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Here's a stack of all the books I've read by one of my favorite authors, Haruki Murakami! In all honesty, I don't think his stories are totally perfect. Oftentimes, endings are abrupt, loose ends are left untied, and side characters are depicted strangely and unrealistically. Nevertheless, I still personally love his works. The way he uses imagery is so pretty. Whenever he writes about settings, I feel like I'm really there. The descriptions are so beautiful, that even ordinary places feel magical ✨. Amazingly, his descriptions never feel over-embellished. Every detail feels like it should be there! I haven't found any other author who writes about places like he does. Also, I really love how he captures emotion, especially when he writes in first-person! Similar to when he writes about places, every detail feels important. He shows rather than tells how his protagonists feel, through things like the decisions they make, the way they judge their surroundings, and the relationships they have with other characters. More often than not, his protagonists aren't very "good" people at all. They implicitly grapple with things like loss, loneliness, alienation, and then act out rashly and negatively based on that. While the difficult things they go through don't necessarily justify what they do, I think they're honest, resonant, and human, and that's something I appreciate. His works hold a special place in my heart. 💖 📖 These are my favorite lines from some books in this stack: "It felt as though if we separated the slightest bit, we would never see each other in this world again." - After Dark “Once, when I was younger, I thought I could be someone else. I'd move to Casablanca, open a bar, and I'd meet Ingrid Bergman... But like a boat with a twisted rudder, I kept coming back to the same place. I wasn't anywhere. I was myself, waiting on the shore for me to return.” - Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World – #bookstagram #bibliophile #booklover #bookish #books #book #cozy #cottagecore #darkacademia #literature #lightacademia #reader #reading #asianliterature #asianlit #translatedliterature #translated #translatedlit #harukimurakami https://www.instagram.com/p/CO7BLu5LX54/?igshid=m6758kbbu5dt

Thanks @nipthebooks for tagging me to do the #ClassicStackChallenge 🥰 These are some of my favorite classics! I think classics are so interesting because they sort of best represent what life was like in particular places and times throughout history. They also had a lot of influence on society over time. For the most part, I appreciate them because they help me deepen my understanding of the world and the power of literature! 📚✨ - #bookstagram #bibliophile #booklover #bookish #books #book #cozy #cottagecore #darkacademia #literature #lightacademia #reader #reading #classics #classicliterature #classiclit #booktag #tag #challenge https://www.instagram.com/p/CNpGgwlr0cy/?igshid=129j7to4x9qsv

#RedBookStack Challenge! ❤️ This is my first ever book tag, featuring all the physical books I've read with red covers! ✨ The books in this picture are: 📕 Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay 📕 Looking for Alaska by John Green 📕 The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood 📕 Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell 📕 The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho 📕 The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown Doing this challenge was fun! Tysm to @alva_nate for tagging me 😊 - #bookstagram #bibliophile #booklover #bookish #books #book #cozy #cottagecore #darkacademia #literature #lightacademia #reader #reading #booktag #tag #challenge #red https://www.instagram.com/p/CNhscw1ri9b/?igshid=17i9zt95tm2iu

Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is a story told in two narratives. The first is in the perspective of Franny, and it's about her going on a date with her boyfriend, Lane. Franny is in a really unstable emotional state at the time, so consequently, her date doesn't go as planned. The next narrative takes place in the aftermath of Franny's date-gone-wrong and is told in the perspective of her brother, Zooey, who also deals with deep emotional troubles of his own. The only other Salinger book I've ever read before this one is The Catcher in the Rye, which I find much better. The two books are quite similar. My favorite thing about them is the same, which is namely, the main characters. Unlike typical protagonists, they're not very great or likable people at all, since they act really self-absorbed, cynical, and mean. However, as their narratives progress, the characters' inner sadness grows more and more perceivably apparent. They're flawed, lonely, confused, insecure, and hurt. I think these kinds of characters are important, because I believe they're very relevant and true to reality. When people act out in mean ways, they don't do so just for the sake of it. There's usually a deeper reason behind it. I can't bring myself to like this book completely for two main reasons. The first is that the conversations are generally repetitive and circular. The same points come up again and again, which I find unnecessary and tedious. The second is that the two narratives feel quite insufficient on their own. As I read the first half of this book, I felt really attached to Franny's character. Because of this, I got upset when her point of view ended and I had to move on to Zooey's. Given how short this whole book is, I really would prefer just one narrative voice rather than two. Overall, I think this book is worth reading because of the important insights it gives. Nevertheless, I don't think I'd pick it up again anytime soon. - #bookstagram #bibliophile #booklover #bookish #books #book #cozy #cottagecore #darkacademia #literature #lightacademia #reader #reading #review #bookreview #thoughts #reflection #classics #classicliterature #classiclit https://www.instagram.com/p/CNULlGtrNi2/?igshid=7rghd1ztk1xr

Here's everything I read in March 🌸 ! Out of these, my favorites are definitely Vicious 🦸‍♂️ and The Hard-Boiled Wonderland and The End of The World 🦄 ! 🤔💭: What are your favorite reads from last month? ✨ - #bookstagram #bibliophile #booklover #bookish #books #book #cozy #cottagecore #darkacademia #literature #lightacademia #reader #reading #wrapup #whatiread #march #march2021 https://www.instagram.com/p/CNJmouPrVW2/?igshid=1me9fgot8a76

Vicious by V. E. Schwab - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This book is so fun. It feels like watching a superhero movie. It's about two friends whose college thesis is a theory on how to give people superhuman abilities. They test the theory on themselves, and it works. However, the two soon become divided on whether superpowers are really a good thing or a bad thing. They eventually grow into arch-nemeses and plot each other's demise. I love this book a lot because, concept-wise, it's unlike anything else I've ever read. I've never read books about superheroes before, so this is really refreshing. Even though the story generally follows the "friends to arch-nemeses" trope, I think it's still unique because of how much depth there is to the main characters' motivations. I also appreciate how this book is written. It's told through alternating present-day narratives and flashbacks. The present-day narrative is more action-packed, while the flashbacks gradually reveal why the characters do what they do in the present-day. I think the two narratives brilliantly balance each other out and enrich the whole story. Additionally, I appreciate how this story is concluded. It doesn't exactly end with a cliffhanger, but it leaves just enough loose ends to make me eager for the sequel. The only minor things that keep me from giving this book five stars is, first, that some events in the plot rely heavily on the characters doing extremely unintelligent things. Second, I think the climax of this book is quite underwhelming. I expected more action. Nevertheless, I assume the author is just saving the bigger action for future books in the series, which I understand. Overall, I really think this book is great, and I'm so excited to see what happens next! - #bookstagram #bibliophile #booklover #bookish #books #book #cozy #cottagecore #darkacademia #literature #lightacademia #reader #reading #review #bookreview #thoughts #reflection #action #suspense #fantasy #superheroes #vicious #veschwab https://www.instagram.com/p/CNCA2FwLXv6/?igshid=a204cq5p2sn6

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was a much slower read than I expected. Nevertheless, I still found it quite enjoyable! Set in World War II, the book tells the story of a blind French girl named Marie-Laure whose family keeps and protects a very precious (and possibly enchanted) jewel called the Sea of Flames. It also tells the story of an orphaned German boy named Werner who develops a talent for fixing broken radios, that later grants him a spot in a Hitler Youth academy. In the midst of the war, the two characters' stories come together and weave into a very beautiful and heartwarming narrative. It ultimately shows that people meant to oppose each other may actually have a lot more in common than they initially thought. In spite of some differences, most people's core desires are really just harmless, innocent, and simple. I love three main things about this book! The first is the imagery. I think all of the places in this book are described so beautifully. As I read it, I could clearly imagine what everything looked like. The second thing I appreciate is the PWD representation, as one of the protagonists of this novel is blind. Her blindness is not portrayed as an impediment, but rather as something that's simply a part of her life. It's not a focal defining feature or large source of conflict for her character at all. Her character is very strong and empowering for several reasons, not just her disability. I don't think a lot of popular books portray characters like this, so I'm happy this one does. The last thing I love about this book is the legend of the Sea of Flames. The stone is said to have the ability to make one immortal yet curse their loved ones. Even though the characters claim this legend is a myth, it's fascinating how some things about it seemingly come true in the story. It adds an element of fantasy and magic to the book, which I love very much! https://www.instagram.com/p/CMwWchuLyhP/?igshid=l8sik8g71gdo

🤔💭: What books are you reading? ✨ In the past week, I've been reading some really great ones, and I'm really happy about them!! I think they're going to end up being some of my favorites for this year :)) - #bookstagram #bibliophile #booklover #bookish #books #book #cozy #cottagecore #darkacademia #literature #lightacademia #reader #reading https://www.instagram.com/p/CMtD54ILKjz/?igshid=13qzrn6als60t

Since we're more than halfway through Women's Month, I thought it'd be nice to share some of my ✨favorite classics by women about women✨, so here they are! 1. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott - I've featured this book in another list before because it's honestly one of my favorites of all time! The story follows four sisters, Jo, Meg, Amy, and Beth, as they grow up, chase their dreams, and overcome challenges along the way. I love how strong, determined, resilient, and passionate the women in this novel are portrayed as. They know who they are, stay true what they want, and don't let anyone convince them otherwise! Reading about these women makes me feel very happy and inspired. 2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - This story holds a very special place in my heart. It mainly follows Liz Bennet and her sisters Jane (one of my favorite characters in literature ever), Mary, Kitty, and Lydia, whose mother wants them to be married off. Liz's character is really independent, strong-willed, and outspoken. Her main goal is to find happiness, wherever it may be, in spite of the pressure to get married coming from her mother. Liz hopes for her sisters to be happy too. She cares deeply about them and looks out for them throughout the whole story. This book is most popular for its romance, but to me, what stands out about it most is its theme of women supporting women, and sisters being there for one another. I love it so so much! 3. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett - This book is so nice and wholesome. It's about a wealthy young girl named Sara Crewe, who suddenly becomes orphaned and is forced to live in an attic and work as a servant. However, in spite of all the hardship she faces, she manages overcome her situation by focusing on good things and not letting go of hope. Even though being angry at the world would be really easy in her shoes, Sara shows so much strength of character in always choosing to be kind. She's literally one of the sweetest, most good-hearted characters I've ever read about. If I could give her a hug, I really would. https://www.instagram.com/p/CMjMlDEriV2/?igshid=1rzrrks39fhki

The Poppy War - ⭐️⭐️ I finally read The Poppy War! So much hype surrounded this book. I really thought I was going to love it, but ultimately I ended up thinking it was just okay. I enjoyed some aspects of it, but in general I personally thought a lot of it could have been better. Here are my thoughts!!! I had three big problems with this book. The first is the protagonist. I really didn't like Rin's character. I found her really annoying, especially towards the end of the story. For the most part, I couldn't understand her motivations! At the beginning, it seemed she did everything she did because she wanted to get out of an arranged marriage. However, later on, once that possibility was closed completely, I couldn't get what she wanted anymore!! She became incredibly passionate about becoming the greatest soldier in the military, but I couldn't understand what her goal was in doing so, other than to be more powerful. If her goal really was to be more powerful, just for power's sake, I personally don't think that would have made her characterization very profound or compelling. At the end of the day, I just couldn't bring myself to care about Rin. The second thing I didn't like is the prodigy trope. This directly ties into why I wasn't interested in Rin, the protagonist. Basically, throughout the story, she could get most of what she wanted with relative ease, because she wasn't ordinary like everyone else. She was born with the abilities and aptitude to do so. Her inner conflicts were more like, "Should I do this?", rather than, "Can I do this?". The only thing that actually seemed to limit her was her desire to pursue things or not. Personally, I don't prefer reading about these kinds of characters because I can't really see myself in them. They feel very out-of-this-world and and unfamiliar to me. I prefer reading about characters who are more flawed, since I can identify with them and what they go through more. Additionally, in my opinion, it just feels lot more inspiring and meaningful to read about characters whose strength comes out of struggle and development over time, rather than characters whose strength has just been there with them all along. https://www.instagram.com/p/CMeToZ6rUsg/?igshid=1i4tfr5za1wi9

The Poppy War - ⭐️⭐️ I finally read The Poppy War! So much hype surrounded this book. I really thought I was going to love it, but ultimately I ended up thinking it was just okay. I enjoyed some aspects of it, but in general I personally thought a lot of it could have been better. Here are my thoughts!!! I had three big problems with this book. The first is the protagonist. I really didn't like Rin's character. I found her really annoying, especially towards the end of the story. For the most part, I couldn't understand her motivations! At the beginning, it seemed she did everything she did because she wanted to get out of an arranged marriage. However, later on, once that possibility was closed completely, I couldn't get what she wanted anymore!! She became incredibly passionate about becoming the greatest soldier in the military, but I couldn't understand what her goal was in doing so, other than to be more powerful. If her goal really was to be more powerful, just for power's sake, I personally don't think that would have made her characterization very profound or compelling. At the end of the day, I just couldn't bring myself to care about Rin. The second thing I didn't like is the prodigy trope. This directly ties into why I wasn't interested in Rin, the protagonist. Basically, throughout the story, she could get most of what she wanted with relative ease, because she wasn't ordinary like everyone else. She was born with the abilities and aptitude to do so. Her inner conflicts were more like, "Should I do this?", rather than, "Can I do this?". The only thing that actually seemed to limit her was her desire to pursue things or not. Personally, I don't prefer reading about these kinds of characters because I can't really see myself in them. They feel very out-of-this-world and and unfamiliar to me. I prefer reading about characters who are more flawed, since I can identify with them and what they go through more. Additionally, in my opinion, it just feels lot more inspiring and meaningful to read about characters whose strength comes out of struggle and development over time, rather than characters whose strength has just been there with them all along. https://www.instagram.com/p/CMeSI72gVxb/?igshid=w028wglnh927

Wicked by Gregory Maguire - ⭐️ I really wanted to like this book, because I absolutely love its musical counterpart. However, I'm disappointed to say I found the book really unenjoyable and problematic, for four main reasons. Firstly, I really did not care about the characters. This is because I hardly knew any of their incentives. The story just narrated things the characters did and things that happened because of them. The motivations behind these actions were largely unknown, and at best, they lacked explanation. Throughout the story, the characters never had any internal monologues or rich descriptions of how they felt, which bothered me very much. It made lots of things feel shallow. For instance, at the beginning of the story, Elphaba's family and community treated her unkindly because she was green, but how Elphaba felt about this was never really explored. Because of this, I had quite a hard time sympathizing with her. It did not help that Elphaba was very rude to nearly everyone around her. I assume her rudeness was a reaction to how people treated her, but because I never got to truly understand how she felt, her rudeness came off as quite superficial. For instance, she often said a lot of nasty things to and about her sister, Nessarose, which largely made me feel uncomfortable. It didn't make much sense, because her sister was always kind to her. This ultimately made Elphaba seem dislikable to me. I assumed there must have been more complexity to the way she was, but because the text never really looked into how she felt and why she did what she did, it was really difficult for me to believe that was true. Secondly, the dialogue was so unnatural and uncomfortable to read. A lot of problematic and potentially triggering things were said. What bothered me most was that saying these things was totally unnecessary for the plot. In fact, it de-valued the story significantly for me. A lot of the dialogue could have been said in much less triggering ways. https://www.instagram.com/p/CMRcn_rAZ6M/?igshid=1amfibreqjubk

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro - 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 This is my first five star read of 2021. I have no problems with it. It's just incredibly beautiful. The book is set in a dystopian world, but the story is hardly even about the dystopia. Rather it's about the ordinary people within it, and how they live their quiet lives. At its heart, it is a story about, love, friendship, growing up, and the impermanence of life. The way I see it, the dystopia mainly acts as an amplifier that highlights the incredibly human themes of the novel. This kind of story is really refreshing for me, because all of the other dystopian novels I have read in the past involve people attempting to topple the system, or at least attempting to escape it. This book is so different from the rest, as it shows the perspectives of those don't run away from the horrors of their world, and instead face them as they are. Even though the characters in this book are not exactly revolutionary or heroic in a traditional sense, I think their story is still incredibly impactful. It paints a very vivid and human picture of what life could be like in a possible future, by grounding itself in emotions, relationships, and the human experience. This makes the story an extra strong cautionary tale, as the way the novel is written makes it really easy for people put themselves in the characters' shoes and understand how they feel. Ultimately, the story has brought me to contemplate a lot about really difficult questions that I hardly ever considered before, like "Is life really more meaningful if it lasts longer?" and, "Is a long life really worthwhile if it comes at the expense of others?" For the most part, the story just really helped me to see more value in everything and everyone I have in my life. I believe this is a story that will stay with me for a long time. I appreciate that I read it, and I would love to read it again. - #bookstagram #bibliophile #booklover #bookish #books #book #cozy #cottagecore #darkacademia #literature #lightacademia #reader #reading #review #bookreview #thoughts #reflection #contemporary #contemporaryfiction #literaryfiction #neverletmego #kazuoishiguro https://www.instagram.com/p/CMHIuMvgQIl/?igshid=1lht9wgropbeh

✨Reading Update✨ I'm currently reading 👑 Crooked Kingdom 🏰 by Leigh Bardugo, and it's great so far. This whole duology is great! 🃏♥️ I was reluctant 🤧 to get into this duology at first, because I had just read the Shadow and Bone ☠️ series, also by Leigh Bardugo, and I did not enjoy it at all. That's mainly because I didn't care about any of the characters, and the plot was extremely predictable right from the get-go. When I started Six of Crows, I had low expectations. 😔✊ Nevertheless, I found myself pleasantly surprised 🤩! This duology has taken everything I didn't like about Shadow and Bone and improved upon it tenfold 😱! The characters are incredibly interesting. They're all so distinct, flawed, and human. Because of this, their relationships with one another feel organic, and their incentives are believable 💃🕺. I also enjoy how the plot always keeps me at the edge of my seat. I don't know what to expect most of the time 🧐🤨. The stakes are always high in the story's criminal world, plus the characters' flaws tend to get in the way of their goals. I couldn't tell whether they would succeed or fail. The only way to find out is to keep reading 📖! Overall, I think I'm going to have a very very fun reading week with Crooked Kingdom. I'm sure this, along with Six of Crows, will end up as some of my favorite books of all-time! ✨ - #bookstagram #bibliophile #booklover #bookish #books #book #fiction #literature #nonfiction #reader #reading #translatedliterature #translatedlit #sixofcrows #crookedkingdom #grishaverse #grisha #ya #yafantasy #youngadult #youngadultfantasy #fantasy #leighbardugo #shadowandbone #readingupdate https://www.instagram.com/p/CK08EMwgd0u/?igshid=j4f6qs59z1bm

A nice quote ft. my lunch ✨ If there's one thing that the pandemic taught me, it's to appreciate the little things in life. It's to not take anything for granted. It's to see the value in the everything right in front of you. I think Haruki Murakami captures this idea really nicely in this quote. Just a simple tasty meal can be something so special 🍰💫! - #asianliterature #asianlit #bookstagram #bookish #books #book #harukimurakami #murakami #norwegianwood #cozy #diversereads #diversifytheclassics #fiction #food #literature #nonfiction #reader #reading #translatedliterature #translatedlit https://www.instagram.com/p/CJ8ZAvGgCOv/?igshid=1vn82sqhcxxpp