Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time
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Talkin’ ’bout my best friend

Built to Last by Minh Lê,

May 1, 2024 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Built to Last by the fabulous author, Minh Lê, and the amazing illustrator, Dan Santat (no, I’m not biased at all), is an adorable story about friendship and the true and important things that cannot be broken. Sure things might fall and crash, and that can sometimes be funny, but there are few things that cannot have a do-over. Most things are able to have a fresh start, mostly because you have learned from any mistakes and know what is really important. The narrator is […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Comedy/Humor, Fantasy, Fiction, Health Tagged With: Asian American & Pacific Islander, Asian Heritage, Dan Santat, friendship, Imagination & Play, Minh Le, Social Themes

BlackRaven's CBR16 Review No:187 · Genres: Children's Books, Comedy/Humor, Fantasy, Fiction, Health · Tags: Asian American & Pacific Islander, Asian Heritage, Dan Santat, friendship, Imagination & Play, Minh Le, Social Themes ·
Rating:
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The rom-com romp

Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang

March 15, 2024 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

I was hesitant to start Lunar New Year Love Story for a few reasons: I am not a romance reader; I thought the use of Leuyen Pham as the illustrator was an odd choice; and as I like Gene Luen Yang, would I build this book up too much and it would not live up to my hype?  Well, I am still not a romance reader and the arc was not how I run my romance life, but it was fun and heartwarming. (Granted if […]

Filed Under: Comedy/Humor, Cooking/Food, Fiction, Graphic Novels/Comic Books, Health, Romance, Sports, Young Adult Tagged With: #fate, Asian American & Pacific Islander, Dance, dating, family, fathers, friendship, Gene Luen Yang, LeUyen Pham, lion dance, Lunar New Year, mothers, paranormal, Spirits

BlackRaven's CBR16 Review No:102 · Genres: Comedy/Humor, Cooking/Food, Fiction, Graphic Novels/Comic Books, Health, Romance, Sports, Young Adult · Tags: #fate, Asian American & Pacific Islander, Dance, dating, family, fathers, friendship, Gene Luen Yang, LeUyen Pham, lion dance, Lunar New Year, mothers, paranormal, Spirits ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

Bình learns the game of life

Enlighten Me by Minh Lê

July 11, 2023 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Enlighten Me is a mindfulness/meditation graphic novel for the 10 and up crowd. There is a little bit of a social theme added with the racism the school bully directs towards the narrator, but the idea is how to deal with the emotions and a situation that triggers and not necessarily this particular situation. The entire book is mostly in “thought bubbles” as the narrator and his family are at a silent retreat, and therefore, unable to talk once there. But to allow the teachings of […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Fantasy, Fiction, Health, History, Poetry, Religion, Young Adult Tagged With: Asian American & Pacific Islander, Buddhist, Chan Chau, family, Minh Le, school, Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance, siblings, sisters and brothers, Social Themes

BlackRaven's CBR15 Review No:497 · Genres: Children's Books, Fantasy, Fiction, Health, History, Poetry, Religion, Young Adult · Tags: Asian American & Pacific Islander, Buddhist, Chan Chau, family, Minh Le, school, Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance, siblings, sisters and brothers, Social Themes ·
Rating:
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A sleepy independent boba café, a not so sleepy secret

Super Boba Café V01 by Nidhi Chanani

June 12, 2023 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

A fun story that ends a smidgen abruptly was what I felt about Super Boba Café V01 by Nidhi Chanani.  However, this is (as the volume one notes) a graphic novel which is the first book and you know that there will be more to come because of that. Not to mention the very last page has that “dun dun dun” ending where, “That’s all … for now … Folks!” should be added. If you want to find out what that ending is, you need to […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Comedy/Humor, Cooking/Food, Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novels/Comic Books, Health, Mystery, Science Fiction, Young Adult Tagged With: Asian American & Pacific Islander, Fairy Tales, folklore, grandmothers, Legends & Mythology, Multigenerational, Nidhi Chanani, San Francisco, Social Themes

BlackRaven's CBR15 Review No:417 · Genres: Children's Books, Comedy/Humor, Cooking/Food, Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novels/Comic Books, Health, Mystery, Science Fiction, Young Adult · Tags: Asian American & Pacific Islander, Fairy Tales, folklore, grandmothers, Legends & Mythology, Multigenerational, Nidhi Chanani, San Francisco, Social Themes ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

Maybe not so beautiful afterall

In the Beautiful Country by Jane Kuo

July 21, 2022 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

cbr14bingo Dough Level 2 In the Beautiful Country is a cute story told in verse that shows the ugly of the world, but also the hope that can come from it. The year between 1980 and 1981 of Anna’s life is relatable, powerful and a look into “The Beautiful Country” and the American Dream it promotes but does not always make it easy to obtain. When Anna’s parents announce on Lunar New Year they are moving to The Beautiful Country (America), their family thinks them […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Cooking/Food, Fiction, History, Poetry, Young Adult Tagged With: Asian American & Pacific Islander, cbr14bingo, Diversity & Multicultural, Emigration & Immigration, family, friendship, Jane Kuo, school, Taiwan

BlackRaven's CBR14 Review No:393 · Genres: Children's Books, Cooking/Food, Fiction, History, Poetry, Young Adult · Tags: Asian American & Pacific Islander, cbr14bingo, Diversity & Multicultural, Emigration & Immigration, family, friendship, Jane Kuo, school, Taiwan ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments
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