Zahnii (Suzanne)’s Comments (group member since Feb 04, 2014)

Zahnii (Suzanne)’s comments from the 2014 Hub Reading Challenge group.

I loooooooved this book so much! I definitely did not know about the arrow in FedEx! :) I will definitely add this to our library collection...loved learning graphic design vocab - new words to me were picas, kerning, and leading. Excellent and so easy to follow. It also made me really want to explore graphic design more!!!! This artistic format really resonates with me!

There was so much to like about this laugh out loud book. However, the one flaw is it's tastless references to anyone who is not white...both times that someone black is mentioned, it is in a negative way. The only time Native Americans are mentioned it is in reference to cowboys... I would rather these ethnic slurs were never included because it really limited the scope of the book and negated the message. It is so frustrating that we still have so many limitations within books in terms of acceptance and respect for everyone... I'm sure some might say that these references are minor and harmless, but these microaggressions add up and really wear on those who are not members of the white dominant culture. In addition, some might think that Federle makes fun of lots of groups...but white people are mocked because of their behaviors - never our race. not cool....

Knisley does a brilliant job of weaving together two of my favorite things: food and art! I loved the illustrated recipe and I am really excited to try to make my own sushi using her directions! I gave it four stars because there were times that I thought it was a little off topic and she included things that I didn't feel were really necessary (ex. picture of her on toilet...). Not really my style, but I admire her for trying to normalize women's menstruation. For me, that doesn't really fit in a food book, but that's life. Other than that, I loved how she incorporated many cultures and types of food. She also has a wonderful spectrum of eating ranging from carnivorous to vegetarian to vegan included here. Overall, I would recommend this book!

Sunil Malhotra, voice of Park, also does the audiobook of The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri. Very cool voice!

I loved this book and look forward to seeing the movie, as well. I was unaware of this piece of history, so I thought it was an important story to hear. Loving art as well as the idea of preserving and documenting history, I loved that she drew what she saw and this was a thread to connect the story. I've been recommending this book to students and everyone who has read it has also loved it....a sad, important story.

It was difficult to read this book as I knew that it couldn't end well...no fairy tale ending. However, I really valued this story as it begins to fill a void in LGBT lit. I found it very informative and it inspired me to do some additional research on this part of the world and LGBT rights. I actually recommended it at a workshop that I presented on global LGBT rights. A good documentary to accompany it is Jihad for Love about being LGBT in a Muslim society. I am definitely purchasing it for my library as it will fit perfectly in International baccalaureate program.

I did really like this book and by the end, had to know what would happen. I think the story is very plausible which is what makes it so appealing. As an audiobook, I didn't think it was a stand-out. I did really like Park's voice and loved how he also did his mother's voice. I could see a lot of YA loving this book...I also, see the point Amy made that young people might not initially catch all the nuances of the 80s, but I think it adds another layer to the book. The 80s were my high school years and it did really reflect my experiences of that time, especially the mix tapes (I was telling my teenage sons that they are really missing out on something cool there). I loved the simplicity of their relationship in terms of intimacy...very sweet. I also felt satisfied with the ending - not too sappy, but plausible. I need to get a copy for my library, for sure.