Quick Reviews: Sabrina & Corina, When We Make It, They Called Us Enemy, As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow, and Asian American Histories of the United States

September was a good reading month! Here's my hot-take on my recent reads:

1. Sabrina & Corina: Stories, by Kali Fajardo-Anstine - collection of stories about the experiences of Indigenous LatinX women living in and around Denver, Colorado. As with most short story collections, I enjoyed some stories more than others, but it was great to read Indigenous LatinX representation. The last story, Ghost Sickness, was my favorite in the collection.

2. When We Make It, by Elisabet Velasquez - Powerful poetry with tons of heart striking lines that I had to underline and tag. Super relatable as a new yorker from a low-income family. Sarai teaches us that "making it" doesn't always mean leaving your 'hood. You can make it simply by completely accepting yourself as you are and living your best life whatever that means for you. 

3. They Called Us Enemy, by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott - Very much recommend! Great way to learn about impact of an often left out moment in American history. The art was engaging and was the narrative voice. Everyone should read this!

4. As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow, by Zoulfa Katouh - Wow wow wow! Speculative historical fiction about Syrian civil war and refugees. It's about pain, trauma, war, love, and family. Highly recommend! I'm obsessed with this title, so expect a more formal review soon!

5. Asian American Histories of the United States, by Catherine Ceniza Choy - I'm glad I listened to this. There was a lot of interesting information and I learned a lot! However, as it was thematic vs. chronological, some information or examples were repeated a lot. Some of it was dry. Found it hard to stay engaged while listening to audio. Might have been better for me as print.