I like fiction about terrible people (see also: The White Lotus), so Yellowface by R.F. Kuang was fun for me. The book is about two friends – one Asian (Athena Liu), the other white (June Hayward) – who come up together through university, both pursuing authorship. When Athena dies unexpectedly…
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The Q Review | Negroland | Margo Jefferson
“White people wanted to be white just as much as we did. They worked just as hard at it. They failed just as often. They failed more often. But they could pass, so no one objected.” I love reading about subcultures and sects. It fascinates me to learn when and…
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The Q Review | Destiny Disrupted | Tamim Ansary
I’ve read a lot of books about Islamic history. I’ve also read several versions of the Qur’an with commentary. These tomes tend to be dry and scholarly. This is fine, but I prefer cordial narratives and a sprinkle of humor when reading a book about history for my pleasure. Tamim…
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Q Review | Sister Snake | Amanda Lee Koe
Sister Snake is a fresh, fast-paced novel that is, ironically, rooted in an ancient Chinese tale called The Legend of the White Snake, one of China’s Four Great Folktales. This reimagining of a centuries-old story by author Amanda Lee Koe shows that a good story is a good story, regardless…
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Q Review | The Life of Insects | Victor Pelevin
I love weird books but they’re surprisingly hard to find. I don’t mean books with weird characters, or edgy themes. I mean books that turn your brain upside down and make you wonder what in the hell you’ve just read. (I’m always on the lookout, so drop me a line…
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The Qreative Life Podcast | S2E13 | Roanna Flowers
In this episode, Q talks with Austin-based writer and author Roanna Flowers about Roanna’s lifelong obsession with the written word, how she ‘found her voice’, and the benefits of breaking your own rules to overcome creative resistance. About Roanna: Roanna Flowers is a writer based in Austin, Texas. Her short…
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Q Review | Death to the Bullshit Artists of South Texas | Fernando A. Flores
A few months ago I went to a recently opened indie bookstore called Alienated Majesty, close to the University of Texas campus. It’s a cute place with all kinds of cool stuff you might not find in a larger, corporate chain. The staff was helpful, and when I went to…
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Q Review | Dead-End Memories | Banana Yoshimoto
“The words I read in books seemed to strike me more deeply, and with my senses sharpened by grief, I noticed the glittering transition of the seasons as clearly as if I held the grief in the palm of my hand. It had been a long while since I’d experienced…
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Q Review | Death on Gokumon Island | Seishi Yokomizo
If you know me, you know that I love murder stories. 90% of my television viewing happens on BritBox and involves some detective or another solving capital crimes. Many of these stories are formulaic, steeped in genre tropes, but that’s part of the draw. It’s comforting, relaxing even, to solve…
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Q Review | The Informers | Bret Easton Ellis
This is another one of my Goodwill finds, and the first book by Bret Easton Ellis that I’ve ever read. American Psycho is on my list to get to someday, but this one was $1.99 and flipping through the pages I was assured of a quick and dirty read, so…