Litsy

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This was like watching a car crash. I couldn‘t look away. Almost every character involved was self-serving and driven by an absolute narcissistic desire for success, but the author was so good and you are so invested in what happens next. The whole plot is really digging at a deeper issue of cultural history and authorship. The ever present threat of social media‘s ire gave it and added weight. Lived up to the hype for me.

Suzze Same. I really enjoyed it. 6d

Sarahreadstoomuch Love this book! And now I have one of my library book groups reading it 😉 6d

Anna40 Great review! 5d

AvidReader25 @Suzze @Anna40 Such a fascinating book! 5d

AvidReader25 @Sarahreadstoomuch I love that! This is such a perfect book to fuel great discussions. 5d

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Cathyloves2read

Yellowface | R F Kuang

so-so

I‘ve seen this book recommended in many forums, & have been wanting to read it. It drew me in from the start. If you‘ve read it, you know what I mean. I wish the entire book had been as good as the beginning.It‘s definitely a quick read. I can‘t say that any of the characters were likable,nor I don‘t think they were supposed to be.It‘s hard to believe that this is the same author that wrote Babel. The 2 books were so different.

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BooksNBowls

Yellowface | R F Kuang

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Yellowface addresses many controversial topics of the publishing industry. Who has the right to tell minority stories? How thin is the line between inspired story telling and intellectual theft? Is cancel culture harmful and abusive or effective and just? It certainly made me question my own thoughts and opinions on the subjects! 4/5

BooksNBowls Thanks to @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks for gifting this to me!!! 3w

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 💛🤗📚 3w

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Jess_Read_This

My Salinger Year | Joanna Smith Rakoff

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Once I started, I couldn‘t put this book down. I eagerly turned the pages in half anticipation half suspense in following Rakoff‘s job as the assistant to J.D. Salinger‘s agent. When Rakoff shared she‘d never read Salinger‘s work as it never came up in school or interest; I felt connection. As I too have never read his work. 😬 Yet when she describes how moved she was when she did, I‘m tempted to make this year a Salinger reading year. More ⬇️

Jess_Read_This It‘s a real coming of age story in the mid 1990‘s New York. Where computers and emails were making their way into the workplace. Where Rakoff learns about credit card debt, student loans, wanting to write, having to pay the bills, dead end romance, sketchy apartment living, and the literary scene. Slight Foxed has republished this one. I definitely recommend! 4w

LeahBergen I was thinking of buying that new Slightly Foxed edition! 4w

Jess_Read_This @LeahBergen It was a fascinating read! I‘m tempted to buy the Slightly Foxed one myself since this was a library copy. 4w

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Ruthiella The early publishing experiences of the main character in Vintage Contemporaries reminded me of this book. Also, her awful boyfriend! I couldn‘t believe how long it took to realize he was a wastrel (except for I could believe it, having been young once 😆). 4w

Leftcoastzen I remember loving this book, publishing stories I just love, and love Salingers books , maybe not so much the person 4w

jlhammar I loved this book! 3w

36 likes3 stack adds6 comments

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Yellowface | R F Kuang

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Final thoughts!! Thank you all for participating!!

What do you think happens to June after the end of the story??

Have you read other books by this author? Do you plan to? Would you recommend this book??

#LitsyLove
#LitsyLoveReads

Maggie4483, LapReader, DebbieGrillo, Read4life, Teresereading, REPollock, Sleepswithbooks, Cupcake12, Roary47, Pageturner1, JessieKB

Roary47 I liked the book, it was hard not to put it down. I found that I was experiencing my own injustices when reading it, but seeing the other side of that argument was helpful. I think it could be controversial, but it was approached very well. I was seeing that we all kinda hated June and that was an interesting dynamic that our pov character was who we hated. That was new for me. 4w

Cupcake12 It took a while for me to get into. After half way I was hooked. It‘s my first book by the author and I‘d definitely read another. 4w

Teresereading I liked the layers within layers, a cleverly constructed narrative. 4w

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REPollock I admit to a sick fascination with literary identity hoaxers—Nadijj, JT Leroy, people who adopt marginalized identities and are disgraced and their writings dismissed when their grift comes to light. What were they thinking would happen? So I was all in on the concept of this. When it became clear June was encouraged in the charade by her editor, the ethics became more complex and even though it reminded me of everything terrible about publishing, 4w

REPollock (Contd) I was hooked. I had already read another book by the author and it was very different and similarly engaging.

Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of The Oxford Translators' Revolution

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks It took me a bit to get into and I wanted to dnf, but I didn‘t! I couldn‘t stand any of the characters and I w as bred to shake June! 4w

13 likes6 comments

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Yellowface | R F Kuang

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June falls into a negative spiral. Should authors avoid reading reviews of their books? Should readers tag authors in their negative reviews?

How much truth do you think is in Yellowface? The publishing industry?

What is your opinion of the title of this book? What do you think of the controversy??

#LitsyLove
#LitsyLoveReads

Maggie4483, LapReader, DebbieGrillo, Bklover, Read4life, Teresereading, REPollock, Sleepswithbooks, Cupcake12, Roary47, Pageturner1, JessieKB

Roary47 I think reading/ writing reviews should be helpful. If you hated the book saying it wasn‘t for me because of xyz. The trolling of someone‘s hard work is just uncalled for. Constructive criticism should be used to tell the author what they can do to make it better, or how to reach a broader audience. 4w

Cupcake12 If you have a hard outer shell, reviews can be of great benefit. I see many authors ask on socials not to be tagged in negative reviews. It has opened my eyes to the publishing industry…is it that shallow? 4w

willaful @Cupcake12 I don't tend to pull punches in my reviews but I don't tag authors. They use social media in the same way others do, as people not just as authors, and if they choose to read negative reviews they want to have control over how and when. 4w

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Teresereading Provided interesting insights 4w

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I had no idea about the publishing industry! This opened my eyes to a lot of things I‘ve never really thought about. 4w

REPollock 100% spot on about the literary fiction publishing industry (from my lived experience). Especially the MFA-to-literary-darling pipeline. 4w

14 likes6 comments

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Yellowface | R F Kuang

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What was going through June‘s head when she stole Athena‘s work??

Were you screaming at her?! 😱 📣

#LitsyLoveReads
#LitsyLove

Maggie4483, LapReader, DebbieGrillo, Read4life, Teresereading, REPollock, Sleepswithbooks, Cupcake12, Roary47, Pageturner1, JessieKB

Gissy I read this book last year August 2023. Unlikable characters. June was always justifying her behavior🙄For me this was okay. I think this part of June‘s constant behavior what she would do not, was repetitive 🤦🏽‍♀️3/3.5 ⭐️For me. 4w

Zuhkeeyah Not really surprised considering her intense jealousy of Athena‘s success. (@gissy I also did not like any of the characters. I‘m with you on the low rating.) 4w

Roary47 She was a character that I loved to hate because of this. At first yes, I saw that she was trying to make a way for herself, but still that was someone else‘s work! 4w

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Cupcake12 I can see how deep jealousy took a hold of June. She tried to excuse her behaviour at every opportunity. But theft is theft. 4w

Maggie4483 I don't think any though whatsoever was involved in the decision to take the actual manuscript. She was acting on pure impulse.
Her decisions after that were just a downward spiral of stupidity.
I kept thinking of two other books while reading this. The first was the Confessions of a Shopaholic series. Because like Rebecca Bloom, I think 99% of June's problems could have been solved if she would just STOP. LYING.
The other was-(continued) 4w

Maggie4483 When Michelle McNamara died suddenly in the middle of writing I'll Be Gone In The Dark, and Billy Jensen, Paul Haynes, and McNamara's husband Patton Oswalt all stepped in to help finish it. I think Jensen & Haynes had already been working with Michelle before her death, and they are not listed as authors of the book. But both received some acclaim after the fact, and Jensen went on to have a brief but very successful stint in (continued) 4w

Maggie4483 ...True Crime media (until he had his own scandal and got canceled).
I think June could have told a smaller lie and gotten away with it. She could have easily convinced people that she and Athena were working on the book together, and I think she would have avoided a lot of the fallout (both the race stuff and the plagiarism). Yes, she would have had to share a lot of credit with Athena, but I think it would have been a lot better for her. 4w

LapReader She had to make a quick decision if she was going to steal it as it‘s not like she could have come back and got it later. She definitely didn‘t think it through and continued to make further bad decisions. 4w

JessieKB All of this!!! @Maggie4483 yes🤣🤣 Shopaholic. She acted on impulse but in my opinion knew exactly what she was doing once it was done. She is definitely one of those “can‘t make a good decision (or tell the truth) to save your life” type people. 4w

Teresereading It was so random, and then she kept digging herself in deeper. It was weird when started thinking it was her work. 4w

REPollock Stealing it in the moment when she was super drunk and has just watched helplessly as Athena died, okay, she wasn‘t thinking clearly. When she decided to revise the draft and pass it off as her own instead of giving it to Athena‘s family, she chose the shitty path. 4w

12 likes11 comments

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Yellowface | R F Kuang

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Oh my goodness! Every time I see pancakes I‘ll think of this book!

Do you think June could have done more to save Athena??

I‘m at work and I‘ll post questions as I can! Everyone is welcome to join!!

#LitsyLoveReads
#LitsyLove

Maggie4483, LapReader, DebbieGrillo, Bklover, Read4life, Teresereading, REPollock, Sleepswithbooks, Cupcake12, Roary47, Pageturner1, JessieKB

Zuhkeeyah Haha same! I was extra careful chewing mine last week. 4w

Roary47 I haven‘t eaten pancakes since this book. 😅 It did seem like she just stood there. It was probably the shock of it all, or maybe disbelief, but man. 4w

Cupcake12 I think in her heart she wanted to save her but her head took over and saw an opportunity to be taken. 4w

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Maggie4483 It's hard to fault June for not doing more. Some people just freeze in those kind of situations. I'm first aid and CPR certified because of my jobs, but I pray I never have to use it...I know I would be terrified of doing it wrong and making things worse. 4w

LapReader Also trained in cpr and never want to have to use it. My poor brother in law did it twice last year and both people died despite his best efforts. The first a neighbour after a hit and run by a drunk driver, the second a mate who fell down a flight of stairs after a buck‘s party. Poor bugger. 4w

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Of course being a nurse I‘m trained in cpr and I‘ve had to perform it countless times. So it‘s easy for me to think that she could have done more, but I know she was in shock. I‘ll think of this book every time I eat pancakes 🥞 4w

REPollock Also they had been drinking all night. I‘ve been certified in CPR/1st aid for my job too but if I‘d been drinking all night, I know I wouldn‘t even feel confident about a Heimlich maneuver, much less further 1st aid. 4w

Teresereading When I did a first aid course recently, pretty sure they told us Heimlich wasn‘t recommended for amateurs. Slap them on the back and call 000! I was frustrated that she took so long to call for help 4w

13 likes8 comments

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Yellowface | R F Kuang