new favorites, a big disappointment, more manga // MAY WRAP UP | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Starla shares her wrap-up of the May and Asian Readathon, where she read 15 books, mostly by Asian authors, and gives ratings and reviews for each book.

Key Insights

• 🍓 Marjane Satrapi's "The Complete Persepolis" is an incredibly candid and heartbreaking graphic memoir that showcases the author's ability to be raw and real.
• 🍄 "Spy Family" by Tatsuya Endo is a fun and entertaining action comedy manga series, although the fourth volume may be less significant to the overarching story.
• 🖤 "10 Count" by Rihito Takarai provides relatable representation of anxiety, but some instances lack clear consent.
• 🇬🇸 Tasha Suri's "Empire of Sand" is an expertly written fantasy romance that explores themes of colonization, oppression, and religious fanaticism.
• 🤩 Novellas by Nivo offer enjoyable reading experiences, with "The Empress of Salt and Fortune" and its sequel "When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain" both receiving four stars.

Transcript

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Questions & Answers

Q: What book did Starla rate the highest in her wrap-up?

Starla gave "The Complete Persepolis" by Marjane Satrapi five stars, recommending it highly for its candid and heartbreaking storytelling.

Q: What is Starla's opinion on the "Spy Family" manga series?

Starla enjoys the action comedy series "Spy Family," but she felt that volume 4 was not as significant to the overarching story compared to the previous volumes.

Q: What did Starla appreciate about the yaoi manga series "10 Count"?

Starla appreciated the representation of anxiety in "10 Count" and found the raw and emotional storytelling relatable. However, she noted that some instances lacked clear consent.

Q: What themes does Starla mention in her review of "Empire of Sand"?

Starla mentions that "Empire of Sand" explores themes of colonization, oppression, and religious fanaticism through a fantasy lens, with magic, spirits, and gods playing a significant role.

Q: What type of book is "Pachinko" by Min Jin Lee?

"Pachinko" is a historical fiction novel set in the early 1900s in Korea and Japan, exploring the lives of a wide cast of characters amidst wars, occupations, and identity crises.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Starla read 15 books in May, with all but one being by Asian authors.

• She highly recommends "The Complete Persepolis" by Marjane Satrapi, a graphic memoir about growing up in Tehran during the Islamic revolution.

• Starla also enjoyed the manga series "Spy Family" by Tatsuya Endo, but felt that volume 4 was lacking compared to the previous volumes.

• She shares her thoughts on the yaoi manga series "10 Count" by Rihito Takarai, appreciating its representation of anxiety and mental illness.

• Starla gives a rave review of "Empire of Sand" by Tasha Suri, praising its writing, character development, and exploration of themes like colonization and religious fanaticism.

• She also enjoyed novellas by Nivo and "Pachinko" by Min Jin Lee, a historical fiction novel set in Korea and Japan.

• Starla concludes her wrap-up with reviews of "The Henna Wars" by Adiba Jaigirdar and "The Silence of Bones" by June Hur.