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April 3, 2022

MIMI FAN by Lim Chor Pee

April 3, 2022

Book cover & 4.5-star rating - Mimi Fan by Lim Chor Pee

What I really enjoy about theatre is that it’s a liberating art form. It’s often used to explore ideas that aren’t mainstream. Mimi Fan is a prime example of this in Singapore literature. When it was first staged in 1962, it shocked more than a few sensibilities because it was rather progressive and liberal for its time. The annex even features a newspaper article touting Mimi Fan as a controversial play.

· Categories: Plays Keywords: cheating, culture, dating, diverse authors, diverse books, feminism, infidelity, multiculturalism, plays, realistic fiction, romance, singapore literature, singaporean authors

February 6, 2018

AMERICAN PANDA by Gloria Chao (with Twitter Giveaway)

February 6, 2018

Book cover & rating - AMERICAN PANDA by Gloria ChaoYoung adult books set in college, or even about the summer before college, aren’t all too common. That’s why I was surprised when I first learnt that American Panda is set at MIT. Well, Mei is 17 years old as she enters a year early but it works out well for this book. Mei had a sheltered upbringing, which is very evident as she tries to find her place at university.

· Categories: Fiction, Giveaways Keywords: american authors, college, culture, dance, dating, diverse authors, diverse books, ethnicity, family, family life, family problems, friendship, grandparents, humour, phobia, relatives, romance, rumours, secrets, siblinghood, tradition, weddings

December 19, 2017

I’LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS edited by Ruth Bennett

December 19, 2017

Book cover & rating - I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS edited by Ruth BennettHome means so many different things to different people, and I’ll Be Home For Christmas definitely captured that through the various short stories. Although, anthologies usually leave me with mixed feelings. I’ll Be Home For Christmas was no different. While I adored most short stories and the poem at the beginning, there were a few that I didn’t enjoy, and a couple of which that even left me confused.

· Categories: Fiction Keywords: abuse, anthologies, british authors, christmas, culture, diverse books, divorce, family, family problems, friendship, hardship, identity, lgbtq characters, multiculturalism, on love, orphans, poc characters, poverty, realistic fiction, romance, sense-of-belonging, short-stories, winter

November 14, 2017

MY ITALIAN BULLDOZER by Alexander McCall Smith

November 14, 2017

Book cover & rating - My Italian Bulldozer by Alexander McCall Smith

Food writer travels through Tuscany on a bulldozer — such a bizarre and hilarious image this premise painted. It sounded so ludicrous and I have to admit, it made me think of The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson. That set the bar of absurd humour unfairly high but I couldn’t help it. Perhaps it’s a good thing then, that My Italian Bulldozer wasn’t filled with tall tales, even if that slightly disappointed me.

· Categories: Fiction Keywords: british authors, culture, food and drink, relationships, romance, travel, work life, writing

November 4, 2017

THE LONG WAY TO A SMALL, ANGRY PLANET by Becky Chambers

November 4, 2017

Book cover & rating - The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky ChambersMy problem with space operas is that usually not much happens besides the characters floating through space. On that front, I felt The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet fit squarely fit that trope. Conflicts outside of the spaceship didn’t arise as often nor as intensely as I had liked, even with their unpredictable mission and the threat of war looming. The reason I enjoyed this book anyway were the characters. They were absolutely wonderful!

· Categories: Fiction Keywords: aliens, american authors, artificial-intelligence, clones, culture, diverse books, family, friendship, lgbtq characters, politics, social commentary, space opera, space travel, technology, war, work life

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About

Joséphine. Word reveller. Loves books. Reads books. Talks about books. Photographs books. When she’s not blogging, she can be found on Instagram under @wordrevel.

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