Showing posts with label Korean History. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Korean History. Show all posts

#IMWAYR July 18, 2022

Welcome readers! It's #IMWAYR time again, when bloggers share what they have been reading and find out what others have beouten up to. Kathryn hosts the adult version of this meme at Book Date. Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers host the kidlit rendition. These are fabulous places to start your search for what to read next. 

Life is as back to normal as it gets around here. The living room has been cleaned of all grandchildren related clutter. It has been replaced by wood flooring. My partner is refurbishing the stairwell to the front door and basement. The carpet was removed a while ago and now he has replaced the banisters and is putting hardwood flooring on the steps and foyer entrance to the house. It looks gorgeous. 


I finished adding a few inches to the sleeves of this sweater and will post it this week. I made four matching ones but didn't take a picture of them before sending them off.

My neighbour gave me some chartreuse patterned fabric she had planned to sew up for her granddaughters (who are now in their late teens.) So I am working on matching dresses for the granddaughters. I have some similar fabric in a teal green that I will use to make something for the grandson. 

So far I have harvested about 25 pounds of raspberries from the patch and there are probably another 5 pounds left before I cut out those canes. Meanwhile the new canes are flowering in anticipation for the late summer harvest. Aside from making raspberry wine, I'm not sure what I will do with all these berries. Maybe I will just make more wine. 

Titles with a 🍁 indicate this is a Canadian or Indigenous Canadian Author and or Illustrator.

Clicking on the title will take you to the Goodreads page of the book.

PICTURE BOOKS 

4 stars

Mommy's Hometown by Hope Lim & Jaime Kim (Illustrator) April 12, 2022

After listening to his mothers stories about growing up in a rural countryside, a young boy is surprised by the large city that has replaced it. What I found most fascinating about this book is that other than the Korean characters on the buildings, this could be a large city anywhere in the world.
The digitally created illustrations are rich in colour and light. While the differences between the two landscapes are vast, the river continues to run through it all, and the boy and his mother are still able to explore it and find treasures.

MG NOVELS


I wish Marsha Skrypuch had been around when I was a youngster learning about the history of the world. Traitors Among Us is part of her WW2 series and a sequel to her books, Don't Tell the Nazis & Trapped in Hitler's Web. I am always invested in her characters and this one is no different. 
Two Ukrainian sisters, Krystia and Maria, have managed to survive the war, and wait in a refugee camp in the American zone. Then some Red Army soldiers arrive and take them and a few other of their roommates back to a house in the Russian zone. They are to be interrogated for their activities during the war.
Right from the get go this book is hair raising. A young mother and her baby are shot by soldiers when they try to escape. The group are subject to horrifying conditions. Then they are tortured to force them to sign false confessions.
A few of them are released and helped by Brigid, who cooks for the Red Army. They manage to incapacitate the soldiers at the house with drug laced linzer cookies, and rescue the remaining captives.
A note by the author at the end of the book reveals more information about the people this book is based on, and more about the actual death camps created by the Russians after the war.


A clan of four inch nomes is forced to leave their dangerous forest home before they all end up dead. One of them, Masklin, devises a plan to try and save them. They sneak aboard a truck and end up in a department store where they are introduced to a colony of other nomes. These other nomes have developed a rich and layered society based on the goings on of the store. They believe it was created especially for them. The nomes from outside bring a sacred 'thing.' When it is surrounded by electricity, it begins to talk to them. They discover that the store is soon to be demolished. Masklin comes up with a plan for how to save them all. It just depends on a crew of nomes figuring out how to drive a delivery truck. 

Pratchett's writing goal was “to take that which is familiar and everyday and therefore no more seen, and pick it up and turn it around and show it to the reader from a new point of view, so that once again they see it for the first time.”
I think that ten year olds will enjoy this novel, but it is older readers who will truly appreciate the satire and humour and once again see the world for the first time.

YA NOVELS


Set in Joseon Dynasty Korea in 1758, this is based on the true story of Crown Prince Sado, an untouchable serial killer. 
"There are few options available to illegitimate daughters in the capital city, but through hard work and study, eighteen-year-old Hyeon has earned a position as a palace nurse. All she wants is to keep her head down, do a good job, and perhaps finally win her estranged father's approval."
Then four women are brutally murdered. Hyeon's friend and mentor is accused of the crime. To clear her name Hyeon ends up involved in a clandestine investigation with Eojin, a young police inspector. 
Their questioning sets them against a corrupt legal system that protects the royal family at all costs. The unravelling of the mystery is fascinating. The slow build up of the romantic aspect of the story is brilliantly done. 
I have become a fan of June Hur's writing and read everything she has published so far. She integrates brilliant characters into complex mysteries set against a backdrop of Korean history, religion, culture and class structure. 
The worst thing about finishing this book is that June Hur's next novel isn’t scheduled for release until 2024.

I liked this well enough. It's just that after finishing up a couple of nonfiction titles that went deep into their subjects (An Elegant Defence by Mat Richtel and Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake) I wanted more. I suspect I would have appreciated this better if I had read it first. It is a very readable, fairly comprehensive, overview of how our body works and the history behind how we have come to know what we do about it.

CURRENTLY

Three Women and A Boat by Anne Younson
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett

UP NEXT

I'm hoping to get to these two next week. Other than that, I brought a lot of books home from the library this week!
The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner  🍁
Macy Mcmillan And The Rainbow Goddess by Shari Green  🍁


READING GOALS

#MustReadFiction 15/24

#MustReadNonFiction 11/18 one in progress

Canadian Authors 43/100 

Canada Reads shortlist 5/5 

Indigenous Authors 12/25

2022 Big Book Summer Challenge 5 

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 167 /250
Posted by 25 comments:
Labels: , , , , , , ,

#IMWAYR October 17, 2021

Hello everyone. It's #IMWAYR time again, when readers share what they have been reading and find out what others have been up to in the past week. Kathryn hosts the adult version of this meme at Book Date. Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers host the kidlit rendition. Whatever you are looking forward to in your next great read, these are fabulous places to start your search.

It's been three weeks since my last post. Life has been hectic and I am trying to live a reasonable life without taking on too much. (insert hysterical laugh track here)
Also, our house looks like hell.
We are now renovating the main part of the house - the living room, dining room and kitchen area. 
Dust is not one's friend. 
To survive I've been hiding out in my sewing room working on quilts and listening to audiobooks. Most of them have been for adults, although many will appeal to teens.
In the middle of all this, I have misplaced my book review notebook. I am sure it will turn up eventually, but in the meantime, I don't have my notes for books I need to review.

Titles with a 🍁 indicate this is a Canadian or Indigenous Canadian Author and or Illustrator. 

Clicking on the title will take you to the Goodreads page of the book.

PICTURE BOOKS


On the way to school, Bunny meets Beetle. The two of them then connect up with Martin. Throughout the day, the group of friends grows bigger as they continue to help out more and more animal children. It culminates in "a party of those who cared, those who bothered, who tried, who shared." Ohi's artwork is as charming as usual.

4 stars

Mommy's Khimar by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow & Ebony Glenn (Illustrator) April 03, 2018

A young muslim girl admires her mother's Khimars. When she gets to wear one, it's like a super hero cape that enables her to shine like the sun and protect her baby brother.
I think all children enjoy trying on their parents clothes, and love that the specifics of the Khimar/hijab, provides both a mirror for muslim children, and a bridge that enables other children to make connections.

4 stars

Old Bear and His Cub by Olivier Dunrea November 11, 2010

You can read this without having read Little Cub first, but the story has more oomph if you have. It's the story of the love an old bear and his adopted cub share for each other. My grandkids and I enjoyed reading it together.


This book has been on my to read list for like forever. George Littlechild's art is spectacular. The text is equally stunning. A boy asks his family the question, What's the Most Beautiful Thing You Know About Horses? Their responses tell us as much about them as they do about horses. I appreciate how much we learn about Van Camp's family, culture and their relationship to dogs.


This is based on White Currents, a short story written by Emily Carr. It's the fantastical adventure of a young girl coming to appreciate the glory of wild space. 

4 stars

What Can a Citizen Do? by Dave Eggers & Shawn Harris (Illustrator) September 11, 2018

I like the diversity in the children portrayed in this book. I like that even animals are considered citizens. I like all the action happening in the pages. I like that when all the citizens work together they create a magnificent treehouse.
The book is written in ABCB rhyming scheme. It didn't work for me. I ended up reading it out loud to myself to get the flow of it. The problem with this in this book is that in order for the rhyme to work, you need to read it too fast to appreciate the illustrations. If I was going to read this with a group, I would cover all the text. We would spend time unpacking the images and making meaning from them. Only after that would I introduce the words.

NON FICTION PICTURE BOOKS

4 stars

Gloria Takes a Stand: How Gloria Steinem Listened, Wrote, and Changed the World by Jessica M. Rinker & Daria Peoples-Riley (Illustrator) March 12, 2019

Having read Steinem’s autobiography, I wondered what details from such a remarkable life, would make it into a book for children. The author has done a good job capturing the highlights. I appreciate that Gloria is often shown with diverse groups of women. The colour illustrations are full of joy. Modern feminists might criticize aspects of Steinem’s work, but growing up with her as one of my feminist role models, I never understood feminism to be anything other than intersectional and inclusive.

5 stars

Wangari Maathai: The Woman Who Planted Millions of Trees by Franck Prévot, Aurélia Fronty (Illustrator) & Dominique Clément (Translator) January 1, 2011

Wangari Maathai was a remarkable woman - a hero for girls and boys of all cultures, colours and creeds. Her capacity for standing up to oppression in order to save forests and trees is truly inspiring.
The whole world needs to recognize that “a tree is worth more than it’s wood.”
I only wish this was an own voices book.

5 stars

Mornings with Monet by Barb Rosenstock & Mary GrandPré (Illustrations) March 02, 2021

Based on other biographies of artists by this duo, I expected to read more about Monet's life. Instead, this book focuses on the time when he was painting his river series. Through this we get a rich, in depth look at how Monet worked as he captured light in his paintings. Additional details about his life are in the author's note in the back matter.

4 stars

The Girl with a Mind for Math: The Story of Raye Montague by Julia Finley Mosca & Daniel Rieley (Illustrations) September 04, 2018

This rhyming nonfiction picture book is delightful in that it actually works and doesn't interfere with the story.
Raye Montague was amazing black woman who wasn't deterred from her goal by the racism and misogyny she faced on her way to becoming an engineer.

READERS 

4 stars

What Is Chasing Duck? by Jan Thomas June 06, 2017

The Giggle Gang series is ideal for fans of Elephant and Piggie. Something wild and hairy with big teeth is chasing Duck, Sheep and Donkey. Bear convinces them to stand up to their fears. Who is actually chasing them ends up being a hilarious surprise.
I read this for the second time with my two eldest grandkids. They enjoyed it so much that the next day I caught one of them reading it to one another.

CHAPTER BOOKS


Franklin has a long list of worries. With the help of Eugenia and Baby Lincoln and Mercy Watson, Franklin just might learn how to control them. 
Anytime I get to visit with the literary characters on Deckawoo Drive, I am happy. In theory I know these book are written for children, but I am positive that Kate DiCamillo also writes them for old folks like me. I have started reading Mercy Watson with my grandkids and look forward to reading the whole series with them. 

GRAPHIC NOVELS


After the Rain by Nnedi Okorafor, John Jennings & David Brame (Illustrator) January 05, 2021

I'm struggling with how to evaluate this. This is because I am a hard core Nnedi Okorafor fan, but am confused and conflicted by this transformation to graphic novel. Some of artwork is gorgeous. I think the story all by itself would be riveting. Together it just doesn't work for me.

5 stars

The Secret to Superhuman Strength by Alison Bechdel May 4, 2021

I wasn't sure about this at first, but then I got into it and loved how rich the narrative was. Sure it's about every exercise fad over the past 5 decades or so. At the same time, its a deep look into what it means to be enlightened and have a meaningful intimate relationship with another human being.

SHORT STORIES 

4 stars

Tales from the Folly: A Rivers of London Short Story Collection by Ben Aaronovitch & Ben Elliot, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Penelope Rawlins, et al (Narrators) July 31, 2020

I was delighted to visit one of my favourite fantasy worlds through this collection of short stories. The different narrators made the individual stories shine. I am sad for people who have not yet read any of the Rivers of London collection. I only wish my library had all the graphic novels so I could read those too. I sure hope Ben Aaronovitch writes another book about Peter Grant soon.

NOVELS


This is considered a Canadian classic. It tells the story of four generations of a Chinese Canadian family. It's a complicated, heartbreaking saga that involves betrayal, deception, accidental incest, and plenty of racism. It centres on the women and their relationships with each other and the men in their lives. While the setting is global, it mostly takes place around Vancouver, BC. I was fascinated by the parts about the real murder of Janet Smith, a nursemaid to a wealthy family. The Chinese houseboy was accused of her murder, but was eventually acquitted.

5 stars

What Abigail Did That Summer by Ben Aaronovitch & Kobna Holdbrook-Smith & Shvorne Marks (Narrators) March 18, 2021

I loved this visit to the Rivers of London series so much that I no sooner finished listening to it, I started all over again. Peter Grant's younger cousin, Abigail, ends up tracking down missing teens.
Abigail is now one of my favourite fictional teens. I love that she is smart and courageous. I like that while it's a terrifying, fascinating read, it's also about living with disability. I like how much compassion and understanding she has for her parents and her brother who is wasting away with some kind of disease. I like that Abigail figures out that her new friend, Simon, isn't like other kids, and no matter how much his mother wants it, never will be.

4 stars

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese & Sunil Malhotra (Narrator) February 03, 2009

This is the story of twin boys. Their mother died at their birth and their father abandoned them. They were lucky to be adopted by two other doctors at the clinic they all worked in. This is a beautiful story about love, family, and forgiveness. 

5 stars

The Silence of Bones by June Hur & Greta Jung (Narrator) April 21, 2020 🍁

Set in 1800 in Joseon, Korea, this is an historical murder mystery. A young girl works for the police because of social constraints that limit men's interactions with women - alive or dead. It's a fascinating whodunit that reveals a world of Korean history and culture.

MEMOIR 


Brilliant read. This memoir begins with Tomson Highway’s birth in a snowbank on the Manitoba Nunavut border, and ends with him getting ready to head south to Winnipeg for high school. I desperately hope there is a sequel.
“His memoir offers insights, both hilarious and profound, into the Cree experience of culture, conquest, and survival.”


What a story! Cea Sunrise went from living in a teepee in the Canadian Wilderness to modelling in Europe. It's a riveting narrative that kept me turning page after page.

NON FICTION

5 stars

The (Other) F Word: A Celebration of the Fat and Fierce by Angie Manfredi, Rachelle Abellar, Lily Anderson et al September 24, 2019

I'm not the target audience here, but I loved this book and think teens will too. I read it in bits and pieces to give me more time to absorb the messages. It wasn't an easy read for me. Coming face to face with my own internalized hatred for my body (and others' bodies) and understanding how I might have inadvertently hurt people close to me isn't easy to digest. I wish I could say that this book healed me, but it didn't. It certainly heightened my awareness of what it means to be fat in our culture. It gives me hope that I can eventually acknowledge and ignore all the negative messaging (internalized and others) and come to love myself in a fully human way.

CURRENTLY

Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch
Flight of the Puffin by Ann Braden

UP NEXT 

Sugar Falls by David A Robertson
The Leak: For the Love of Truth by Kate Reed Petty
No Time to Spare: Thinking About What Matters by Ursula K. Le Guin

BLOG POSTS PLANNED FOR NEXT WEEK (Hopefully)

The Great Bear by David A. Robertson
Gemma and the Giant Girl by Sara O'Leary

PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS

#MustReadIn2021 26/25 

#MustReadNFIn2021 11/12

#MustReadPBIn2021 61/100 

Big Book Summer Challenge 9 

Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors 33/25

Books by Canadian Authors: 95/100

Canada Reads 2021 5/5 

Discworld Series 41/41

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 355/333 


Posted by 10 comments:
Labels: , , , , ,
Location: Oliver, BC, Canada
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)