Book Riot’s Read Harder 2017 Challenge – July Reads

I had no internet for a chunk of July! It was an odd experience, and one I haven’t had in a long time. On the other side of the situation, I read a lot in the month of July and I am crazy proud of that. I even completed some Read Harder Challenges!

 

The Chinese Knot: And Other Stories by Lien Chao

Completes Challenge #10: Read a book that is set within 100 miles of your location

Thoughts: This book was recommended to me by one of my colleagues that I work with. I am not the biggest short story reader, but I’ve found this year I’ve been reading more and more as a means to broaden my reading. These stories look at Chinese immigrant perspectives in downtown Toronto. One thing I immensely enjoyed about the stories is how Lien Chao visualizes Toronto and shows how the city is deeply rooted in many of the new immigrants. “Rose” was my absolutely favourite story in this collection, as it looks as immigration through the lens of someone who has been in the city a long time and watching how it has changed for them over the years. I found most of the stories a bit same-y, but I did think the writing was pretty excellent.