Grace D. Li – Cannonball Read 17

Art Is Power

Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li

January 10, 2023 by Owlizabeth 5 Comments

I’m not sure I can discuss this book coherently. I’ve started and stopped and rewritten this review so many times I’m starting to feel dizzy. How do I convey the perfect writing, the depth of emotion, the complex characters, the history and meaning and joy and sorrow Grace D. Li has managed? In a freaking heist novel??!? The audacity! Let’s start with the basic plot: steal back the five bronze zodiac animal heads that were looted after the burning of Beijing’s Old Summer Palace and are […]

I still can’t believe how much I disliked this book.

Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li

November 5, 2022 by narfna 2 Comments

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year, so naturally I chose it for one of my book clubs, because I like pushing books on willing victims. Joke was on me! We all hated it, every single one of us. What was this???? How could such a good premise biff it so hard? First of all, this is NOT a heist book. We spend approximately 5% of the book with the characters doing crime, and that is probably generous. There is also […]

Help Our Mission