Book Reivew: Dawwang by Gantala Press

Posted on 06/14/2022 by Lenn

Title: Dawwang

Author: Gantala Press, Illustrated by Nina Martinez

Format: Paperback

Publication Date: 2021

Number of Pages: 48

Publisher: Gantala Press

Genre: Comics, Non-fiction, Philippine Literature, Historical

Synopsis:

Si Leticia ‘Tining’ Bula-at ay mula sa grupong Naneng sa probinsiya ng Kalinga. Noong dekada ‘70, may bantang lunurin ng proyektong Chico River Dam ni Presidente Ferdinand Marcos at ng World Bank ang ili ng mga Naneng at iba pang ili sa Kordilyera. Dalawampu’t walong anyos si ‘Nay Tining nang dumating ang National Power Corporation at Philippine Constabulary sa kanilang bayan para simulan ang pagtatayo ng dam. Linabanan ito ng mga umili: nagtayo sila ng mga barikada, binaklas nila ang mga kampo, at direkta nilang hinarap ang mga sundalo. Sa kabila ng pisikal at sikolohikal na karahasan, nagpatuloy ang kilos-protesta ng pamayanan, at nakansela ang dam ni Marcos. Sa kasalukuyan, patuloy ang pakikibaka nina ‘Nay Tining at iba pang kababaihang tagapagtanggol ng Kordilyera laban sa mga korporasyon at mapanirang mga proyekto ng gobyerno sa Ilog Chico at mga karatig-lugar.

Ang DAWWANG (salita ng mga Naneng para sa “ilog”) ay bersiyon sa Filipino ng komiks na ito na nilathala bilang LET THE RIVER FLOW FREE (Ingles) at LASST DEN FLUSS FLIESSEN (Aleman) sa ilalim ng proyektong Movements and Moments: Feminist Generations ng Goethe Institut-Indonesien.

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Stuff I’ve Been Reading Lately #22

Posted on 05/31/2022 by Lenn

BOOKS READ:

The Hidden Oracle (Trials of Apollo, #1) by Rick Riordan
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Desaparesidos by Lualhati Bautista

ONGOING:

The Secret Lives of Introverts: Our Hidden Worlds by Jenn Granneman (50% progress)
The Lost Symbol (Robert Langdon, #3) by Dan Brown (16% progress)

BOOKS BOUGHT:

Hollowpox (Nevermoor, #3) by Jessica Townsend
The Burning God (The Poppy War, #3) by R.F. Kuang
Contestable Nation-Space: Cinema, Cultural Politics, and Transnationalism in the Marcos-Brocka Philippines by Rolando B. Tolentino
A Time to Rise: Collective Memoirs of the Union of Democratic Filipinos (KDP) by Rene Ciria Cruz, Cindy Domingo, and Bruce Occena
Press Freedom Under Siege: Reportage That Challenged the Marcos Dictatorship by Ma. Ceres P. Doyo

Continue reading →

Book List: #AAPIVoices

Posted on 05/06/2022 by Lenn

I can’t believe the first half of the year is almost over, it seems like it was only February yesterday and now May has already begun! As April came to a close, May opens up new opportunities and hope to each and everyone of us and in light with this, as a side note, I would just like to mention to all my Filipino readers to please practice your right to vote and vote wisely on May 9! ♡

Aside from the national elections coming up in the Philippines this month, May is also a time to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. In the book community, we heavily read books written by AAPI authors during this time but regardless of the time or month, I wish that more people would support AAPI voices. Continue reading →

Stuff I’ve Been Reading Lately #21

Posted on 04/25/2022 by Lenn

BOOKS READ:

Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
The Mary Shelley Club by Goldy Moldavsky

ONGOING:

The Secret Lives of Introverts: Our Hidden Worlds by Jenn Granneman (50% progress)
The Hidden Oracle (Trials of Apollo, #1) by Rick Riordan (42% progress)

BOOKS BOUGHT:

Ace of Spades by Faridah Abike-Iyimide
How We Fall Apart by Katie Zhao
Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare
Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami
The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins

BOOKS RECEIVED:

The Secret Lives of Introverts: Our Hidden Worlds by Jenn Granneman
Almond by Won-pyung Sohn
The Twelve (The Twelve, #1) by Cindy Lin
What Big Teeth by Rose Szabo
Shadow of the Batgirl by Sarah Kuhn, Illustrated by Nicole Goux
Six Crimson Cranes (Six Crimson Cranes, #1) by Elizabeth Lim

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12 Most Anticipated Releases in May

Posted on 05/06/2021 by Lenn

There are a lot of really good novels being released this month and most of my most anticipated ones are AAPI authors and I’m really excited to get my hands on them! I always get excited about new releases, even when most often than not, I don’t get to read them immediately. I’m a weird person, I know. 🤪 But I’ve been enjoying making these lists recently, so here are my 12 most anticipated May releases:
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Book Review: Frankly in Love by David Yoon

Posted on 04/11/2021 by Lenn

Title: Frankly in Love

Author: David Yoon

Format: Trade Paperback

Publication Date: September 10, 2019

Number of Pages: 406

Publisher: Putnam

Genre: Realistic Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Young Adult

Synopsis:

Two friends. One fake dating scheme. What could possibly go wrong?

Frank Li has two names. There’s Frank Li, his American name. Then there’s Sung-Min Li, his Korean name. No one uses his Korean name, not even his parents. Frank barely speaks any Korean. He was born and raised in Southern California.

Even so, his parents still expect him to end up with a nice Korean girl–which is a problem, since Frank is finally dating the girl of his dreams: Brit Means. Brit, who is funny and nerdy just like him. Brit, who makes him laugh like no one else. Brit . . . who is white.

As Frank falls in love for the very first time, he’s forced to confront the fact that while his parents sacrificed everything to raise him in the land of opportunity, their traditional expectations don’t leave a lot of room for him to be a regular American teen. Desperate to be with Brit without his parents finding out, Frank turns to family friend Joy Song, who is in a similar bind. Together, they come up with a plan to help each other and keep their parents off their backs. Frank thinks he’s found the solution to all his problems, but when life throws him a curveball, he’s left wondering whether he ever really knew anything about love—or himself—at all.

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Stuff I’ve Been Reading Lately #18

Posted on 04/03/2021 by Lenn

BOOKS READ:

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
The Bride Test by Helen Hoang

BOOKS RECEIVED:

Becoming by Michelle Obama
The Nakano Thrift Shop by Hiromi Kawakami

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Book Review: The Bride Test by Helen Hoang

Posted on 03/31/2021 by Lenn

Title: The Bride Test

Author: Helen Hoang

Format: Trade Paperback

Publication Date: May 7, 2019

Number of Pages: 296

Publisher: Berkley

Genre: Women’s Fiction, Chick Lit, Contemporary Romance, New Adult

Synopsis:

Khai Diep has no feelings. Well, he feels irritation when people move his things or contentment when ledgers balance down to the penny, but not big, important emotions—like grief. And love. He thinks he’s defective. His family knows better—that his autism means he just processes emotions differently. When he steadfastly avoids relationships, his mother takes matters into her own hands and returns to Vietnam to find him the perfect bride.

As a mixed-race girl living in the slums of Ho Chi Minh City, Esme Tran has always felt out of place. When the opportunity arises to come to America and meet a potential husband, she can’t turn it down, thinking this could be the break her family needs. Seducing Khai, however, doesn’t go as planned. Esme’s lessons in love seem to be working…but only on herself. She’s hopelessly smitten with a man who’s convinced he can never return her affection.

With Esme’s time in the United States dwindling, Khai is forced to understand he’s been wrong all along. And there’s more than one way to love.

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Book Review: The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

Posted on 03/26/2021 by Lenn

Title: The Kiss Quotient

Author: Helen Hoang

Format: Trade Paperback

Publication Date: June 5, 2018

Number of Pages: 314

Publisher: Berkley

Genre: Women’s Fiction, Chick Lit, Contemporary Romance, New Adult

Synopsis:

A heartwarming and refreshing debut novel that proves one thing: there’s not enough data in the world to predict what will make your heart tick.

Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases–a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old.

It doesn’t help that Stella has Asperger’s and French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice–with a professional. Which is why she hires escort Michael Phan. The Vietnamese and Swedish stunner can’t afford to turn down Stella’s offer, and agrees to help her check off all the boxes on her lesson plan–from foreplay to more-than-missionary position…

Before long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but crave all of the other things he’s making her feel. Their no-nonsense partnership starts making a strange kind of sense. And the pattern that emerges will convince Stella that love is the best kind of logic.

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#SupportAAPIVoices

Posted on 03/24/2021 by Lenn

Hi, everyone! I’ve been MIA again for quite some time there. It’s just that this pandemic and the current situation of my country has been taking a toll on my mental health. I’ve also been busy with other personal things, I guess. Another thing that has been bothering me lately is the sudden rise of hate crimes against the AAPI community recently, and I just can’t sit around in silence knowing that people have died while others are terrified and feeling unsafe in a world that we are all supposed to be sharing. Most especially during this pandemic, no one deserves to feel even more scared than we already are. Continue reading →

Lenn of Spades ♠

Tag Archives: aapibooks