From the Bookshelf of 2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge…

Yellowface

R.F. Kuang

Start date: January 1, 2024

Finish date: January 31, 2024

Discussion: November 2025 Buddy Reads

Why we're reading this: January 2024 Featured Buddy Read
[close] January 2024 Featured Buddy Read

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November 2025 Buddy Reads

* Memoirs of a Geisha
By SarahKat , Buddy Reads · 3 posts · 16 views

last updated Nov 01, 2025 01:37PM

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last updated 4 hours, 4 min ago

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What Members Thought

Aug 30, 2023 Susan Liston rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, read-2023-fiction

On the plus side, the writing is spritely and its quick to read. But it was hard for me to tell what I was supposed to be taking seriously and what I wasn't. I'm still not sure. To begin with, the stolen book that becomes a huge bestseller is about conscripted Chinese workers during WW1? Really? That's the subject matter the Colleen Hoover crowd is going to snap up in a hurry. I take it we're supposed to sneer at the narrator, but the dead character whose book she purloins is equally dislikeable ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Sep 10, 2024 Jane rated it it was ok

Shelves: fiction, education, political, womans-story, noir, race, grief, international-author

My lasting impression of the book: "mean-spirited." The characters are to each other, the premises are. I read it for a book club and found my skin crawling throughout. I would not have finished if it weren't for the book club. One main character is utterly dismissive to her supposed friend. She is full of herself and condescending to this "friend." The friend gets a sort of revenge...and dire results because of her actions. Yes, it's about racism, privilege, lying, pretense... But "Mean-Spirite ...more

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Dec 25, 2023 Kristi rated it it was amazing

Shelves: illumicrate, reading-challenge-2023

When successful young author Athena Liu dies, her frenemy June is shocked—but not too shocked to take Athena’s finished manuscript home with her. As June reads Athena’s final work, she decides to edit it and, in doing so, she sets herself on a path that leads to fame, fortune, and plagiarism.

** spoilers ahead **

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. Kuang writes in a very frank tone that is very engaging. Although the book in many ways finds itself entangled in meta-level discussions o ...more

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Mar 08, 2024 Krishna rated it liked it

Am I the only one to question how this book won the best fiction for Goodreads 2023?
was the book bad? No
Was the Book awesome? still a No
was the main character lovable? No
will you recommend this? yes, a time-pass book
was the book a good page-turner? Yes

1 like · Like · see review

Nov 18, 2023 Lynn rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-completed, south-shore-readers-2023-challenge

She is a horrible person and gets worse as the story progresses. The justification of her actions are mind blowing. It’s a well written car crash that you can’t turn away from.

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