interact with each other and find common ground. Some interesting ideas about relationships and sexuality are explored which are strange and interesting as some of the alien creatures seem to be inspired by the underwater beings that actually live in Earth’s oceans.

After the first dive in the first volume, there are enough loose threads and intrigue to make the next books in the trilogy appealing. The author also makes the characters with enough emotional depth and interesting dynamics between them to make spending more time with them to be a worthwhile endeavor.

To find out more about Escaping First Contact and the rest of The Burnt Ship trilogy visit

https://www.nostromopublications.com/

Welcome to the new home for JKStar88 Reader, a blog mostly on writing, stories and books. Now that it is spring, it is time to put a little more thought and effort to this site. It is from the love of reading that this blog exists. I plan to dive into more adventures through the written word and help to make sense of them in the strange and eventful world we live in today. I hope you enjoy what is here so far, and will return for future musings, delights, and explorations of human endeavors.

April TBR 2022

It is late on a Sunday. I have just returned from watching a movie on Oscar night. I have to say. I haven’t paid that much attention to the award contenders this year. I have been busy. Mostly because I like reading, and I sleep too much.

After watching the movie, it reminds me that I need to do things to improve my life as well. One of the take-aways from the movie was about valuing the people around you, and taking care of yourself. I definitely need to exercise more, spend more time outdoors instead of being cooped inside reading all day. It means I can change my schedule. I can put more variety into my daily to-do list. Instead of reading first thing in the morning, I can go out for a walk. I can clean and organize. I can spend less time on my own, go downstairs and spend more time in other parts of the house. I can contribute more to the household besides just looking after myself. I can be less selfish and look after other people better. I can learn to care more about people, make friends instead of ignoring everyone. I should have made these resolutions at the start of year, so hopefully it is not too late now that it is soon going to be April.

Here is my To-Be-Read pile for the new month

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

A Visit From The Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

The Other Passenger by Louise Candlish

Friday Reads
April 22

A video is playing and the music sounds magical. Is it enough to sooth after a week that is going by like a flash when life is speeding up and it is time to slow down, take a few breaths, then carry on with the task at hand. When it is time to rest is when it is time to work. I am staying up later than I would like, and the mornings tend to start later than I would like. I have so many reading plans and I am powering through even when life gets messy. Drinking coffee during the day and herbal tea at night, some how this project is finding readers even when it is only friends and family.

This week, I am interested in getting back to reading books for Jennifer Egan. She recently released a new book, The Candy House. While debating whether to get it or not, I am going back to her debut novel, A Visit From The Goon Squad which was published in 2010. That was more than 10 years ago. It captures life in the music business and has a cast of characters. I guess it will be bit of a trip back in time and I feel somehow uneasy about since the industry has definitely touched my life.

Friday Reads
April 15

After a week of gloom and spring snow that gives much needed moisture, I can say I did enjoy going around the city with clumps of the white stuff falling down around me.

I am here again to talk about my Friday Reads. A book I have meant to get to for a very long time is The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien. What makes April a good time to read it. We are well into spring, and going into the warmer months. Classes in post-secondary are done, and there are final exams to complete. Although I am not in classes anymore, I still feel a sense of the rhythm that is campus life. It is also the time of year when the annual comic-con is taking place, so a return to that geeky part of my personality is in order. And I don’t think that aspect of myself leaves even when I read what might be considered to be more serious literature.

As the days pass by so quickly it seems these days, I am doing my best to take one step at a time, even when I now have the urge to speed up. For two years, life seemed to be on pause of much of the world. I have cherished the time that it allowed me to think and grow in areas I did not think to without the time to reflect and take stock on the life I have had so far. I reached out for new opportunities to contribute to the community, as well as learn new skills and knowledge. By reaching out to others, I found myself gain confidence as well as drive to keep going on the path I am on. It is a difficult and also rewarding path that I hope I am ready for the challenges and unexpected turns along the way.

When thinking about the adventures that await the heroes in The Lord of the Rings, I just had to bring it back to the life I have right now, and the real adventure I have navigating this strange and complicated world that we really live in. I am sure it will be worth it in the end to have live and be part of the world we live in full of joy, magic, and hope, but also hard work and danger as well.

Friday Reads
April 8

Just one more thing. One more thing before calling it a night.

I don’t think I am being realistic. I am being too ambitious with my Friday Reads this week. This post doesn’t seem like much, but you can check out the video that will be posted on the YouTube channel. All you have to do is to search the channel name. It is JKStar88 Reader. It is the same as the name of this blog. Find the latest posts.

It is a new season, which means tackling new goals in reading. I am building up the excitement and focus needed to get the reading done.

Some many books, and so little time. There are definitely more I have my eye on, but I have to be happy with the books I already have.

This week, I have decided to make effort to reading the books on my April TBR. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline is one of them. I know I am late for the boat on this, but I am determined to see what the hype is about now that everyone seems to be looking for the next shiny thing.

I should feel okay going at my own pace. I am working on it. I need to be patience. It doesn’t mean I will be reading new books now. It just means I will have to enjoy reading for myself and not for anyone else.

Harmless Like You by Rowan Hisayo Buchanan – A Review in April 2022

The cover only hints at the world and the dangers it has for a young girl alone in America and her parents gone back to Tokyo. When Yuki is a teenager, the war is happening in Vietnam. She lives her private individual life, but the world touches her as she finds herself thinking about a war and what it means to be Asian in America at that time.

The perspective alternates between Yuki and Jay. Jay is Yuki’s son when he is grown and has a baby of his own.

The story is about ordinary people who are concerned with the world of beauty, expression, and art. What does it mean to create something of value? Who values it and why?

Sometimes what is shown in a photograph or picture is only a fragment of what can be expressed for the world to see. Often people hold back their true selves that can be cruel or indifferent, obsessive, competitive or need to belong as an immigrant or outsider.

By showing the differences between 1975 and 2016 with the technological advances, have people really changed since then, or people still act the same except they are more aware of the private lives and thoughts of individuals through social media. They can get caught up in private drama, and the struggles of daily life, and they can influence decision and policy makers, whether they have the experience, education, or expertise or not.

The idealization that many had expressed for information technology when first introduced to the public has lead to reality of what the democratization of technology really means. The social and political societies that already existed become replicated online, and new participants in the discourse take stage, even as the barriers to the access of political, social, or economic power remains or are reinforced.

Friday Reads

April 1

On another late night, I find that I must change. I was not aware of the need to change, but after a year on this site, I find I cannot remain the same.

In terms of my reading, I am branching out to authors I have not read before. Maybe it will lead to viewpoints and experiences I have not considered before.

For this Friday Reads, I have decided to pick The Other Passenger by Louise Candlish as my main read for the weekend. Who knows where this will go? As a mystery, that is the intriguing part of the story. I have not read anything by this author even though she is well established. I saw her speak at an online author event and have meant to read her work ever since. She has a new book recently published called The Heights, but I have decided to read the one before that one. It is a mystery that takes place on a passenger ship that is part of the commute to and from work. The premise of the novel can make a reader think the mysterious lives other people on a boat or train. Sometimes it is interesting to get into a conversation with a fellow passenger, and many other times it is best to maintain the mystery and distance from others around you.