Eat A Peach
by David Chang
Please note, I received an Advance Readers Copy via NetGalley. David Chang is gifted but his bad temper and his battle with depression are his downfalls. He's made plenty of mistakes, has royally gone beyond pissing people off, passed up excellent opportunities due to his stubbornness and ill-temper, and ... no wonder his Omma calls him "Baby King." Not because he is entitled but because he acts like a spoiled, entitled brat, but in a loving way.
That's the thing about this book is he comes clean about who he is and doesn't beat around the bush or make any excuses. He'll tell you straight up, "I'm an a$$4013." What I enjoy is how he explains why he is one and owns up his s4it. He's a massive depressant, OCD, solar visioned for his visual way, self-doubting, and not comfortable in his own skin. Word of advice to Mr. Chang: you are fine. You're not a Twinkie but a fusion. Remember how you described what fusion food is.
I do love the moments where he reflects and talks about his time with Anthony Bourdain and how much he influenced and centered David Chang. They both are so similar and that scares Mr. Chang. "...How I'm still alive?" asks David Chang. It reveals now matter how successful you are, you are still never good enough in your own eyes but in the eyes of others, you are a winner.
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Polite Society
by Mahesh Rao
Much like Jane Austen's original Emma, this is a retelling of her book but it's updated in the modern world and set in India.
We meet Ania, Khurana, who is just like Emma, a socialite, the only daughter, self-indulgent, proclaims herself to be grander than she truly is, but good hearted when not being spiteful or naughty. She too loves to partake in matchmaking. Just ask her bau (auntie), Renu! She creates a profile for this online dating app in which Ania monitors for Bau Renu who's in her 50's and is fine about staying home and doing the things she loves to do, like reading wine catalogs that she can't order barrels or cases of since she lives in Dileep (her brother and Ania's father) house. It was through Ania's picnic gathering that Bau Renu met Colonel Suraj Singh Rathore. They encounter and can't tear themselves away from each other. They honeymoon in London and Ania tags along.
One good deed done, now Ania needs to occupy her time and find something else or someone else to ....oh hello Dimple, my newest friend. Once again, Ania seeks out the "Mr Right" for Dimple, even though he's already there (Ankit), Ania declares,"Aim higher!" Dev Gahlot (family friend throughout their childhood) decrees Ania is not always right and sometimes unknowingly cruel.
The rest reads parallel to the original but this has much more richness of india to give its grandeur. I have to come clean...I read Jane Austen's Emma, saw the movie to see if it would entrance me to want to reread it with better appreciation and read this retelling tale. I've drawn to the same conclusion. I just don't care for Emma, the book, movie nor the retelling. If a graphic novel even came out, I will opt to skip it. I'm done with Emma. I've tried and I'm done more than my share to give it a fair chance. Yet if I had a baby girl, I'd consider that name because I do love that name. Oh wait, there's the name Chloe too. Nvm. ;)
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The Gentleman's Guide To Vice And Virtue
by Mackenzi Lee
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue follows Henry "Monty" Montague, a young man who loves gambling, drinking, and sex. He embarks on his Grand Tour of Europe with his best friend, Percy, whom he has a huge crush on, and his younger sister Felicity, an intelligent and headstrong young woman. Monty expects the trip to entail tons of fun and consequence-free debauchery. But when he makes a rash decision early on in their trip, the trio's journey turns a lot more sinister, forcing Monty to confront some devastating challenges, including his feelings for Percy.
I liked a lot of things about this novel. Mackenzi Lee paces the plot super well, such that I always wanted to know what would happen next. Amidst a literary landscape filled with insta-love and/or unhealthy relationships, I found Monty and Percy's connection adorable, sexy, and believable. Lee shows enough of their backstory and their current chemistry to make readers root for them. I also appreciated how she addressed issues of white privilege, sexism, abuse, and stigma surrounding illness within this book.
I sense that I would give this book five stars instead of four if Lee had gone a little deeper, either with Monty's character or some of the social justice topics. Monty is pretty awful throughout the book, in that he makes ignorant comments and lacks the ability to communicate his emotions. This latter fault drives a lot of the conflict in his relationship with Percy. Thus, I wish we could have seen more of Monty's process in working through his privileges, his past ignorant remarks, his issues with communication, etc. I get that Lee may have spent that time more on the adventure-based aspects of the plot, though.
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