By Anya Shukla I feel bad writing this, but I didn’t know who Ted Chiang was before I read this book. He’s famous! (Well, writer-famous.) We had a whole sci-fi unit in high school, but his name was never mentioned. It’s not that we didn’t read BIPOC sci-fi authors—‘cause we did!—but I just wish there was more discussion about contributions to this genre by people of color. If all the sci-fi books you’ve read and movies you’ve watched growing up are “white guys fight each other in space” situations, I think it takes more than reading two authors of color in class to feel that you’re represented.
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By Anya Shukla I’ve been absolutely consumed with CC logistics (outreach for future mentorships, organizing a panel discussion for this mentorship, shipping books, making brochures, answering the emails that keep cropping up in my inbox, etc. etc.). And also my college has started sending me emails like “thanks for taking a gap year! Here are all the forms you need to fill out so you can join us on campus in the fall.” :( :( :( All I’m trying to say is… I’m feeling a wee bit stressed, and I didn’t really want to add another thing to my plate by reviewing this book for you all. But I did it anyways!
By Anya Shukla “Palace Walk” was mentioned in “Conditional Citizens” (BIPOC Book #22) as an acclaimed portrayal of Muslim life. So imagine my excitement when I noticed that the book was on this list! And then imagine my excitement when I learned this book was over a thousand pages. The length of this book means it's not for the faint of heart. I actually managed to get through it just fine (although I will admit it dragged a little), but if you despise reading about domestic life, you might want to pick up another novel.
By Anya Shukla I’ve seen this book described as “‘Pretty in Pink’ meets the Bronx.” I don’t really see it. (One party scene that mimics Andie and Blane’s first date aside.) This book doesn’t start like “Pretty in Pink,” it doesn’t end like “Pretty in Pink,” and there is NO pink prom dress makeover. False advertising :( Also, I felt a lot of secondhand embarrassment for Margot... which led me to read some chapters (including the aforementioned party scene) backwards to make sure she ended up okay. This decision might have impacted my understanding of the book.
By Anya Shukla MORE THAN HALFWAY DONE WITH THE BIPOC BOOK LIST! YIPPEE YAY YAY! I did not realize how long this challenge would take… or how excruciatingly slowly I read when I have to take notes/write a review afterward. Thankfully, we are now at the other side of the 52-book peak. (Of course, all the survival books I’ve read say that the descent is the hardest part. So.) Looking back at the books I’ve reviewed so far, I’ve realized that I’m exceedingly nice: I’ve given many books 5 stars. What’s the point of a grading system if I’m just passing everyone?
By Anya Shukla All I have to say is that this was the first book on this list that I actually did not want to finish. Yet I powered through it. And here we are. Review: The main character of Azareen Van der Vliet Oloomi’s “Call Me Zebra,” Bibi Hosseini grows up immersed in a familial literary tradition. She spends much of her childhood memorizing books, ingesting knowledge the way other kids her age might consume dessert. When she and her family must flee from Iran during the Iran-Iraq War, literature is what keeps her going—even after her mother’s death.
By Anya Shukla A social-justice-theory-loving friend of mine recommended “Sister Outsider” to me, and I was instantly on my guard. If there’s one thing I hate, it’s entering a super-dense theoretical rabbit hole of a book and never coming out again. (See: “Between the World and Me” by Ta Nehisi-Coates. Or actually don’t, because it was so difficult for me to get through.) I don’t think I’ve ever been more scared to read something. Luckily, “Sister Outsider” wasn’t dense at all, but SO accessible. So BRILLIANT. I honestly feel different after reading it—enlightened, almost? What a great book.
By Anya Shukla In his poem “Talented Human Beings,” Chen Chen confronts the reader: “Pop Quiz: Who was / Vincent Chin? Theresa Hak Kyung Cha? / Group Project: Name one book by Maxine Hong Kingston / not titled The Woman Warrior” (pg. 98). I am proud to say that I knew two out of the three! I feel very cultured. Obviously, I get Chen’s larger point with this poem: we don’t learn about or appreciate the history of Asian Americans. (And it just so happened that he chose examples of Asian Americans that I knew about.) But I’m still pretty proud of myself.
By Anya Shukla Silvia Moreno-Garcia wrote her Masters thesis on “Women and Eugenic Thought In the Work of H.P. Lovecraft,” in which she discusses the intersections between science fiction, feminism, and scientific racism. It’s an interesting read, especially because bits and pieces of that early work crop up in “Mexican Gothic.” (Plus, it’s pretty accessible, as academic works go. I’m looking at you, “Algorithms of Oppression.”) Review: A young socialite in 1950s Mexico, Noemí Taboada leaves her high-society lifestyle behind in Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s “Mexican Gothic.” After receiving a strange letter from her recently-married cousin, Catalina Doyle, Noemí travels to the Doyle family mansion to check up on her relative. Noemí finds Catalina sick and muttering about voices in walls… and soon begins to experience strange dreams herself. To make matters worse, the locals tell her that the Doyles—Virgil, Catalina’s husband; Howard, Virgil’s father; Florence, Virgil’s aunt; and Francis, Florence’s son—are cursed.
By Anya Shukla It’s Olllllllll-ympic season! I have gotten so fantastically into the Olympics that it’s getting a little ridiculous. Ice hockey, speed skating, alpine skiing, that sport where they go headfirst down a super-slick ice track at 70 miles per hour, I’m watching it all. Plus, powering through five hours of NBC coverage a day leaves me almost no time to read books! Almost.
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