Recommend by The Tyee for National Poetry Month.
User Profile
This link opens in a pop-up window
Victor Villas's books
2024 Reading Goal
25% complete! Victor Villas has read 6 of 24 books.
User Activity
RSS feed Back
Victor Villas wants to read Dayo by Marc Perez
Victor Villas wants to read Talking to Strangers by Rhea Tregebov
Victor Villas wants to read Breathe in, Breathe Out by Stuart Sandeman
Victor Villas finished reading Overdue by Amanda Oliver
Victor Villas reviewed Overdue by Amanda Oliver
Demystifying Libraries
4 stars
An interesting read for anyone like me who had a very idealistic view of public libraries and how working at one might be. The book was successful as a thought provoker, never have I ever reflected so much about how public services in general ought to be designed and the effects of social ills spilling over between government spheres - a parallel between libraries and police I never would have imagined. I'm now more aware of libraries as such a valuable sensor of how communities fare, whether their basic needs are met; and of course even more grateful for their existence. A public library gave me access to this book, and I'll be extra thankful from now on.
In terms of reading experience, some chapters felt a bit stretched. I understand the need to preface what cancel culture is, what social media does to society, what eugenic policies do to …
An interesting read for anyone like me who had a very idealistic view of public libraries and how working at one might be. The book was successful as a thought provoker, never have I ever reflected so much about how public services in general ought to be designed and the effects of social ills spilling over between government spheres - a parallel between libraries and police I never would have imagined. I'm now more aware of libraries as such a valuable sensor of how communities fare, whether their basic needs are met; and of course even more grateful for their existence. A public library gave me access to this book, and I'll be extra thankful from now on.
In terms of reading experience, some chapters felt a bit stretched. I understand the need to preface what cancel culture is, what social media does to society, what eugenic policies do to communities etc; all very fair and I think perhaps necessary so the thesis of each chapter can be self contained, but... personally I've found it a bit boring because halfway through the book, I'm sure the audience that chose to finish the read is the audience that's in the know about all that already. I might be wrong, but still, I found myself skimming frequently to the part where libraries come into play.
Victor Villas started reading A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers (Monk and Robot, #1)
Victor Villas wants to read Gardener's Year by Josef Čapek
Victor Villas reviewed Do not say we have nothing by Madeleine Thien
Struggles and Sorrows
5 stars
It is a heavy read, following multiple generations of hardship and turmoil. There's a charm to the characters being connected through music, specifically classical music, but the music is also crucial to the plot development considering how the cultural revolution would redefine "the art of the people".
The storytelling is strong, so strong that I sometimes had to pause mid chapter to take a breath and introspect on my own life and my extended family. The author really is a master of historical fiction and the craft of this intricate novel is a marvel. I sometimes felt a bit too shaken around with the frequent jumps in the narrative timeline, but each section had its own life and I eventually learned to enjoy the dance.
Victor Villas finished reading Do not say we have nothing by Madeleine Thien
Do not say we have nothing by Madeleine Thien
"In a single year, my father left us twice. The first time, to end his marriage, and the second, when …
Victor Villas wants to read Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
Nineteen Eighty-Four: A Novel, often referred to as 1984, is a dystopian social science fiction novel by the English novelist …
Victor Villas wants to read Endurance by Alfred Lansing
Endurance by Alfred Lansing
Bound for Antarctica, where polar explorer Ernest Shackleton planned to cross on foot the last uncharted continent, the Endurance set …
Victor Villas started reading Overdue by Amanda Oliver
Victor Villas wants to read Overdue by Amanda Oliver
Victor Villas reviewed Uncommon Measure by Natalie Hodges
Uncommonly Moving
4 stars
The rare case of a memoir that really works, interesting on its own without having to throw around famous people and world changing events. The author used the memoir to guide the reader through many topics: the immigrant experience; motherhood and male abortion; generational trauma; stereotypes surrounding East Asian children; musicology and competitiveness; and, of course, how all these intersect with the realm of classical music in particular.
Another merit, the book is frugal with the neuroscience and quantum physics references, citing just enough to breach the appropriate level of interdisciplinary thinking without deviating into pseudoscientific discourse. The synopsis raised a red flag putting those keywords so upfront, but I'm happy I gave it a chance. Personally, the most interesting bits were mostly subjective accounts on how music changes and is changed by the perception of time.