Table For Two by Amor Towles

I enjoyed reading this book for many reasons. The most obvious is that there are so many life lessons written in between these pages with assembles of outstanding characters. I think short stories are much harder to love than novels, but this proves otherwise. Not all good writers are good storytellers and vice versa. But Amor Towles excels at both. To sum up, it deserves a solid 4.5 ⭐️. Here are some of my thoughts.

1. The Line

- Pushkin and his wife were peasants as they moved from the countryside to Moscow during the 19th century. Pushkin ends up waiting in line to obtain the necessities for his household. He had been revealed as a man of considerable talent and turned society into a productive citizen. It's a thought-provoking satire and resonated with me.

2. The Ballad of Timothy Touchett

- Timothy was determined to be a novelist. He met Peter Pennybrook, a purveyor of used and rare editions. The twist with the job offer involving forging a signature was unexpected and intriguing.

3. Hasta Luego

- His flight was delayed, and Jerry had a brief encounter with an approachable man named Smith. When Smith's wife called anxiously asking for Jerry's help, he could have chosen to ignore her plea. However, he didn't. 

4. I Will Survive

- This story revolves around Peggy, who thinks her husband is having an affair. It is a bit cliche theme, but being told from a first-person point of view added another interesting layer to the marriage insight.

5. The Bootlegger

- Tommy and his wife are a concertgoer. He found an old man beside him, recording the concert. The event left a lasting impression on Tommy. 

6. The Didomenico Fragment

- Renaissance art was one of Percival Skinner's specialities. The DiDomenico fragment, a painting from 1475 that was in his family's possession, has attracted the interest of an agent.

7. Eve In Hollywood

- This novella follows Evelyn Ross, the inherent optimism and boldness lady who'd come out of nowhere. She became a good friend to young actress, Olivia. When Olivia is being blackmailed, she is determined to find the culprit with help from a friend. It gave off film noir vibes in the Golden Age of Hollywood!

 

This is my first time reading by the author but definitely not the last.

Thanks to @definitelybooks #pansing and Izah for the review copy. Opinions are my own 💙 

*Available at all major bookstores in Singapore and Malaysia and their online store

People Who Eat Darkness by Richard Lloyd Parry

Lucie Blackman, 21 years old, had entered Japan as a tourist with her best friend, Louise Phillips. The two of them went to Tokyo to work off the debts that had become such a burden to Lucie. They were working as a hostess in a small nightclub because they could make money easily. One day, Lucie had gone out for a meeting with a man and never came back. After a while, the case was upgraded from a missing person inquiry to a criminal investigation.

After 23 days, Japanese authorities arrested Joji Obara, a Tokyo businessman who could have been involved in the disappearance of other foreign women. This is an absurd true-crime story about a serial rapist, manipulator, psychopath and evil man who, in the end, had no connection with the disappearance and dismemberment of Lucie. This is well written by RLP about his first-hand experiences as correspondence for a British newspaper, living in Tokyo. This story is full of heartaches and lies. And makes you question the failure of law and order. 

Obara received a life sentence in prison for 30 years and is unlikely to walk free before 2030. How was that? I personally support the death penalty because I don't see why the government should be spending for their staycation after they have committed such filthy crimes. 

Real Americans by Rachel Khong

Three generations, three timelines, and three wounded hearts. It has engaging writing and delving deeply into each character's history and beliefs. It starts with May and her husband, who faced hardship in China's brutal civil war. They had a reason to hate their own country and fled to the U.S. Since then, they'd wanted to be American.

Her daughter, an ABC, American-born Chinese, also faced discrimination until she met Matthew, a white perfect and pharmaceutical heir. The conflict begins when their son, Nick, is born. It seems she couldn't trust her family's secrets for the sake of changing lives and fate. Nick became aware of watching his parents and grandmother falling apart despite feeling out of place himself.

This timely book shows how real people lived with early struggles, grappling with identity, trying to feel loved, ethical challenges and fighting for the inevitable future.

Thanks to @definitelybooks #pansing and Izah for the review copy. Opinions are my own 💙 

*Available at all major bookstores in Singapore and Malaysia and their online store

📚

#definitelybooks #donereading #realamericans by #rachelkhong #igbooks #igreads #emabaca #goodreads #bookrecommendations #bookreview #bookstagram #letsgetreading #malaysiamembaca