history
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Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu
Willis Wu is a first-generation Chinese American whose dream is to become a movie star. Not just any movie star, but the role of Kung Fu Guy—the pinnacle of Asian acting, according to childhood memories. It turns out those memories weren’t so off-base, at least in Hollywood, and Kung Fu Guy is hard to get Continue reading
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North Korea’s Hidden Revolution – Jieun Baek
This was a great book on North Korea, far more encompassing than I expected. It aggregates many personal accounts into a cohesive but careful picture of life in North Korea today, focused especially on how foreign media is smuggled into the country. The policy and psychological analysis were truly fascinating, and I felt the author Continue reading
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Never Powerless: Václav Havel’s Open Letters – Part 1
A kind of bi-polar political thinking is becoming more and more common in today’s politically polarized world…everyone is expected to be unquestionably loyal to the position he belongs to or has been assigned to. Václav Havel wrote that in 1986. You know I’m not a loud person, but when I read that, I could’ve opened Continue reading
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Bookshelf Tour! History, Memoirs, and Assorted Nonfiction
These were the last books left to tour – a smallish but eclectic variety of “real world” topics that interest me. Let me know if you’ve read any of them or similar books you’d recommend! Continue reading
About Me
Hi, I’m Marian—I talk about classics, history, and other books on this blog, as well as on YouTube.
Currently Reading
Recent Posts
- What I’m Reading – Morning Coffee Edition
- Oddly Specific Things I Love in Books (and a Few Movies)
- The Tenant of Wildfell Hall – A Long Overdue Review
- My Favorite Films and Music of 2025
- Ten Books I’d Like to Read (and Possibly Own)
Classics Considered 