Books I Read In October (2022)
This post covers all the books I read in October. Add me on Goodreads if you want to see what else I’m reading!
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Beautiful Country: A Memoir of an Undocumented Childhood by Qian Julie Wang
I’ve been on a roll with memoirs lately! Qian Julie Wang, now a successful lawyer and author, was born in Shijiazhuang, China and immigrated to America when she was 7 years old. She recounts her life growing up as an undocumented immigrant with her parents in New York City.
Wang takes us through her entire young life — from a loving, privileged childhood in China to a harsh reality of trying to survive in Brooklyn. The detail with which she recalls these memories is astonishing.
Wang describes her parents’ struggles, coming from highly educated professions in China to menial, factory jobs in the city. With the constant fear of deportation looming, the family’s relationships become strained.
Reading about Wang’s struggles as a child was heartbreaking — insatiable hunger, a lack of support and bullying in school, and sharing tiny, cramped apartments with strangers, to name a few.
As an American-born Asian to immigrant parents, this memoir gave me a glimpse into the struggles my parents faced when arriving to America. It made me grateful for the seemingly small and ordinary things in my life that I’ve taken for granted.
The memoir transitions pretty abruptly from Wang’s middle school years to now as an adult. I wish we had more insight into her journey from law school, to partner of a civil rights firm. Hopefully this means another memoir will be coming out in the future!
Finding Me by Viola Davis
As a fan of How To Get Away With Murder, I couldn’t wait to read about one of the greatest actresses of our time, Viola Davis.
I learned a lot about Viola Davis as a person while she recounted her childhood. She was no stranger to abuse and trauma, and had difficult/complicated relationships with her siblings and parents. Despite all of that, it was heartwarming to read about her dream of becoming an actress, and how she used that dream as motivation to escape a life of hardship and poverty.
Not surprisingly, Viola Davis is a great storyteller. The book becomes more lighthearted once she gets into her acting stories. It was so interesting to read about her time in Juilliard, and she really gives an insider look to every play, TV show, and film she’s done.
There were fun random stories, too! She talks about how she literally manifested her husband Julius. My favorite story from the book is when George Clooney gifts her and her husband a trip to his private villa in Italy, complete with private chefs and butlers. Ah, to be a celebrity!
Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng
I have been following Celeste Ng since Little Fires Everywhere, so I knew I had to read her latest book.
Our Missing Hearts is a dystopian novel with twelve-year-old Bird Gardner as the protagonist. His mother, a Chinese American poet, abandoned the family when he was nine and Bird is desperate to find her.
This book takes place in a society where everyone is terrorized into preserving American culture. If you are seen doing anything remotely unpatriotic, there are consequences. Libraries are forced to remove books that do not comply with American ideals, and authorities are relocating the children of those who dissent, especially people of Asian origin.
When his mother leaves Bird cryptic clues about how to find her, he sets off on a quest. He discovers the truth of why she had to leave, and how she plans to fight societal norms.
This book, though suspenseful and thought-provoking, just didn’t do it for me. I thought the pacing was too slow, and it really only became a page-turner for me in the last quarter of the book. I had a hard time empathizing with the characters.
Celest Ng is a master of family dramas that center around race and relationships. Though this book definitely fits that description, it is quite a departure from her other two novels. For now, Little Fires Everywhere is still my favorite. Maybe this dystopian genre just isn’t for me!
Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson
Open Water is like if the question, “What are we?” was a book. Nelson’s award-winning debut novel centers around two young black artists living in London. He is a photographer and she is a dancer. Almost reluctantly, they evolve from best friends to lovers. Despite being a tender, intimate love story, the author also provides insight into being black in today’s world.
This book is so gorgeously written. It reminded me of reading poetry, because the prose is so beautiful and descriptive. It felt like reading someone’s dream, or watching an intense dramatic film. The dialogue in this book also feels so natural, as if you’re just listening in on two people’s real conversations. I felt like I could really tap into the characters’ emotions.
That wraps up all the books I read in October! I’m looking forward to exploring different genres in the coming months. See what else I’m up to on Goodreads, and my past monthly reads:
