Category / Reading

by Sharlene

Library Loot (February 22 to 28)

badge-4

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Sharlene from Real Life Reading that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.

Happy Wednesday! What did you get from your library this week?

Claire has the link-up this week.

So we are usually so careful and good with library books, always returning on time, even after the library system did away with late fees! But somehow, one of the kids’ books went missing. I really have no clue where it could have gone to, as we never take library books out of the house! Over the weekend, we went through different areas of the house, looking under sofas, beds, checking in toy boxes and cupboards just in case. But we never found this one book. How very very odd.

I really hate to admit that we lost a library book, but that is what happened. So I went in the library to let them know. The librarian was very nice and asked if we wanted more time to look for it, but I really had no idea where else we could look, and just wanted to declare it lost and pay the fine.

What I got from the library this week:

The Salt Path – Raynor Winn

I was looking for a travel memoir written by a woman. Found this on Libby and loved the cover. Winn and her husband, who is terminally ill, walk 630 miles of the sea-swept South West Coast Path, from Somerset to Dorset, via Devon and Cornwall. They’ve lost their home and livelihood and are just carrying what they own on their backs.

I had to look up the South West Coast Path, and it’s England’s longest waymarked long-distance footpath. It’s a part of England I haven’t been to so I’m looking forward to reading about it. I love the coast of England, one of my favourite memories is hiking with my friends from Beachy Head in East Sussex.

seven sisters?
I dug up an old photo I took on the hike of the white chalk cliffs.

Lemon – Kwon Yeo-Sun

A murder cold case story that explores grief and trauma.

I’m Waiting For You – Kim Bo-Young

A collection of speculative fiction short stories by a South Korean writer.

Kids’ loot:

by Sharlene

Anne of Greenville by Mariko Tamaki

I grew up reading the Anne of Green Gables series and watching the original TV series. (I haven’t finished watching the new version though!). 

So it was exciting to see that Mariko Tamaki had written a reimagined modern version of this classic! I’ve loved Tamaki’s previous works like Skim, Emiko Superstar, and Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me. 

Her version of Anne is delightful. She’s a queer half-Japanese teen with two mums. She loves disco, colorful vintage clothes, and roller skating. Her family just moved to the small town of Greenville, where she just can’t seem to stay out of trouble. And ugh, the bullying she faces. My heart just goes out for her, as she struggles to be herself but also to fit in. 

I think Tamaki captures the spirit of Anne really well. She’s unique and quirky, and she has a quick temper, which causes more problems. But in this modern version, the issues that Anne faces are a lot more difficult, such as racism and homophobia. 

It must be hard to take on a reimagining of a classic story. Maybe it would be easier to say that this book is inspired by Anne of Green Gables. I loved the updated version of Anne, but the essence of the story feels different. In the original story, part of Anne’s struggles is with Marilla Cuthbert’s reluctance to take her in, as they originally wanted to adopt a boy. But Anne of Greenville was adopted at a young age by her two mums, and so the problems that this Anne faces are less with her family and more with her classmates and the residents of Greenville. 

An enjoyable read.

by Sharlene

It’s Monday (February 20, 2023)

It’s Presidents’ Day today so the kids are off school, but the husband still has to do work – plus he worked over the weekend!

Some things last week:

We had lunch at a Japanese restaurant on Sunday. The 9yo wanted to try the salmon skin sushi but then declared he didn’t like it… so guess who had to eat it.

Made some more Chinese bakery-style hot dog buns, with tangzhong dough. This time I cut the sausages in half so it’s less for a portion. Much better. But I somehow forgot to pay attention to the time on this first batch and it got too brown. 😛

Currently…

Reading:

Rise by Jeff Yang etc

I feel like these past couple of weeks, I haven’t been reading as much as last month. Haven’t figured out why yet. It’s taking me a while to sink into the various books I have going….!

Watching:

Crash Course in Romance on Netflix (new episodes every weekend). Also, each new ep of Abbott Elementary that comes out, as I love it. I am also rationing the episodes of the Makanai, a Japanese drama, because there are only 9 episodes and it’s so sweet and delightful.

Listening:

The Sixth Extinction – yes it’s been a while, but see above with my problems with reading these couple of weeks!

Eating and Drinking:

Lemon Bliss cake (recipe here)

Cooking:

Last night for dinner I cooked lamb loin chops with mashed potatoes, pan seared king oyster mushrooms and asparagus. We also have leftovers from the Japanese restaurant (chicken katsu) so I won’t need to cook for today. But it looks like we will be getting some rain (Thursday and Friday) and cold temps this week so I want to make something soupy. Fish ball noodles maybe, and make some tomato soup.

Last week:

I read:

Anne of Greenville – Mariko Tamaki (isn’t that cover just delightful).

I posted:

Read in January 2023

Library Loot (February 15 to 21)

badge
 
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. This meme started with J Kaye’s Blog   and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. 
by Sharlene

Library Loot (February 15 to 21)

badge-4

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Sharlene from Real Life Reading that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.

Happy Wednesday! What did you get from your library this week?

What I got from the library this week:

Sleepless Nights – Elizabeth Hardwick

So one of the reading challenges has a task to read a book published in the year you’re born. So here it is. I’m also new to reading Elizabeth Hardwick’s works.

Pixels of You – Ananth Hirsh and Yuko Ota

A friendship between the first human-presenting AI and a human who is cybernetically augmented. Intriguing!

Mademoiselle Revolution – Zoe Sivak

Another book for a reading challenge. This one is a story about a biracial heiress who flees Haiti for Paris.

by Sharlene

It’s Monday (February 13, 2023)

Some things last week:

We haven’t had pho in months! Our usual place closed down and was taken over by another pho place but the reviews weren’t the best… so we didn’t try it. This one is relatively new I think? The broth was nice and they were generous with the beef slices. The husband had their chicken plate and said it was pretty good.
On Friday night, I went out with some moms (our kids are all in the mandarin immersion program and have known each other since kindergarten) to celebrate a birthday. We tried out a new Korean fusion place that’s only been open for a few weeks. It’s a very instagrammable place with nice wall decorations and lights, even an angel wing neon sign for photo taking.

The food was pretty good too. We had tteokbokki, a massive tonkotsu, kimchi fried rice, and their special fries that came with five sauces, hot Cheetos and and egg. In a town where most restaurants close before 10, it’s nice to have a place that’s open past midnight!

One pasta dish I come back to these days is a simple broccoli puree with cheddar. I served it with some panfried sausages
Something I’m working on – a small bag for a friend

Currently…

Reading:

Love is a Revolution – Renee Watson (Pictured with some mochi doughnuts)

Watching:

Crash Course in Romance is still ongoing! Two episodes are released every weekend so we are making our way there. I’m also watching The Makanai, a Japanese drama about a teenaged girl who works as a cook for a geisha house. Her best friend is training to become a maiko or apprentice geisha.

Listening:

Still working on The Sixth Extinction

Eating and Drinking:

I had a mochi doughnut for breakfast. Or rather, we cut each of those doughnuts up into quarters so we could each try the different flavours.

Cooking:

I was thinking of making some mashed potatoes, maybe bangers and mash? Maybe another day, I’ll cook some japchae (sweet potato noodles) and make some Korean spinach side dish (an easy way to use up your spinach and it keeps in the fridge for a few days).

Last week:

I read:

Charming As A Verb – Ben Philippe

I feel like I haven’t been reading much

I posted:

Library Loot (February 8 to 14, 2023)

badge
 
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. This meme started with J Kaye’s Blog   and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. 
by Sharlene

Library Loot (February 8 to 14, 2023)

badge-4

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Sharlene from Real Life Reading that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.

Happy Wednesday! What did you get from your library this week?

Claire has the link-up this week.

What I got from the library this week:

Light From Uncommon Stars – Ryka Aoki

A sci-fi set in SoCal.

Child of Fortune – Yuko Tsushima
I saw this on Word By Word and put it on my library holds.

Rise: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now – Jeff Yang, Phil Yu, Philip Wang

Have been looking forward to this one.

The Rabbit Hutch – Tess Gunty

I’ve seen this on some “best of” lists last year. Oh, it won the National Book Award too.

Charming As A Verb – Ben Philippe

It’s Black History Month and I downloaded some library ebooks by black writers. This one is a YA romance set in NYC and well, I was attracted by its title.

Love is a Revolution – Renee Watson

I enjoyed Watson’s Watch Us Rise and am looking forward to this one

by Sharlene

It’s Monday (February 6, 2023)

Oof I woke up today just after 5. So everything feels very slow moving right now because I have a headache. Hopefully it will go away. Meanwhile, I’ll just quickly put up some photos…

Some things last week:

Made some granola yesterday. Added sliced almonds, coconut chips, chopped apricots, and raisins.
The husband also hinted that I should make the walnut bread he likes. So here it is. I need to find a new recipe though. Either that or try proofing it overnight. It tastes fine but I think the crumb/texture can be improved.
We needed to head to the South Bay to pick up something, so I figured might as well go to Super Duper Burger. Love the food there, even their lemonade is so tasty (and not too sweet). The burgers are always well cooked too.
Started on a new crochet project. First time trying this brand of cotton yarn. Cotton yarn is hard to work with! It makes my fingers tire more easily…

Currently…

Reading:

The Swimmers – Julie Otsuka

Anne of Greenville – Mariko Tamaki

Watching:

Crash Course in Romance on Netflix

Listening:

The Sixth Extinction – The Sixth Extinction

Eating and Drinking:

I just had a chocolate chip cookie

Cooking:

Today we have leftovers, but yesterday for dinner, I made risotto, with bacon and steamed green beans.

Last week:

I read:

My Broken Mariko – Waka Hiroko

I posted:

Library Loot (February 1 to 7)

3 audiobooks by actresses

badge
 
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. This meme started with J Kaye’s Blog   and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. 
by Sharlene

Library Loot (February 1 to 7)

badge-4

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Sharlene from Real Life Reading that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.

Happy Wednesday! What did you get from your library this week?

What I got from the library this week:

Sansei and Sensibility – Karen Tei Yamashita

A collection of short stories set in California in the sixties and seventies

The Swimmers – Julie Otsuka

Otsuka’s books are always beautiful reads.

Acting Class – Nick Drnaso

My Broken Mariko – Waka Hiroko

Both of these were random grabs off the adult graphic novel shelves. I have read Drnaso’s Sabrina, although I didn’t really like it. Second chance, Drnaso! I haven’t heard of Waka Hiroko before, but was curious about the book.

Anne of Greenville – Mariko Tamaki

A modern-day Anne of Green Gables. I’ve enjoyed Mariko Tamaki’s previous works like This One Summer.

The Sixth Extinction – Elizabeth Kolbert

I downloaded this as an audiobook.

Kids’ Loot:

by Sharlene

3 audiobooks by actresses

Hooked: How Crafting Saved My Life – Sutton Foster

I’m Glad My Mom Died – Jennette McCurdy

Hello, Molly! – Molly Shannon

Somehow in the past month, I’ve listened to 3 audiobooks by American actresses. In recent years, I’ve taken to audiobooks, usually nonfiction, and preferably read by the author themselves (with exception to certain audiobook narrators, like Richard Armitage, whose voice I love!). I listen to the audiobooks when I take walks and when doing some chores like laundry or cooking. It helps the time pass faster. And on occasion, I’ve even walked an extra round just because I was eager to finish listening to a chapter. 

Audiobooks have their drawbacks of course, like when my mind wanders and I somehow miss out on an important part and it’s hard to go back and figure out what I’ve missed. Also, taking notes is hard. So while I usually enjoy writing down quotes from the book that I’ve enjoyed or admired, this is a quote-free post. 

Admittedly, I hadn’t heard of Jennette McCurdy until her book seemed to be everywhere. I never watched iCarly or the other shows she’s known for. But the title of her book just made me want to find out what exactly happened. And ok, that really was a very honest, and just really painful, listen. McCurdy started acting at the age of 6, and her mother controlled and obsessed about her physical appearance. It’s a book that made me seethe with anger at what her mother put her through, and admire the compassion Jennette showed her. 

Molly Shannon is more familiar to me. I used to watch Will and Grace and she played their upstairs neighbour Val who’s rather unstable and kooky. She really does seem like that in her audiobook too, vivacious and full of incredible energy. Her story is another one of struggle and angst. But in a very different way. Her family was in a horrendous car accident when she was 4, and her mother and sister died. She and her younger sister were raised by their dad, and while he definitely tried his best, his parenting style is best described as very permissive. Like when she and her friend snuck on a plane to New York City (they lived in Cleveland). They were 12! 

One thing about Molly Shannon’s story was her persistence and determination to become an actress. A New York Times article used the headline “The Unsinkable Molly Shannon” and that really is perfect for her. She really just kept going and never gave up. 

For me, this worked really well as an audiobook. I read a sample of the book and wasn’t quite sure, but when I gave it a listen instead, I started to get more into it. 

As for Sutton Foster, I enjoyed watching her in the short-lived TV series, Bunheads, where she played a showgirl turned dance teacher. I like that she’s a crocheter, although she also talks about other crafts in the book, like collaging and cross-stitching. She first started cross-stitching at age 19, as an understudy on the Grease musical. It was a means for her to cope with anxiety and stress and the less than friendly people who were on tour with her. Her crafting journey helps her through difficult times, like her mother’s agoraphobia and declining health. A heartfelt story that made me want to start crocheting a blanket (and did). 

by Sharlene

It’s Monday (January 30, 2023)

Hey, it’s Monday again. Hope you had a great weekend!

Some things last week:

We tried out two new-to-us eateries. This Japanese eatery has a huge selection of rolls, it was so hard to decide. We also wanted to get some of the cooked food to try – chicken katsu with added vegetable tempura, and pork belly with added prawn tempura. I quite liked their Godzilla roll – it was crab salad and a tempura prawn inside and on top is spicy tuna and eel with wonton chips.

Another new-to-us place was this Thai eatery. The last time I ate Thai food was last summer in Singapore! The kids really liked this crispy tamarind glazed duck dish. That surprised me as the younger son definitely didn’t like eating duck previously. I like that the eatery provided options of “hot” and “Thai hot”. I like spicy food but even Thai hot is too spicy for me (same goes for Indonesian version of “hot”), so this way I know that I can order it “hot” but it won’t be numb-my-tongue, cry-my-eyes-out hot 😛
The 9yo had his first elementary orchestra concert. He’s been learning the cello since mid-September. I was quite surprised that they would put on a concert so early on, especially since the kids had all only just been playing for a few months. But they did it wonderfully.

Besides the elementary beginners, intermediate, and advanced bands, there were also performances by the junior high. The elementary bands are organised by the music teachers at the junior high, I guess to allow for more experienced kids by the time they enter junior high. I like that the elementary school kids get to see what they can possibly sound like in years to come.


Recently, I’ve been making boba at home. We found these boba packs at a Chinese supermarket and it’s super easy, just boil them in water. After that, I pop them into some sugar syrup, which keeps them from drying out.

Made some Chinese bakery-style hot dog buns, using tangzhong bread. Here’s an example of a recipe . My go-to tangzhong bread recipe is this one by Christine’s Recipes.

Currently…

Reading:

Watching:

The K-drama Crash Course in Romance on Netflix. I liked the actor Jung Kyung-ho in Hospital Playlist (still one of my favourite all-time shows), and he’s great in this one too!

Listening:

The Sixth Extinction – Elizabeth Kolbert

Eating and Drinking:

I’m typing this on Sunday afternoon for a change! I’m having some green tea and contemplating a slice of Castella cake.

Cooking:

Ah, the same question every week. What to cook for the week ahead? I have some cauliflower and broccoli to cook up. So maybe I’ll roast the cauliflower in the oven. And maybe since the oven will be on, grill some chicken drumsticks, marinated in soy-honey-garlic.

For the broccoli, I’ll cook it up with some pasta. And maybe some bacon?

Last week:

I read:

I’m glad my mom died – Jennette McCurdy

Why We Swim – Bonnie Tsui

Vladimir – Julia May Jonas

I posted:

Everything is Ok by Debbie Tung

Legends & Lattes

Library Loot (January 25 to 31)

Happy Lunar New Year#WeekendCooking

badge
 
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. This meme started with J Kaye’s Blog   and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.