Mini-Book Review: Heaven by Mieko Kawakami and Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala.

 Hello Loves! 

How has life been treating you lately? 

My life has been curiously busy and full of other drama and books have not exactly taken a back seat but have definitely been on the back burner. I have been reading but in a distracted sort of way. I read but I don't spend a lot of time thinking about the books. 

I just life to calm down a bit and find an amazing book to sit down and really focus on. 

Hopefully this weekend I do just that: Sit tight and read. 

For today's post I want to talk about two books I read this week. 

 Heaven by Mieko Kawakami: Hailed as a bold foray into new literary territory, Kawakami’s novel is told in the voice of a 14-year-old student who subjected to relentless torment for having a lazy eye. Instead of resisting, the boy chooses to suffer in complete resignation. The only person who understands what he is going through is a female classmate who suffers similar treatment at the hands of her tormentors.

These raw and realistic portrayals of bullying are counterbalanced by textured exposition of the philosophical and religious debates concerning violence to which the weak are subjected.

Kawakami's simple yet profound new work stands as a dazzling testament to her literary talent. There can be little doubt that it has cemented her reputation as one of the most important young authors working to expand the boundaries of contemporary Japanese literature.

Review: I read almost half of Breasts and Eggs by the same author last year and then I wasn't quite feeling it so I put it down. I have a feeling, at some point in the future I will return to it. It is a perfectly wonderfully well written book, with some trademarks of modern Japanese writing. I really was enjoying it but not in the right frame of mind to continue. 

OK, now on to this book, it has sat on my Kindle since last year and I wanted to read but I was also scared to read it, given it's subject matter and all the Trigger Warnings that come with this book. I don't like reading about Bullying. (But then who does?) So this book sat unread all this time. Till I picked it up on a whim earlier this week and before I knew it, I was about 25% in and really invested in this world, it hurt my heart and made my stomach crawl occasionally and made me so mad but I really found myself invested in this book. 

This isn't as easy book to read, it will wreck you,Yet there are moments of pure joy and hope and goodness. 

Your heart breaks for these kids that are being cruelly and relentlessly bullied and no one seems to care about them enough to step-in and help them. I found myself screaming at them to do something, ask for help or even speak up and stand up to their bullies. Then I had to remind myself that is not how real life works. Most often, those getting mercilessly bullied have no one to turn to and popular kids, which in the Asian context are kids doing well academically get away with anything and everything. The same rules don't seem to apply to everyone. So that aspect of our schooling experience is really well captured. 

The book recently made it to the International Man Booker Long List and I am glad more people will pick it up. This book and it's story will sadly strike a cord with many people, and the rest of us, who were lucky enough to not be bullied can learn a thing or two about life for those you lived through hellish school years.

Just please go in knowing it's not an easy book to get through and if you are triggered by Bullying, Violence and Abuse, please approach with caution. 

Rating: 3.5/5 

Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala: When Lila Macapagal moves back home to recover from a horrible breakup, her life seems to be following all the typical rom-com tropes. She's tasked with saving her Tita Rosie's failing restaurant, and she has to deal with a group of matchmaking aunties who shower her with love and judgment. But when a notoriously nasty food critic (who happens to be her ex-boyfriend) drops dead moments after a confrontation with Lila, her life quickly swerves from a Nora Ephron romp to an Agatha Christie case.

With the cops treating her like she's the one and only suspect, and the shady landlord looking to finally kick the Macapagal family out and resell the storefront, Lila's left with no choice but to conduct her own investigation. Armed with the nosy auntie network, her barista best bud, and her trusted Dachshund, Longanisa, Lila takes on this tasty, twisted case and soon finds her own neck on the chopping block.

Review: I  was clearly in the mood for some Asian Literature and this time I dived into a Filipino-American story. I have never read anything set in and around Philippines and this book was a great way, a small step in fixing this blind spot in my reading life. This book was a wonderful mix of family, food (so much good food) and a murder mystery. It also has a touch of romance, amazing friendships and the immigrant experience. A delightful read and the mystery was good too. I loved how the author managed to capture how close-knit, and even nosy and over-involved communities can be, they become your quasi family and everyone knows about each other's business. 

This was overall a fun and fluffy and food filled light read. Plus it's the first book in a series of cozy murder mysteries and I am happy to read what the writer writes next. Plus this has an adorable dog, that's always a good thing be. And it has recipes too. Something about books with recipes is just an extra layer of goodness. 

Rating: 3/5