Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag

Hello my lovely friends! First off I’d like to mention that I am in Korea right now (this is a scheduled post) and I will not be able to reply to your comments as frequently as I’d like. I’ll still be checking up on my blog often, so don’t forget to say hello!

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT’S ALREADY THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR?

Time flies by so fast, and each time I realize this, I *FREAK OUT* just a tiny bit. Thanks to the Orangutan Librarian for tagging me, as it is totally appropriate to how I am feeling right now! Also, totally check out her amazing blog! I didn’t see any rules for this tag, so lets go head and get started!

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Best Book You’ve Read Yet in 2016

CONFESSION! I haven’t read as many books as I would have liked in 2016, but that is soon to change as I’ve been reading away this past month. The best book I’ve read in 2016 would have to be

Vicious
by V.E Schwab

Best Sequel You’ve Read So Far in 2016

A Well-Tempered Heart
by Jan Phillip Sendker

Honestly, I haven’t read many books with sequels during this half of the year, so this will definitely have to be the best one I’ve read so far. The best part about this book was the closure the main character was able to find, along with how the author dealt with mental illness throughout cultures.

New Release You Haven’t Read Yet But Want To

The Way I used To Be
by Amber Smith

This was on my June TBR, and unfortunately, I still have not had the chance to read it!! It’s definitely one I will be reading however, and I can’t wait to get my hands on this book.

Most Anticipated Release for the Second Half of the Year

You Will Know Me
by Meg Abbott

One of my anticipated releases, I tend not to really keep track of these, so this is the first book that came to mind.

Biggest Disappointment

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress
by Dai Sijie.

This wasn’t a bad book, the ending was just so disappointing and predictable. After falling full-heatedly into the plot and characters of the book, it was difficult to come to terms with such a abrupt and unfulfilling ending.

Biggest Surprise

The Color Purple
by Alice Walker

This is a book I read as a young’un because it was part of a “100 books your child must read before college list.” Doubtless to say, I did not enjoy this book as much as I should have, so rereading it really opened my eyes to many issues at hand today. I also realized that there were many undertones in this book I didn’t know about…

Favourite New Author

V.E Schwab. Hands down, no question about it.

Newest Fictional Crush

Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice. How could he not be everyone’s crush.

HOW?!

 Newest Favourite Character

Not only is he kind, and gentle, but wise, thoughtful and sweet. To find a man who is patient like him would be amazing! Although, he seems very socially awkward and too preoccupied with finding the meaning of life to pay me any attention.

Book That Made You Cry

Tuesday’s With Morrie
by Mitch Albom

I did my very first review of a book here, and honestly, I felt so close and connected with the professor Morrie. A must read for anyone!

Book That Made You Happy

Pride and Prejudice
by Jane Austen

 I love classics, I love the language, and I love the romance.

Favourite Book to Film Adaptation

The Jungle Book!!

Favourite Post You Have Done This Year

Although I’ve loved posting reviews and taking a part in tags, my favorite series of posts have been my Thursday Quotables. Through these, I’ve learned to really focus on specific lines in books, and it has really opened my eyes to the great care each author goes through in formulating each sentence and phrase for their books.

Most Beautiful Book You’ve Bought This Year

I haven’t bought many books this year, and I can’t say that I thouroly enjoyed this book, but the most beautiful book I’ve bought this year would probably be

All About Love
by Bell Hooks

lame… I know…

What Books Do You Need to Read by the End of the Year

ALL BOOKS!

 

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I nominate:

Beth @ Reading Every Night

Lauren @ Comma Hangover

Shealea @ That Bookshelf Bitch

Lauren @ Wonderless Reviews

And anyone else who wants to do this tag as well! Enjoy 🙂

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What are some things you’ve accomplished this last six months? Did you even notice the time fly by? Let me know in the comments below 🙂

Wordless Wednesday (Know Korea): 7.13.16 Webtoons

Hello my lovely friends! First off I’d like to mention that I am in Korea right now (this is a scheduled post) and I will not be able to reply to your comments as frequently as I’d like. I’ll still be checking up on my blog often, so don’t forget to say hello!

This week, for my Wordless Wednesday – when I post about anything unrelated to books. This is part of my Know Korea series. Today, I wanted to post about my unhealthy obsession with webtoons. Webtoons are South Korean webcomics or manhwa that are published online. (Have you guys noticed how my latest WW posts have all been about Korea? I’ve decided to create a category Know Korea) Anyways, here are a few that I’ve read/have been reading and love. Lately I’ve mainly been trying to read them in Korean to brush up on my skills.

If interested, there are a variety of platforms you can read webtoons at such as

Line

Naver (the Korean version of Line)

Spottoon

Mangafox

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Here are a couple I have been reading recently (and that you should check out as well!)

I’ve linked the Korean version of the webtoon with the Korean translation, and the english version of the webtoon under the parenthesis.

윈드브레이커 (Wind Breaker)

Not your typical squad, the guys in this team are brought together because of hardship. As they prepare to enter a competition, their bromance and skills grow. You will fall in love with each character as their back story and reason for competing becomes known.

Synopsis from line:

Jay is the student president of Sunny high. He is not just a smart student but an extreme biker with high techniques. As you follow his bike, you will meet his friends, love, and adventures.

소녀더와일즈 (Girls of the Wild)

Powerful, fast, witty, these girls are sure to win your hearts as they battle not only with each other, but together, as life throws hardships their way. Trained to be elite and the best, it’s difficult to navigate life the way others do. The friendship each girl creates with each other is sure to touch your heart, and funny bone!

Synopsis from line:

Wild’s High School, an all girls educational institute specializing in MMA, has a very special freshman enrolling this year. Jaegu, who fears women from being abandoned by his mother, is about to find out what girls are really all about in this action-packed school drama.

치즈인더트랩 (Cheese in the Trap)

Follow the life of an ordinary world who’s life is turned upside down by extraordinary people. Normally unable to express her thoughts and emotions, Seol Hong struggles to maintain relationships and endure through college life.

Synopsis from line:

Seol Hong is a hard-working student, who has returned to college after a long break. Jung Yu is a senior at the college known as Mr. Perfect. Seol feels like her life took a turn for the worse since she got involved with Jung. Is Jung intentionally turning Seol’s life?

닥터 프로스트 (Dr. Frost)

Love Psychology? Hot men with mysterious personalities? Then this is the webtoon for you. Dr. Frost became a psychologist in hopes of learning about human emotions. This genius, narcissist, egotist, will sure to be on your mind all day.

Synopsis from line:

Frost is a genius psychologist who believes all humans are basically the same. His keen mastery in mind-reading will blow your mind and strike through your heart. This webtoon has recently been turned into a TV series in Korea.

스튜디오 짭쪼롬(Salty Studio)

Follow the cute relationship between an aspiring drawer and already accomplished manhwa drawer. Their love for food is easily relateable, as well as their outlook on life and love.

Synopsis from line:

Togeun used to work for his father’s company without any passion, so he quits his job and moves out from his parents’ house in order to follow his dream in drawing. At the homecoming party (reunion party), Togeun begs Sonagi, a great illustrator, to teach him how to draw.

 

New York Times BY THE BOOK Tag

Hello my lovely friends! First off I’d like to mention that I am in Korea right now (this is a scheduled post) and I will not be able to reply to your comments as frequently as I’d like. I’ll still be checking up on my blog often, so don’t forget to say hello!

There seems to be no rules for this tag, so I’ll just get started!

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Questions:

What book is on your nightstand right now?

Right now, (as in two weeks before this is posted) I am reading The Time Travelers Wife. I am really truly at the end of this book now, so I’m sure a different book will take it’s place sometime soon.

What was the last truly great book you read?

Vicious by V.E Schwab (review here). I actually can’t stop talking about it. I’ve read a lot of amazing books this year actually, but this is the most recent.

If you could meet one author (living or dead), who would it be? What would you ask?

James Patterson. He has written countless books that are intense, engaging and fun. I’d love to know where he draws his inspiration from, and what he does to plan his books. Plus his characters always so witty and fun, I’d imagine he’d have to possess some of that wit as well.

What books might we be surprised to find on your shelf?

 Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt. I really enjoyed micro and macro economics this past year, so I bought this book in hopes to read, and learn more about economics.

How do you organize your personal library?

First by paperbacks and hardcovers, then by size. I’ve never made it a habit of buying many books until recently. Normally I would stack all my library books on my desk. I have a few dear favorites lined up on my desk for easy access.

What book have you always meant to read but haven’t gotten to yet?

The Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly. I received this book a looooong time ago, and each time I’m about to open it, another book I want to read lands on my radar. It is definitely a book I will read though!

Disappointing, overrated, just not good: what book did you feel you are supposed to like but didn’t?

Holes by Louis Sachar just didn’t do it’s magic on me like it did for others. I found it to be overly simple with unlikable characters. It’s been so long since I read it, that I don’t recall why I must not have liked it, but for a while, I’ve had a strong aversion towards that book.

What kind of stories are you drawn to?

I believe any story is a good story. (Although I greatly dislike cliche ones unless they’re done well). But the best types of stories are the real ones, when you get to hear about someone and their lives, and what made them who they are. Also fantasy stories. Who doesn’t love exercising their imagination once in a while.

If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be?

Depends on who becomes president next… (Also don’t want to enter the realm of politics here)

What do you plan to read next?

I really want to read Cinder (book one of the Lunar Chronicles), but I’ll probably just grab a book I already have from one of my shelves to read.

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I nominate:

 Reg @ She Latitude

Transhaan @ Bookidote

Lost In A Good Book

Annie @ The Misstery

and anyone else who wants to take part in this tag!

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Have you ever visited New York before? Or are you an avid New York Times reader? Let me know in the comments below 🙂

Thursday Quotables: 7.7.16

//book: The Razor’s Edge // author: W. Somerset Maugham // genre: novel // goodreads

Hello my lovely friends! First off I’d like to mention that I am in Korea right now (this is a scheduled post) and I will not be able to reply to your comments as frequently as I’d like. I’ll still be checking up on my blog often, so don’t forget to say hello!

I picked up this book as a reading assignment for one of my classes. I was able to learn an amazing amount about finding one’s identity, the gift of solitude, and the detrimental effects of monetary objects. This book also showed me the importance of surrounding oneself with wisdom rather than temporary pleasures, status and wisdom. I believe this book really dealt with topics that are pertinent even today.

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Synopsis from goodreads:

Intimate acquaintances but less than friends, they meet and part in postwar London and Paris: Elliot, the arch-snob but also the kindest of men; Isabel, considered to be entertaining, gracious, and tactful; Gray, the quintessence of the Regular Guy; Suzanne, shrewd, roving, and friendly; Sophie, lost, wanton, with a vicious attractiveness about her; and finally Larry, so hard and so trustful, lost in the world’s confusion. Their story, one of Somerset Maugham’s best, encompasses the pain, passion, and poignancy of life itself.

My favorite aspect of this book was how well developed each character was. They all had features that were relateable. They will make you laugh, and cry, astonish you and disappoint you. The writing is almost lyrical, and the plot is simple, yet complex. There is nothing about this book I could complain about as I was enraptured by every page. This book is very much like The Great Gatsby in that the narrator is detached yet very involved.

I love it when I’m able to fall in love with a character and make them my role model. Although I realize the impossibility of becoming the protagonist in this book, Larry, there are so many facets of him I’d love to emulate. The peace and serenity he possess, along with his continence and wisdom. Larry truly is one to be impressed by.

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 “Nothing in the world is permanent, and we’re foolish when we ask anything to last, but surely we’re still more foolish not to take delight in it while we have it. If change is of the essence of existence one would have thought it only sensible to make it the premise of our philosophy.”

See why I love Maughm’s writing? It’s so beautiful, lyrical and compact. Plus he addresses a very important topic. Lately, in my workplace, I’ve been noticing how people are adamantly against change. They believe that happiness stems from permanency and the ability to control every aspect of their lives. Larry’s former girlfriend, wishes for him to be permanent, present and normal. Isabel fails to realize the destructiveness of stability, and trusting in permanency.

“You see, money to you means freedom; to me it means bondage.”

I believe that this quote so perfectly captures one of Larry’s best qualities. Not preoccupied by status and glory like the rest of his friends, Larry grants more value to the deeper aspects of life such as knowledge and peace. His expedition to find the meaning to life, although difficult, eventually becomes the core of his identity and being.

“Unless love is passion, it’s not love, but something else; and passion thrives not on satisfaction, but on impediment.”

I love this unconventional view on love, and throughout the book, this line manifests itself over and over again. I believe this is even pertinent in today’s day and age, and is a concept often overlooked and not understood. Isabel struggles with finding love, especially as she values a comfortable life and status over passion. The way Maughm confronts this crises is unique and refreshing.

The sun shone goldly upon them. Something in Isabel’s immobility attracted my attention, and I glanced at her. She was so still that you might have thought her hypnotized. Her breath was hurried. Her eyes were fixed on the sinewy wrist with its little golden hairs and on that long, delicate, but powerful hand, and I have never seen on a human countenance such a hungry concupiscence as I saw then on hers. It was a mask of lust. I would never have believed that her beautiful features could assume an expression of such unbridled sensuality. It was animal rather than human. The beauty was stripped from her face; the look upon it made her hideous and frightening. It horribly suggested the bitch in heat and I felt rather sick.”

On the topic of love, this is an interesting in that Isabel is painted as a very beautiful, alluring person who has managed to win the hearts of many well accomplished men. This tender moment when she gazes into the man she wasn’t able to marry, would normally be seen as tender and beautiful. However, the disgust the narrator feels illustrates the concept of love and how physical and primitive it is. (Although we hate to think of such a beautiful topic in this manner)

“It’s a long, arduous road he’s starting to travel, but it may be that at the end of it he’ll find what’s he’s seeking.”

Isabel doesn’t understand why Larry could possibly want to leave the comforts of stability and life, and seek wisdom and understanding. To her, the way to live a fulfilled life is to be physically content.Larry, on the other hand, undertakes a journey that could possibly lead him nowhere, yet his aspiration to know and understand truth is beautiful.

This book triggered a lot of thinking on my part, and has helped me to evaluate my values, thoughts and beliefs on love, accomplishments and death. I believe that this book must be read by a mature reader who won’t only appreciate the book for it’s plot. Truly a magnificent book, it’s an amazing read.

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Have you read The Razor’s Edge? What character in a book have you tried to emulate in the past? and why? Let me know in the comments below! 🙂

Wordless Wednesday: 7.6.16 Korean Street Food

Hello my lovely friends! First off I’d like to mention that I am in Korea right now (this is a scheduled post) and I will not be able to reply to your comments as frequently as I’d like. I’ll still be checking up on my blog often, so don’t forget to say hello!

This week, for my Wordless Wednesday – when I post about anything unrelated to books – I’ve decided to show you the wonderful array of street food in Korea. This is part of my “Know Korea” series that I decided to start because of the time I’ll be spending there, and my insatiable need for me to share everything with you guys. Honestly, there’s nothing better than the outdoor markets, and delicious smells wafting from outdoor vendors as you walk down the streets.

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떡볶이 (tteokbokki )

This delicious spicy rice cake is perfect for any season and occasion. A quick eat, or a side dish for an elaborate meal, this dish is sure to fulfill your sweet and spicy cravings. The sauce is actually a combination of gochuchang (Korean chili paste), dried chili power and sugar. There are many variations to this dish, such as adding slices of boiled eggs or ramen. It is not uncommon to see students congregated outside a vendor giggling away.

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호떡 (hoddeok)

This savory Korean sweet pancake can is normally filled with a brown sugar syrup. However, many variations can be found including ones filled with vegetables. This warm snack is sure to keep you grinning as you sight see.

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 오뎅  (odeng)

Odeng is one of the cheapest street foods you’ll find, and are simply fish cakes drowned in a delicious broth. This is a filling snack, and is usually served as a eat first, pay later basis. For those of you who dislike spicy foods, go ahead and check out this snack as it is a variation of tteobokki.

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만두 (dumplings)

There are many variations of this delicious dish, including a deep fried version. This savory snack is classic favorite, and it is common to see many locals munching away on this soft, delicious snack.

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계란빵 (gyrenppang)

The toppings for this protein packed bread are endless! From shrimp, to octopus, ham green onion and various herbs this snack is sure to leave you satisfied, and begging for more.

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붕어빵 (Boong Uh Bbang)

This bread is stuffed with a sweet red bean paste that has recently been on the news for its adaptation into five star restaurants. Not only is the shape cute and fun, but the bread is crunchy and very savory.

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I hope you enjoyed exploring various Korean street foods with me today! What are some street foods that are famous in your area? Let me know in the comments below 🙂

Burn, Rewrite, Reread

Hello my lovely friends! First off I’d like to mention that I am in Korea right now (this is a scheduled post) and I will not be able to reply to your comments as frequently as I’d like. I’ll still be checking up on my blog often, so don’t forget to say hello!

I was tagged by Ayunda (check out her darling blog @ Tea and Paperbacks) to do the Burn, Rewrite, Reread tag. This seems like a very interesting tag, so let’s try it out 🙂 This uses the platform goodreads to randomly choose books for you, because I’m fairly new to this site, I don’t have a hue selection of books on there, but I’m still excited to try this out!

*disclaimer* I would never, ever, EVER burn a book.

The Rules:

• Randomly choose 3 books (pro tip: use the “Sort > Random” option on your Goodreads’ read shelf).
• For each group, decide which book to burn, which one to rewrite, and which to reread (like Marry, Boff, Kill).
• Repeat until you completed three rounds (or six) (or however many you want to do).

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Round One

Burn: All About Love by Bell Hooks was terrible in my opinion because of all the things I was unable to agree with in this book. It felt as if a lot of what she was saying borrowed heavily from others (as the majority of the book was quoted) and most of the book seemed to be her complaints about how hurt she had been by love. Personally, I disliked the complaints she offered, especially because she didn’t attempt to offer any solutions to the problems she had.

Rewrite: The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen. I read this one a looooong time ago, and at the time, I was in love with all of Sarah Dessen’s book. They were easy to read, and dealt with problems that are so pertinent to the lives of teens. I feel like there could be improvements however, and out of the three books, this is the one I’d rewrite.

Reread: The Hundred Secret Senses by Amy Tan. I read this one recently, and was really intrigued by the characters in the book. I’d reread sometime (maybe a couple years) just to be able to revisit the characters again.

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Round Two

Burn:  Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix. This round was so hard! I honestly didn’t want to burn any of these books, but I think I can live without reading this one again. Honestly, I loved Haddix, and read as many of her books as possible. This book especially was the source of many of my imaginations.

Rewrite: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, I loved the ideas in this book, and Achebe helped me think about many different issues. If I could keep the same plot line and principles, this is one I’d rewrite.

Reread:  A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle. It’s been forever since I read this book! And I loved it so much. I had almost forgotten about it, until I remembered adding it to my goodreads account a while back. Truly a childhood favorite, I have to reread this one sometime soon 🙂

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Round Three

Burn: A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer. I would only burn this because of how terribly depressing and saddening it was. Being raised in a loving, caring home, it was such a shock to see how this child was treated and abused. I was truly surprised by the horrifying hardships the child had to undergo, and the realization that cruel people do exist became so real to me.

Rewrite: We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver. This book was so intense. I loved the perspective on such a sensitive topic. How do you deal with a sociopathic child that is adored by his mother? Also, not one I’d want to reread, but one that I believe could be more insightful if it were told by the mother’s point of view.

Reread: Beloved by Toni Morrison. I read this for one of my classes, and was unable to really realize the depth of the story. I’d want to reread this just to explore the various topics I overlooked before.

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I Nominate

Lauren @ Wonderless Reviews (I’ve just recently stumbled upon her blog, and I’m truly in love! What an amazing job she’s done.)

Jonathan @ Limidir

Lauren Busser @ Comma Hangover

Melanie @ Mel To The Any

The Bookie Monsters

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Have you ever attempted to rewrite a book? Is there a book you’re itching to reread right this moment? Let me know in the comments below! 🙂

 

June Free Book Haul

Hello my lovely friends 🙂

I know, it’s already July, but I realized that I had never posted my book haul from this month! *The Horror*, so although its a tad overdue, better late than never right? Because when it comes to buying books, I have trouble with choosing which one to invest in, I’ve been going to my library lately where there is a free book section. This is possible due to the donation of many locals. What I love about this process, is being able to discover treasures that only come through chance.

All these books are mainly novels that had a promising cover summary. Lately, I’ve been interested in fantasy, and YA novels, but I’ve decided that it’s important to continue to read these books as well. I’ve found that most of the books I picked were related to family and immigration. I’m so glad that I was able to discover these amazing books in great condition, and for free!!

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While I Was Gone
by Sue Miller

Synopsis from goodreads:

Jo Becker has every reason to be content. She has three dynamic daughters, a loving marriage, and a rewarding career. But she feels a sense of unease. Then an old housemate reappears, sending Jo back to a distant past when she lived in a communal house in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Drawn deeper into her memories of that fateful summer in 1968, Jo begins to obsess about the person she once was. As she is pulled farther from her present life, her husband, and her world, Jo struggles against becoming enveloped by her past and its dark secret.

For me, this book had the vibes of “The Awakening” by Kate Chopin. I truly loved that book and found in liberating, especially how the past often helps someone discover their current identity. Also, who doesn’t love a book with a big secret?

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In the Time of Butterflies
by Julia Alvarez

Synopsis from goodreads:

 Set during the waning days of the Trujillo dictatorship in the Dominican Republic in 1960, this extraordinary novel tells the story the Mirabal sisters, three young wives and mothers who are assassinated after visiting their jailed husbands.

STRONG WOMEN!! Yesssss, Julia Alvarez is first off an amazing author who deals with many topics that I am interested in such as first generation families. I was drawn to this book because of the promise of a story regarding women who had to undergo great tribulations.

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Three Junes
By Julia Glass

Synopsis from goodreads:

A luminous first novel, set in Greece, Scotland, Greenwich Village, and Long Island, that traces the members of a Scottish family as they confront the joys and longings, fulfillments and betrayals of love in all its guises.

In June of 1989 Paul McLeod, a newspaper publisher and recent widower, travels to Greece, where he falls for a young American artist and reflects on the complicated truth about his marriage.

Six years later, again in June, Paul’s death draws his three grown sons and their families back to their ancestral home. Fenno, the eldest, a wry, introspective gay man, narrates the events of this unforeseen reunion. Far from his straitlaced expatriate life as a bookseller in Greenwich Village, Fenno is stunned by a series of revelations that threaten his carefully crafted defenses.

Four years farther on, in yet another June, a chance meeting on the Long Island shore brings Fenno together with Fern Olitsky, the artist who once captivated his father. Now pregnant, Fern must weigh her guilt about the past against her wishes for the future and decide what family means to her.

Once again, a family topic, so far all these books revolve around family, and the discovering of where they belong within their family.

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 A Passionate Man
Joanna Trollope

Synopsis from goodreads:

The Logans were an enchanting and admirable couple. Archie had snatched Liza from her own engagement party to someone else, wooed her, swept her off to his father in Scotland, and finally married her. Now bedded firmly into country life-three children, Archie the village doctor, Liza a teacher, everything comfortable, funny, affectionate,—they awaited the arrival of Archie’s father, the brilliant Sir Andrew Logan, a widower for over thirty years.

When his city-clean Rover stopped in the drive, Sir Andrew was not alone. Beside him was a golden lady in caramel suede, a warm, witty, desirable widow whom everyone—except Archie—adored at once. Archie saw his father’s mistress as the worm in the bud of his perfect life—a life that was to be wrenched apart before he and Liza could re-create their world

The fact that someone’s able to seduce a person from their own engagement party is first off pretty amazing, and very rude. I’d love to see how this lady disrupts their family life, and the way this problem will bring the family closer together.

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Time Travelers Wife
Audrey Niffenegger

Synopsis from goodreads:

Audrey Niffenegger’s dazzling debut is the story of Clare, a beautiful, strong-minded art student, and Henry, an adventuresome librarian, who have known each other since Clare was six and Henry was thirty-six, and were married when Clare was twenty-three and Henry thirty-one. Impossible but true, because Henry is one of the first people diagnosed with Chrono-Displacement Disorder: his genetic clock randomly resets and he finds himself misplaced in time, pulled to moments of emotional gravity from his life, past and future. His disappearances are spontaneous and unpredictable, and lend a spectacular urgency to Clare and Henry’s unconventional love story. That their attempt to live normal lives together is threatened by something they can neither prevent nor control makes their story intensely moving and entirely unforgettable.

This is a book I am currently reading.

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The Living
Annie Dillard

Synopsis from goodreads:

Ninety miles north of Seattle on the Washington coast lies Bellingham Bay, where a rough settlement founded in the 1850s would become the town of Whatcom. Here, the Lummi and Nooksack Indian people fish and farm, hermits pay their debts in sockeye salmon, and miners track gold-bearing streams.

Here, too, is the intimate, murderous tale of three men. Clare Fishburn believes that greatness lies in store for him. John Ireland Sharp, an educated orphan, abandons hope when he sees socialists expel the Chinese workers from the region. Beal Obenchain, who lives in a cedar stump, threatens Clare Fishburn’s life.

A killer lashes a Chinese worker to a wharf piling at low tide. Settlers pour in to catch the boom the railroads bring. People give birth, drown, burn, inherit rich legacies, and commit expensive larcenies. All this takes place a hundred years ago, when these vital, ruddy men and women were ”the living.”

I love how this promises the stories of various people that are clearly so different from each other. I want to see the character development of each within this novel.

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What are some books you have recently purchased? How do you normally plan what books to buy? Let me know in the comments 🙂