2023, Ranked

Personal

Dec. 31

Full disclosure: I was going to start this post by saying something like “every year, I do a recap by listing the media I consumed, as I think it’s a great way to create a time capsule and get a sense of my interests and mindset at the time”, only it turns out I don’t have a recap for 2021 or 2022, so that’s a blatant lie. Here is 2020’s recap if you’re curious, and wow, Call Me By Your Name, The Crown, and Reply All have not aged well, but I still remember exactly how I felt when I first played VA-11 HALL-A and Spiritfarer, so there’s that.

Brief recap of my 2023: recovered (mostly) from yet another long-term illness that left lasting effects, got laid off on my first day back from holiday break, applied to about fifteen different jobs and interviewed with - and then was hired - by my first choice, started consistently lifting weights and doing cardio, bought a Steam Deck and a Kindle (hence my rekindled (womp, womp) interest in reading and playing video games that aren’t Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley), and as we close out the year, I’m dealing with yet another long-term health…thing. I’m not exactly sure what to call insomnia that’s not insomnia, but I definitely need to have a serious conversation with my body about not saddling me with chronic issues for 6+ months that punch holes in my work history and render me incapable of doing anything but sleeping and rewatching the same Twitch VODs over and over like a zombie subjecting herself to the adult version of Cocomelon.

As for what media I consumed this year, I’m pretty sure I watched approximately zero movies. I used to watch movies all the time, constantly scouring Netflix and Disney+ like I was panning for gold, but lately, I’ve been picking up other hobbies that make movies less of a draw for me. I’ll probably watch Barbie, Bottoms, and Red, White & Royal Blue eventually, but right now, I couldn’t be bothered.

My *sons* *best boys, Tinn and Gun from* ***My School President***

TV shows? I keep telling myself to watch some older dramas starring one of my favorite Thai actors, Nanon Korapat - The Gifted and 55:15 Never Too Late, specifically - but I just kept going back to My School President and Moonlight Chicken instead, because I like getting my daily dose of serotonin from my two new favorite Thai actors, Gemini Norawit and Fourth Nattawat - they’re also the stars of the upcoming adaptation of the Japanese manga, My Love Mix-Up!, so you know where I’ll be once that comes out. Some of my favorite Western TV shows have lost their appeal to me (Westworld, Peaky Blinders, Loki, to name a few) and I’m not really interested in anything newer (e.g. Yellowjackets, The Bear, Succession), so those are all out. Just bring back Pushing Daisies, please.

Video games continue to be my most consistent medium, and I’ve played so many damn good games this year that even just seeing them compiled in the list below makes me irrevocably happy I got to experience them. Saltsea Chronicles and Venba made me cry, Chants of Sennaar and The Case of the Golden Idol made me feel incredibly smart and incredibly stupid at the same time, and GRIS, while beautiful, made me realize how much I suck at puzzle platformers. That should’ve been obvious considering I couldn’t even figure out Kirby, of all things, when I was a kid. This year, I also learned how to love and embrace the DNF. Yeah, it sucks when you pay for something you end up not enjoying, but it also sucks when you try to force yourself to play something you don’t like or “get”. It took me a full hour of using a walkthrough for Carto when I realized I wasn’t playing the game, I was just watching it happen. Instead of seeing games as items on my to-do list, i.e. my backlog, it felt way better to just step back and say it wasn’t for me.

Finally, as a content writer by day and a fic writer by night, I knew I wanted to get back into reading after years of not consuming anything but textbooks, fanfiction, and the occasional magazine. I didn’t have any particular reading goals in mind in terms of type or amount; the only thing I cared about was simply just starting to read for pleasure again. Eventually though, as I browsed Goodreads for book recs based on what I already owned, I decided I wanted to mainly read books by Asian authors about Asian characters. It wasn’t a hard and fast rule, obviously, but looking back at the kind of stuff I read back then (i.e. John Green, Rainbow Rowell), there was a disconnect there that I didn’t really understand until I started reading about protagonists like me. There’s a definite distinction between Asian versus Asian American, and of course, things really start to differ once you get into Asian fantasy like the best book I read this year, Six Crimson Cranes, but I still found so many little nuances that reminded me of myself that kept me wanting to read more.

Going into 2024, I have several goals in mind - here’s the ones I’ll share:

Reduce my screentime by 25% (and stop opening Twitter every time I pick up my phone, dammit)
Read at least 30 books, including at least 2 career books per quarter and 3 personal finance books
Complete five cross-stitch projects (including the behemoth I’m currently working on that I’ve been working on since June)
Create a clear, actionable clean and reset routine that doesn’t make every single household task feel like a Very Big Deal
Join a networking group and push my boundaries just a little bit, enough to make me slightly uncomfortable but not unnecessarily so

If anyone needs me in January, I’ll be following Yoga with Adriene’s 30 Days of Yoga challenge, reading a few light-hearted novels between some dense non-fiction, and desperately trying to finish Attorney of the Arcane before I reunite with my favorite boy wonder lawyer in the remastered Apollo Justice trilogy when it comes out on the 27th. I may also try to finish my cross-stitch behemoth so I can finally put it behind me, but no promises: 12,500 stitches is a beast.

Current

Tyrion Cuthbert: Attorney of the Arcane (2023)
In Tyrion Cuthbert: Attorney of the Arcane, you play as a defense attorney who practices law in a world of fantasy and wizards. You must defend clients accused of various crimes committed using magic and use the rules of magic to prove them innocent.
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (2010)
In an obscure corner of the city, a single bullet takes your life, but that’s not all it takes. When you awaken as a spirit, you realize you have no recollection of who you are. Thus begins your search for the answers to these questions: “Who am I?”, “Who killed me?”, and “Why was I killed?” One night is all you have to answer these questions before your soul vanishes at dawn’s first light, and your only lead is the female detective who witnessed your death...
Wandersong (2018)
A musical platforming adventure with an emotional story. Play as a silly bard and use music to interact with everything on a journey around the world. Along the way you'll explore, solve puzzles, and meet a huge cast of characters!
Money Out Loud: All the Financial Stuff No One Taught Us (2023, Berna Anat)
In this illustrated, deeply unserious guide to money, Berna Anat—aka the Financial Hype Woman—freaks out her immigrant parents by doing the unthinkable: Talking about money. Loudly. Because we’re done staying silent, anxious, and ashamed about our money. It's time to join the party and finally learn about all the financial stuff that always felt too confusing.
This Time It's Real (2023, Ann Liang)
When seventeen-year-old Eliza Lin’s essay about meeting the love of her life unexpectedly goes viral, her entire life changes overnight. Now she has the approval of her classmates at her new international school in Beijing, a career-launching internship opportunity at her favorite magazine…and a massive secret to keep. Eliza made her essay up. She’s never been in a relationship before, let alone in love. All good writing is lying, right? Desperate to hide the truth, Eliza strikes a deal with the famous actor in her class, the charming but aloof Caz Song. She’ll help him write his college applications if he poses as her boyfriend. Caz is a dream boyfriend -- he passes handwritten notes to her in class, makes her little sister laugh, and takes her out on motorcycle rides to the best snack stalls around the city. But when her relationship with Caz starts feeling a little too convincing, all of Eliza’s carefully laid plans are threatened. Can she still follow her dreams if it means breaking her own heart?
The Memo: What Women of Color Need to Know to Secure a Seat at the Table (2019, Minda Harts)
From microaggressions to the wage gap, The Memo empowers women of color with actionable advice on challenges and offers a clear path to success. Most business books provide a one-size-fits-all approach to career advice that overlooks the unique barriers that women of color face. In The Memo, Minda Harts offers a much-needed career guide tailored specifically for women of color. Drawing on knowledge gained from her past career as a fundraising consultant to top colleges across the country, Harts now brings her powerhouse entrepreneurial experience as CEO of The Memo to the page. With wit and candor, she acknowledges "ugly truths" that keep women of color from having a seat at the table in corporate America. Providing straight talk on how to navigate networking, office politics, and money, while showing how to make real change to the system, The Memo offers support and long-overdue advice on how women of color can succeed in their careers.

video games

Saltsea Chronicles (2023)
It begins with a kidnapped captain and a stolen ship. Where it leads next? That’s up to you…In this story-driven adventure game you will explore strange and wonderful communities, uncover a deep conspiracy, and chart a journey through twists and turns, difficulties and delights. 5/5
Chants of Sennaar (2023)
Legend says that one day, a traveler will reunite the Peoples of the Tower who are unable to communicate with each other. Observe, listen, and decipher ancient languages in a fascinating universe inspired by the myth of Babel. 4.5/5
Beacon Pines (2022)
Beacon Pines is a cute and creepy adventure set within a mysterious book. Sneak out late, make new friends, uncover hidden truths, and collect words that will change the course of fate! 4.5/5
Dave the Diver (2023)
DAVE THE DIVER is a casual, single-player adventure RPG featuring deep-sea exploration and fishing during the day and sushi restaurant management at night. Join Dave and his quirky friends as they seek to uncover the secrets of the mysterious Blue Hole. 4.5/5
Venba (2023)
Venba is a short narrative cooking game, where you play as an Indian mom, who immigrates to Canada with her family in the 1980s. Players will cook various dishes and restore lost recipes, hold branching conversations, and explore in this story about family, love, loss, and more. 4.5/5
The Case of the Golden Idol (2022)
A new kind of detective game that allows you to think and investigate freely. Discover clues surrounding 12 strange and gruesome deaths and build your own theory. Pick your suspect, deduce the motive, unmask the awful truth. 4.5/5
A Short Hike (2019)
Hike, climb, and soar through the peaceful mountainside landscapes of Hawk Peak Provincial Park as you make your way to the summit. 4/5
Alba: A Wildlife Adventure (2020)
Even the smallest person can make a big difference. Join Alba as she sets out to save her beautiful island and its wildlife. And possibly start a revolution. 4/5
A Little To The Left (2022)
A Little to the Left is a cozy puzzle game that has you sort, stack, and organize household items into pleasing arrangements while you keep an eye out for a mischievous cat with an inclination for chaos. 4/5
My Brother Rabbit (2018)
My Brother Rabbit is a beautifully drawn exploration adventure and puzzle game set in a surreal world that mixes reality with a child’s imagination. 4/5
GRIS (2018)
Gris is a hopeful young girl lost in her own world, dealing with a painful experience in her life. Her journey through sorrow is manifested in her dress, which grants new abilities to better navigate her faded reality. 4/5
Sticky Business (2023)
Experience the joy of running your own cozy small business: Create stickers, pack orders and hear your customers’ stories. Time to build the cutest shop on the internet! 3.5/5
Unpacking (2021)
Unpacking is a zen puzzle game about the familiar experience of pulling possessions out of boxes and fitting them into a new home. Part block-fitting puzzle, part home decoration, you are invited to create a satisfying living space while learning clues about the life you’re unpacking. 3/5
Witchy Life Story (2022)
You have two weeks to save the harvest festival! Tend your garden and collect plants for spells and rituals to help the villagers of Flora. After all, if magic isn't for solving everyday problems, what’s the point of a village witch anyway? A cozy story filled with chaos, friendship, and romance! 2.5/5
Down in Bermuda (2019)
An unnatural storm leaves an adventurous aviator stranded for decades within the infamous Bermuda. Overcome creatures of the deep and unravel the island’s secrets in search of a way back home. 2.5/5
Best Friend Forever (2020)
Pat the dogs...and then their owners. Step into the world of Rainbow Bay in Best Friend Forever, a dating sim-meets-dog care sim where you pat, pamper and train your pup while you search for your own forever friend. 1/5
Carto (2020)
Carto is a charming adventure game wrapped around a unique, world-altering puzzle mechanic. Use this power to explore mysterious lands, help a quirky cast of characters, and guide Carto on her journey back to her family. DNF
Cat Cafe Manager (2022)
Travel to the sleepy village of Caterwaul Way and rebuild your grandmother's cat cafe. Renovate your restaurant, befriend the local cats and townsfolk, forge lasting friendships, unravel catty mysteries, and build a home for dozens of unique felines! DNF
Here Comes Niko! (2021)
Here Comes Niko! is the cozy 3D platformer for tired people! You play as Niko traveling across scenic islands. Make new friends, catch fish, solve puzzles, snag bugs, and more! Oh, Did I mention your boss is a frog? DNF
OPUS: Rocket of Whispers (2018)
Rocket of Whispers is an award-winning post-apocalyptic adventure that follows two survivors on a journey to launch a space burial for the lost souls of their desolate world. Help them search the snowy wasteland for supplies and the courage to say goodbye. DNF

books

Six Crimson Cranes (2021, Elizabeth Lim)
Shiori'anma, the only princess of Kiata, has a secret. Forbidden magic runs through her veins. Normally she conceals it well, but on the morning of her betrothal ceremony, Shiori loses control. At first, her mistake seems like a stroke of luck, forestalling the wedding she never wanted. But it also catches the attention of Raikama, her stepmother.
A sorceress in her own right, Raikama banishes the young princess, turning her brothers into cranes. She warns Shiori that she must speak of it to no one: for with every word that escapes her lips, one of her brothers will die.
Penniless, voiceless, and alone, Shiori searches for her brothers, and uncovers a dark conspiracy to seize the throne. Only Shiori can set the kingdom to rights, but to do so she must place her trust in a paper bird, a mercurial dragon, and the very boy she fought so hard not to marry. And she must embrace the magic she's been taught all her life to forswear--no matter what the cost. 5/5
The Alice Network (2017, Kate Quinn)
1947. In the chaotic aftermath of World War II, American college girl Charlie St. Clair is pregnant, unmarried, and on the verge of being thrown out of her very proper family. She's also nursing a desperate hope that her beloved cousin Rose, who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France during the war, might still be alive. So when Charlie's parents banish her to Europe to have her "little problem" taken care of, Charlie breaks free and heads to London, determined to find out what happened to the cousin she loves like a sister.
1915. A year into the Great War, Eve Gardiner burns to join the fight against the Germans and unexpectedly gets her chance when she's recruited to work as a spy. Sent into enemy-occupied France, she's trained by the mesmerizing Lili, the "Queen of Spies", who manages a vast network of secret agents right under the enemy's nose. Thirty years later, haunted by the betrayal that ultimately tore apart the Alice Network, Eve spends her days drunk and secluded in her crumbling London house. Until a young American barges in uttering a name Eve hasn't heard in decades, and launches them both on a mission to find the truth...no matter where it leads. 5/5
The Anthropocene Reviewed (2019, John Green)
The Anthropocene is the current geological age, in which human activity has profoundly shaped the planet and its biodiversity. In this remarkable symphony of essays adapted and expanded from his ground-breaking, critically acclaimed podcast, John Green reviews different facets of the human-centered planet - from the QWERTY keyboard and Halley's Comet to Penguins of Madagascar - on a five-star scale. 5/5
Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want to Come: An Introvert's Year of Living Dangerously (2019, Jessica Pan)
What would happen if a shy introvert lived like a gregarious extrovert for one year? If she knowingly and willingly put herself in perilous social situations that she’d normally avoid at all costs? Writer Jessica Pan intends to find out. With the help of various extrovert mentors, Pan sets up a series of personal challenges (talk to strangers, perform stand-up comedy, host a dinner party, travel alone, make friends on the road, and much worse) to explore whether living like an extrovert can teach her lessons that might improve the quality of her life. Chronicling the author’s hilarious and painful year of misadventures, this book explores what happens when one introvert fights her natural tendencies, takes the plunge, and tries (and sometimes fails) to be a little bit braver. 5/5
Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning (2020, Cathy Park Hong)
As the daughter of Korean immigrants, Cathy Park Hong grew up steeped in shame, suspicion, and melancholy. She would later understand that these "minor feelings" occur when American optimism contradicts your own reality—when you believe the lies you're told about your own racial identity. Hong uses her own story as a portal into a deeper examination of racial consciousness in America today. This book traces her relationship to the English language, to shame and depression, to poetry and artmaking, and to family and female friendship in a search to both uncover and speak the truth. 5/5
Signal Moon: A Short Story (2022, Kate Quinn)
Yorkshire, 1943. Lily Baines, a bright young debutante increasingly ground down by an endless war, has traded in her white gloves for a set of headphones. It’s her job to intercept enemy naval communications and send them to Bletchley Park for decryption. One night, she picks up a transmission that isn’t code at all—it’s a cry for help. An American ship is taking heavy fire in the North Atlantic—but no one else has reported an attack, and the information relayed by the young US officer, Matt Jackson, seems all wrong. The contact that Lily has made on the other end of the radio channel says it’s…2023. Across an eighty-year gap, Lily and Matt must find a way to help each other: Matt to convince her that the war she’s fighting can still be won, and Lily to help him stave off the war to come. As their connection grows stronger, they both know there’s no telling when time will run out on their inexplicable link. 5/5
Last Night at the Telegraph Club (2021, Malinda Lo)
Seventeen-year-old Lily Hu can't remember exactly when the feeling took root—that desire to look, to move closer, to touch. Whenever it started growing, it definitely bloomed the moment she and Kathleen Miller walked under the flashing neon sign of a lesbian bar called the Telegraph Club. Suddenly everything seemed possible. But America in 1954 is not a safe place for two girls to fall in love, especially not in Chinatown. Red-Scare paranoia threatens everyone, including Chinese Americans like Lily. With deportation looming over her father—despite his hard-won citizenship—Lily and Kath risk everything to let their love see the light of day. 4.5/5
Remarkably Bright Creatures (2022, Shelby Van Pelt)
After Tova Sullivan's husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she's been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago. Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn't dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors--until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova. Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova's son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it's too late. 4.5/5
The 99% Invisible City (2020, Roman Mars & Kurt Kohlstedt)
In The 99% Invisible A Field Guide to Hidden World of Everyday Design, host Roman Mars and coauthor Kurt Kohlstedt zoom in on the various elements that make our cities work, exploring the origins and other fascinating stories behind everything from power grids and fire escapes to drinking fountains and street signs. 4.5/5
If You Could See The Sun (2022, Ann Liang)
Alice Sun has always felt invisible at her elite Beijing international boarding school, where she’s the only scholarship student among China’s most rich and influential teens. But then she starts uncontrollably turning invisible—actually invisible. When her parents drop the news that they can no longer afford her tuition, even with the scholarship, Alice hatches a plan to monetize her strange new power—she’ll discover the scandalous secrets her classmates want to know, for a price. But as the tasks escalate from petty scandals to actual crimes, Alice must decide if it’s worth losing her conscience—or even her life. 4.5/5
Imogene, Obviously (2023, Becky Albertalli)
Imogen Scott may be hopelessly heterosexual, but she’s got the World’s Greatest Ally title locked down. She's never missed a Pride Alliance meeting. She knows more about queer media discourse than her very queer little sister. She even has two queer best friends. There's Gretchen, a fellow high school senior, who helps keep Imogen's biases in check. And then there's Lili—newly out and newly thriving with a cool new squad of queer college friends.
Imogen's thrilled for Lili. Any ally would be. And now that she's finally visiting Lili on campus, she's bringing her ally A game. Any support Lili needs, Imogen's all in. Even if that means bending the truth, just a little. Like when Lili drops a tiny queer bombshell: she's told all her college friends that Imogen and Lili used to date. And none of them know that Imogen is a raging hetero—not even Lili’s best friend, Tessa. Of course, the more time Imogen spends with chaotic, freckle-faced Tessa, the more she starts to wonder if her truth was ever all that straight to begin with… 4.5/5
The Girls I’ve Been (2021, Tess Sharpe)
Nora O’Malley’s been a lot of girls. As the daughter of a con artist who targets criminal men, she grew up as her mother’s protégé. But when Mom fell for the mark instead of conning him, Nora pulled the ultimate con: escape. For five years Nora’s been playing at normal. But she needs to dust off the skills she ditched because she has three problems: #1: Her ex walked in on her with her girlfriend. Even though they’re all friends, Wes didn’t know about her and Iris. #2: The morning after Wes finds them kissing, they all have to meet to deposit the fundraiser money they raised at the bank. It’s a nightmare that goes from awkward to deadly, because: #3: Right after they enter the bank, two guys start robbing it. The bank robbers may be trouble, but Nora’s something else entirely. They have no idea who they’re really holding hostage… 4/5
Legends & Lattes (2022, Travis Baldree)
The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first-ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success — not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is. If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won't be able to go it alone. But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed. 4/5
The Downstairs Girl (2019, Stacey Lee)
By day, seventeen-year-old Jo Kuan works as a lady's maid for the cruel daughter of one of the wealthiest men in Atlanta. But by night, Jo moonlights as the pseudonymous author of a newspaper advice column for the genteel Southern lady, "Dear Miss Sweetie." When her column becomes wildly popular, she uses the power of the pen to address some of society's ills, but she's not prepared for the backlash that follows when her column challenges fixed ideas about race and gender. While her opponents clamor to uncover the secret identity of Miss Sweetie, a mysterious letter sets Jo off on a search for her own past and the parents who abandoned her as a baby. But when her efforts put her in the crosshairs of Atlanta's most notorious criminal, Jo must decide whether she, a girl used to living in the shadows, is ready to step into the light. 3.5/5
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers (2023, Jesse Q. Sutanto)
Sixty-year-old self-proclaimed tea expert Vera Wong enjoys nothing more than sipping a good cup of Wulong and doing some healthy ‘detective’ work on the internet (AKA checking up on her son to see if he’s dating anybody yet). But when Vera wakes up one morning to find a dead man in the middle of her tea shop, it’s going to take more than a strong Longjing to fix things. Knowing she’ll do a better job than the police possibly could – because nobody sniffs out wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands – Vera decides it’s down to her to catch the killer. 3.5/5
Afterparties: Stories (2021, Anthony Veasna So)
Seamlessly transitioning between the absurd and the tenderhearted, balancing acerbic humor with sharp emotional depth, Afterparties offers an expansive portrait of the lives of Cambodian Americans. As the children of refugees carve out radical new paths for themselves in California, they shoulder the inherited weight of the Khmer Rouge genocide and grapple with the complexities of race, sexuality, friendship, and family. 3.5/5
Dial A For Aunties (2021, Jesse Q. Sutanto)
When Meddelin Chan ends up accidentally killing her blind date, her meddlesome mother calls for her even more meddlesome aunties to help get rid of the body. Unfortunately, a dead body proves to be a lot more challenging to dispose of than one might anticipate, especially when it is inadvertently shipped in a cake cooler to the over-the-top billionaire wedding Meddy, her Ma, and aunties are working at an island resort on the California coastline. It's the biggest job yet for the family wedding business —"Don't leave your big day to chance, leave it to the Chans!"— and nothing, not even an unsavory corpse, will get in the way of her auntie's perfect buttercream flowers. But things go from inconvenient to downright torturous when Meddy's great college love—and biggest heartbreak—makes a surprise appearance amid the wedding chaos. Is it possible to escape murder charges, charm her ex back into her life, and pull off a stunning wedding all in one weekend? 3/5
The Paper Magician (2014, Charlie N. Holmberg)
Ceony Twill arrives at the cottage of Magician Emery Thane with a broken heart. Having graduated at the top of her class from the Tagis Praff School for the Magically Inclined, Ceony is assigned an apprenticeship in paper magic despite her dreams of bespelling metal. And once she’s bonded to paper, that will be her only magic…forever. DNF
The Babysitters Coven (2019, Kate Williams)
Seventeen-year-old Esme Pearl has a babysitters club. She knows it's kinda lame, but what else is she supposed to do? Get a job? Gross. Besides, Esme likes babysitting, and she's good at it. And lately Esme needs all the cash she can get, because it seems like destruction follows her wherever she goes. Let's just say she owes some people a new tree. Enter Cassandra Heaven. She's Instagram-model hot, dresses like she found her clothes in a dumpster, and has a rebellious streak as gnarly as the cafeteria food. So why is Cassandra willing to do anything, even take on a potty-training two-year-old, to join Esme's babysitters club? The answer lies in a mysterious note Cassandra's mother left her: "Find the babysitters. Love, Mom." Turns out, Esme and Cassandra have more in common than they think, and they're about to discover what being a babysitter really means: a heroic lineage of superpowers, magic rituals, and saving the innocent from seriously terrifying evil. And all before the parents get home. DNF
The Inheritance Games (2020, Jennifer Lynn Barnes)
Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why -- or even who Tobias Hawthorne is. To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man's touch -- and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes. DNF

quotes

thoughtful

It’s taken me a long time to really believe, to know, that loneliness is circumstantial. We move to a new city. We start a new job. We travel alone. Our families move away. We don’t know how to connect with loved ones anymore. We lose touch with friends. It is not a damning indictment of how lovable we are.
Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want to Come: An Introvert's Year of Living Dangerously (2019, Jessica Pan)
This man, they realize, didn’t mean much at all to them, lent no greater significance to their pain. They can hardly believe they’ve wasted so much time wondering about him. Yes, they think, we know this man. We’ve carried him our whole lives.
Afterparties: Stories (2021, Anthony Veasna So)
“The first time I went,” Kath said, “I was a little…overwhelmed, I guess. Jean told me it was the same with her. It’s like you’ve been told about chocolate your entire life but you’ve never tried any, and then all of a sudden someone gives you an entire box, and you end up eating all of it, and you feel sick.” Kath shot her a quick glance. “You just have to get used to it—to having chocolate more often.” […] It wasn’t like chocolate, Lily thought. It was like finding water after a drought. She couldn’t drink enough, and her thirst made her ashamed, and the shame made her angry.
Last Night at the Telegraph Club (2021, Malinda Lo)
The neglected ones, the unlucky ones, the ones who want more than they’ve been given. The ones who have to crawl and scrape and fight their way up from the very bottom, who have to game a system designed for them to lose. Always the first to be punished and blamed when things go wrong. Always the last to be seen, to be saved.
If You Could See The Sun (2022, Ann Liang)
Minor feelings are the emotions we are accused of having when we decide to be difficult—in other words, when we decide to be honest. When minor feelings are finally externalized, they are interpreted as hostile, ungrateful, jealous, depressing, and belligerent, affects ascribed to racialized behavior that whites consider out of line. Our feelings are overreactions because our lived experiences of structural inequity are not commensurate with their deluded reality.
Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning (2020, Cathy Park Hong)

funny

To be loud enough to attract attention in a dim sum restaurant during the lunch rush is damn near impossible, which just goes to show how fucking pissed I am.
Dial A For Aunties (2021, Jesse Q. Sutanto)
Young women don’t want bone china anymore. They’ve no use for old Swedish things. They have their own dinnerware, probably from Ikea. New Swedish things.
Remarkably Bright Creatures (2022, Shelby Van Pelt)
I’m more likely to come to Jesus than trust the FBI, and neither seems likely, all things considered.
The Girls I’ve Been (2021, Tess Sharpe)
He’d turn his own mother in to the Germans for a profit, not that he has a mother. The devil probably shit him out after a night’s drinking with Judas.
The Alice Network (2017, Kate Quinn)
Seventy-five percent of people fear public speaking more than they fear death. Sociobiologists trace this fear back to our ancestors: singling yourself out from a group is inviting them to attack you. Or ostracize you. Which in modern life means wandering alone until you die of exposure and starvation, still clutching your PowerPoint notes.
Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want to Come: An Introvert's Year of Living Dangerously (2019, Jessica Pan)

Sammi Wong