Read Harder 2016 and Plans for 2017

So in 2016 I completed Book Riot’s Read Harder Challenge (Book Riot is a fun website devoted to readers and all things bookish). Every year they host a Read Harder Challenge that features 24 tasks that will well, challenge you to read outside of your comfort zone and broaden the scope of what you read. I had a lot of fun with last year’s challenge and cannot wait to start this year’s!

Here’s the challenge for 2016 and what I read to complete the tasks:

• Read a horror book – We’ll Never Be Apart
• Read a nonfiction book about science – The Dorito Effect
• Read a collection of essays – Browsings
• Read a book out loud to someone else – The Princess and the Pony
• Read a middle grade novel – Matilda
• Read a biography (not memoir or autobiography) – God and Churchill
• Read a dystopian or post-apocalyptic novel – Speak
• Read a book originally published in the decade you were born – Maniac Magee
• Listen to an audiobook that has won an Audie Award – Yes Please
• Read a book over 500 pages long – Purity
• Read a book under 100 pages – Blue Horses
• Read a book by or about a person that identifies as transgender – If I Was Your Girl
• Read a book that is set in the Middle East – And the Mountains Echoed
• Read a book that is by an author from Southeast Asia – Two Years, Eight Months, and Twenty-Eight Nights
• Read a book of historical fiction set before 1900 – The Queen of the Night
• Read the first book in a series by a person of color – Boxers
• Read a non-superhero comic that debuted in the last three years – Lumberjanes
• Read a book that was adapted into a movie, then watch the movie. Debate which is better – Brooklyn
• Read a nonfiction book about feminism or dealing with feminist themes – A House of My Own
• Read a book about religion (fiction or nonfiction) – The Comeback
• Read a book about politics, in your country or another (fiction or nonfiction) – How the States Got Their Shapes
• Read a food memoir – Julie and Julia
• Read a play – Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
• Read a book with a main character that has a mental illness – The Vegetarian

 

As you can see, I read a diverse selection of books for this challenge. Some of my favorites were The Queen of the Night and A House of My Own. I’m really excited about the tasks for 2017, so although it’s not set in stone, here are the books I’m planning on using for the challenge:

• Read a book about sports – How Lamar’s Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy
• Read a debut novel – The Nest
• Read a book about books – The Little Paris Bookshop
• Read a book set in Central or South America, written by a Central or South American author – 100 Years of Solitude
• Read a book by an immigrant or with a central immigration narrative – Interpreter of Maladies
• Read an all-ages comic – El Deafo
• Read a book published between 1900 and 1950 – 1984
• Read a travel memoir – Eat, Pray, Love
• Read a book you’ve read before – From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
• Read a book that is set within 100 miles of your location – The After Party
• Read a book that is set more than 5000 miles from your location – Euphoria
• Read a fantasy novel – American Gods
• Read a nonfiction book about technology – The World is Flat
• Read a book about war – Unbroken
• Read a YA or middle grade novel by an author who identifies as LGBTQ+ – Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
• Read a book that has been banned or frequently challenged in your country – Fun Home
• Read a classic by an author of color – Bless Me, Ultima
• Read a superhero comic with a female lead – The Unbeatable Squirrelgirl
• Read a book in which a character of color goes on a spiritual journey – Shadowshaper
• Read an LGBTQ+ romance novel – The Price of Salt
• Read a book published by a micropress – The Transmigration of Bodies
• Read a collection of stories by a woman – A Manual for Cleaning Women
• Read a collection of poetry in translation on a theme other than love – Rilke Shake
• Read a book wherein all point-of-view characters are people of color – The Turner House

  

There are a lot of great challenges this year and I’m already making progress on two of them – Euphoria and American Gods. I’m especially excited about the micropress challenge and I can’t wait to read more comics this year. If you want to participate too, I’ll include the link to the challenge so you can print out your own list. And, BONUS, you can send in a picture of your completed list to Book Riot to get 30% off your purchase from their online store!

 

http://bookriot.com/2016/12/15/book-riots-2017-read-harder-challenge/

 

Happy Reading!

 

 

Updates and the Best Books I read in 2016

Hello! Yes, I am alive! I did not disappear from the face of the earth or go into hiding. My absence was due to a little thing called graduate school. You may be surprised to know that this website’s title is a complete lie because I am not (yet) a librarian. I am in school to become one though, which I started this August, which is why I have not posted anything in months. Like I said, I’ve been busy trying to make the name of this blog legitimate.

So my first semester in grad school is complete (with straight-As to boot!) and I’m taking time during my much-deserved break to share what I (somehow) managed to read this year. So without further ado, the 10 Best Books I Read in 2016.

1. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi – This debut novel blew my socks off! Gyasi weaves a story of two sisters with incredibly different lives (one is captured in the slave trade and the other marries a British colonist) and explores their respective decedents up to the present. It’s fiction, but the characters are so vivid and the historical times the different characters live in are fascinating. This is a must-read. It’s sad but such an important book as well. (For more info, read my longer review here.)
2. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead – Perhaps no novel has gotten more buzz this year than The Underground Railroad, and for good reason. Not only did it win the National Book Award, it also restarted Oprah’s Book Club. This novel re-imagines the underground railroad as an actual train that helped slaves escape and follows a young girl named Cora in her quest for freedom. There’s so much nuance to this book and it’s just amazing – I don’t have room to say any more so just read it!
3. The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma – This was the first book I read this year and it remained in my top 10 the whole time. Obioma’s story of 4 brothers in Nigeria reads both tragically and beautifully. It blends myth, magic, and life in a captivating way. Like a lot of books on this list it’s very sad, but a very powerful read as well.
4. The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner – My only YA book on this list stood out a lot to me from the other young adult books I read this year. Zentner’s book centers around the friendship of 3 teens in rural Tennessee who all want to escape their existence there for a variety of reasons. If you liked The Perks of Being a Wallflower, then you must read this book too.
5. The Queen of the Night by Alexander Chee – This book 
   was so different from anything else I read this year, but so beautiful
   and captivating. It’s historical fiction based around an opera singer with a troubling past and who has risked everything to get to where she is today. The descriptions of mid-1800s Paris are so wonderful and it’s an engrossing read you’re sure to remember.
6. The Mothers by Brit Bennett – The Church, abortion, parenting, friendship – you name it and The Mothers probably deals with it. This debut novel was so moving it brought me to tears several times. Bennett deals with touchy subjects in such a empathetic way; no matter your views on such topics, this book will put you in the characters’ shoes and make you think.
7. This is Where You Belong by Melody Warnick – This is one of my only nonfiction books on this list (I read a lot of nonfiction this year, but not a lot stuck). Warnick explores a problem a lot of us have, which is feeling at home wherever you live. This book has simple tasks that anyone can do to feel more connected to where they live. Her tips are super helpful and are ones I try to implement too, such as shop and eat locally.
8. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr – This book is a real tear-
   jerker but is so beautiful and captivating. The paths of a blind French girl and an orphaned German boy converge in WWII Europe. It’s a story of loss, love, mystery, family, and pretty much everything else too. Please read it – it’s SOOO good!
9. The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen – The 2016 winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction goes to this Communist spy novel that’s anything but. This book is so unique in voice and format as it follows the testimony of an agent who struggles between his desire for the American dream and his loyalty to the country he never really belonged to. It’s wacky and exciting and wonderfully written.
10. Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist – It’s a memoir/confessional that doubles as a self-help book. I love Shauna Niequist’s writing; it’s so personal and conversational and she is very easy to relate to. Anyone who feels overwhelmed trying to maintain a “perfect” image by staying busy and rushing all the time needs to read this book (so, basically everyone does).

 

So there it is! The 10 best books I read this year! If you’re interested in these books please check them out from your local library or purchase them from a local bookstore. I’ll try to post some more before school starts back up, but no promises.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!

 

BOOK REVIEW: Homegoing

 

Get Ready: This is the best book I’ve read so far this year.

Homegoing is a book I’ve heard a lot about from book-related podcasts and websites. It’s a debut novel with a sweeping scope both location and time-wise, and like I mentioned above, it’s the best thing I’ve read in 2016.

The book begins in 18th century Ghana and follows two sisters separated at birth, and the lineage that comes from each of them. One sister marries a wealthy colonist while the other is captured and taken to America through the slave trade. The resulting family history from each sister varies drastically of course, and it’s amazing to see the differences as well as the similarities that come from each side. The tragedy that each side of the family faces points to both the horrors of slavery and its aftermath and the plight that Ghana (and Africa as a whole) was left with because of European colonialism. Despite all the sad moments in the book, it all felt earned and realistic, not gratuitous and exploitative.

Every “chapter” follows a new character from alternating sides of the family  and the timeline stretches all the way to modern day, so you can imagine just how much is packed into this book. I’ve heard other people mention this about the book and I’ll reciprocate their thoughts here – I wished there was a whole book for each of these characters. There are so many of them and we don’t get much time with them. But rather than making this a downside of Homegoing, I’d say it simply shows how good Yaa Gyasi (the author) is at creating believable and well-rounded characters.

I want to say so much more about this book, but don’t want to spoil anything for you. If you are able, PLEASE PLEASE BUY THIS BOOK OR CHECK IT OUT FROM YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY! You won’t be sorry.

 

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Book vs. Movie Battle: The Little Prince

 

A new installment!

Starting with the post you are reading right now, I be conducting book vs. movie battles in order to compare (and contrast) a book and its movie adaptation. Pros and cons for each will be given and a winner will  be chosen. I know some of you are asking,

“Aren’t you just going to pick the book every time?”

Probably. But you never know.

ANYWAY, this battle concerns the beloved children’s classic The Little Prince and its animated film counterpart.

THE BOOK

So The Little Prince is a timeless children’s book that’s been pretty popular since its publication in the 1940s. The book focuses on an aviator who is talking directly to the readers and telling them of the time he met the Little Prince and what he learned from the Prince’s story. This is a really short book and is filled more with short vignettes rather than a traditional narrative. In the book, the Prince tells the Aviator about his travels to other planets (which are actually asteroids) and how he has come to understand adulthood and humankind through his journey. The story is full of symbolism and allegory and is filled with meaning. That such a short book can contain such in-depth lessons on the nature of man is impressive. If you haven’t read it yet, please do. The themes of greed, arrogance, time, memory, adulthood, death, and sacrifice are so thought-provoking and really made me want to savor this book and read it slowly. The book, in my opinion, deserves a 4 star rating. It’s definitely one I want to get for my own collection and I’d definitely reread it a lot.

THE MOVIE

Now the movie of The Little Prince intrigued me from the start, both because of the adaptation itself and because I love animated movies. This movie, very strangely, was dropped from its distributor Paramount the week before it released in theaters. Netlfix came to the rescue and decided to make the film available through its site. The movie does take some creative freedom. They keep the story of the Little Prince the same, but place it within a story about an overworked girl and her new friendship with the old aviator next door. This man tells her the story of the Little Prince, and the only theme that really carries over is the one about the possible downsides that come with adulthood. The animation is really good, especially the Little Prince sequences, which include amazing stop-motion animation. The movie doesn’t have the same amount of depth as the book, but it does have a timeless feel about it and I enjoyed it. The movie gets a 3.5 star rating from me!

 

THE BOOK WON! It was close, but ultimately, the book had more emotional impact for me. Thankfully, the movie has a different enough feel to make me appreciate both equally. IF YOU’VE READ THE LITTLE PRINCE AND SEEN THE NEW MOVIE, WHICH DID YOU THINK WAS BETTER? LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS!

 

To get a copy of The Little Prince, click the link below. And if you want to see the movie, watch it on Netflix if you have a subscription, or get get a friend who has it to host a viewing party. Happy reading (and watching)!

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BOOK REVIEW: The Light Between Oceans

I hadn’t heard of this book at all until I saw the trailer for the upcoming movie. The concept instantly intrigued me and I knew I wanted to read this book before seeing the film. Unfortunately, the idea is about all that was good about this book. More on that later.

The basic premise of this book is that a lighthouse keeper and his wife cannot have children. This devastates them, but then one day a boat washes ashore with a baby in it. The couple has to decide whether to report that they found the child or raise it as their own.

It’s such a fascinating idea for a book, since it involves mystery, difficult decisions, and suspense. But I really didn’t like the characters in this book. The husband, Tom, was OK. He’s kind of the voice of reason in this book, but he still does a ton of stuff that annoyed me. Isabel, the wife, is my least favorite part of this book. I can see that M. L. Stedman (the author) was trying to make her somewhat sympathetic (what with not being able to have kids and all) but I think Stedman really ends up vilifying Isabel.

I couldn’t really get into the flow of this book because a lot of the vocabulary was jarring. Stedman is Australian and the book takes place there. There are a lot of Australian phrases and terms (as well as lighthouse technical terms) that I found distracting. Of course that’s coming from an American perspective (I can’t fault the author for being Australian)!

This book was just OK for me. I went in with high expectations and it let me down. This is one of the few times where I hope the movie turns out better than the book. (With Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander playing the leads, I’m optimistic.) Happy reading!

 

Get a copy of The Light Between Oceans here:

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Mama Fu’s Review

Another fast casual restaurant has come to Katy. (Fast casual restaurants are places where you order at the counter but the food is higher quality than fast food.) This time it’s Mama Fu’s, an Asian restaurant that serves a variety of dishes, from Chinese to Thai.

The decor is nice and I liked the variety of the menu. It’s great for when you want Asian flavor without the commitment of takeout Chinese. I got the Spicy General Fu, which was basically a healthier version of General Tso’s, complete with spicy chicken, plenty of vegetables, and choice of white, brown, or fried rice. I really enjoyed the flavors of this dish; it had the perfect amount of spice and for Americanized Chinese food, I thought it was good. I also ordered the potstickers as an appetizer. They were fine, but nothing really made them special.

Overall, I liked this place and will definitely go ahead. So if you are craving some Asian flavors, give this place a try! Bon Appetit!

 

For more information on Mama Fu’s, check out their website: https://www.mamafus.com/

Pho Bamboo Review

Vietnamese food is one of the many new (and fantastic) things I encountered after moving to Texas. There are probably a dozen Vietnamese places in Katy alone and it’s a lot of fun comparing them (my goal is to try enough to make a top 10 list). Pho Bamboo is fairly new, located off of Mason in the same shopping center as Salata and Moe’s. I finally got the chance to try it last week so here we go!

First off the restaurant has a wonderful ambiance. It’s spacious and modern and although there were quite a few customers when I went I was seated and served quickly. Pho Bamboo offers a lunch special where you can get pho or a banh mi along with your choice of spring or egg roll. I got the beef banh mi with the spring roll. As far as the spring rolls went, I’ve had better. I liked the slightly warm peanut dipping sauce but I thought the rice paper was too thick and chewy. It was a really average appetizer so I’d suggest skipping it. The banh mi, however, was great! The beef was tender and well-seasoned with a peppery note. The French bread was toasted, giving it a slight crunch and the sandwich had the perfect amount of sauce. All the other accompaniments – the cilantro, carrot, and cucumber – added just the right amount of freshness. This is a great sandwich, and a must-try if you go here.

All in all, I was pleased with this place. I’ll definitely go back to sample more of the menu. Bon Appetit!

 

For more information on Pho Bamboo, visit their website: http://phobamboo.net/

Kunafa+ Cafe and Grill Review

It’s been about a week since I ate here, sorry it took so long to get this up, but I’ve been busy. I just started class for library science school. In a little over 2 years, I’ll be a librarian!

So anyway, back to the food. Last week I tried a place that only opened a few months ago. Kunafa+ is a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern restaurant serving everything from gyros to falafel. They even offer pizza – who knew? The location is kind of weird. It’s on a rather new portion of Mason road, tucked into a strip center. When I went the restaurant was empty, which made me wary, but I soldiered on.

The menu here is pretty interesting, with an assortment of sides and even some neat coffee drinks (which I will try next time; it was much too hot to even think about coffee). I ordered the falafel wrap, and I enjoyed it. The falafel itself was a tad spicy and was fried nicely. I could have done without the wrap, which had too much lettuce and sauce for my taste. A spicy chile paste did come with my food though and it honestly  might have been my favorite part.

Sadly, I was in a rush when I went and I didn’t get to try the namesake kunafa, a sweet cheese dessert. The service was kind of slow, especially considering I was one of the only customers. But I know it’s a start-up and a locally-owned business, so I can forgive it of that for my first visit. I will definitely return to try some kunafa and coffee. Give this place a try if you enjoy Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food. Bon Appetit!

 

P.S. – I totally forgot to take a picture of my food this time. Sorry!

For more information on Kunafa+, visit their website: http://www.kunafaplus.com/

BOOK REVIEW: My Name is Lucy Barton

Sometimes I really want a quick read; something that I can finish in a couple of days. Usually books like this are either children’s books or something similarly funny and quirky but geared more for adults. This time however, I read a poignant novel (just long enough to avoid being called a novella) about a woman reflecting on her childhood.

My Name is Lucy Barton reads like a memoir. It’s not really like any fiction that I’ve read, with its short chapters and memories that cross time and space. The book is the latest by Elizabeth Strout, an author who won a Pulitzer for her novel Olive Kitteridge. Lucy is about a woman who is reflecting back on her childhood and earlier adult life, but specifically focuses on a time she was in the hospital. The time is particularly poignant for her because she gets a brief visit from her estranged mother. This visit causes Lucy to remember her childhood of poverty and the hardships that accompanied it.

Another unique aspect of the book is the protagonist and narrator Lucy. She is not a very strong person, as she continues to doubt herself in front of her mother and husband and she recalls moments where she has been labeled as naive and stupid. This is largely a book about a person trying to come to terms with and become free of their past. It’s as though Lucy didn’t know how beholden she was to her childhood until she revisits it in the hospital.

Throughout this book are important themes and messages on family, motherhood, love, and adulthood. Reading this definitely made me think about the events that shaped me and made me question whether I blame others for the person I am today. I didn’t expect that such a short book would have such an impact, but it did, and I like it all the better for it. If you are an Elizabeth Strout fan or if you want to read something that’s short yet packs a punch, get yourself a copy of My Name is Lucy Barton. Happy reading!

 

What are some short books that you really like? Let me know in the comments!

If you want to buy a copy of this book, click below.

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BOOK REVIEW: WITHOUT RESERVATIONS

 

I love to travel – okay I’ve only been to a couple of international places (Italy and England, also Canada if that counts) – but I enjoy experiencing a new place, even it’s just another city in Texas. I’m a nerd, so when I travel I like to visit museums and used bookstores. No beach resorts for me! I’m also a food nerd, so finding locally-owned establishments are a must for me. I like to research my trips so that I know what spots to hit up. All that being said, I’d actually prefer to travel alone. Yeah. When I travel, I’d like to do the things on my agenda, not follow someone else’s.

Since my goal is to travel alone, I’ve been seeking out books about people who’ve done the same. This particular book was actually recommended to be by Houston Public Library’s personal book recommendation program. If you want book recs by yours truly, click here. When I saw this was on the list, I knew I had to read it. In the memoir, the author (Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Alice Steinbach) takes a few months off work and travels across Europe. (The dream.) She’s reflecting back on this time and recounts how she decided to take the trip and mentions what she saw and who she met along the way.

This book made my desire to travel even greater. Cue the wanderlust! I was so inspired by her decision to make the bold choice to travel to all these places, even though she had her doubts at times. Even more than her descriptions of the places she visited – Paris, London, Oxford, and Italy – I was drawn to all the people she met. Alice made friends and acquaintances everywhere she visited, just by having a brief conversation with them! She has lunch or dinner with people she just met, goes on excursions, and even had one group of friends care for her when she got sick.

I definitely enjoyed this book and think anyone who loves to travel should read it. The writing is excellent and I like how there are profound thoughts and insights about life throughout the book. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did. Happy reading!

So what’s on your travel bucket list or what’s your favorite place to travel to? Let me know in the comments.

 

To buy Without Reservations, click below (or get it from the library)!

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