Friday Mini Reviews #104: Selina Sak Chin Yoke,


The Woman Who Breathed Two Worlds by Selina Siak Chin Yoke (Malayan #1)

bought on audio

Synopsis from Goodreads
Facing challenges in an increasingly colonial world, Chye Hoon, a rebellious young girl, must learn to embrace her mixed Malayan-Chinese identity as a Nyonya—and her destiny as a cook, rather than following her first dream of attending school like her brother.

Amidst the smells of chillies and garlic frying, Chye Hoon begins to appreciate the richness of her traditions, eventually marrying Wong Peng Choon, a Chinese man. Together, they have ten children. At last, she can pass on the stories she has heard—magical tales of men from the sea—and her warrior’s courage, along with her wonderful kueh (cakes).

But the cultural shift towards the West has begun. Chye Hoon finds herself afraid of losing the heritage she so prizes as her children move more and more into the modernising Western world.
 
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8/10
 A really lovely, rich cultural immersion in Malaysia on the brink of major changes. The main heroine's life begins in the country before the Great War and any modern developments, and ends in a very different environment. It's sentimental, a bit heart-breaking and with a lot of feeling. I'm not ashamed to admit I had tears in my eyes a few times. Recommended to everyone interested in the history of the region.
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Замечательный, насыщенный культурными деталями, погружающий в атмосферу Малайзии роман, рассказывающий о жизни женщины в эпоху традиционализма, поднявшей свою семью через все сумбурные и радикальные перемены начала 20-го века. Очень интересно, грустно и колоритно. Аж слёзы стояли на глазах временами. Рекомендую, особенно тем, кому интересен регион.

Random Acts of Trust by Julia Kent (Random #2)

ecopy thanks to the author

Synopsis from Goodreads
Giving up is hard...but giving in is even harder.

When did my life become a demented episode from The Mindy Project?

Moving to Boston to begin grad school meant I was supposed to start a new life--not dig through a past I thought I'd left behind four years ago. But when I saw the poster for Random Acts of Crazy, all I could think about was the drummer, Sam Hinton, the boy I'd loved in high school and who disappeared with my heart.

Who knew I'd become the living version of Magic Mike?

Seeing Amy Smithson at my gig and watching her win a kiss from my bandmate, Liam, was a gut punch. Four years ago we squared off in a high school debate that had higher stakes than we ever imagined, and here I was...wanting what I'd walked away from. Are there too many secrets between us to allow her to trust me again?

And can I trust myself?
 
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 6.5/10
This was cute, but I am not a big fan of Sam and Amy. I found their interactions a bit forceful. However, Darla was awesome as usual. Tons of laughter in between drama. Recommended for a light, comforting & sassy read!
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Довольно мило, однако я не большой фанат Сэма и Эйми. Мне их диалог показался натужным. Однако, Дарла как всегда всех затмевала. Смех сквозь слёзы в этой уютной комедии ошибок. Рекомендую, но с колебаниями.

Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch (Gentleman Bastard #2)

bought on audio

Synopsis from Goodreads
Thief and con-man extraordinaire, Locke Lamora, and the ever lethal Jean Tannen have fled their home city and the wreckage of their lives. But theersy can't run forever and when they stop they decide to head for the richest, and most difficult, target on the horizon. The city state of Tal Verarr. And the Sinspire.

The Sinspire is the ultimate gambling house. No-one has stolen so much as a single coin from it and lived. It's the sort of challenge Locke simply can't resist...

...but Locke's perfect crime is going to have to wait.

Someone else in Tal Verarr wants the Gentleman Bastards' expertise and is quite prepared to kill them to get it. Before long, Locke and Jean find themselves engaged in piracy. Fine work for thieves who don't know one end of a galley from another.
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8.5/10
I might have been slightly prejudiced against this book after the amazeballs of The Lies of Locke Lamora. It's amazing in its own right if you love your Pirates of The Carribean and there are some intense layers upon layers of diabolical scheming, but there are also parts where whatever happens is very muted and rushed... and I am not a fan of "I can't be bothered to be specific anymore" plot twists. So, it's awesome and grand, but the first book is better. Recommended.
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Я может быть настроена была немного против этой книги с самого начала после фантасмагории книги первой. Нет, она конечно хороша в своём праве и полна хитроумных схем, особенно если вы фанатеете от Пиратов Карибского Моря, однако ленивые моменты, когда сюжет убыстрялся и замутнялся в угоду писателю, меня в восторг не приводили. И всё-равно, классно! Рекомендую.