my rainy days (2009)
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Some classic Asian literature I own:
Monkey: The Journey to the West by Wu Ch'eng-en, translated by Arthur Waley.
The Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong, translated by Martin Palmer.
Rashomon and Seventeen Other Stories by Ryunosuke Akutagawa, translated by Jay Rubin.
Monkey: The Journey to the West summary:
Written in the sixteenth century, Monkey is a retelling of a famous Chinese Legend. A heroic epic, it chronicles the adventures of Prince Tripitaka, a young buddhist priest, travelling with his three quirky (non-human) disciples; Pigsy, Sandy and Monkey.
It's a story with a typical adventure plot line where the gang sets off on a quest, and along the way will face many supernatural foes, it is very much along the lines of Homer or the Illiad.
Some lovely quotes from Monkey:
“Monkey now produced his staff and the two of them did their best to kill each other, like the affectionate in-laws they were.”
“But a single strand does not make a thread nor can one hand clap.”
“Why did you go towards the monster when he wanted to eat you up instead of running away? Now he's swallowed you. Today you're still a monk, but tomorrow you'll be a turd.”
“With passions stilled and one’s nature firm, all destinies are in harmony; When the full moon of contemplation is reached you will be pure.”
“After following it for nearly two miles he came across two she-monsters drawing water from a well. How did he know that they were monsters? Each of them had on her head an extremely unfashionable hair-style held up by bamboo slivers that stood one foot two or three inches high.”
I made another two similar posts, one for The Romance of the Three Kingdoms and one for Rashomon and Seventeen Other Stories.
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dark academia 🖤
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“Because he had already caught me. Without even touching us. Without even looking at each other.”
—The ten lovers of Nishino (Hiromi Kawakami)
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Eliza Lin from “This Time It’s Real” by Ann Liang 🌸 (this drawing is from February lol)
instagram 🍡 @ opal.stars
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After a year of reading like 1-3 books a week on my phone screen I have finally acquired an e-reader :)
Today's read is Notes of a Crocodile — a weird coming-of-age story about queer young adults in 1980s Taipei. I'm enjoying it so far!
I was inspired to read this by checking out The Membranes recently, another piece of weird queer lit out of 90s Taiwan (though that one is sci-fi). I admittedly did not know much about Taiwanese history until I discovered these books but the snapshots of post-martial-law Taiwan are so fascinating & the explorations of gender and queerness still feel so relevant. Really hoping I can find more similar books from this era translated into English 🥲
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Title: I’ll Be The One
Author: Lyla Lee
Genre: YA Fiction | Drama | Romance | Music | LGBTQ+
Content Warnings: Fatphobia | Homophobia | Biphobia
Overall Rating: 9.9/10
Personal Opinion: I love K-pop, I love Asian culture, and I love seeing queer people thrive. This book has all of that. It’s adorable and sweet and watching Skye’s journey as a fat girl trying to make it in the not-so-body-positive industry of K-pop is inspiring. You can’t help but root for her. So if you want to read about a fat bi girl be an inspiration, then this is definitely the book for you.
Couple Classification: Skye Shin X Henry Cho = Artist X Prep
Do I Own This Book? Nope.
Spoilers Below For My Likes & Dislikes:
Likes:
- Going into this book, I knew that both Skye and Henry are bi. But I’d wrongfully assumed that they would not play any significant role in either of their identities. I have never been so happy to be wrong. Skye is bi and she says so from the start. It comes up every now and again and is a source of some of her insecurities because she knows her parents would not be thrilled to her dating a girl. Henry is also bi. While it’s not as blatant as Skye, he had a boyfriend once. And that is significant because of how his parents reacted to him dating a boy. They messed with his personal relationship and had made his life miserable. Being bi is just part of their identities but it’s important to them and I love that the author did not shy away from emphasizing that. I also love queer Asian men, as we have established multiple times already.
- I love that Skye entered this competition wanting to prove her mom wrong but also because she loves to sing and dance. She wants to perform. From how the author had described her, she belongs on stage because those parts where she was performing, the description really came to life.
- I also love that the winners of both categories, Skye for vocal and Imani for dance, did it for stigmatized groups. Skye for the fat girls and Imani for Black girls. Because in the world of K-pop, fatness and darker skin tones are shamed. I love the confidence Skye and Imani radiated and it makes me so proud that they won. I know they’re fictional but I hope that their debut goes well.
- I love Lana and Tiffany too! They’re such a power couple and they’re so cute together. I am so happy that they’re doing okay after being disowned by their parents because they truly deserve happiness. But most importantly, they became friends with Skye immediately and easily. They were so sweet. And when Skye saw they were a couple and could not stop smiling, I felt that in my soul. She was so happy to see queer Asian girls thriving and that is exactly why I love seeing queer Asian men.
- Skye’s dad is such a big dork and if there’s one thing I love, it’s dorky parents. Those that adore their children and always support them unconditionally. Why couldn’t he be the one that Skye lives with?
- Portia and Steve are great pseudo-parents for Henry. They seem genuinely supportive of their charge and they work so hard to make sure he’s safe and happy. It’s so pure and wholesome and I’m glad that Henry’s not totally alone after losing all his friends.
- I love Gary Kim too. He’s one of the judges for the contest and the way he unabashedly was in Skye’s corner was so awesome. I adored how big of a fan he was of her.
- This appeals to me personally but I adored the K-pop references. Because I understood all of them. Ailee is a vocal queen, Chungha is a dance-forward artist, BTS’s “Idol” is a challenging choreography. etc. It was just nice feeling in the know about these things and not totally lost when a character talks about their hyperfixation(s).
- This entire book was just so wholesome and adorable that I just… I love it.
Dislikes:
- Please, let the wizard books die.
- The fatshaming from Skye’s mom and Bora was horrible to read. I actually felt sick to my stomach just imagining some of their vitriol being spewed out loud. I’m glad Skye learned that loving herself is enough and she doesn’t need her mom’s (and certainly not Bora’s) approval to feel great about herself.
- Also fuck Melinda Jones and Bobby Lim. The former for her fetishizing of Asian culture and the latter for his fatshaming. I’m thrilled that they got eliminated and probably had to watch Skye take it all in the vocal category.
- I wish we knew what happened to Henry’s ex-boyfriend. I know it doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things but he’s a fellow friend of Dorothy and that makes me sympathetic even though he doesn’t even have a name. I hope he’s thriving too, wherever he is.
- You wanna know the real reason why this doesn’t get a perfect score? It’s because of Skye’s alleged best friend. She cared more about Henry than she did for Skye’s wellbeing and performances and it got old fast. Like that’s just uncool and disrespectful. And a best friend should not act like that.
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Rating: 4/5
Book Blurb: A stunning novel of ancient Vietnam based on the true story of two warrior sisters who raised an army of women to overthrow the Han Chinese and rule as kings over a united people, for readers of Circe and The Night Tiger.
Gather around, children of Chu Dien, and be brave.
For even to listen to the story of the Trung Sisters is,
in these troubled times, a dangerous act.
In 40 CE, in the Au Lac region of ancient Vietnam, two daughters of a Vietnamese Lord fill their days training, studying, and trying to stay true to Vietnamese traditions. While Trung Trac is disciplined and wise, always excelling in her duty, Trung Nhi is fierce and free spirited, more concerned with spending time in the gardens and with lovers.
But these sister's lives—and the lives of their people—are shadowed by the oppressive rule of the Han Chinese. They are forced to adopt Confucian teachings, secure marriages, and pay ever‑increasing taxes. As the peoples' frustration boils over, the country comes ever closer to the edge of war.
When Trung Trac and Trung Nhi's father is executed, their world comes crashing down around them. With no men to save them against the Han's encroaching regime, they must rise and unite the women of Vietnam into an army. Solidifying their status as champions of women and Vietnam, they usher in a period of freedom and independence for their people.
Vivid, lyrical, and filled with adventure, The Bronze Drum is a true story of standing up for one's people, culture, and country that has been passed down through generations of Vietnamese families through oral tradition. Phong Nguyen's breathtaking novel takes these real women out of legends and celebrates their loves, losses, and resilience in this inspirational story of women's strength and power even in the face of the greatest obstacles.
Review:
War, love, and sisterhood. Based on the true story of two warrior sisters who raised an army of women to overthrow the Han Chinese and rule as kings over the united people from ancient Vietnam. The story follows the two daughters of a Vietnamese lord in 40 CE in the Au Lac region of Ancient Vietnam. The Lord has trained them all their lives to fight, study, and stay true to the Vietnamese traditions. Older sister Trung Trac is disciplined and wise, always excelling at her duty while younger sister Trung Nhi is fierce and free spirited, more concerned about spending her time doing as she pleases and with lovers. These sisters lives will be forever changed by the oppressive rule of the Han Chinese. They will be forced to either accept this new rule or rebel and when their father is executed they find that there is only one path left for them, vengeance and rebellion. With no man to save them these girls will come together and unite the women of Vietnam into an army and fight for their freedom and independence.This was a lyrical story filled with culture and adventure. I had a great time reading about this learning more about Vietnamese stories. As a Vietnamese person myself it was fascinating to learn something new about my own culture and to read this story that celebrates real women of legends with a story about love, loss, and resilience and the strength that we have to great our greatest obstacles
*Thanks Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*
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Here are bisexual books out in April!
Books listed:
In Universes by Emet North
Dear Bi Men: A Black Man's Perspective on Power, Consent, Breaking Down Binaries, and Combating Erasure by J.R. Yussuf
Truly, Madly, Deeply by Alexandria Bellefleur
Of Blood and Aether (Harbingers, #1) by Harper Hawthorne
Saint-Seducing Gold (The Forge & Fracture Saga #2) by Brittany N. Williams
Darker by Four (Darker by Four, #1) by June C.L. Tan
Rough Trade by Katrina Carrasco
The Last Love Song by Kalie Holford
Moon Dust in My Hairnet by J.R. Creaden
What Is Love? by Jen Comfort
Finally Fitz by Marisa Kanter
The Boyfriend Fix by Lee Pini
Playing for Keeps by Jennifer Dugan
She Came for Blood (Dreamers & Demons: Sapphic Monsters Book 3) by Darva Green
Call Forth a Fox by Markelle Grabo
I'm The Same by James Ungurait
Something Kindred by Ciera Burch
Calling of Light (Shamanborn, #3) by Lori M. Lee
Off With Their Heads by Zoe Hana Mikuta
Even If We're Broken by A.M. Weald
Harley Quinn: Redemption (DC Icons Series Book 3) by Rachael Allen
Rainbow Overalls by Maggie Fortuna
Smile and Be a Villain by Yves Donlon
Lights, Camera, Passion by Isabel Lucero
Hearts Still Beating by Brooke Archer
Aubrey McFadden Is Never Getting Married by Georgia Beers
Court of Wanderers (Silver Under Nightfall, #2) by Rin Chupeco
Good Mourning, Darling (Darling Disposition, #1) by Azalea Crowley
All the Hype (Oak Haven Romance) by S. Bolanos
The Devil to Pay by Katie Daysh
Every Time You Hear That Song by Jenna Voris
You can find these books in this list on goodreads
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I took these pictures myself. Some of these books are old, some were just poorly handled over the years, and all were thrifted across the second-hand stores of Dublin.
Some classic Asian literature I own:
Monkey: The Journey to the West by Wu Ch'eng-en, translated by Arthur Waley.
The Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong, translated by Martin Palmer.
Rashomon and Seventeen Other Stories by Ryunosuke Akutagawa, translated by Jay Rubin.
The Romance of the Three Kingdoms summary:
A Chinese historical fiction piece that seamlessly weaves together the fictitious and legendary aspects of the historically documented rise of three powerhouses vying for total control of the country. Full of treachery, court intrigue, ambitious characters and deceptive ones alike.
Some lovely quotes from The Romance of the Three Kingdoms:
“To kill deliberately is very wrong,” said Chen Gong. “I would rather betray the world than let the world betray me,” was Cao Cao’s reply.
"A man plans. The heaven decides the outcome."
"Let me ask, my lord. Would you rather give yourself to the world, or would you rather make the world yours?"
"Work hard and even harder! Do not carry out the evil just because it is small, and do not hesitate to do the good just because it is small. Only virtue and benevolence can move the people's heart. Your father lacked virtue, hence don't emulate me as a model."
"In peace you are an able subject; in chaos you are a crafty hero!"
I made another two similar posts, one for Monkey: The Journey to the West and one for Rashomon and Seventeen Other Stories.
I reblog bookish content and since I have a home library I also make bookish content myself; aesthetic book pics, reviews, recommendations, quotes, excerpts, hauls and cats.
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𝕒𝕤𝕚𝕒𝕟 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕒𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕟 𝕡𝕙𝕪𝕤𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕝 𝕥𝕓𝕣 🍜
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