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MADreads

Book reviews by library staff and guest contributors

Through the eyes of love

Cover of I am Golden
A review of I am Golden by Eva Chen

Written and illustrated by Chinese-Americans whose parents came from China and raised them in the United States, I am Golden celebrates the heritage behind the Chinese-American experience. With poetic language and colorful, captivating imagery, Mei's story is shared with us through the eyes of her immigrant parents. This is a loving, encouraging book with additional photographs and backstories about the author and illustrator at the end.

Jul 1, 2022

Star Child

Cover of Star Child
A review of Star Child by Ibi Zoboi

“What if on the day she was born there was a quiet storm of tiny shimmering dust that settled on tree leaves, on flower petals, on rooftops, on the ground, on the shiny work shoes, and glided through open windows to settle on hardwood floors?” 

Jun 24, 2022

Modern day courting like Jane Austen

Cover of That Can Be Arranged: A Mu
A review of That Can Be Arranged: A Muslim Love Story by Huda Fahmy

This is a sweet, authentic, and sublimely nerdy look at popular cartoonist Huda Fahmy's single life, courtship and marriage to the man of her dreams. By her mid-twenties Huda was considered hopelessly over-the-hill by many in her circle of friends and family. She felt pressured and discouraged, but not completely downhearted.

Jun 21, 2022

Donuts and the Devil

Cover of Light from Uncommon Stars
A review of Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki

Katrina Nguyen escapes her abusive home with nothing but a few dollars and her violin. A connection within the LGBTQIA community brings her to the San Gabriel Valley in hopes of starting fresh. But the scars (literal and figurative) of her past are not easily erased and she's not sure what she'll do next when her beloved violin is stolen by the "friends" who promised to help. Enter Shizuka Satomi.

Jun 16, 2022

Deadly doings at Donwell Abbey

Cover of The Murder of Mr. Wickham
A review of The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray

Ever been tempted to wonder about literary might-have-beens? Say, if F. Scott Fitzgerald had lived and written during the Regency period, or Emily Bronte had imagined Cathy and Heathcliff marrying and living happily (or not) ever after? Author Claudia Gray (aka Amy Vincent) loves Jane Austen, and like a lot of other Austenites, she too wonders, what if? In this case, her what if? musings have borne fruit in The Murder of Mr. Wickham.

Jun 13, 2022

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