#mary hk choi
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in 2023 i am collecting book covers like so many colorful candies. all the info for these titles can be found on my goodreads acct :-)
#this is just a small selection chosen for their nice covers :)#book list#book recs#sophie mackintosh#wendy c ortiz#tom perrotta#dawn winter#mary hk choi#marcy dermansky#claire stanford#calvin kasulke#elaine hsieh chou#caitlin barasch#chelsea martin#heather o'neill#rebecca makkai#andrea abreu
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🍽️Hot and Fresh Review🍽️
Ideal Snacks While Reading:
Fried eggs over white rice, a bottle of soju, and chocolate-covered bananas.
Main Ingredients:
A reckless, free-spirited younger sister with deep insecurities
A narcissistic know-it-all older sister who always seems perfect
A sudden cancer diagnosis that forces them together
Jayne Ji-young Baek is a college student living in New York and trying to figure out life. She’s got the full entourage of New York insanity--including but not limited to a terrible, clownish not-boyfriend-boyfriend, a repulsive apartment that she pays way too much money for, and a blinding desire to be noticed in a city where everyone has the same ambition. Things get even more complicated for Jayne when her older sister, June, enters the picture. June is eldest daughter syndrome personified--a parentified, overachiever who can barely take care of herself and sucks even worse at taking care of others. The two immediately bump heads but things spiral even further when June explains that she’s been diagnosed with cancer. Naturally, this comes as a slap to the face for Jayne, as she’s now forced to juggle all of the other nonsense in her life while also forcibly recognizing her sister as undeniably human.
Now, I’m sure we’ve all gotten used to the wealth of movies in this vein. You’re probably anticipating that June will learn how to let loose and stop being so hard on Jayne and Jayne will become more responsible after realizing that June’s rigid personality isn’t such a bad thing. The two will completely overlook their parental trauma and end with a message on family, love, and happy-happy joy-joy. Allow me to be the first to tell you to manage your expectations.
Yolk may have a familiar purpose, but its handling of the subject matter is so realistic and raw that it leads to discomfort. Jayne is not just a party girl who has poor taste in men. She’s the youngest child whose mother constantly picks at her insecurities and leaves her with a very intense eating disorder. She’s actively in therapy but struggles to utilize it well because she doesn’t want to admit her own weaknesses. Similarly, June doesn’t have it all together. She’s constantly picking on Jayne but finds it difficult to watch her sister crash and burn. She’s apathetic to her cancer diagnosis and struggles to remain herself after the loss of her job. Mary H.K. Choi juggles so many different topics all at once--from unspoken familial trauma to sexual assault and of course, the immigrant child experience--while still making sure the depiction is respectful while simultaneously realistic.
When hearing the intense subject matter, some might question why Yolk is considered a YA Novel (I know I was confused when I first read it). In today’s society, it’s not a secret that we are hyper-conscious of the kinds of media younger audiences are consuming. This is especially true of YA, where we see repeated accounts of toxic romances and poor boundary management among characters. The difference between Yolk and most other YA novels is that Choi isn’t just showcasing heavy subjects for the sake of throwing them in the audience’s face. Her depictions of struggling with mental illness and relationship problems are grounded in realism first and foremost. Intense topics still have a place in YA, so long as they’re handled with care and respect.
If you want a book that will rip you to shreds, call you out on a lot of your paranoid thinking, and hit way too close to home--Yolk is the perfect book for you.
Michelin Stars: 5/5 (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)
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– Mary H.K. Choi, Emergency Contact
#book quote of the day#mary hk choi#emergency contact#ya#romance books#contemporary fiction#college#college romance#new adult#Austin#realistic fiction#diverse reads#book quotes
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"Bride" by Phil Jimenez
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Bookworm Will Review 2023 (#27)
Title: 'Permanent Record'
Author: Mary H.K. Choi
Rating: 4 / 5
Review: (MILD SPOILERS)
I want to start off by explaining that this book has probably one of the coolest covers ever. Like ever. I am in love with the way it is designed and how you can remove the jacket to get a completely different idea of the story. That alone was a huge drive for me to want to read it!
After reading the cover made even more sense. The magic of design!
Anyway, the story itself was a mix of hot and cold because it was almost too existential for me. I got anxiety because a lot of what the main character was working through felt so real. Choi's writing style was just that compelling for me. While a lot of the struggles we encounter, there was still that hint of what makes contemporary romances, that bit of the over dramatics. Obviously we're not going to all have a meet-cute with a super famous pop-star that'll turn our lives upside down, but it made for a fun story.
Granted after reading, I felt a little sad because the overall story was an exploration of flawed characters trapped within a mix of social/economical expectations, but also of ego + pride. The ages and upbringing of the cast did play into the direction of the ending which was rather melancholic.
Still a cool read!
#bookworm will#book recommendations#book review#young adult#permanent record#mary hk choi#contemporary romance#bibliophile
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Emergency Contact
**TW**: mentions of sa
WARNING: SPOILERS
I've been putting this book off for a while because I remember a few years ago that one of my fave booktubers didn't enjoy this book. However, I wanted to give it a try and I'm not wholly disappointed.
The cover for this novel is absolutely gorgeous. Mary sure knows how to choose a cover artist omg.
Authors using text messages or internet lingo/pop culture is usually a hit or miss (most likely a miss) but I think Mary did a good job in this book. Like it wasn't some millennial saying doggo 24 times a chapter. It reminded me so much of 2018 which felt nostalgic.
I'm kinda glad that Mallory had a redemption arc/they became friends in the end because the 'new friend vs old best friend' trope (especially with girls) is so tired.
Sam's character felt so fleshed out and deep, like I can't find the words to describe how much a enjoyed his character. It wasn't just 'he's broken and sexy and has tattoos' without any nuance, we actually got to see his backstory and how that has affected him while he grew up. I like how the author added him being disappointed that he wasn't going to be a dad because when something potentially life changing could happen to you doesn't happen, you kinda miss the anticipation and you don't really know what to do afterwards.
Penny was the epitome of falling in love too quickly and I was like bestie slow downnnnnnnnn. Her character accurately depicts a modern girl in love, overthinking messages and panicking when the person doesn't message you back for a long time. I definitely know how that feels. I also love her personality and all the random facts she knows.
Sam and Penny's interactions felt so real and modern and relatable. Their build up was so nice...
With that being said, I expected more. The romance felt rushed at the end and I was left sitting there feeling satisfied but simultaneously unsatisfied. THERE HAS TO BE MORE. The book is just shy of 400 pages but nothing majorly major happened until the last 40.
I definitely think that there should be a trigger warning for rape because I personally wasn't expecting that. The description, though brief, was quite graphic.
I gave this 3.5/5 stars ⭐
start date: 23/07/22
end date: 30/07/22
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after work i sit in my reading nook and read for about an hour or two and it's done wonders for my mental health
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i will wash your hair at night and dry it off with care i will see your body bare and still i will live here
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22. How organized are you with your writing? Describe to me your organization method, if it exists. What tools do you use? Notebooks? Binders? Apps? The Cloud?
24. How much prep work do you put into your stories? What does that look like for you? Do you enjoy this part or do you just want to get on with it?
(Bonus because I'm curious: fave book/writer u look up to?)
hello hello! thank you for the ask!! // from these asks
22. How organized are you with your writing? Describe to me your organization method, if it exists. What tools do you use? Notebooks? Binders? Apps? The Cloud?
i think i used to be more organized in the past, but now it's much more free-flowing. i usually depend on my notes app in my phone for outlines + ideas, but these days i also use a small notebook that i've started calling my fic notebook--back when i was a student, i'd just scribble down the beginnings of fics/ideas during classes or in between classes. i also use bullet lists on the taskade app to categorize fic ideas, outlines, etc! (which isn't really that different from the notes app, but . . . taskade makes things look prettier so)
24. How much prep work do you put into your stories? What does that look like for you? Do you enjoy this part or do you just want to get on with it?
depends on the kind of story! if it's a shorter story (a one-shot, for example), i tend to just kind of go with the flow. for longer form stories though, i definitely plan ahead--sometimes it's just a bullet list of beats, and other times, there are insanely lengthy outlines per chapter of a story and etc. i wish i could channel the same energy with my original stories, but unfortunately, my original stories tend to be a chaotic mess of planning that requires insane re-drafts + outlines + notes that are all stuffed into one document.
but as for prep work and whether i enjoy it . . . honestly, sometimes i love it. other times, i grow wary of it, because i need to walk that fine line between preparing vs. preparing so much to the point where i feel burnt out just after writing an outline, which isn't a good place for a writer to be. (so the trick to avoiding that is to write down the most important plot points, but like . . . not all of it. leave a bit of wiggle room for the rest of the creative energy to flow and etc.)
(Bonus: fave book/writer u look up to?)
ohoooo !! ! ! i think i have way too many favorite books, but i think my favorite authors have to be rainbow rowell, ve schwab, and mary hk choi. i think rainbow rowell is the author i look the most up to when it comes to dialogue--she really taught me so much of how to write dialogue (and i think her characters were some of the first that really made me feel like i was reading about Actual People, just from the way they talked).
i love ve schwab because her characters are insanely interesting, and her ideas are just so . . . i'd love to pick apart her brain tbh, just because i'm always stunned by just how original her ideas are when it comes to the fantasy/urban fantasy genre. (also, she wrote an excellent narrative essay on coming to terms with her queerness, and it remains one of the loveliest pieces of writing i've ever read.)
mary hk choi is actually a newer favorite author of mine--but i love her especially because her writing is so . . . familiar. she's also officially the only author who can actually make me cry--not necessarily because she writes about sad things, but just because mary hk choi has such a talent for taking these seemingly small feelings and giving an exact name to them, and she really knocks the wind out of my chest every time. her characters are always flawed and imperfect and messy as hell, but god whenever i read one of her books, i feel like i might as well be reading a) my diary or b) talking to a close friend or something, just because that's how immersive her writing and her characters can be.
so anyways, all this to say--these three writers have absolutely made me even more confident of the kind of stories that i want to write, as well as the kind of characters i want to explore and etc.
#answered#i finished reading emergency contact by mary hk choi like 2 weeks ago#it made me cry SO hard
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★彡Looking for mutuals/friends ^_^
☆彡Ages: 16-18
☆彡Interested in film, music, and literature.
A little about me☆〜（ゝ。∂）
☆彡I am 16. I love to read, draw, and listen to music. My name is Marie Claire and my pronouns are she/her.
☆彡My favorite movies: 500 days of summer, fantastic mr fox, lady bird, buffalo 66, Juno, whip it, mcullond drive, Pineapple Express, pretty in pink, the last unicorn
☆彡My favorite tv shows: breaking bad, South Park, nana, twin peaks, gossip girl, freaks and geeks
☆彡Some books I enjoy: Looking for Alaska- John Green, Pride and Prejudice- Jane Austen, Earthlings- Sayaka Mururata, Yolk- Mary HK Choi, The Stranger- Albert Camus
☆彡I really love music and listen to so many different artists so any genre you are interested in I probably am too. As I write this I am listening to American Football.
Please consider being my friend<3
#female hysteria#fiona apple#hell is a teenage girl#franz kafka#poetry#girl interupted syndrome#lana del rey#radiohead#lizzy grant#mitski#trailer park princess#poem#girls with piercings#nana osaki#nana komatsu#500 days of summer#friends#mutuals#get to know me#get to know the blogger#blogging#girlblogger#girl interrupted#artists on tumblr#new music#midwest#midwest emo#lana unreleased#nu metal#coquette dollete
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finished reading yolk my mary hk choi this week and as a younger sister from an immigrant household it made me cry so so much
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i. keep forgetting that contemporaries can be very dialogue heavy and that lots try to maintain a certain level of humor throughout, especially the romances. i feel like im reading in a different language that im mostly fluent in but i keep missing the inside jokes and double meanings. im reading emergency contact by mary hk choi. what i have so far:
mc might be a misogynist. cant tell if this is something that'll be resolved or if she just likes body + slutshaming her mom (she seems a bit arrogant as a character so im hoping its the former)
she's korean
guy she likes is like. white german-american. aslo 21.
risk of him liking her back even though she just got into college. so she's at the youngest 17 (not getting that vibe) and at the oldest 18.
two seconds ago potential MLI (named sam) said he knew better than to mess w freshmen
ew?
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Reading List, Hotter Than Ever edition.
“The question is not who influences you, but which people give you courage.” [Hilary Mantel]
[Image: Linda McCartney]
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"I think I’m hotter than I’ve ever been and so is every woman I know. I do not look at one female friend and think they were more physically attractive ten years ago. They know their face and bodies now; what suits them and makes them feel great. They know that thinness doesn’t mean happiness and that the best parties are with the best people, not when you’re wearing the best outfit. They are more likely to go for a swim in their mismatched underwear if they forget their bikini but the water looks beautiful. They are not scared to ask for what they want in bed. They’re hotter than ever." Dolly Alderton has opinions. [The Times - PSA: if you sign up you get one free a week]
Most of us feel about 20% younger than we actually are. But why? [Jennifer Senior, The Atlantic]
How Red Rock Island became the only private island in San Francisco Bay [Tessa McLean, SFGate]
“My perspective has always been that we can out of a sense of hope and not out of a sense of fear. I’m preserving food for another day because I expect to be around to enjoy it.” Canning, a retro hobby for the end times [Anna North, Vox]
The New York Times' 'Letter of Recommendation'series is usually great, but they've been on a proper roll lately:
"And now the Shipping Forecast, issued by the Met Office.” A Secret for Falling Asleep So Good It’s a British National Treasure [Grace Linden]
"I trained my gaze toward my feet [and found] evidence of all kinds of commutes: traces of hopping birds, the soles of humans’ shoes, restless leaves that fell and sank into wet concrete at just the right moment." Why I Hunt for Sidewalk Fossils [Jessica Leigh Hester]
"An unspoken intimacy and solidarity exists among us, the attentive viewers." Why I Watch the Closing Credits of Every Movie I See [Emma Kantor]
“I love being in that place where everything is just coming in, and everything is potentially important, and I’m underlining every great sentence that John McPhee has ever written and then I’m typing it up into this embarrassingly long set of reading notes, documents, organized by books. And then when you sit down with it as a writer who has a job, and his job is to fill a little window of a magazine or website, all of that ecstatic inhaling has to stop. You realize that you’ve collected approximately 900,000% of what you need or could ever use.” Longform Podcast #506: Sam Anderson
My Parents Got Sick. It Changed How I Thought About My Marriage [Mary HK Choi, GQ]
"If you are a fast walker and the person in front of you on the sidewalk is walking slowly, do not walk directly behind them for blocks on end." OMG Etiquette Rules for Tipping, Parenting, Friends, and Work [The Cut]
"It makes me feel ridiculous to acknowledge that cutting those few hours of [weekend] life prep out of my life effectively knee-capped my plans for the week. But I guess I have to feel ridiculous, because it’s true." The Work is Not Enough [Anne Helen Petersen's Culture Study]
Menopausal hormone therapy was once the most commonly prescribed treatment in the US. But one imperfect study in 2002 incorrectly linked it to health risks, and women have been suffering ever since. Women Have Been Misled About Menopause [Susan Dominus, The New York Times]
The Mystery of Teenage Anxiety [Derek Thompson, The Atlantic]
Influencer Is a Real Job. It's Time to Act Like It. [Emily Hund, Wired]
Why on earth does anyone care what Gen Z think of sex scenes in films? [Marie Le Conte, The New Statesman]
Who gets to be messy? [Kathryn Jezer-Morton, The Cut]
On restaurants as living rooms [Ruby Tandoh, Vittles]
The case for hanging out [Dan Kois, Slate]
The pandemic changed us, but we still don't know how to talk about it: "[Maybe] when we say the pandemic is over, we are actually seeking permission to act like it never happened — to let ourselves off the hook from having to make sense of it or take seriously its continuing effects. ... Each of us is consciously or subconsciously working through potentially irreconcilable stories about what we lived through — or else, strenuously avoiding that dissonance, insisting there’s no work to be done." I don't think we can fully move forward until we understand what happened - this article helped me do this a little more.[Jon Mooallem, The New York Times - unpaywalled link]
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oh if you are creating a list may i recommend another few?
yolk by mary hk choi, it's about twin sisters, one who struggles with bulimia and another one who gets cancer. kind of teenage-y as well, but their relationship and ways of dealing with things are interesting to read about.
the vegetarian by han kang, she has an amazing writing style and the story is really gripping. the only thing is that i was really uncomfortable with all of the sex (or sexual) scenes, i am not sure if that's what she implied them to be or not. one of the reviews on the cover said it was erotic and i was like ????? is it supposed to be???
the thing around your neck by chimamanda ngozi adichie, which is a collection of short stories. i started reading this book randomly when i stayed over at a friends house and had to buy it myself afterwards because i was so hooked from the start.
i luv ur blog btw xoxo
THANK U!!!! ofc you can always recommend books and these sound brill! agh I’m so excited now by all these recommendations literally love you so much thank you !! 🩷📚
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tagged by @maryxoliver
Last read: Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. I watched the movie first and after decided to read the book! Really enjoyed it and it was super interesting to see the differences between the two. Basically finished within two days lol. My favorite rpf posing as government + royalty propaganda ♥
Current Read: Y/N by Esther Yi. Literally just started this like two pages in started it so no thoughts so far! Tentatively excited though.
Next Read: I fully ignore any semblance of a tbr / set reading plan, just go based on the # vibes at the time. Leaning towards something by RF Kuang (ie continuing Poppy War) or Casey McQuiston, maybe try out Mary HK Choi but honestly do not trust me on this.
tagging: if you're seeing this you have to do this actually!
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