Mid-month Reading Wrap-up | November 2018

TL;DR

In this video, the content creator gives reviews of five books read in November, including "The Pisces" by Melissa Broder and "Crazy Rich Asians" by Kevin Kwan, along with a heartfelt recommendation for "Fox 8" by George Saunders.

Transcript

hi guys so I'm here today to do my mint month wrap-up for the month of November so I did two wrap ups in October one of the middle of the month one at the end of the month to give myself more time to talk about each book since I was reading quite a lot and I wasn't sure whether to keep doing that but I've decided for now at least if I have at least... Read More

Key Insights

• 📔 The content creator prefers to do mid-month wrap-ups if they have at least five books to talk about, as it allows for more detailed reviews of each book.
• 📞 "The Pisces" received negative feedback due to an unlikable protagonist and unrealistic aspects.
• 💭 "Convenience Store Woman" is highly recommended for its brilliant storytelling and thought-provoking exploration of societal norms.
• ❓ "Crazy Rich Asians" was mostly enjoyable, but had problematic elements and didn't fully meet expectations.
• 🤨 "Fox 8" is a short, emotionally impactful book that raises awareness about human impact on the natural world.
• 🥹 "Charlie Bone and the Time Twister" is a childhood favorite that still holds up for the content creator, featuring positive friendship depictions despite some unrealistic aspects.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why did the content creator not finish reading "The Pisces" by Melissa Broder?

The content creator found the protagonist to be unlikable and had issues with the writing style, particularly the way the protagonist spoke about other women and the unrealistic portrayal of her PhD experience.

Q: What makes "Convenience Store Woman" by Sayaka Murata worth reading?

The content creator praises the book for its excellent character study, unique perspective, and the author's ability to make readers feel like they are inside the protagonist's head.

Q: What were the mixed feelings about "Crazy Rich Asians" by Kevin Kwan?

While enjoyable, the content creator found the portrayal of extreme wealth disturbing and mentioned issues with jarring comments, including the casual use of gang rape as a joke.

Q: What distinguishes "Fox 8" by George Saunders from other books?

The content creator highlights the emotional impact of reading from the perspective of an animal, emphasizing the sad reality of human actions on nature.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The content creator did not finish "The Pisces" by Melissa Broder due to not connecting with the protagonist and finding several aspects of the book irritating.

• "Convenience Store Woman" by Sayaka Murata is a brilliant Japanese novel that follows a woman's struggle to fit into societal norms, providing an endearing and thought-provoking character study.

• "Crazy Rich Asians" by Kevin Kwan, while enjoyable overall, had some mixed feelings due to disturbing themes, jarring comments, and certain aspects not living up to expectations.

• "Fox 8" by George Saunders is a short, emotionally impactful book written from the perspective of a fox, highlighting the negative impact of humans on nature.

• "Charlie Bone and the Time Twister" by Jenny Nimmo, a children's book, still found enjoyment as an adult and is a positive depiction of friendship, though some aspects felt unrealistic.