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Continue reading →: Musings on The morgue keeper by Ruyan MengThe Morgue Keeper is one of the most powerful debuts I’ve ever read. In less than 200 pages, Ruyan Meng condenses the weight of history, memory, and human resilience into a novel that feels both intimate and epic.
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Continue reading →: Musings on Kim Jiyung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam JooCho Nam-joo mixes real statistics and sociological data into the narrative, which makes it hit harder. It’s not just Kim Ji-young’s story—it’s a collective story, a mirror held up to society.
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Continue reading →: Musings on The weight of snow and regret by Elizabeth GauffreauThis novel beautifully captures the weight of caring for society’s most vulnerable. Hazel’s story doesn’t shy away from showing the emotional toll of running a place like the Sheldon Poor Farm, but it also highlights the small joys, the light, and the sense of purpose that come from this work.
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Continue reading →: Musings on The years, months, days by Yan Lian KeThe story is deceptively simple. A remote village is ravaged by drought. Everyone leaves — except one elderly man. At first, it’s a pragmatic choice. He knows his age, his health, and the fact that leaving isn’t just a matter of walking to the next town — it could mean…
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Continue reading →: Musings on The good people by Hannah KentKeywords: Irish folklore, fairy changeling myth, historical fiction Ireland, Hannah Kent novels, Bridget Cleary case, Michael Leahy case, superstition and belief in 19th century Genre: Historical fiction Length: short medium long Country: Ireland Review “Some folks are born different, Nance. They are born on the outside of things, with skin…
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Continue reading →: Musings on When reading stops being discoveryIn an age when the entire breadth of human knowledge is literally at our fingertips—where fact-checking is nearly instantaneous and alternative perspectives are just a few clicks away—there has never been a better time to embrace this intellectual daring.
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Continue reading →: Musings on Four treasures of the sky by Jenny Tinghui ZhangKeywords: Chinese literature, modern Chinese history, Chinese exclusion act, calligraphy, Jenny Tinghui Zhang Genre: Literary fiction Length: short medium long Country: China, USA Review “Your intentions were good, she said, but your actions betrayed you. From now on, Daiyu, you must learn that the two cannot ever be separate. No…
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Continue reading →: Musings on Imperial woman by Pearl S. BuckKeywords: Chinese literature, historical fiction, Empress Dowager CiXi, last empress of China, Pearl S. Buck Genre: Historical fiction Length: short medium long Country: China Review “Who rules well is always hated.” I read Imperial Woman during a time when I was overwhelmed with exam preparation, mentally and emotionally exhausted. I…
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Continue reading →: Musings on Second sister by Chan Ho-KeiKeywords: Chinese literature, Hong Kong, mystery thriller, Chan Ho-Kei Genre: Thriller Length: short medium long Country: China Review “Dear Stranger, By the time you see these lines, I might no longer be here. Recently, I’ve been thinking about death every day.” Going into Second Sister, I wasn’t exactly brimming with…
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Continue reading →: Musings on Lady Tan’s circle of women by Lisa SeeI’ve seen that setup so many times before that I felt almost impatient. Nothing seemed particularly original. The characters felt like they came from a template, and I prepared myself for a fairly generic historical fiction experience. But then, quietly and without much ceremony, the book began to shift.
“Forerun thy peers, thy time, and let Thy feet, millenniums hence, be set In midst of knowledge, dream’d not yet.”
Lord Tennyson
I read and then I write about it. You’re welcome to join me.
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Musings of a reading addict 