Untold Night and Day by Bae Suah

• Fiction – Literary, Surrealism, Magical Realism

• Translated from Korean

• Effusive descriptions of a claustrophobic heat wave & the malaise of summer humidity in Seoul

• That feeling of dreamlike unreality & confusion

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

• Fiction – Literary, Classics

• The quintessential sad, white girl novel

• Deep exploration of depression, mental illness, & women’s roles in society

• Gorgeous descriptions of what it feels like to be depressed & disconnected

Death Valley by Melissa Broder

• Fiction – Literary, Surrealism, Magical Realism

• A surreal trip through the desert

• A meditation on grief & depression

• Dark humor

• Heat stroke vibes

The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim

• Fiction – Horror

• Major body horror & stomach churning imagery (a lot of eyeball stuff)

• Condescending men getting their comeuppance

• A “good for her” ending

Amatka by Karin Tidbeck

• Fiction – Science Fiction, Speculative, Dystopian

• Translated from Swedish

• An unsettling speculative novel about how language holds the world together

• Rebellion against an authoritarian government

Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang

• Fiction – Literary, Thriller

• A jealousy-induced downward spiral of lies & scandal

• Commentary on the structural racism in the publishing industry, & America in general

• An expert depiction of how we can justify our own actions to ourselves & refuse to take accountability, even when caught

The Woman in the Dunes by Kōbō Abe

• Fiction – Literary, Surrealism, Magical Realism

• Translated from Japanese & written in the 1960’s

• Existential dread & feelings of claustrophobia

• Themes that still hold up today & can be applied as a critique of capitalism

Dance Dance Dance by Haruki Murakami

• Fiction – Literary, Magical Realism

• A story of a man searching for a woman who has mysteriously disappeared

• A strange hotel that has places that both exist & don’t exist

• People who are not what they seem

Pizza Girl by Jean Kyoung Frazier

• Fiction – Literary

• A main character struggling with alcoholism & unresolved grief

• A study of obsession & how we sometimes use it to avoid our troubles

• Interesting & well-written characters

YouTube

May Reading Wrap Up & Journal Update

A wrap up of all 14 books I read in May. I also complete the may spreads in my reading journal, which has an origami theme.

July Reading Journal Setup

An ink sketch style set up in my reading journal for July, with a camping theme. Includes beautiful sketches of campfire, a tent, and even s’mores.

July Bullet Journal Setup

An easy and relaxing bullet journal setup with a button theme, created with kraft paper and washi tape.

Tier Ranking the Books I’ve Read in 2024 So Far

This is fun and informal video where I use the Tier Ranker website to rank all 59 books I have read so far in 2024.

Upcoming

YouTube Videos

Below are the upcoming videos I’ll be putting out in July. It should be a fun month, with a few extra video for mid-year wrap ups and flip throughs.

• June Reading Wrap Up & Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag

• Mid-year Reading Journal Flip Through!

• August Reading Journal Setup

• August Bullet Journal Setup