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Loving this fantasy meets Hidden Figures where we discover the family of Cynthia Rhodes who weave magic & get together to stop some shady magical villains.

Ultimately, I would say this book was not as exciting as the initial premise was. One of the frustrating aspects of this book is that one of the villains happens to be an Indian man who was completely discriminated against and now this Chinese male protagonist says "I have to believe we are better than that". Come on now.

This is the problem with reading books even by well-meaning writers from the oppressor class, it's almost good but then the gap exposes the privilege making it less than satisfying to read. I will read the sequel of course but knowing it will not be without its racist elements will give me pause.

Ugh, this book is as good as reviews said it would be. I hate that it is making me nostalgic for a Singapore that does not exist for people with my skin color.

Very gripping horror novel whose premise is sorta mundane but somehow interesting in the narration. Couldn't put it down. The ending was kinda lame IMHO but nonetheless I couldn't stop reading it.

Excellent excellent book about how Enslaved people fought their way to freedom while gathering allies among white people to their cause. An interesting parallel I see is that the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 kinda hastened the Civil War because the white public was NOT HAVING IT. The politicians, rich people & police of course sided with the enslavers. I am noticing a parallel to what is occurring today.

"Sir – I have left you, not to return…No longer yours, John S. Jacob" a letter from an enslaved person to the person tormenting him.

The thing that strikes me the MOST on reading some of the earlier chapters is that WHITE PEOPLE WERE HELPING with abolition for a long time! The author describes the dangerous escape of one of the enslaved people who was met by 2 white people in a boat in NYC and who protected him when the people from his ship tried to take him back.

A white sailor was fined a year's salary + jail because he was distributing one of the banned books that extols the enslaved to revolt.

So excited to read this from Marcus Rediker! I read his book about pirates and it was EYE OPENING. Closer to piracy depicted in Our Flag Means Death (RIP), than other description of pirates.

Absolutely loved this thriller. There is not a lot of mystery here but really great atmosphere of the people who do dancing & sex work in Atlanta. There is also a sexual assault scene that kinda comes out of nowhere. It's 2025, publishes should be putting content warning in front.

First time hearing about Rice bowl parties to raise money to aid the Chinese suffering under the Japanese conquest in WW 2.

I couldn't put it down.

Absolutely STUNNING epic about a young boy who accidentally becomes responsible for the fate of his tribe. You can read this as an allegory to the white invasion of the Turtle island AND as a better epic than Lord of the Rings. The only frustration I have is, for these matrilineal tribes there are so few women characters in this story. Go READ!