The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe
05 Jan, by in Absolute Favorites, Adult Readers, Audio, Memoir, Nonethnic-specific, Nonfiction
The Japanese word, kokoro, means 'heart' ...
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The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
22 Nov, by in Absolute Favorites, Adult Readers, Audio, Fiction, Nonethnic-specific, Young Adult Readers
Perhaps you might label me odd (true) or contrary (no way!) or even disrespectful (dohhh!) to post about cancer and death today of all days, but let me just assure you that this really does make sense. Books like this are the best reminders to...
Little White Duck: A Childhood in China by Na Liu and Andrés Vera Martínez
21 Nov, by in Absolute Favorites, Chinese, Chinese American, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Latina/o/x, Memoir, Middle Grade Readers, Nonfiction
Little White Duck is a visual feast that showcases the childhood memories of author Na Liu, and vibrantly enhanced by her artist husband Andrés Vera Martínez. Liu introduces herself with an adorably grinning "Ni Hao!," explaining that she was born in Zhifang, a suburb of...
Unspoken: A Story from the Underground Railroad by Henry Cole
06 Nov, by in Absolute Favorites, Black/African American, Children/Picture Books, Fiction, Nonethnic-specific
In our hyper-connected world of constant chatter, quiet is a difficult-to-access, precious commodity. Take a sweeping look around you, take a few minutes to turn everything off, and grab a copy of this spectacular, wordless book. That's right – no words, beyond the author's dedication (to a...
Requiem by Frances Itani
15 Oct, by in Absolute Favorites, Adult Readers, Audio, Canadian, Canadian Asian Pacific American, Fiction, Japanese American
While I can hardly estimate the many, many books I’ve read about the Japanese American experience during World War II, I know few details about what happened to Japanese Canadians. The lone fact that looms is that like their Japanese American counterparts on the West...
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
18 Sep, by in Absolute Favorites, Adult Readers, British, European, Fiction, Young Adult Readers
Having somehow stumbled randomly on Elizabeth Wein's very recent "meta-review" on reviewing (complete with crossed-out phrases about "tasteless morons"), I'll try to not break her seven "observations" here. Just allow me a moment to digress (and comment): 1. I wasn't aware of any Verity hype, although surely such...
Nora the Mind Reader by Orit Gidali, illustrated by Aya Gordon-Noy, translated by Annette Appel
13 Sep, by in Absolute Favorites, Children/Picture Books, Fiction, Israeli, Translation
What a relief to find out someone has finally found the magic wand! It might look like an ordinary bubble blower to some, but you just need to read to believe. Nora comes home from kindergarten one day and sadly tells her mother about the boy...
Ru by Kim Thúy, translated by Sheila Fischman [in Library Journal]
15 Aug, by in Absolute Favorites, Adult Readers, Canadian Asian Pacific American, Fiction, Memoir, Repost, Southeast Asian, Southeast Asian American, Translation, Vietnamese, Vietnamese American
* STARRED REVIEW The recipient of international accolades – including Canada’s coveted Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction (2010) for its original Canadian debut in French – this extraordinary first novel unfolds like ethereal poetry. The enigmatic title means “a small stream and, figuratively, a flow, a discharge—of...
The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna
01 Aug, by in Absolute Favorites, Adult Readers, African, Audio, Fiction
Months (maybe longer) have passed since I finished Aminatta Forna’s third and latest title, exquisitely narrated by British actor Kobna Holdbrook-Smith. I think I just didn't want to let it go by posting a review ...
5 Centimeters per Second by Makoto Shinkai, illustrated by Yukiko Seike, translated by Melissa Tanaka
06 Jul, by in Absolute Favorites, Adult Readers, Fiction, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Japanese, Translation
The copy of this story I hold in my hands is apparently the fourth iteration of a Japanese modern classic-in-the-making – it debuted in 2007 as an animated film, was then adapted (and expanded) as a novel in late 2007, became a manga in 2010, and...
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
27 Jun, by in Absolute Favorites, Adult Readers, Audio, Fiction, Middle Grade Readers, Nonethnic-specific, Young Adult Readers
When a book is this original, this heartfelt, this inspiring, this real, I find myself babbling in cliché: Wonder is truly wondrous. Auggie Pullman is 10. He's about to start fifth grade after being homeschooled, and he's more than a little nervous: "I know I’m not an...
between shades of gray by Ruta Sepetys
05 Jun, by in Absolute Favorites, Adult Readers, European, Fiction, Middle Grade Readers, Russian, Young Adult Readers
First of all, please do not confuse this spectacular title with that OTHER Shades of Grey. Not that any comparison is even merited, but gray – notice spelling difference – hit shelves more than a year before Grey (March 2011 vs. April 2012), and gray is indisputably...
Jerusalem: Chronicles from the Holy City by Guy Delisle, translated by Helge Dascher
22 May, by in Absolute Favorites, Adult Readers, Arab, Canadian, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Israeli, Memoir, Nonfiction, Palestinian, Translation, Young Adult Readers
Guy Delisle is a graphic genius who draws what he sees – simply and unadornedly – with droll, minimal commentary, and creates some of the most poignant, effective, resonating memoirs ever. French Canadian Delisle has undoubtedly found international fame as a traveling artist: he recreated his temporary assignments...
Excuses Excuses by Anushka Ravishankar, art by Gabrielle Manglou
15 Apr, by in Absolute Favorites, Children/Picture Books, Fiction, Indian, South Asian
Ack! Taxes are due today! Already! For those filing extensions, this one's for you (and me, ahem!) ...
Vote for Me! by Ben Clanton
28 Mar, by in Absolute Favorites, Adult Readers, Children/Picture Books, Fiction, Middle Grade Readers, Nonethnic-specific, Young Adult Readers
Given this is a presidential election year, I know you've been searching for the perfect (non-partisan!) political primer. Look no further ...
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
26 Mar, by in Absolute Favorites, Adult Readers, Audio, Australian, European, Fiction, Jewish, Young Adult Readers
After two books on the horrors of North Korea, two memoirs about the Palestinian occupation, another about a Lost Boy of Sudan, still another highlighting Hindu/Muslim massacres in Kashmir – all one after the other (what was I thinking??!!) – I picked up Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief,...
The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson
20 Mar, by in Absolute Favorites, Adult Readers, Audio, Fiction, Korean, Nonethnic-specific, North Korean
This is a book I bought twice: first to stick in my ears on long runs (chillingly read by a Korean American triumvirate of Tim Kang, Josiah D. Lee, and James Kyson Lee), and when I couldn't soak in the story quickly enough, I ordered...
Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante
19 Feb, by in Absolute Favorites, Adult Readers, Audio, Fiction, Nonethnic-specific
On the kitchen wall is taped a large sign: "My name is Dr. Jennifer White. I am sixty-four years old. I have dementia. My son, Mark, is twenty-nine. My daughter, Fiona, twenty-four. A caregiver, Magdalena, lives with me." What else should you know without telling you...
Stargazing Dog by Takashi Murakami, translated by Atsuko Saisho and Spencer Fancutt
28 Nov, by in Absolute Favorites, Adult Readers, Fiction, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Japanese, Translation, Young Adult Readers
Much to my children's dismay (and longing), we don't have a dog (allergies). I am, however, so lucky to have a regular canine companion, Z, whose mother brings her on our twice-a-week hikes through the woods. As I was sniffling and snuffling through this heartfelt...
The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka
10 Nov, by in Absolute Favorites, Adult Readers, Fiction, Japanese American, Young Adult Readers
Almost 10 years after Julie Otsuka made her spectacular literary debut with When the Emperor Was Divine, I remain even more convinced that Emperor is the best book I've ever read about the Japanese American imprisonment during World War II. Truth be told, Emperor ranks so high on...