#recentlyread

[thatharpist]

I am officially OBSESSED with the ACOTAR series! Rhys and the gang have stolen my heart for the foreseeable future... Sorry Loki! 😬 I need all of the merch immediately! This series just makes me so happy. I love the Inner Circle so so much, and makes me wish that I had a close friend group more like them! QOTD: Do you try and find connections between props and the book they're with for photos? Do you have a friend group like the Inner Circle? I think I end up thinking too much about connections, honestly! But I had a lot of fun with this set-up. I tried to pull influences from all of the courts and events in the book. Hence the gold and red for Autumn and Day Courts standing out a bit compared to the cooler tones in the rest of the picture! . . . #pagesfromalibrary #acotar #acourtofthornsandroses #acomaf #acourtofmistandfury #acowar #acourtofwingsandruin #sarahjmaas #bookstagram #instabooks #bookishlove #readmorebooks #instabooklovers #booksbooksandmorebooks #bibliophiles #bookaddicted #bookcommunity #booksta #recentlyread #recentreads #feyre #feyrearcheron #rhysand #nightcourtinnercircle #nightcourt #fae #highfae #fantasy #fantasybooks #reads https://www.instagram.com/p/CEDQezEgeHb/?igshid=142kcfolqq8s2

[adayinbookland]

July 7th, 2020 || 📚mini reviews: july reads📚 . 🌿La acusación by Bandi (translated by Héctor Bofill & Hye Young Yu). I normally don’t read short story collections because they tend to be a hit or miss for me but I was intrigued by this one. As always, I enjoyed some stories more than others but, as a whole, the collection is a worthy read and it pains the very bleak reality for millions of people in North Korea (7.5/10) . 🌿My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh. This novel was a ride for sure! Very dark, somewhat vulgar and extremely compelling for sure, but the ending threw me off completely and although it might have worked for some readers, it didn’t for me. What I “liked” the most was the depiction of depression through both the main character and her friend Reva (7/10). . What are you currently reading? • • • #julyreads #adayinbooklandreviews #recentlyread #recentreads #unitedbookstagram #bookloversunite #bookloversday #myyearofrestandrelaxation #literaryfiction #laacusacion #bandi #shortstorycollection #bookreviewers #bookreviews #booksandcoffee #bookaesthetics #translatedfiction https://www.instagram.com/p/CCVjBmHqNfw/?igshid=1cr2bhpi9e36n

[left-handlibrary]

Good Talk by Mira Jacob (2019)

Jacob recollects conversations with family, friends and beyond in order to discuss race, gender, sexuality, and contemporary US politics. This book is presented in a totally new way (at least for me) with photographs comprising the background and illustrations comprising the foreground.

Jacob herself is the bisexual daughter of Indian immigrants, and the book starts with her son (half-Indian, half-Jewish) questioning race. What starts as an influx of relatively normal 6-year-old questions evolves into more complex conversations as the tension of the 2016 US elections increases. In trying to answer her son honestly, Jacob reflects on how her own thoughts and knowledge of identity were (and continue to be) formed.

Everyday experiences of racism, sexism and more are depicted through Jacob’s conversations with others, both past and present. She shows us how normalised, generally among white people, micro (and macro) aggressions are. She also depicts the colourism of some of her family members and her treatment by others in New York post 9/11. There is a constant need for Jacob to ‘stike a balance’ between her own discomfort and keeping the peace with family, employers and beyond, something which must prove exhausting for those who experience it.

This is a wonderful graphic memoir, a testament to the power of conversation - good and bad - and an ecouragement to explore and reflect on the complex and often difficult discussions surrounding race and identity in general.

[adayinbookland]

June 13th, 2020 || 📚The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta 📚 . I have just finished The Black Flamingo and it was just what I needed. A wonderful coming of age story which, without shying away from tackling important issues, leaves you with a big smile on your face. I am not one to read novels written in verse, for whatever reason I always felt the format would not be for me: I was wrong. I also absolutely loved Dean Atta’s prose and how he explored Michael’s identity. . I haven’t been able to focus on my reading lately and although I am making progress on White Rage and Stamped from the Beginning, I also needed something that would make me smile and The Black Flamingo provided that. I think it’s also important to focus on joyful books written by BIPOC authors. . What have you been reading lately? • • • • #theblackflamingo #deanatta #novelinverse #bipocauthors #queerreads #ownvoices #adayinbooklandreviews #junereads #unitedbookstagram #bookstagrammersunite #readersofinstagram #recentreads #recentlyread #readeveryday https://www.instagram.com/p/CBX-siVq9JT/?igshid=14h5m8o03kyqp

[adayinbookland]

May 31st, 2020 || MAY READING WRAP-UP📚 . Here are all the books I read in May. The majority of my reads were written by Asian authors due to the Asian readathon. I have post mini-reviews here for some of them and also on my instagram if you fancy having a look. Some of the books I read were ebooks and since my e-reader died on me and I'm too lazy to charge it, they are not pictured. . 🌿The Complete Chi's Sweet Home, Part 1 by Konami Kanata (8/10). 🌿All Among the Barley by Melissa Harrison (8/10). 🌿The Beast Player by Nahoko Uehashi (6.5/10). 🌿The Map of Salt & Stars by Zeyn Joukhadar (DNF). 🌿The Magical Language of Others by E.J. Koh (8.5/10). 🌿Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer (7/10). 🌿Emma by Jane Austen (a reread - 8/10). 🌿Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong (9/10). 🌿On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong (5.5/10). 🌿A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry (9.5/10). 🌿How Much of These Hills Is Gold by C.Pam Zhang (7/10). . Of the ebooks, I have purchased a physical copy for All Among the Barley, The Magical Language of Others and Minor Feelings after reading them because they were that good. How was your reading this month? • • • #readingwrapup #mayreads #asianreadathon #graphicnovels #literaryfiction #thecompletechissweethome #allamongthebarley #thebeastplayer #intothinair #emma #janeausten #englishliterature #onearthwerebrieflygorgeous #afinebalance #themapofsaltandstars #themagicallanguageofothers #minorfeelings #howmuchofthesehillsisgold #stackofbooks #recentlyread #adayinbooklandreviews #pileofbooks #unitedbookstagram #fortheloveofreading #bookloversunite https://www.instagram.com/p/CA2gRY7q9sc/?igshid=if5bfhoteq3j

[adayinbookland]

May 13th, 2020 || #asianreadathon update! 📚 . i have finished these two so far. both by Japanese authors: 🌿 The Beast Player by Nahoko Uehashi. i'm not really sure how to rate this (in terms of my own numerical system). do i think it was worth my time? yes. did i enjoy it as a whole? also yes. would i pick up the sequel? probably. but i also had some issues. i liked the translation which at any point felt out of place, and the language was fluid and felt natural to me. in terms of the story per se i think i prefer the first half to the second half - where i felt the main character became very passive and behaved in circles. for a character that appeared to be very smart, i found myself a few times frustrated by her (lack of) action: she remained silent when it was necessary for her to speak up and she endangered herself when it wasn't necessary. the highlight for me was how she cared for animals. . 🌿The Complete Chi’s Sweet Home. Part 1 by Konami Kanata. this was adorable; the story of a cat who gets lost and is found by a family who can’t keep animales in their apartment. the story is just the daily adventures of Chi, the cat, but she is just too cute and I adored the artwork (8/10). . hope you are all having a good week! what are you currently reading? • • • • #recentreads #mayreads #recentlyread #adayinbooklandreviews #chissweethome #thebeastplayer #graphicnovels #fantasynovel #asianauthors #japaneseliterature #readingupdate #unitedbookstagram #bookreviewers #bookloversunite https://www.instagram.com/p/CAIK40iqy6t/?igshid=18vb5b95oanw1

[adayinbookland]

13th Nov, 2019 || i’m in such a rereading mood! Maybe it’s because of Harry Potter but i also decided to reread The Trials of Morrigan Crow and it was as phenomenal as the first time – even better, actually. . It was such a feel good type of book. I laughed out loud loads of time – Fenestra the Cat is definitely a mood and I love her with all my heart. But, in truth, I adore every single character. . And now, I can finally get to the second book 🙌🏼 . Do you reread? Whether you do or not, why? 🍂 • • • #nevermoor #thetrialsofmorrigancrow #jessicatownsend #middlegradebooks #middlegradefantasy #fantasybook #recentlyread #booksandnature #booksoutside #autumnleaves🍂 #booklover #bookrecommendations https://www.instagram.com/p/B4zV4lSoTrC/?igshid=1svln7fkw9wxa

[adayinbookland]

🌻SEPTEMBER WRAP UP🌻 aka the weird reading month. Not my best month in terms of reading 😔 i just haven’t been on the mood or it could be some sort of burnout due to the NEWTs readathon 🤷🏻‍♀️ . 🌿La revolución de las flâneuses (7/10). An essay collection with some interesting ideas. It is best to space it out and not read all essays at once since they could be a tad repetitive. . 🌿Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Part of my reread. This is probably one of my least favourites of the series although i still love it.... however, i’ll say the fatphobia in this one is even more pronounced than in the first one. . 🌿This One Summer (6.5/10). Beautiful artwork but the execution of the story was a bit flawed. I wish some thing could’ve been developed a lot more. . 🌿The Flatshare (7.5/10). A nice and cute contemporary story. Some bits were a bit cheesy but I appreciated how the author didn’t shy away from showing the trauma of an abusive relationship. . 🌿How Green Was My Valley (9.5/10). A new favourite. I have a full review of this one. It is an absolute delight of a novel. Highly recommend it. Completely character-driven. . How was your reading month? Any favourites? Any books we should avoid? • • • #adayinbooklandreviews #readingwrapup #recentreads #theflatshare #howgreenwasmyvalley #thisonesummer #harrypotterandthechamberofsecrets #larevoluciondelasflaneuses #essaycollection #rereads #generalfiction #graphicnovels #recentlyread #bookreviews #bookreviewer #bookpile #bookstacks #bookishfeature https://www.instagram.com/p/B3CFRjRohuh/?igshid=zjnmt2wg1qdh