I’m moving blogs right now to Two Boring Hapas, a bookish blog that will have reviews by me and Mr. Renzol. While you see me trying out different genres and a lot of nonfiction, you’ll see his reviews are a lot of sci-fi and fantasy.
New reviews will post up there and I’ll be reposting some current reviews over there. Come visit us!
What an interesting way to start of my 30’s — shelter-in-place, woooooo! What better things to do than to review my too many books in my backlog and pick up some more? Here’s a short rant of mine.
So, like any book reviewer might do, I peruse NetGalley and sometimes take a look at the variety of reviews from other members. Most of the time I’ll take a look when I’m partway or almost done with a book and ready to give my review back to the publisher. One book I just recently did it for was one I really enjoyed — so I went to go give it a review, being almost done with the book. Then it hit.
Trigger warnings with major spoilers that didn’t happen in the book so far.
SERIOUSLY?!?
This month has been a busy month! Finishing up another class, doing a lot of work stuff, and reading a lot of books has taken up a lot of my time. Here’s my quick review post for June 30th, 2019. Three non-fiction books and one children’s fiction, which was actually surprisingly pleasant!
The Fate of Food by Amanda Little
Published by Crown Publishing – Harmony
Released on June 4, 2019
My rating: 5/5
One of my big curiosities in life has been around, literally, the future of food in a landscape where climate change has affected our environment. I was pleasantly surprised when the author actually delivers on the premise, and with so much detail! I really enjoyed the back and forth on different technologies being utilized and developed, and the willingness to include negative aspects of our food system and technologies.
I was also intrigued by the chapter in lab grown meats, and the author’s willingness to go out of her way to all these different places for each subject. The farmed fish chapter was especially interesting to me given the interesting look at technology and the impact that fish have on the environment versus other types of meats.
The author does a great job at portraying the topics at hand, and I found myself reading large chunks at a time, because I wanted to know more! Food is an incredibly important part of all of our lives, and in the age of climate change, how will we adapt?
Neurodiverse Relationships by Joanna Pike
Published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Releases July 18, 2019
My rating: 4/5
I’m going to echo other comments about my disappointment that all the relationships in this book come from an autistic male/ NT female perspective.
With that being said, I found this as an intriguing look into both sides of the table. I actually feel that this was a pretty balanced look: you get both views on the same situation and the comments/insights and emotions to go along with it. To downplay the feelings of the NT partner is unfair given that a marriage is between two individuals. If one feels that they are taking the “adult” position over a “teen,” then that is an important distinction to make that there are things that the couple should work out together. The hard part is actually working out viable solutions.
I appreciate how the author handles these various situations. Not only do we get the couples insight individually, but we also have a third view (Tony, who is a specialist) that analyzes the text from both sides. He praises the NT partner when they realize the positive traits and works with their partner on relationship issues, and offers an insightful look into handling these situations. This is something sorely needed for couples where a partner is not NT.
Childfree by Choice by Dr. Amy Blackstone
Published by PENGUIN GROUP – Dutton
Released June 11, 2019
My rating: 4/5
As a millennial, I really relate to the premise of the book. I know a good number of other people who are child free or not expecting to have children until their 30s, but one of the most common questions I’m asked is how many kids I have.
I appreciate how the author goes into details about the societal expectations of having children, and how there are racial and class implications to these expectations as well. It was sad to learn about the history in the United States, and it was frustrating to see that these attitudes persist into current day given the implications of overpopulation and immigration. These negative societal views do affect the health of people with and without children; the amount of children you have is never enough or too many, according to our culture.
All of the facts in the book are cited and linked to the resources in the back, which was pleasantly surprising. I was pleasantly surprised by this since sometimes these books don’t include sources when making claims.
Realm Quest: Lair of the Skaven by Tom Huddleston
Published by Warhammer Publishing
Released May 14, 2019
My review: 4/5
OK, I’m going to admit that I wasn’t sure how exactly kid-friendly you could make the Warhammer (and 40K) universe, but somehow Tom Huddleston did just that. I have enough of a background with Warhammer and a resource to ask when questions pop up, so I think I get where this series is trying to go. It read like a kid-safe series that fans could introduce to their kids that doesn’t immediately throw them into the nitty-gritty of the universe off the bat.
When I finished reading this book, I double-checked the intended age group for this series because the vocabulary seemed a bit of a stretch for younger readers. It’s aimed at kids between 8 to 12 years, so it might be a bit difficult for the younger side but perfect for those a little bit older. I was also a bit confused at the beginning and was wondering what the background was, but also found out that this is the second book in the series! Whoops. It’s not a big enough issue that you couldn’t jump in without it, but would help make some more sense to read the first one.
Thanks for sticking with me! I have a lot of new books to read and review, so I’m super excited to get through the list. Lots of new non-fiction coming down the pipeline that covers a variety of different topics, especially politics!
Release Date: July 16, 2019
Authors: Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
My BookishFirst Rating: 4/5
Although I will admit this universe and timeline were a bit challenging for me to follow, I did find that I really enjoyed the way that the way the characters Red and Blue encountered each other in every instance. It was an interesting back-and-forth interaction between the two characters as they weaved through different timelines, leaving notes and letters for each other with feelings that eventually grew into love. The focus in this was less on the places that they went to, but more on the characters themselves that intertwined themselves into these different times. I found that as I kept reading, I looked forward to the setup of the scenario and wondered how they would work against each other to thwart those plans.
I enjoyed the mixture of light-hearted writing that pokes fun at various cultural items, while the serious parts kept me going to see what was going to happen next. I have just some big outstanding questions, and I wish that there was some kind of writing on this, but was how the timelines were set up. Are there just a bazillion of different timelines all existing at the same time? Are there ones off-limits to one side or the other? What would stop one side from going all the way to the beginning to mess everything up upstream? Although I had these questions (and would enjoy clarification on them!), I put them aside and just went with the story to enjoy what would happen to Red and Blue.
I think both a teen and adult reader who enjoys sci-fi would take a liking to this read. You have to be a little forgiving as the focus is on the character building and not the world building, so if this is something that you can’t get past, it might not be the right read for you.
It’s also a quick read (I burned through it in a few hours over a day). So great for anyone who doesn’t have a lot of time to enjoy a book!
This ARC was received from Bare Bear Media in exchange for an honest review.
Published: May 21, 2019
Author: Theresa Fuller (Facebook)
My NetGalley Rating: 5/5
I am so glad I pushed through the first set of stories to read the rest of the book! I found the first story to be somewhat dry, but continued on to the rest of the tales, some of which were long and some of which were extremely short.
Theresa did a great job in translating and writing these stories for us to read. I found myself really enjoying the last story, and couldn’t get enough — once I figured out what it was about it was an ahah moment. I don’t want to spoil any of the stories, but I would really suggest picking this one up if you’re into folklore at all.
My main complaint is that the first story really made me want to DNF the book because I just could not get through it. I’m extremely glad I continued to read, though, because the rest of the stories are just fantastic. I’m not exactly sure why the first one ended up being such a chore.
Definitely teens and adults who are looking for a good read that isn’t too strenuous. I enjoyed this in chunks when I had free time during the workday.
Guess who requested a lot of ARCs from NetGalley and Edelweiss, and is slowly making her way through them? ME ME ME! Between work, grad school, and regular life, I’ve somehow found time to read through books via short breaks in my schedule. Here’s what I’m currently reading!
Note: ARCs received from publishers have been given in exchange for an honest review.
The Fate of Food by Amanda Little
Genre: Nonfiction (adult), Science
ARC received from Crown Publishing via NetGalley
Ever wondered how climate change will affect our food supply and what types of technologies are coming up to deal with feeding billions of people? That’s what this book is all about!
The Watanabe Name by Sakura Nobeyama
Genre: Historical, Mystery
ARC received from Black Rose Writing via NetGalley
If you have a familiarity with family expectations and drama, you might like this one. I’m finding it OK so far but haven’t been totally pulled into it as of yet.
Confessions of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell
Genre: Biography, Nonfiction (Adult)
ARC received from Profile Books via NetGalley
This has been an interesting read! I’m finding the format fun to follow along with. It literally is a description of being a bookseller in a diary form.
Neurodiverse Relationships by Joanna Pike
Genre: Nonfiction (adult)
ARC received from Jessica Kingsley Publishers via NetGalley
Although this book is aimed towards autistic-neurotypical relationships, I feel like there is some overlap with other non-neurotypical types of partners that this advice could definitely be useful for. The read is a little intense, but I enjoy reading both sides of the table.
Final note: I have 15 outstanding ARCs from NetGalley to read, so I’m prioritizing my reads to make sure I get them done on time. 🙂
OK, so I’ve had a bit of extra time to read more books lately (it helps when you read instead of browse social media). I have a few book reviews to post this week, so let’s get started!
As a note, all links posted are to each book’s Amazon page for order/pre-order.
Anxiety Management for Kids on the Autism Spectrum
by Christopher Lynch
Releases July 1, 2019
I have quite a bit of experience around anxiety and the causes around anxiety, but wanted to get a deeper understanding of the differences for kids with autism. I have absolutely no background on autism, so this is totally new for me. This book was quite eyeopening: it clearly spelled out different circumstances where a child may break down, and goes into the possible reasons behind why it might’ve happened although it might’ve looked like it came on from nowhere. The author goes into a lot of the common reasons of anxiety and breakdowns for these kids, which makes a lot of sense with the background knowledge he supplies throughout the book.
I found this to be extremely educational. Even for a person with little to no background knowledge on the subject, I could easily understand what was being discussed. This could possibly be of use to other populations of kids who also have issues with anxiety, such as kids with ADHD or overly sensitive children, that can be easily overwhelmed. As a layperson, it also humanizes some of what we see in public when we see children who break down, and it isn’t always something that the parent can control.
Everything Below the Waist: Why health care needs a feminist revolution
by Jennifer Block
Releases July 16, 2019
Holy cannoli! This book is chock full of information and so many bits of historical information around why healthcare is the way it is for women today. I really didn’t expect that when I requested this book, and I’m pleasantly surprised by that.
I have a public health background and did an internship at Planned Parenthood as a student, so these issues are near and dear to me. Jennifer Block did a great job at processing all the information and history around topics like birth control, abortion, and other women’s health issues like how women have typically not been valued in the health care arena. I actually learned a lot of new information, which was intriguing to me and makes me think about the current abortion restrictions; will we possibly see some of these brown bags come back in states that have incredibly restrictive abortion laws? (If you don’t know what this is about, get the book, because that really made an impact on me!)
This is a VERY information dense book. It may take some time to read, but it is a GOOD read for women to understand the historical reasons for the current state of women’s healthcare in the United States.
Drawing: Trees with William F. Powell
by William F. Powell
Released May 7, 2019
I like to draw webcomics, yet I hate drawing scenery. This makes for boring comics.
I requested this book on NetGalley to see if I could really get some tips and tricks on drawing trees, and the artist definitely produced some good ways to handle drawing different types of trees and branches. This might be geared towards the physical artist with a pencil, but someone who is digitally learning how to draw can also utilize the steps in this book to create better looking scenes.
Thanks for reading this week’s round-up! I’m always looking for more books to read, so if you think something might be down my alley, just send me the name and I’ll take a look. 🙂
After looking for some horror books to try and get into, I found this book by chance on NetGalley and was not disappointed!
Published: June 4, 2019 (today!)
Author: Ann Dávila Cardinal
My NetGalley Rating: 5/5
My NetGalley Review:
It might look like I give a lot of positive reviews, but it’s more the fact that I’m extremely choosy about the books I spend my time with. I’m glad I picked this one up when I was perusing through NetGalley!
I’m a big fan of creepy stories, and have had an extremely hard time finding a good creepy story to read. This one definitely tickled my fancy. The author did a fantastic job in transporting the reader to Puerto Rico, the beautiful areas to the crime ridden ones, to move the story along. I felt like I could picture the locations that they went to.
The romance in this book was fantastic. I appreciate an author who can cultivate relationships and not just plunge the poor reader into a cold bath of “I love you soooo much”although it might not be relevant. I felt that the ending was a bit rushed, but I felt satisfied after seeing the loose ends tied up.
As a biracial person myself, I found the focus on identity to be grating at first, but it did make sense as the story continued. I can’t dock stars for that. 🙂
If you enjoy creepy things, with a bit of romance and mystery in a tropical setting, I’d suggest picking up the book… it just came out today!
What I liked about the book:
When I enjoy a good book, I want to read it during work, not only after work! I binged this book today whenever I had a chance to pull out my Kindle at work and kept reading because I really had to find out how this whole thing was going to end.
This author really did her research on drugs and drug addiction, which I noticed from the last few pages of the book that she did quite a bit of research into this whole novel. The pang of desire for an addict and how easy it is to start using was just so well written out that I could really feel for the characters who were involved with addiction. It was interesting to see how many characters addiction touched in this story.
I also enjoyed the characters. They had realistic drives and interests with backgrounds and history that made sense to their personalities. Relationships were cultivated and not forced, which I really appreciated since I really abhor super romantic and not realistic romantic writing. It felt like romance was a side point and not the focus, which was great because Ann Dávila Cardinal really focused on the creepy stuff! Yay!!!
Speaking of creepy: I enjoyed the thread of unease throughout the book. I also enjoy SCP Foundation stories. It’s not totally on the same level of SCP, but is definitely a step in that direction that is hard to find for some reason.
What I wasn’t a fan of:
The main thing I wasn’t a fan of in the writing was just how quickly everything wrapped up into a nice bow. I wasn’t totally expecting some of the main characters to do what they did at the end, and those relationships felt a tad rushed. (It might be because it’s also a YA — this isn’t my typical genre so I’m not sure what to expect) ((I also edited my original statement because I don’t want to spoil the story))
One minor thing that did get on my nerves was the focus on being biracial and not belonging. I totally get that there’s a reason for it, but it hit a little too close to home for me as a biracial person… though Ann might know as well, being a Gringa-Rican!
Who is this for?
Anyone who is looking for a quick read of multicultural urban horror!
It’s been a loooooong time! I’ve been meaning to write some new stuff, but between work, health, and life stuff getting in the way, it’s been hard to sit down to write anything. For the first time in forever I’ve reviewed some ARCs that I downloaded from NetGalley. Enjoy!
Note: Updated 6/2 to reflect the other handful of books that I read before the end of May!
The A to Z of Eating Disorders by Emma Woolf
Released September 2017
Rating 5/5
As weird as it is to say, I’m actually a fan of this book and wasn’t sure what to expect when I first downloaded it besides discussion on eating disorders. This book alphabetizes different words and concepts around eating disorders into a literal A through Z guide, with a short but succinct description of each concept that pulls the emotion out of eating disorders. There are other related concepts that are included but not specific to eating disorders, e.g. how the human body works and other related psychiatric disorders like depression.
I also appreciate that “clean eating” and “orthorexia” are included in this reference along with Celiac (Coeliac) Disease. Those of us with Celiac Disease and other diseases related to food are at risk of falling into those rabbit holes given how strict we need to be with food avoidance; it can be too easy to restrict our diet unnecessarily for fear out of becoming sick, especially when a lot of the foods we can buy commercially come from the health food marketplace or brands.
I would actually like to get a copy of this book at some point as it would make a good health reference.
A Radical Guide for Women with ADHD: Embrace Neurodiversity, Live Boldy, and Break Through Barriers by Sari Solden
Releasing July 2019
Rating 5/5
I love, love, love a good self-help book, and even better when it’s a workbook. This workbook is a must for any woman with ADHD, especially since a majority of the books available are directed at men suffering from ADHD or the spouses of male ADHD sufferers. Women sufferers have different struggles and weaknesses that we’re now just getting to hear about them, which is more important than ever given that there are a number of people who still believe women do not get ADHD!
This book is not focused on ‘fixing’ the woman with ADHD. This workbook is focused on the woman with ADHD coming to terms that it is a part of who they are and that is not something to be ashamed about (although society might try to say otherwise!). There are a lot of self-reflection and guided activities in this workbook that effortlessly blend in with each chapter, and the ‘stories’ from different women that are scattered throughout the book really bring home the point that ‘you are not alone in dealing with ADHD.’
I would highly suggest any woman with ADHD get a physical copy of this book to highlight and write in.
Buzz Books: Young Adult Fall/Winter 2019
My rating: 4/5
It was a tad disappointing with how few excerpts were in this buzz ARC as I’m trying to range out of my comfort zone genre wise. The range of choices in this ARC were pretty good, though. Although I’m not typically a fan of YA, I did find one book that I did want to pick up: Julia Drake’s The Last True Poets Of The Sea.
I really enjoyed her writing, as it made me feel like a teen again going through the uncomfortable “finding yourself” stage in life without glamorizing or romanticizing that awkward time. I want to read more! This was a great way to sample a diverse number of YA books!
Better Allies: Everyday actions to create inclusive, engaging workplaces by Karen Catlin
Released January 2019
Rating: 5/5
I’ve really enjoyed this book. As a background, I’m a mixed Asian woman. The author does a really good job at explaining privilege and how to be an ally to others. She also does a good job at explaining that although we may have hardships, we still may have privilege that affords us more opportunities than others, which is important to think about as we attempt to be allies with friends, families, coworkers, and just others in general.
As a mixed Asian woman, I do understand I have privilege that is not afforded to some of my friends and coworkers, while I also have hardships that my other friends and coworkers do not experience.
One of the biggest gripes around being an ally is actually discussed by this author: listen to the people you ally with for their input AND support them to talk for themselves. Like the example of a woman being talked over, where instead of naming her idea and summarizing her point, allow her to speak her thought so the idea is truly attributed to her. I think this book is something that people should read in general. Even as a WOC, I found ideas to take away from this book on how I could be a better ally for other people.
Saint Young Men by Hikaru Nakamura
Released April 2019 in USA
My rating: 5/5
I really like this series! I’ve read this before, and picked it up so I could have another read. It’s a slice-of-life type of manga about Jesus and Buddha living together as roommates in Japan… it’s so silly, but enjoyable to see them in stereotypical manga situations with the additional twist of them being religious icons. I’d suggest this to anyone who wants something more light hearted to read.
PREGNANT WITH A ROYAL BABY!: Harlequin Manga by Susan Meier, Motoyo Fujiwara
Released May 2019
My rating: 4/5
I’m a connoisseur of shoujo manga, and this surprisingly hit the spot for this reader. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I saw a lot of Harlqeuin Mangas pop up on NetGalley, but I’m now looking to request more!
I thought the artist did a pretty good job illustrating the story, and the comic flowed nicely. The art style fits the romantic/dramatic feel of the genre. I wasn’t totally crazy about the writing itself and part of the ending made me go “blehhhh,” but it was nice to have the story wrapped up within a single book instead forcing the reader to suffer through books upon books before anything gets accomplished story wise.
I don’t have a lot of time anymore to read 25+ chapter comics, and I’ve become frustrated with the series that just. never. end. I like that I could just sit down for a quick romance session and complete the story. Yay!
Married Roommates: How To Go From a Relationship That Just Survives To A Marriage That Thrives by Talia and Allen Wagner
Released April 2019
My rating: 5/5
As someone who’s been in a relationship and marriage for a long time, I wanted to review this book as I wanted to see what being “married roommates” entailed. It serves as a kind of warning for married couples to not become complacent, but also serves as insight if you do find your marriage falling into this direction.
I actually really enjoyed the mini stories: they were super authentic, and the fact that we see both sides of the issue is helpful and reminds the reader that there are two sides to every issue. There are a lot of no duh advice in here, but that doesn’t mean that maybe we forget as we run through the daily lives as married couples and need a reminder of what’s really important.
This is something that I feel that newly married couples would benefit from.
Mindfulness for Insomnia: A Four-Week Guided Program to Relax Your Body, Calm Your Mind, and Get the Sleep You Need by Catherine Polan Orzech, William H. Moorcroft, PhD
Releases July 2019
My rating: 2/5
I had a really, really hard time getting through this. I found it to be a pretty dry read, and I didn’t feel inspired to really get into the method. A lot of the exercises are really more about meditation and becoming mindful of oneself, but perhaps I was expecting something different when I requested this ARC. I think this would be good for someone who wants a concrete plan to help with insomnia but not really something I’d immediately suggest to someone else with insomnia.
The Racial Healing Handbook: Practical Activities to Help You Challenge Privilege, Confront Systemic Racism, and Engage in Collective Healing by Anneliese A Singh
Releases August 2019
My rating: 5/5
This is meant for white people or people who have little to no understanding of racial issues and racial inequalities. I really enjoyed the fact that the author included a section on microaggressions and examples on them AND WHY THEY ARE BAD. I liked the activities as it makes the person really think about race in regards to themselves and the people they know.
I don’t like having this on ebook though. This is a book you HAVE to buy a paper copy of this book to get the best formatting to take advantage of all the activities.
Celiac Disease (CD) can be a real pain in the ass when it comes to traveling. From bringing food onto an airplane, to making sure the CD-sufferer has safe food and snacks throughout the entirety of the trip, it becomes a real ordeal to travel. Some destinations are way more Celiac-friendly than others. This means that a lot more prep and research has to go into any trip.
Our rules for safe Celiac eating:
We recently traveled to O’ahu to celebrate our cousin’s wedding, and it was a treat! Perusing Find Me Gluten Free got me very concerned about what I’d be able to eat since it didn’t seem like a lot at first glance, but being located in an extremely touristy area worked to my advance in finding safe food.
We stayed around Ko’Olina in a villa with a full kitchen. All of the resorts around us had restaurants that could reliably accommodate CD, but we kept heading back to Aulani (Disney). Character dining, buffet, Disney! 🐶
Breakfast box!
Surprisingly, we actually got breakfast on our flight to Honolulu. The yogurt was actually gluten free, and the silverware wrapped in plastic, so the cross-com risk was minimal. I stayed away from the grapes, granola, and the wrapped onion corn cake thing, just in case.
(The cake smelled really good, though!)
Taken by Yelper T. Anthony N.
Unfortunately no pictures from me, but the Island Market in Ko’Olina was surprisingly well stocked for cooking at the villa. They stock fresh vegetables, eggs, and steak… While also stocking gluten-free bread, drinks (ok maybe I wouldn’t splurge for a $10 orange juice carton but hey), snacks, and pineapple Dole Whip.
Other ABC Stores also stock gf snacks. They’re all over the place, so it’s a safe spot to stop by for a quick refuel. Safe snacks are marked with a “gluten free” sign.
Disney’s Aulani resort has a number of on-site restaurants and eateries, including some poolside options that are a tad less expensive.
Unfortunately no pictures of this either, but I got a bomb set of kalua pork tacos in corn tortillas with pineapple salsa and avocado with a side of fruit. The food options I had were burgers with gf buns, tacos, salads, and flatbread. Nothing from the fryer unfortunately, but with that many options it wasn’t at all an issue.
The shaved ice from Papalua is gluten free. I didn’t inquire about getting the condensed milk at the time, but the shaved ice by itself was pretty darn good. 🐠
Character breakfast was a real treat at Disneyland, but I found that Aulani’s character breakfast was just as good. Disneyland’s Mickey waffles win out for being mochiko based, but Aulani won with an eggs benedict — something I never really had a chance to have before. In this buffet, the chef will walk you down the buffet and ask you what you want to eat. Food came directly from the back with allergy sticks on them. It was a really good variety!
The show was also cute, and it was totally worth it. Loved hearing the auntie sing and go through the different routines. We had a visit with Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and Goofy at our table. 🙂
Non-character dinner, and that’s OK! My only complaint is that this buffet is totally aimed at the seafood lovers. I got to have a lot of different foods for dinner buffet, which was totally awesome. Same thing as breakfast: chef walked me through the line and asked what I wanted. I’ve never had poke and some of the other foods before, so I got a plate. (When we went to Disneyland’s Storytellers Cafe for dinner buffet, they couldn’t accommodate me at the time and I went for a meal instead. So it was nice to have another buffet style meal.)
Meals I received:
No pictures of this one either, but there’s a stand right outside of the Dole Plantation building that has BBQ corn. I pestered them enough times to figure out that yes, it is gluten free, no, they don’t deal with gluten in the stand, and that they use Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce if you get that corn.
There were multiple restaurants that I missed in Ko’Olina that were Celiac safe: Ama’Ama in Aulani, Longboards at the Marriott, and one at the Four Seasons. Ama’Ama has a beautiful view of the sunset in the evening, but with the amount of food and leftovers I had it just didn’t make sense to spend more $$$. There were also a few restaurants in Waikiki itself that were Celiac safe and you can find those on Find Me Gluten Free that I also skipped for the above reasons.
Get a place with a kitchenette just so you’re not spending a lot of money, but otherwise, O’ahu was totally fun and safe for this Celiac sufferer.
One Boring Hapa 