sumisreads's reviews
47 reviews

The Journey: Big Panda and Tiny Dragon by James Norbury

hopeful reflective medium-paced

4.0

I ended up picking up this book on a whim a couple days ago while shopping and found it to be very comforting. The illustrations are simply beautiful as is the story. It may only have two characters (little dragon and big panda) but their journey into the unknown reflected a lot with how I currently feel about my own life. It was a gentle reminder that change is scary and that it's ok to be afraid. But sometimes change is what we need to become who we were always meant to be.

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

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challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I have no words. It's truly remarkable and I loved every second of it :))

Beautiful Country by Qian Julie Wang

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challenging emotional funny inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

Genuinely a 5 star book. I was hesitant on reading this autobiography because sometimes the author ends up being pitiful and aren't as willing to display their faults and flaws. Qian Julie Wang has written a beautiful memoir on her life that's both riveting and reflective. Growing up in an immigrant family I can definitely relate to the struggles of having enough money to get by in life and finding myself. It was an amazing read and I found myself entranced by her story, picking out lessons that I shall treasure forever. By reading this memoir I feel inspired to step out of the shadows and into the light. To be myself. I wish that many more publications from Wang will come and they're even better than her first novel.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

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hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

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emotional funny reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

I was hesitant that the flow of the story would go too fast simply because of how short the book is. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how Murata didn't compromise the pace of the story with the relatively short page count. It was funny in a dark sort of way and I can relate to Reiko's love for routine and order through her job as a convenience store woman. I wouldn't say I loved it but I did enjoy reading it, hence my three and a quarter stars review :)

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