This charming memoir tells Oanh’s story of her family’s journey from Vietnam to Texas. She starts with her life back in Vietnam as a child running along monkey bridges in an orchard in the Mekong Delta, where her family was exiled after the war. Her family has some unsuccessful attempts to get out of Vietnam, but like other “boat people” they eventually succeed. She explains the immigration process back then through the eyes of a child, a stark contrast to the process today and the […]
Are you Extraordinary?
I loved this book, I couldn’t put it down once I started reading it. Schwab is a great author (wrote the Shades of Magic series set in multiple parallel Londons). I believe this is one of her older books which recently was republished in the US. The idea is that some people are EOs – extraordinary – have a “superpower” that resulted from a near-death experience. The powers are varied – healing, controlling people, raising the dead, etc. College roommates Victor and Eli set out […]
Palaces for the People
I really, really wanted to love this book. Nobody loves libraries more than I do and this book is supposed to be a strong argument for supporting public libraries. I wanted to read and love this book and recommend it to everybody who doesn’t support their local library. The book discusses the importance of social infrastructure, those things like parks and libraries that bring neighbors together. Klinenberg argues that social infrastructure is what makes people survive in times of crisis (like the big Chicago heat […]
I’ve Finally Been Educated
I finally got around to reading the most praised book of 2018. It is brutal. I was prepared for the religious fanaticism, lack of education, and fear of government and doctors. I was not prepared for the amount of abuse, accidents, injuries, mental illness, and cruelty. I struggled through those difficult parts and gained an appreciation for the normal family I was raised in and raised my own daughter in. I guess the critics are right, overall a good read, but not really my cup […]