December 2023 Wrap-up

Here’s the final brief wrap-up of my feelings for my 2023 reads. I can’t believe the year is at a close already.

Happy Holidays!

Loves:

When Everything Turned Blue by Alessandro Baronciani

Loved this art and story! A heartfelt look at Chiara’s fears and her journey in coming to terms with illness. 

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (Vol. 3) by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

My favorite book in this series! It pivoted to the backstory of side characters. I ended up being so invested and loved the change of narrative. This book also had more interactions between the main characters which kept up the tension while growing their relationship.  

What is Home, Mum? By Sabba Khan

Just beautiful art that highlighted the story of a second-generation Pakistani family. The reflection felt both poignant and raw. I think the author did a great job of balancing her inner reflection with the one her family went through. 

Heaven Official's Blessing (Vol. 5-8) by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

What a great series! I feel like it transcends genre and gives a little of something for everyone. I loved these characters and can’t count the number of times I cried when both good and bad things happened. 

Minor Detail by Adania Shibli

What a powerful book. The structure of the book sinks the reader into the world and events. It’s so artfully written. I can’t stop thinking about this book.

Likes:

Miss Quinces by Kat Fajardo

This was a cute middle-grade graphic novel. I loved exploring Sue’s family and growing into her teenage life. 

Cross My Heart and Never Lie by Nora Dåsnes

This graphic novel was in the form of a diary. It was also a sweet exploration of getting older and being a teenager. 

Now Go: On Grief and Studio Ghibli by Karl Thomas Smith

There were some good moments and reflections in this but overall I was a bit disappointed. I felt like it didn’t dive into and analyze the movies enough. As a result, the reflection in each chapter felt a bit scattered. It felt too surface level for me. I wished the structure was more like one movie a chapter or comparing scenes between two movies a chapter instead of general statements. 

Okays:

Goodbye, My Havana: The Life and Times of a Gringa in Revolutionary Cuba by Anna Veltfort

I’m not sure why this didn’t really click for me. I think it was just a bad reading time for me and there was so much text. 

Birthday by César Aira

Again, I’m not sure why this clicked but it just felt like the speaker was talking / thinking at me.