Book Chatter

Sunday Matters

I didn’t intend to fall off the face of the earth but health issues can be a real joy killer. The medical professionals are still running all the tests and things pop up here and there, but nothing to explain what I am experiencing. Some days, I feel like I need a wheelchair.

My work added one more in-office day so I am in the office three days and then working remotely for the other two. This agreement is good for a year. Not gonna lie, that third day is hard for me but I am grateful that we are still able to do a hybrid schedule.

Right Now:

I am about to run off to student ministry. It remains to be one of my favorite days of the week and the students taught me how to play Uno. How pathetic. I’ve been in student ministry for over 12 years and I just learned how to play Uno. I am not terribly competitive, actually not at all but the conversations are fun while they watch the confusion in my eyes.

This Week:

Going back to the doctor on Monday for more tests.

Wednesday is book club. We are discussing The Sympathizer.

Reading:

In addition to the book club book, I am reading Holly by Stephen King. It came out on my birthday so I took a vacation day and spent the entire day reading. It was wonderful but I still have a little bit to go before I finish it. It’s a little bit of a rehash of the pandemic and so that slowed me down a little. It’s not a pleasant moment to relive.

Watching:

Absolutely nothing. I could easily live without TV. The Hub does not agree.

Well, the fam is pretty good. My daughter is rehearsing for Shakespeare in Love at Missouri State. My son is still doing well in Seattle and I am going for a short visit in October. The Hub is happy that football is back. I did not join the football pool this year. I like to just have it on in the background and not pay attention to it too much, while I lazily read a book.

I really hope you are all well. I’ve kept up with some of you via social media but I’ve been so miserable most days anything extra seems like a real stretch. I hope that changes soon.

Yellowface
By R.F. Kuang
William Morrow,9780063250833. May 2023, 336 pp.

The Short of It:

Grabs you from the get-go.

The Rest of It:

Some books grab you as soon as you turn that first page. Yellowface is one of those books but I had a love/hate relationship with it. Oh no, not that I hated it at all but I found myself frustrated that I liked it so much even though the book’s main character is less than honorable. I should not have enjoyed a book, which at its heart, is all about deception and lies.

There is really nothing redeeming about June. June and Athena started off on similar footing. Both, should have been up and coming young authors of incredible talent. But June never truly breaks through as a successful writer, even though she can write quite well. Athena on the other hand, has that special something that sells books. She wows her agent and publicists and they tend to bend over backwards for her.

June, slightly bothered by Athena’s popularity, sits back while a freak accident takes the life of Athena. June’s lack of effort to save Athena tells you everything you need to know about June. She’s a little bit self-centered, obviously jealous, and has no problem stealing Athena’s manuscript and passing it off as her own.

Her justification? As a White writer she will never be on level ground with an author of color. Especially when the book is about Chinese laborers. So June takes Athena’s work and “makes it better” and then calls it her own.

But we get hints early on that all is not smooth sailing when June begins to “see” Athena at author events. Is she imagining her? Is someone playing games with her because they know what she did? As a reader, I eagerly flipped those pages to find out but in all honesty, I was a tad disappointed with the ending. No spoilers, though.

This was read for book club and it was an excellent book for discussion. Was anyone Team June? No. Did we even like Athena? Not really. But did it keep me reading. Yes. Big yes.

Have you read it? Thoughts?

Source: Purchased
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

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