Reading Wrap Up: November 2020

Welcome to the November edition of, My Reading Wrap Up! 

November was a great reading month for me! With all the stress of the US election at the beginning of the month, I know most people couldn’t tear themselves away from their screens or focus long enough to read anything. I actually found myself turning to my work and to books to help keep me distracted.

This month saw me read a little bit of everything – travel, memoir, fiction and even middle grade! I love trying out new genres and being pleasantly surprised by what I find there. I have even more out-of-genre books ready to go for December. This month also saw me (finally) finishing one of those paper books that I got my hands on in the beginning of September!

I’ve also decided that I don’t spend enough time on social media for work, so I should start a Bookstagram account. If you want to follow along with my reading over on Instagram, follow me @ebookadventures.

Okay, let’s get to my November reads! 

And in case you missed it, here’s my reading wrap up for October.

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His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie

Fiction (family/romance), 288 pages, published 2020

“And that was how I came to be married to Elikem Ganyo. Now I was waiting for him to show up and be my husband.”

Afi is living in the rural town of Ho in Ghana when she is married off to Elikem “Eli” Ganyo of the rich and famous Ganyo family. She moves to be with him in Accra only to find herself living alone while Eli continues to live with “that woman.” I found this book really engaging and loved how it seamlessly included so many aspects of Ghanaian culture. It was also interesting to see not only how those cultural aspects differed from what I know in Canada but also how the rural/traditional Ghanaian culture of Ho differed from the urban/modern culture Afi found in her new life in Accra.

I loved Afi finding her own voice and version of feminism but felt the last few chapters of the book fell flat. They felt rushed and like Afi was having to tell us her emotions rather than show them. There was also a big time jump that seemed to come out of nowhere. Overall I enjoyed this book, and the ending worked for me, but the last few chapters were not my favourite.

Rating: 3.75/5

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The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon

Fiction (romance), 344 pages, published 2020

“When I mess up, it just makes it that much harder for the next bright young black girl who has so much to contribute to this field. I refuse to get in her way.”

While I always find these types of romance books easy to read, I think I finally have to admit that they’re just not my favourite. I really struggle with the extremely cheesy dialogue and inner monologues. No one talks like that! Cheese aside, there were parts of this book I really loved. I loved that Samiah was such a strong feminist and many times pointed out the hardships she faces as a smart, young, Black woman working in tech. I liked that the love interest, Daniel, was half Korean and half Black – not the typical leading man we see in books.

The plot was interesting enough to keep me reading but I did have to roll my eyes over many sections. The romance was sweet and not too steamy. But the whole thing felt very rushed at the end and wrapped up too quickly and out of character.

Rating: 3/5

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Super Sushi Ramen Express by Michael Booth

Memoir (travel, food), 318 pages, published 2016

“I had always assumed [a sumo wrestler’s] diet was made up of fatty meats, ice cream, chips, and chocolate and heard that they slept after meals. It had been a strange source of comfort to know that someone, somewhere, had been living my dream life.”

The premise of this book hooked me because this man was living my dream: three months travelling through Japan with his family to learn about the food. I would love to do that! However, the book itself was just all right. Firstly, do we need another white man telling us about Asian food? Probably not. And while Booth’s ignorance showed in many places, I will say he at least tried to be curious and respectful. I learned a lot of interesting tidbits about Japanese food through this book, but also found myself losing attention in parts. I would have also liked more focus on his family’s experience, and less of his personal research. But all in all, it has made me more excited for my next trip to Japan!

PS: You know how I always recommend audiobooks? This is one I would actually not recommend on audio. I hated the voice of the narrator. It felt like he was yelling at me the whole time! I almost stopped listening after the first few seconds. If the e-book had been available, I would have gone for that.

Rating: 3.5/5

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Boys by Rachel Giese

Parenting/research, 240 pages, published 2018

“By treating boys’ troubling behaviour as normal and innate, by validating the idea that “boys will be boys” whether it’s risk taking or sexual violence, failing grades or social isolation, we fail to address the role the ideology of masculinity plays in boys’ struggles and failings.”

This is the first hardcover book I have read in a long time and it took me forever to actually finish it (I first cracked the spine in early September). Paper books are just so much easier to put down and harder to read, say, when you’re walking the dog (audiobook wins) or in bed in the dark (e-book wins). This book, about the challenges boys face growing up, was also written in a very academic style. The research was interesting and thorough, but very dense and dry. I struggled through this one. That said, I learned a lot and I was inspired by some of the research results and promising programs. I also loved the premise: a queer woman who is raising an adopted Indigenous son with her wife sets out to learn more about raising boys. Bonus: The family is Canadian which made the book feel more like home!

TW: abuse, violence, sexual assault

Rating: 3/5

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The Answer Is… by Alex Trebek

Memoir, 304 pages, published 2020

“‘Never lose your love of life.’ I was just torn apart by that line. Because someone had finally recognized what I thought I was about.”

I actually finished this book a few days before Alex Trebek passed away. As sad as I am about his passing, and as much as I feel for his loved ones, I am comforted by reading this book, learning how much Alex got out of life, and knowing he was at peace with what was coming.

If you’re looking for something wholesome and heartwarming, you need to pick up this memoir by the late Alex Trebek, the almost 40-year host of Jeopardy. The book is told in short chapters, each starting with “What is…?” or “The answer is…” as Alex shares the highlights of his life. I loved hearing about how he got his start in announcing, his childhood in Canada (I loved hearing familiar place names in Ontario!) and behind-the-scenes data about Jeopardy. This is one I would definitely recommend on audio. It’s mostly read by Jeopardy champion Ken Jennings, with Alex himself taking over for a chapter here and there.

There were a few chapters I didn’t love: his charity work had some strong white saviour vibes and one chapter was a bit too pro-America for my liking. But then he’d tell me his favourite drink was low-fat milk and I was on board again. Overall this book is great and a must-listen for any Jeopardy fans. With Alex’s cancer diagnosis in 2019 and passing earlier this month, the book, and particularly the last few chapters, are very poignant and powerful.

TW: cancer, death

Rating: 4.25/5

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Shuri by Nic Stone

Middle grade fiction, 272 pages, published 2020

“No need to send a king when a princess will do.“

This was the first middle grade book (a book for 8-12 year olds) that I have read as an adult and I have to say I was so impressed! This book really wasn’t as juvenile as I had been expecting. I loved the themes of feminism and strong women – both physically and mentally. I loved that Shuri was celebrated as a smart girl in STEM. And I loved that the book touched on things like racism, stereotypes and climate change without being preachy. Of course, it was also fun to be back in the Black Panther universe of Wakanda.

I had a hard time rating this book. If I were a kid, I think this would be a 5/5 book. But, as an adult, of course the plot and characters felt very middle grade. So my rating below is based on my personal enjoyment, acknowledging that I am not the target audience. But I did really enjoy this book and recommend you pick it up, no matter what age you are. I also recommend it as an audiobook, as it’s read beautifully by Anika Noni Rose (Princess Tiana from The Princess and the Frog). Her Wakandan accent is incredible!

Rating: 3.75/5

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Memorial by Bryan Washington

Literary fiction, 320 pages, published 2020

“Look, I said. Okay is good. All right is good. Most people don’t get more than that. That’s a myth.”

This book was getting all the love on Bookstagram and I was so excited that my library hold came through. To be honest, I don’t know if this was quite my book. This is the story of Benson and Michael, an interracial gay couple living in Houston and going through a rough spot in their relationship. In the middle of that, Michael’s mom comes to visit from Tokyo at the same time that Michael heads to Osaka to be with his dying dad, leaving Benson at home with his mom.

I liked the writing style of this book; it was beautifully written though I hated that the author didn’t use quotation marks on his dialogue. I liked the representation of an interracial queer couple from different socioeconimic backgrounds and with an HIV diagnosis. I loved the time spent in Japan and all the references to Japanese cuisine. I also liked that this book was about all the relationships, not just the couple at the center of it.

But overall, the book felt very dark and depressing to me. As I read this in early November, I had a hard time wanting to read it. But each time I did pick it up, it pulled me in. A lot of the dialogue felt very combative to me – like every sentence needed to have a hidden meaning. And I didn’t like how unresolved things felt at the end.

So I’m stuck on this one. I’m glad I read it, but I don’t think it’s my kind of book.

TW: death, cancer, homophobia, racism

Rating: 3.75/5

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Front Desk by Kelly Yang

Middle grade fiction, 298 pages, published 2018

“If I looked more like the other kids in my class – if I had blond hair and blue eyes – then would it be okay that I sucked at math?”

So I went from never reading a middle grade book to reading two in one month! This book came highly recommended to me from my friend, Jane, and I’m so glad she put it on my radar. I loved this book! Front Desk is the story of 10 year old Mia Tang, who immigrated to the US from China with her parents. Her parents get jobs managing a hotel and Mia takes over the front desk. I absolutely loved how this book shared stories of the Chinese immigrant experience and dealt with racism, but without sounding like it was trying to “teach” kids anything. Mia was such a root-able main character and I loved her sharing her Chinese culture. Mia’s family is very poor, and seeing their hope and love for one another was so heartwarming.

Another very interesting fact about this book is that it’s based on the author’s real life experience. I wish I had read this book as a kid but am so glad I read it as an adult. Highly recommend!

TW: racism

Rating: 4.5/5

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Eat a Peach by David Chang

Memoir, 288 pages, published 2020

“Because of the close quarters of Momofuku, you were eating dinner with me. And no one wants to eat dinner with a dick.”

I think chef memoirs might be one of my favourite sub-genres to read. I really enjoyed this one by Momofuku’s David Chang. It’s another one I recommend on audiobook as Dave himself reads it. Throughout the memoir, Dave is extremely honest. He readily points out his many faults and failures, including his anger issues. There were a few times where it sounded like he was trying to apologize or rewrite history, but he calls himself out on that too.

I loved hearing about David’s childhood and how he found cooking. I loved hearing about not only his Korean heritage but how he incorporated different Asian and non-Asian cuisines into his cooking (but don’t call it fusion!). I love how this book focused on mental health and trying to destigmatize things like diagnoses, medication and therapy. I also love how David confronted racism and sexism in kitchen culture (without pretending like he had solved the problems).

As Dave started to get into his restaurant journey, I often found myself a bit lost with all the different restaurant names and chef names, especially when he jumped around in time. But I understood his general gist. The book does read very dark but there are some uplifting and humourous moments too; I loved the quick section he had about his wife and whenever he talked about his Momofuku family.

PS: This was my 60th book of the year! I might try to shoot for 70 by the year’s end!

TW: alcohol, drugs, suicide, mental illness, racism

Rating: 4/5

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Best book of the month

Overall, my favourite book of November was Front Desk by Kelly Yang. If you had told me my favourite book of the month was going to be a middle grade read, I never would have believed you! But this book totally blew me away.

Annual reading stats update

Here is a quick update on my 2020 reading stats!

• Total number of books read: 60
• Total number of pages read: 18,588
• Fiction vs non-fiction: 20 fiction & 40 non-fiction
• Male vs female authors: 17 male & 45 female (some books had two authors)
• Diversifying my reading: Of the 62 authors I’ve read this year, 22 are BIPOC and 9 are LGBTQ+

 

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