the_ragtag_reader's reviews
189 reviews

A Korean feminist treatise told in the form of a novella. It caused quite a stir in SK on its release, when feminism has a negative connotation for many. Many people confuse being feminist with being “anti-man”; but this book is not that. Instead, it points a spotlight on the structure of Korean society and it requires its professionals to work extremely long hours, including on weekends. It is nearly impossible for families, but especially the mothers, to maintain any type of work / life balance. It falls to one parent (almost always the mother) to give up everything they have worked for and want to do to have a child, or else to give up a family to keep the career. To make it worse, they are looked down upon no matter which choice they make. I found the book thought-provoking and it certainly helps put into perspective at least one of the reasons for the extremely low birth rate in the country. There is so much that is beautiful in Korean culture, but it must be difficult to exist in a place where you are essentially living just to work, and as a woman, not even getting the full rewards and acknowledgment for doing so.

A terrific little middle grade historical fiction centered around a boy and his family in the immediate aftermath of the Cuban Revolution. Julian, his brothers, and his neighbors escape through Operation Pedro Pan. The story focuses on life upon arriving in the States and is drawn from the real life experiences of the author. Growing up in Miami, we all know about Pedro Pan, but it’s seldom told (if ever?) in children’s literature.

3.5 - it’s an interesting book, but a rare case where I think the movie is better, especially the character of Roy Baty. It’s so different, it feels like a completely different story with just some loose connections. Better to go in not expecting Blade Runner and enjoy for its own sake. 

Time to admit this author may just not be for me.  My bestie wanted to do a buddy read for this one, but I was hesitant. I’d read The Buried Giant some years ago, and just felt…bored.  I thought the author’s writing is just a little too subtle for me.  Even The Remains of the Day (which I only saw the movie) had these beautiful moments, but most was just a bit of a slog to get through. This novel was a bit better for me, but my overall feeling is still kinda meh. I don’t regret reading it, and there are some thought provoking moments, but overall, just not my cuppa tea. I think the film AI does a better job telling a similar story.

I plan to come back to it at some point - maybe next summer. It’s a bit like reading a youxia film, interesting, but slow reading for me. I’m slogging through, but with the start of a new school year, I want some easier reads for awhile.

I wanted to love this book. My bestie raved about it and I’ve had a fascination with Vietnam since I was little. And the idea of a book that focuses on the women of the Vietnam war was so intriguing. Let’s face it - women’s contributions and bravery in war are usually overlooked. In the end, though, my feelings are complicated.

I greatly enjoyed the first half. It IS flawed. Kristen Hannah had a tendency to be a little redundant (“sad, tired eyes”, “warm TaB”, “sucking chest wound”). For all the research she does, some choices are glaring mistakes (no, combat nurses can’t just jump into a helicopter to take a break with some flyboys whenever they show up). That said, I really felt like I was there with Frankie, Ethel, & Barb. The descriptions were vivid and the life of a combat nurse in Vietnam came to life. It kept me turning pages like mad.

Then came the second half. Once Frankie returns home, it just became a repetitive melodrama. It was not a book about women, but an overwrought romance novel. I don’t get anyone acting like there is some great female empowerment in this book. That’s all glossed over while Frankie falls apart over a guy. While her descent into PTSD was described well, it’s centered more around her relationship trauma, except for the bad dreams about Vietnam. These dreams and problems with her family seem to be thrown in as a way to distract from the fact most of her depression is centered around a guy.  On top of that, the author just kept dumping trauma on Frankie (honestly started in first half, but at least Frankie had more agency). There were also a number of anachronisms and I honestly felt like if one more character said “There were no women in Vietnam” I was gonna send Hannah a bill for a therapy session. Seriously. She couldn’t make the point that women are under appreciated and over looked without the idiocy of making even the veterans seem like dumbasses who had never seen or heard of a combat nurse? The friends (who make this The Women) are really just there to constantly pick up Frankie’s pieces, over & over. This half of the book was also just too damn long. 

As for the romances? Ugh. At least 4 men fall instantly in love with Frankie. Why? Don’t know.

Two are KIA just when they are about to be sent home. And then not one, but both come back from the dead? Too much!!! I felt like Rye was simply a plot device to dump more trauma on Frankie. The Jaime romance was sweet, and I liked his character, except the fact that he’s married (as was Rye). The ending - rushed & felt like a Hallmark movie. Maybe if the author had cut some of the misery she kept pouring on Frankie and had given a bit more to the reunion, I would have appreciated it more.

Near perfect for me - simple, sweet, with that perfect touch of whimsy. Even made me a little teary-eyed towards end.

Parts of this tale were quite engrossing - if you love reading of exploration, pirates, and what life was like on a ship of the late 16th / early 17th centuries. However, I don’t use the term “tale” lightly here - the sources on Christopher (the Japanese gentleman of the title) are sparse, so author, Thomas Lockley, spends most of his time where Christopher is mentioned speculating about what he saw, heard, & felt. Christopher feels more like a device to tell the story of an English privateer (Cavendish) and the English attempts to reach the Far East. It’s an interesting tale, but feels a bit like historical fiction (as other reviewers have said). Also, the last chapter is just weirdly placed. Even Lockley describes it as a “rant” about imperialism and the swinging pendulum between East & West. That being said, I’m glad I picked it up on a whim at my local library - a bit of history that I had no knowledge of. It is an enjoyable, though flawed read.