Date Read: February 28 Author: Masaji Ishikawa Genre: Nonfiction Rating: 5/5 Masaji Ishikawa was born in Japan to a Japanese mother and a Korean father. When he was thirteen, his family moved to North Korea. In his memoir, translated from Japanese, Ishikawa tells the story of his life and the thirty-six years he spent strugglingContinue reading “A River in Darkness”
Monthly Archives: February 2020
All We Ever Wanted
Date Read: February 26 Author: Emily Giffin Genre: Fiction Rating: 4/5 While the story is full of emotion, the characters relied heavily on stereotypes, and rarely defied their stereotypes. Justice isn’t only about what a person deserves, but also about what a person needs. – All We Ever Wanted
The Song of Achilles
Date Read: February 25 Author: Madeline Miller Genre: Fantasy Rating: 5/5 I have always loved Greek mythology, and I loved Madeline Miller’s retelling of the story of Achilles and Patroclus. Even though I knew how the story would end, I couldn’t help forgetting the ending as I became invested in the characters and their stories.Continue reading “The Song of Achilles”
Dark Matter
Date Read: February 24 Author: Blake Crouch Genre: Science Fiction Rating: 3/5 While I loved the multiverse-centered premise, I found it hard to enjoy the rest of the book due to the writing style. The sentences felt choppy, and so it was difficult to become immersed in the story for long. We all live dayContinue reading “Dark Matter”
The Near Witch
Date Read: February 23 Author: VE Schwab Genre: Fantasy Rating: 4/5 I really enjoyed the Darker Shade of Magic trilogy, and I was not disappointed by VE Schwab’s debut novel. It was enjoyable to read, and the story is full of witches, magic, and secrets. Funny how when we start to tell a secret, weContinue reading “The Near Witch”
Into the Water
Date Read: February 21 Author: Paula Hawkins Genre: Mystery Rating: 3/5 I’d heard good things about this book, but something about it just fell flat for me. The characters were overdramatic, and the plot was lacking. The book seemed to rely on pulling out a dramatic twist at the end of each chapter, and theContinue reading “Into the Water”
Carve the Mark
Date Read: February 21 Author: Veronica Roth Genre: Fantasy Rating: 5/5 Carve the Mark takes place in a solar system of connected worlds, where everyone has a gift from the Current, an interstellar force. I found the worldbuilding interesting, and the characters complex enough to keep my attention throughout the plot. That was the problemContinue reading “Carve the Mark”
The Aeneid
Date Read: February 19 Author: Virgil This is another book for my English class. I enjoyed it more than reading philosophy, but I do not enjoy poetry very much, and so reading The Aeneid was too much poetry for my taste.
Americanah
Date Read: February 18 Author: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Genre: Fiction Rating: 5/5 A book that I enjoyed. It’s written mainly from the perspective of a young Nigerian woman who moves to America for school, and eventually returns to Nigeria. There are many different ways to be poor in the world but increasingly there seems toContinue reading “Americanah”
Eragon
Date Read: February 17 Author: Christopher Paolini Genre: Fantasy Rating: 5/5 This was one of my favorite books when I was younger, and I still love the series. It’s amazing that a man who is dead can talk to people through these pages. As long as this book survives, his idea lives. – Eragon
Zoey's Year in Books 2020 