code what code

jumbo reading challenge 2023 | 12/25 a streetcar named desire | tennessee williams challenge fill: black and white cover

I have many conflicting feelings about the characters (which is on par for a lot of plays I've read haha). I don't really feel that the cover suits the story of the text, but it's still a beautiful still (heh). will be watching the 1950s movie later on so it'll be interesting to see how the play is performed! might come back for a re-read after.

jumbo reading challenge 2023 | 11/25 why we sleep | matthew walker challenge fill: recced by a friend

a really informative book about the science of sleep and why it's so important in our day-to-day lives. get more sleep people, it literally saves lives. best time to go to bed is from 11pm-7am, which is why my posts operate on a queue :)

jumbo reading challenge 2023 | 10/25 the ones who walk away from omelas | ursula k. le guin challenge fill: name of a place in the title

le guin is a really fun writer to read, and I finally got around to reading this short story of hers. it was an interesting one that makes you question the idea of a utopia and what kind of world we inhabit. it was very quick but striking to read, and I ended up re-reading it multiple times before returning it.

jumbo reading challenge 2023 | 9/25 educated | tara westover challenge fill: non-fiction

I have very mixed feelings about this book. I had to keep picking it up and putting it down. it wasn't easy for me to read in an emotional sense, especially towards the end where I started to get drawn in too deep with the questioning of "truth". but at the same time the story of tara's success in school feels almost unreal. and the numerous close physical calls the whole family has. take what you read with a pinch of salt I suppose.

jumbo reading challenge 2023 | 8/25 the millionare next door | thomas stanley, william danko challenge fill: ugly cover

this really was an ugly cover lmao. appropriate perhaps for its content, but still freaking ugly. anyway it's an enjoyable enough read if you're interested in money matters and getting rich. the thing is the advice is sometimes suited for people of different age groups so note that not everything will be relevant to you. at least at this point in time.

jumbo reading challenge 2023 | 7/25 thrawn | timothy zahn challenge fill: space opera

star wars is so commonly and affectionately referred to as the space opera, so why not fill this with one of the books? I came out of this genuinely really liking the character of thrawn and his interactions with the ever long-suffering eli vanto. also I hate but understand pryce with a vengeance. definitely gonna read the rest of the thrawn books by zahn.

jumbo reading challenge 2023 | 6/25 before the coffee gets cold | toshikazu kawaguchi challenge fill: author of colour

this book has been plenty popular in my area, and I suppose with good reason too. the premise of the story is very interesting, and the short-story format of the book allows for different relationships and intents to be examined in fresh ways. but perhaps the book came at a wrong time to me or I am not the intended audience to appreciate it, because the storytelling does not speak to me in any meaningful manner. the setting is charming, the logic of the cafe's seat intriguing, but characters and their motivations fall flat for me. perhaps in another time...

jumbo reading challenge 2023 | 5/25 1984 | george orwell challenge fill: one word title

I feel that I might have made a mistake attempting to read this in a graphic novel format. I typically find reading in such a manner to be challenging, and mayhaps have bitten off more than I can chew here, though the artwork is quite suited for the story. I look forward to reading 1984 again another time, though perhaps in the original format.

jumbo reading challenge 2023 | 4/25 pocketful of poseys | thomas reed challenge fill: pun in the title

I wish I could say I liked this because the premise did seem fun. the book was interesting in that the actual prompted plot only really occurred in the second half of the book (and I do mean that pretty literally) and was very invested in relationship development between its massive cast of characters. my issues with it were two-fold: that the conversations the characters had seemed painfully scripted, and there was a lot of... I guess subtle? like trying to be progressive and failing? amounts of transphobia, homophobia, and biphobia. I mean, yes some of it was definitely because it was the characters who were trying to grow or they were unintentionally being so, but it was a constant underlying sensation that really bothered me. the good things really were not enough to outweigh the bad for me at least. the title pun is pretty funny though

jumbo reading challenge 2023 | 3/25 one day we'll all be dead and none of this will matter | scaachi koul challenge fill: #own voices

I actually really liked this one! I was a little skeptical at first, because essay collections generally are not all that interesting, only some of them or certain bits of them, but this one was very, very relatable koul manages to put into words what it feels like to be set apart from blood family by virtue of an immigration decision you had no say in (being not even conceived at the time lol), and not really wanting to rejoin that culture you supposedly have roots to, but at the same time not truly fitting into the one you've known and lived your whole life in. it captures really well what it's like just being different in a manner that leaves you not belonging to either side. I feel that if my parents read this book, they'd certainly understand me better.

jumbo reading challenge 2023 | 2/25 kafka on the shore | haruki murakami challenge fill: magical realism

I've never actually got around to reading murakami's books before despite hearing good things, and finally went for it after a discussion with one of my friends that touched on the topic. the writing is surreal and... interesting, none the least because the translation I read seemed very americanised, especially for the younger characters, but it contrasted well enough with nakata's more formal japanese manner of speaking. I honestly didn't care too much for kafka's side of the story; the parts that drew me in the most were nakata's—and later on hoshino's—parts to play. their relationship was truly the hidden gem in the book.

jumbo reading challenge 2023 | 1/25 the wall | john lanchester challenge fill: minimalist cover

set in a dystopian world ravaged by climate change, this book is an examination of the narratives surrounding the migrant refugee crisises that europe has been facing, and the burden of guilt and responsibility the human race has to change things for current and future generations

work log | friday | day 8

work log | monday | day 4