April & May Reads 2018

An American Princess: The Many Lives of Allene Tew

You could say this a story about gold digging or marrying up but it’s really a story about ingenuity. She took her less than glamorous circumstances and turned them into a secure life for herself. I really enjoyed this book. I loved the historical tidbits.

The Expatriates

I don’t feel sorry for Mercy at the start. She doesn’t seem to understand that she can’t do the same things her privileged peers do and when she has every opportunity but she doesn’t take it. I know you could write her off as being young, but that excuse doesn’t last very long in the real world. When you don’t come from money you either take the safe career path or not. But once you’ve made your choice it’s difficult to feel bad for someone not having connections or not being able to take low paying jobs and still live well. She makes poor decisions and then sees things as happening to her. I liked the book well enough and it definitely sparked my interest in Hong Kong, but stories where strangers are coincidentally intertwined always feel a little too neat to me.

The Engagement Game

I finished this book, but I don’t recommend it. Overall the storyline seemed a bit disjointed. I never really got into the flow of her storytelling and some of the mini-arcs didn’t fuse well with her story overall. One thing I did like about her story was how back and forth it can be between wanted to independent and happy with yourself and wanting to just be married and fit in with everyone else.

Crazy Rich Asians, China Rich Girlfriend, Rich People Problems

It gets a bit convoluted here but if you’re willing to participate in suspension of disbelief it works and works really well. At this point, a couple of themes in my recent reading have emerged: old money and Southeast Asia. If you enjoy Gatsby like spectacles or family driven dramas, this one is for you. These books definitely leave you thinking, “who are these people.” It was a similar experience to an article about couture I read a few years ago except the book fleshed out whole lives. I highly recommend this series for summer beach/poolside reading. Especially since the first book is coming out to theatres in August and has an amazing cast. Diversity is coming slowly but surely, Y’all.