Ted Chiang – The Bookish Mutant

Happy Wednesday, bibliophiles!

I was going to publish this earlier in the day, but that was before my laptop charger broke. Luckily, I’ve got a spare, but I’m glad that it happened, because while I was rationing my laptop’s battery life, I finished a book that landed on this year’s honorable mentions! Happy accidents.

Growth happens every year, but 2023 has especially felt like a year of growth to me; I’ve gotten into the rhythm of college, and I’ve tread into more challenging territory with my English degree. I’ve had the honor of being a learning assistant, and the experience of helping teach a class has greatly enriched me—and given me a much-needed boost to my public speaking confidence. And I started the year with buzzing my hair off! Not something that past me thought I’d ever do. (For those of you who are uncertain: do it. It’s worth it. Growing out your hair takes a while, but it’s worth the experience.)

I still haven’t gotten into the reading rhythm that I used to have (and I doubt I ever will—Jeezus, how did I ever manage to read 300 books in a year? How?), but that doesn’t mean that I’ve found plenty of gems in the bunch. Like last year, I don’t have as many 5-star reads, but that’s fine with me—as I said last year, it’s probably a consequence of my tastes getting more selective, and finding them scattered few and far between makes me savor them that much more. It’s a strange bunch this year—fiction and nonfiction, time travel and pirates. But these are the books that made this year all the richer.

Let’s begin, shall we?

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️THE BOOKISH MUTANT’S 5-STAR READS OF 2023⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ceremony – Leslie Marmon Silko | You thought I wouldn’t give a book with themes of mixed-race identity and storytelling 5 stars? Really?
The Isles of the Gods – Amie Kaufman | Banger after banger from Amie Kaufman
This Is How You Lose the Time War – Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone | Cosmically sprawling, achingly romantic. Just the right combination.
So Lucky – Nicola Griffith | Disabled female rage!! Disabled female rage!!
A Thousand Steps into Night – Traci Chee | There’s something to be said about 5-star reads that come out of nowhere. So much more emotional than I bargained for, but that’s not a complaint.
Story of Your Life – Ted Chiang | somebody hold me
The Stonewall Reader – edited by the New York Public Library | Nothing more liberating than learning your own history.
Fear Stalks the Land! A Commonplace Book – Thom Yorke and Stanley Donwood | One word: Radiohead. Of course I gave it 5 stars.

HONORABLE MENTIONS (4.5 STARS):

TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! Have you read any of these books, and if so, did you enjoy them as much as I did? What were your favorite reads of the year? Let me know in the comments!

Today’s song:

That’s it for my favorite books of the year! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Happy Wednesday, bibliophiles! I wrote most of this post in advance, but as of now, I’m about to move out of my dorm!! I HAVE SUCCESSFULLY FINISHED MY FIRST YEAR OF COLLEGE!!

Here in the U.S., May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and I’ve compiled another list of book recommendations for the occasion! Diverse reading shouldn’t be restricted to a single month, but it’s so important to amplify marginalized—in this case, AAPI—voices during this month. My lists serve as guides to read during not just their respective months, but any time you’d like.

However, this year is a little different. Even though I’m too lazy to change the header image (sometimes you’ve gotta be a bit stingy with your media space), I’ve decided to put both YA and adult books on this list. I’ve started to read more adult books in the past few years, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t include some of these books on this list. So it’s a slightly wider pool to choose from this year—read at your leisure!

If you’d like to see my past lists, click below:

2022
2021

Enjoy these recommendations!

THE BOOKISH MUTANT’S BOOKS FOR AAPI HERITAGE MONTH

YA:

Strike the Zither – Joan He: (Historical Fiction, Retellings) a gripping, cinematic interpretation of classic Chinese literature! | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hollow Fires – Samira Ahmed: (Realistic Fiction, Mystery) a timely thriller from an author who never misses! | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Last Night at the Telegraph Club – Malinda Lo: (Historical Fiction, LGBTQ+) the love story of two girls in 1950’s Chinatown! | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Stars and Smoke – Marie Lu: (Romance, Mystery) an action-packed romance from a longtime favorite author of mine! | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Queen of the Tiles – Hanna Alkaf: (Realistic Fiction, Mystery) murder and mayhem at a Scrabble competition! | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Huntress (Ash, #0.5) – Malinda Lo: (Fantasy, LGBTQ+) normally I wouldn’t put a prequel/spin-off on a list like this, but this one can stand on its own—worth a read! | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Not Here to Be Liked – Michelle Quach: (Realistic Fiction) a wonderfully feminist read about a high schooler’s battle with sexism in her school newspaper. | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali – Sabina Khan: (Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ+) a Bangladeshi-American teen’s journey for acceptance and self-discovery. | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Magic Steeped in Poison – Judy I. Lin: (Fantasy) a fascinating fantasy with a tea-based magic system! | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75, rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

ADULT:

In the Watchful City – S. Qiouyi Lu: (Science Fiction, Fantasy, LGBTQ+) a multilayered anthology-novella centered around a strange cabinet of curiosities! | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Portrait of a Thief – Grace D. Li: (Mystery, Thriller) a group of Ivy League students turned thieves and con artists set off on a mission to return prized art back to China. | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Stories of Your Life and Others – Ted Chiang: this anthology contains “Story of Your Life,” the inspiration for the movie Arrival, and although that was the only story in the collection to absolutely wreck me, all of the stories were fantastic! | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Monstress, vol. 1: Awakening – Marjorie M. Liu and Sana Takeda: (Fantasy, Alternate History) a beautifully illustrated comic filled with monsters and drama aplenty. | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
She Who Became the Sun – Shelley Parker-Chan: (Historical Fiction, LGBTQ+) a sweeping story of chosen ones and stolen identities. | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Light from Uncommon Stars – Ryka Aoki: (Science Fiction, LGBTQ+) if you can think of anything, there’s a good chance it’s in here somewhere—aliens, donut shops, and cursed violins, oh my… | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75, rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! Have you read any of these books, and what did you think of them? What are some of your favorite books by AAPI authors? Let me know in the comments!

Today’s song: