wenwen

We should all be feminist:

"When men say; when women say," are true because I've seen it play in front of my eyes.

This happened to someone dear to me—at some point in their life. She found a job because she doesn't want to be a housewife anymore. One night, her husband laid hands on her and smashed her phone to the ground because of a misunderstanding (she was newly hired and already had contacts with her new colleagues, and their manager who happens to be a man, sent a text message, the mad-man happened to check the message). Alcohol consumed him and any thought of his own interpretation is already made up to be true. Jealousy overcame him without confrontation first. And so my dearest is all bruised when morning comes. Every night, I see her crying by the door outside. I have no idea at that time what it was about but I was there to comfort her.

She almost gave up her first job because of it; because her husband was against it. Because the man couldn't handle a woman finding happiness that did not come from him. The man raises his hand because of his emotions. And they say women are emotional creatures. Her phone was a Nokia keypad, btw... That was her only source of contact before, which was important for her job. I am glad she'd come a long way now. There are still struggles but at least the man changed a bit.

As for the man, he did not give up anything for peace in their marriage. He stopped all bad habits because he's now on maintenance. But I hope he also stopped drinking because of the trauma he'd caused to his daughters. Especially the youngest. He saw the youngest how she protected the mother before his eyes. Because of him.

I just want to praise the courage the youngest daughter had at that time. The last abuse that happened in their house remained etched in her brain. Everything seems to be at peace in their home, she says, but there are times where she remembers the scene and makes her cry. Questioning why she still respects the man and why she forgave the man right away.

Anyways, that's the story of my Mother's experience—someone dear to me. They ask why I hate men—why I became a man-hater. The truth is, it's all rooted in a man's decision that deeply affected us. I don't hate men. I hate the decisions some men make that leave women carrying the consequences. The men who don't care what women desire. The men who silence women.

A 3.75

I loved the premise. It was actually a good book. I loved the spicy scenes, but after a while, the story revolved around their sexual tension all the time. I mean, the build-up was great, but almost every chapter had something about intimacy. They're wolves—they're animals, sure—but eeeeehhhhhhh

I still enjoyed it, though! I'll be reading book 2 soon.

This book is so cute. A very good light read—an eye cleanser. I really had fun reading this ꉂ(˵˃ ᗜ ˂˵) I love the kissing scene and Liz losing her penny.

Liz is so bad at reading signals for someone so obsessed with romance(¬`‸´¬). She's not even realizing (in the first half) that everything reminds her of Wes. I was so glad she finally caved in and put two and two together.

And Wes could've been more upfront with his feelings— but I understand why he wasn't. He doesn't want to risk what they already had.

If I were his friend, I would've advised him to confess than lose the opportunity ( • ̀ω•́ )✧. What is there to stay for if she's not your person? Waiting isn't gonna do anything if you're already falling hard. If they're meant to be your person, then clarity is something you'll need eventually. Sure, you might lose the friendship, but wouldn't that be better than clinging to someone you know won't see you the way you see them? You either stay silent and be hurt or be hurt, move on, and finally know where you stand—if your intentions for that person have already gone deep. Uncertainty hurts just as much as rejection. You might as well face it.

But yeah, it depends on the situation, lol. Some friendships are worth keeping. Also, Wes didn't know if she'd reciprocate or not, soooo...... (ᵕ—ᴗ—)

Aight, wtf, who am I to give advice? LMAO. I'll probably throw the "but idk dude, it's up to you, I'm just saying." ( •̯́ ₃ •̯̀)

My very first book entering R.F Kuang's book realm, and I am floored by how good it is. Babel is a historical fantasy where the magic system is tied to language.

(I'm gonna ignore all the hate yet intelligently put up reviews here because I love this book. Be brave ( ◡̀_◡́)ᕤ )

Robin's first time translating was when Professor Lovell pushed him to help explain to the Cantonese man why he'd not given access to ride the ship. Of course, he was still a child at that time, so instead of telling the truth that it was about some racist shit, he just told the man that his contract was no good, and that way, he avoided a problem by lying. "Guilt twisted his gut"— because despite doing it for the goodness of the outcome, he is carrying the guilt as a consequence.

Two of the funniest histories that were involved in the book were about how 1)UK was a country that traded spices, yet their very own dishes are unseasoned and bland. I had a little bit of research about it— it was because when the empire expanded, and the status of "wealth" on spices had become accessible to its citizens, the elites deserted them and switched to French cuisine. Second was about how serving food courses (which was adopted from the French) had not become a universal norm at that time because Napoleon hated "lingering at tables" and felt that it interrupted conversations. It was funny because Rebecca described him as "that little man," lol.

I was appalled by Professor Lovell's punishment for a child who had fun reading and had forgotten about the time... As a child in an Asian household, I experienced the same thing, and it honestly made me follow things in order— which is why I haven't fully hated Professor Lovell's character here. BUT! I hated the part where he discriminated against Robin's kind, saying, "Laziness and deceit is common among your kind," and how he must "overcome the pollution of his blood". Imagine, he is a fucking child who was robbed of his childhood by poverty, while the plague took his mother's life. He did not ask for help when he was dying, so how dare he ask the child if he wants to go back to that shithole, and the fact that it's a fucking child he's talking to? Poor child, grateful for what this man had provided him, leading him to dismiss his emotions. His provision does not account for the violence he had inflicted on the poor child in an unreasonable take. He is one of the most racist men in Babel, lol.

And I thought Robin would be portrayed as a gay character later in the book, when a curl of hair fell in Ramy's eyes and he found it "absurdly" charming. Lmao, sorry! I haven't yet read about him interacting with a female besides Mrs. Piper (before Letty and Victoire were introduced), lol! I do think they liked each other's company on another level at some point, but in the book, it wasn't really shown. Kind of confused.

"Tagalog (Grammaticas) surprisingly spanned five volumes." Uy, Philippines!!! Lol—just our running Filipino joke, Filipino pride, lmao.

In the middle of the book, there are mentions of exploiting resources. It was to expand the Empire, and it was not just objectified resources but also the people who carry those cultures— the translators. I'd say they are part of the resources that were exploited. Why? They accept foreign people into the translation program, which is the only program that accepts foreigners inside Oxford, and that is suspicious because I highly doubt that it is because Oxford had agreed to diversify but to the benefit of the empire. They were accepted for their advantages since the powerful silver bars rely on foreign languages such as Chinese, Sanskrit, and Arabic (stated in the book). They are genuinely lowkey some kind of exploited resources. Three out of four are wards of wealthy men. And—metaphorically, they are like vessels for knowledge. They ARE vessels.

I quite understand Robin's frustration; and I would've had the same reaction and outbursts as him (I see a bit of myself in his character, lol). You can't expect someone to keep taking risks for you and commit to a cause without them seeing what they're committing to. Griffin keeps on telling him to 'trust' him and keep moving forward by 'trust' alone. It's like he's blind.

How can someone move forward if they can't see the full picture? Even though Griffin had given Robin information about their plan, it still wasn't enough because those were just fragments of the truth. He's still keeping Robin at a distance.

They are half brothers without attachment but it's clear as day that Robin wanted his brother's affection but Griffin's as cold as an iron.

The ending was amazing. What a way to end the chapter!

The revelations? I did predict Anthony's revival (lol). I knew he was still alive but I never expected Ramy and Victoire to be in the Hermes Society. I mean, yes, they would join immediately, absolutely—but I just did not expect them. It was obvious but still caught me off guard, lmao.

Also, leave my man Robin alone. He's got a lot on his plate ever since he entered the British Empire—if you haven't noticed (lol). He was protecting his friends. He knew he had more privileges than Ramy and Victoire; and that awareness affects many of his decisions. So don't come running off your mouth to my boy 'cause his intentions were good.

+The racism in this book is diabolical, holy shit. Professor Lovell, apart from being racist, is also a misogynistic man :). Oh, and the fact that he cracked 2 women (or maybe more╮(. ❛ ᴗ ❛.) ╭) to breed a ward that he can mold as mini him, lmaoooooo. He failed both. His character couldn't get any better ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°). It was a lovely moment when his son, who he didn't call nor informed that he's his own, casually called him "Father" ("𝘚𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘵, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥. 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦"), before his chest exploded ✧｡٩(ˊᗜˋ )و✧*｡

Here, I thought Letty was different from her own kind. Before I read about my children (R,R,V) being uncomfortable comforting their white friend, I was already uncomfortable. The same exact reason—the oppressed, comforting the kind of the oppressors.

Letty don't know a thing nor understand a thing what her friends had to go through. It was bad enough to be a woman, studying. What more for someone to encounter racism every day? My babies are all so strong and intelligent.

I still can't believe Letty's betrayal. Easy for her to say to just give up when she has all the privileges. "— 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘴", I felt the same way, Robin.

The empire was built and assembled by the contributions of others (the people and the culture it exploits), yet they act so superior and pretend that those contributions were their own.

My heart broke.

So glad, someone told Robin to create his own path. He belongs to no one and owes nothing to anyone. He belongs to himself and can do more than follow Professor Lovell's chosen path for him.

Felt this one. Being a third-year college in Pre-med and through my Internship, exhaustion literally sucked the soul out of me, lol.

Nyahahaha, I loved this.

Yes, Robin. I feel your rage ( • ̀ω•́ )✧

I love that this is a double meaning.

They speak the same language in terms of class. The workmen and supporters lived the same struggles and are familiar with one another, hence why it was acknowledged by the people in the same area; whereas, Robin is a scholar in Oxford—pamphlets written with eloquence was his way to attract and inspire action. They speak the same language in terms of the same struggles and goal they had to fight—united by the same cause.

First of all, I thought I wouldn't like this book but I still went and was determined to finish.

Mid-story, it started looking good, love their "hidden teen-crush" tension between them but hated when I reached the part where she cheated with Charlie. Both of them had made mistakes but cheating is a different kind of 'mistake' that you can't undo nor find something to compromise with your person.

I did feel Percy's pain and frustration when Sam made her feel like she was a distraction and an obstruction to his future. As a girl, I would've also wanted my bf to make me feel included in his life— not in everything he does or every decision he has to make in his life but just the feeling of being wanted at times. She felt neglected and excluded. Then... he asked for space.

She would've understood him if he was just open about what he felt ever since he entered the workshop. As for Sam's, he has his reasons and it was very understandable but that's where it broke down— their communication. One thing I hate about him is his lack of courage. I get it, not every person has the same principle in life or in relationships— but some things just don't sit right with what his principle is meant for. Relationships don't only function with faith alone— it needs action, communication, and responsibility.

Then the cheating happened... that just ruined it for me.

She really ran away and did not face her consequences. Instead, she let it eat her up and made her unstable. I hated how her friendship with Delilah ended— she was such a good friend to her and she let her emotion get the best of her and hurt the person who was there for her at her lowest.

I would've said, "at least she's aware of her mistakes; at least she knows what she'd done to the person and feels miserable about it; at least she's trying", but no cause it took her 12 years and on his mothers funeral to pluck up the courage to tell the truth. Insaannee.

At the end of the book, I don't like her character anymore, lol. The endgame was still her and Sam but I hated her, lolololll.

Anyways, it did make me cry.

She didn't handle it well and I had a bit of thought that not all human beings are tough and the same. Her choices were really not it but people make terrible decisions when they're hurt.

Even though this is fictional, I'd like to leave a review linking it to reality and just being real.

It was entertaining but yeah, I hated Percy's choices.

The hopelessness that she wasn't able to experience the human experiences her sisters had lived and felt in their past lives.

I took my time to grasp the premise and somehow understood it. Do not narrow it down to the protagonist's longing for a man or a relationship. She was surrounded by 40 women and grew up with them, hearing stories about love; motherhood; having their own children; and a family. She tells the story of isolation and being left out of the scenes she had never experienced.

This is tragically beautiful.

First ever dark romance that I've read and it really is "DARK ROMANCE". I had fun reading it! I just thought it was weird when the story swerved from stalking/hacking into mafia ://// I hope people that I know won't ever see this review on goodreads. 3.5

I should've read this sooner 😩. The hype is real and I'm here for it.

I love the tension between them; it's fckng perfect, in my opinion.

A very short story about a man that was hanged in a civil-war era.

It's scary how the mind can create a world where you've escaped from the uncertainty of death— or, just in general, escape reality.

Death has been treated with formality and respect, rather than tragic. It's unsettling how it's treated.

This is such a funny and satirical read.

Aside for this book being grotesquely comical, it was also shown the heavy communism in Russia; how the proprietor used Ivan Matveitch's situation to lure more people for money.

Some of the passages that's screaming facts:

I kind of agree with Ivan because: what is freedom if it leads to disorder? It's just a bit provocative regarding the ideas expressed.

Perfectly written by Miss Jane Austen. I was having a stroke reading it as this is my first classic but indeed, it is beautiful.

A review from someone who reads for fun

¹I actually loved the Thorpe sibling in the first half, not gonna lie. They express the truest nature of having siblings. They share the same wit and a unique form of affection.

²It was also mentioned in the book about how men could not care less in gowns and dresses—or fashion in general— the way women do.

Women are fashionable in a sense that imperfection/authenticity is far more charming than perfection—which is absolutely true. The smallest detail could receive a grand applause in an outfit.

³John and his horses.

Okay, I love this passage because it is still so relevant to this day. It has become a social norm in some parts of today’s society that to know more is to play a fool in order to ascend one’s ego. I understand Jane—speaking facts. I myself, too, am one of those people who nods and agrees with what a person is saying and conceals my own opinion (especially in politics), which you may call cowardice (perhaps in a way to not succumb to an argument?) for not expressing my own thoughts. But honestly, I just don’t want to have a heated argument, for I know that we all have different beliefs, and it is sometimes hard to comprehend each opinion thrown at one another—but yes, despite my saying this, I respect the beliefs and opinions of others.

And the last part, about women having to remain silent despite carrying intelligence, is still so true—especially in certain settings.

Domestic or traditional settings. Wives, daughters, or just women in general.

This is what I love about books: to read a passage is to be understood in some sort of way. When you and an author from the 1800s have the same opinions and sarcasm about equality and women’s silent fights—ugghh. I love JA.

⁵The irony in Jane’s writing here is superb. It is true that an innocent girl with a pretty face—or so I say, a “privileged woman”—can definitely wield charm as a weapon. The mockery of society's low expectations on a woman. Jane is an icon.

⁶Jane's obsession with Udolpho honestly fills the book. It was mentioned so many times.

Forever and always—I will love Coraline. The motion picture adaptation was spectacular, which I loved since my childhood and had watched it several times with my cousins. I thought Wybie existed in the book, but nay.

It was fun to know that the drawing room was from Neil’s own house, which he had found to be eerie and made into a story.

Honestly, it was boring.

I understand the story but the pace of the story is slow and boring— though, I love the monster's story where he procured knowledge and how he lived after he was abandoned. I hated victor; how he despised his own creation.