Hanz (he/him)
If I was at a party surrounded by the characters from my personal library, I'd see tons of humble queer bipoc folk from sci-fi & fantasy universes bonding with the global proletariat who've all struggled to build community inward and outward. With the added bonus of absolutely excellent food fully representing our fine blue marble. Admission is free but we'll ask you a odd question at the door.
At the forefront of this memoir/manifesto is viewing skateboarding as an art. Rodney Mullen's story details a kid simply doing his thing his way. A reminder all of us need as we forge new paths for the future. There is always room to invent something new & freestyle.
Truly a tale for the time being made for the young black future heroes that feel backed into a corner after all the events of the past 5 years. Launching with a BLM protest and ending with collective action, Static is doing what heroes were always meant to do by representing the best parts of us and showing us a way forward through hardship. The art is impeccable and milestone 100% is back with avengeance (yes, this is a dig).
An eerie read that sat at the front of my mind for over a year. Reflecting on the uncanny view we have on regular strangers lives this is perfect for every people watcher. Great for fans of convenience store women and the classic Japanese murder mystery.
"Days of Distraction is a heart-wrenching wonderful stream of conscious character-focused read that revels in the essence of the quarter-life crisis. The lead will make decisions you don't agree with. You will experience uncomfortable situations that are explicitly true to the 1st generation experience. Most of all this book is true and questing for a better life. Read this if you love the feeling of sonder."
Heaven's Door is a fantastic read for fans of Junji Ito's work who love a mind-bending tale. It's exactly what you'd except out of most fantagraphic published titles with a clear Japanese flair. The psychedelic storytelling condensed into short stories makes it a wonderful slow train read.
A celebration of kindness and cultural resilience. Jacqueline Woodson perfectly melds themes of change, history and forgiveness to lift up everyone black. Perfect for teaching one of the many things that makes us wonderful.
The cover is battered, pages are stained, this book has a lemony smell to it and I have owned it for a little over a month. The Cocktail seminars breaks down cocktails in an incredibly pragmatic way that will finally let you know what you love and how make something out of nothing. If you prefer technique over 1 new star recipe this is it. Scoop it up and you'll have a guide to get you shopping, shaking, and sipping.
This cookbook ended up being the staple of my Christmas dinner. A wonderfully familiar romp through Lebanese cuisine Hissam Assad delivers recipes with tons of classic tips to make familiar dishes sparkle. All while pushing the reader one step deeper into the ideologies that make Lebanese city cooking.
A perfect read for fans of body horror, existentialism, and unlikely companions. The premise here is rich & tactfully explored for a volume 1. This manga correctly displays the power of the medium with an art style evocative of classic & modern Japanese artists blended to fully highlight the horror & further our understanding of the characters. One of my top 10 I could not recommend this more to those who love Uzamaki but want a more thrilling shonen spin to it.
A potentially dark terrifying scenario that is turned into a fun thrilling romp centered around an app for monster hunting. Modern satire, great action, and heart warming character growth are the recipe that made this a graphic novel that kept me up on a 2am subway ride home. For fans of Saga, Adventure Zone , Bryan lee O'Malley , Rat Queens and Infinity Train.
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"The author skillfully weaves Mexicali and the time period's music scene (1990s -2001ish) so well in every beautiful panel. A story that is perfect for any artist, or maker of any kind & any age. I've read this thrice already. "
An evocative & emotionally honest cultural analyzation breaking down motherhood, being Chinese in America, femininity, and dealing with modern colonization. Most of all its a fun uninhibited writing style that reads like being at a great night in the Nuyorican(Slam poetry club). This is a poetry collection to read slow as it does get repetitive at times
"A conversation in the humanization of cooking. Full of how to's as well as personal takes. Teach yourself how to experiment, and know what matters."
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LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD FINALIST • An audacious and wryly funny coming-of-age story about a pregnant pizza delivery girl who becomes obsessed with one of her customers.
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"For fans of Panchiko and historical fiction about characters in the margins. Lemmie brings to life a harrowing story with a unique voice for the interpretation of the characters of the pain as they grow. An amazing balance between healing and pain."
A read I devoured and immediately felt lost without. The worldbuilding and characters are so well weaved. Each kept giving depth to the other. Making the mystery of this world much more engrossing, shocking and satisfying. A book for those that want to get out of their heads & love nature.
"A dizzying and utterly captivating tale. The concepts touched in this book are often confusing but by putting faith in readers Ted Chiang welcomes us to an utterly pragmatic way of writing. Every short story weaves in itself several times and constantly becomes stronger for it. Delivering strong universal messages that are fulfilling and well earned. It's almost as if I read a perfect tale of mythology that had been revised & edited over 100 years to fit across time."
"A beautiful graphic novel connecting cultures through fairy tales to tell an immigrant story of coming out, acceptance of self, and accepting others."
"Lara Lee has made a cookbook that acts as a culture guide that doesn't cut corners While being accessible, diverse, and approachable by choosing recipes that have a good overlap with the "global kitchen". If you are looking to put new flavors into your life and love spice picks this up. My menu for this cookbook:
App Martabak pg 37
Soup Modenese Prawn Bisque pg 63
Salad Balinese Coconut Lawar pg 94
Balinese Sticky Glazed Pork Ribs pg 176
Sticky ginger toffee pudding pg 237"
"One of my all time favorite book one of a series has finally been re-released. Octavia Butler cements her unique piercing and relatable style in the novel where aliens are truly aliens. Reversing the question of "what would aliens be like?" to place it on our society has an amazing result. I have read this novel multiple times in one sitting. The strong narrative and metaphors lead to a book with unstoppable "Couldn't Put It Down"-ness."
"A beautiful baroque inspired art style fills out this somewhat typical but still refreshing vol.1. You'll seem some tropes in the main cast but the world is clearly pushing and pulling them in directions you rarely see. If you are a fan of Bofuri, Little Witch Academia as well as Hunter x Hunter give this a read."
"The most human relatable characters I've read this year is are a robot and a spaceship. A radically thrilling & evocative novel that paces itself so well I found myself marveling at the feat of editing and deliberate story telling. The Space Trucker Book Club gave it all thumbs up! A space opera must read."
"A little over 100 of 375 pages were dog-eared for making me laugh out loud, relate so much it hurt, and pushing a narrative forward that need to be said. A romance truly about everyday people."