Welcome to Litsy!

For day two of the #hauntedshelf book cover scavenger hunt it‘s autumn/fall and that always says academia to me! Here‘s a campus novel I loved recently

#skeletoncrew

An autumnal rec for #hauntedshelf - if autumnal says one thing to me it‘s academia and campus novels. This satire on race in the modern American university is a very very cool and hard hitting comedy by an awesome Taiwanese-American (I believe) writer

#skeletoncrew

I really loved this satire on race in grad school and academic research. I think the balance of silly and serious was good and Ingrid was the right amount clueless, clever, relatable, sweet and frustrating. I will say I thought the plot carried on after the point where I‘d have wanted the book to end if I was an editor, but I loved the ending we got to in the end so I can‘t hold that against the book too much.

I feel like I read a different book than all the other rave reviews. I still enjoyed it, but rarely did I find it funny. Maybe it was the cluelessness of the main character? The story implies she‘s really smart, while also emphasizing she‘s people illiterate. I like how her perspective of the world slowly expanded as she (finally) matures throughout the book though. This book is a good satirical take on the current social climate in the U.S.A..

A commentary on racial relations in contemporary times, this book was humorous, entertaining, introspective and heartbreaking in turn.

At its core is the story of racial relations in a white-dominated country, where people of colour are colonised (not using earlier methods), but through the appropriation of their cultures.

Although this book focused on East Asians, I think it holds true of any BBIPOC community in a white-dominated nation.

Chou‘s work is at turns farcical and revelatory. Ingrid Yang at the behest of her advisor has spent years dutifully researching and writing her dissertation on a celebrated Chinese poet. No matter she has hated it. She stumbles on a clue that sends her on a mission to learn the truth about the poet and her own life. Thought provoking, but a little uneven…3+/5 ⭐️.

I thought this was terrific. It's a weird book that has its flaws, but I think it's a lot more interesting on racism & yellowface than, well, Yellowface. I feel that the stakes are higher in that everyone is implicated in this narrative, & it showed through slapstick set-pieces how racism actually works through institutions & people. There were little clever bits that had me snorting (the whole Japanese autofiction thing!). Odd, fun, compelling.

This was WILD! 😃

I thought about bailing on this book several times, but I rarely don't finish a book so decided to keep going. For me, it didn't get better, which might be more a reflection on me not enjoying satires than on the novel. It felt too long.

#ToB23 Longlist

I'm not quite sure how to describe my experience with this book. The title is accurate because I felt disoriented, but that's not to say that I didn't like it.

At times the satire is spot on, but other moments felt lackluster. There's a lot to unpack in this one with issues of social justice, racism, sexism, and cross cultural exchanges. Overall though I'd say that I enjoyed my time with Ingrid Yang.

Satire is hard. This book makes some excellent points but was too long for me. 3 🌟

One of my favorite satires I‘ve read in a few years. I love when you clearly know it‘s satire and you‘re not left wondering if the character just really doesn‘t get it. The PhD setting was interesting as it allowed the book to explore an intersection of systems. I do think the book could be slightly shorter, but overall, a really thought provoking book with a character who can be endearing even if she‘s the satire setting.

This was hard to read. So much trauma in academia. Really insightful and informative. It was even funny. I just feel like it's too real!

And a new audiobook for something fresh ..

Graduate student burn out, crazy mystery, satire

Humor & satire are tricky things in novels. I appreciated the author‘s message and I did chuckle a couple of times, but overall it wasn‘t my thing. I found it too earnest generally. My preferred satire draws blood (Think The Trees by Percival Everett /The Sellout by Paul Beatty). Also, the main character was too unbelievably dense often only to propel the plot. I did like the side characters, however & I‘m glad she ended it realistically.

#20in4

Absolutely delightful writing! A satire of the Asian-American experience in academia that was nuanced, humorous, and encouraged thought and reflection on race, culture, privilege, power, etc.

I really enjoyed this satire on race, racism and whiteness that was also a fabulous page turner. I don‘t always love satire, but this was subtle and smart and a definite pick.

“With the box in hand, Ingrid chose a desk by the exit, plucked a random book off the nearest shelf and pretended to read it, not realizing the book was in Braille.”

This book has little gems like this scene as the main character and her friend try to execute a heist which are making me chuckle.

A neighbor asked me to go over and love on his wrinkly kitties so they wouldn‘t get lonely while he‘s out of town. I think he‘s got at least two of us going to keep Ollie and Gus company. I bring my book and read with them.

In this fantastic, sly debut, Ingrid Yang is in the 8th year of her PhD, struggling to get her dissertation written and is so disengaged from it. But then she learns something unknown about her topic, which could be explosive at her college if it comes out. This is a great look at how people are seen in and see the world and what‘s ok for some people but not others. It builds beautifully, and I can‘t believe this was her first book! I loved it.

Pretty great! Loved how it was both over-the-top in the satirical parts (ranging from hilarious to horrifying!) and cringeworthily real in so many other ways. And the grad school setting is one that I enjoy. Lots of well-written and insightful observations, including about how painful it can be to acknowledge and care about injustice and inequality - like when main character Ingrid says she sometimes longs for “the soothing balm of apathy.”

PhD student Ingrid Yang has spent years studying the great (fictional) Chinese-American poet Xiao-Wen Chou and has been promised a spot at her university if she can just finish her dissertation. But cracks begin to form in her life. She gets a clue that Chou may be alive and not who he seems. This makes her question other parts of her life like why there are so many white East Asian studies professors. A smart coming-of-consciousness satire.

I haven't heard too many people talking about this book. TBH I'm not sure how I first heard about it. But is really good. It's funny. I can maybe say more when it's over. I do not know where it is going.