[oats]

my list of books read in 2017. everyone else who like to read should follow suit.

1. On Writing by Stephen King (4/5)
2. Your Republic is Calling You by Young Ha Kim (4/5)
3. Kafka On the Shore by Haruki Murakami (5/5)
4. The Guest by Hwang Sok Yong (4/5)
5. After Dark by Haruki Murakami (4/5)
6. The Vegetarian by Han Kang (4/5)
7. American Nations by Collin Woodard (5/5)
8. The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut (4/5)
9. I'll Be Right There by Kyung Sook Shin (4/5)
10. Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami (5/5)
11. Without You There Is No Us by Suki Kim (4/5)
12. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz (5/5)
13. I Have the Right to Destroy Myself by Young Ha Kim (3/5)
14. Sightseeing by Rattawut Lapcharoensap (4/5)
15. Atlas of Cursed Places by Olivier Le Carrer (3/5)
16. My Financial Career and Other Follies by Stephen Leacock (3/5)
17. Joseph Anton by Salman Rushdie (4/5)
18. Lua: Art of the Hawaiian Warrior by Richard Paglinawan (4/5)
19. Me by Tomoyuki Hoshino (3/5)
20. The Red Shark by Ruth Tabrah (4/5)

Just finished The Red Shark today, about a kid from Chicago who moves to Hawaii. It's young adult fiction, but surprisingly well-crafted. Very different from the YA style of today, I think, which overemphasizes simplistic vocabulary and structure. Still maintains the breeziness of YA, but in a way that's not off-putting for older readers. I really enjoyed the story, too. If you have kids who like to read, or if you like YA stuff from time to time (as I do), definitely recommend it.