Sale PSA: A great linen shirtdress from Lisa Marie Fernandez, now 70% off, this perfect thick cotton cropped top from Madewell, now 25% off, Zella 7/8 pocket leggings, now $33, and Airism leggings from Uniqlo (yes, more leggings), now under $20.
Hello! Another round of blog chatter:
The last two weeks have been: mostly the same, a little different. Isn’t that the case with all of us? Is it not the case with you (if so, please share details as I’d like to hear).
Recently I’ve been ordering lots of Chinese food. I know this sounds stupid as I am Chinese but aside from Din Tai Fung (which I’d almost put in its own category) I hadn’t been eating lots of Chinese food. Something about being in a mixed race/nationality marriage: my husband’s comfort foods (mostly Western) aren’t the same as mine (Eastern). Most of the time our compromise between the two is Japanese. But we recently got some Chinese takeout from a restaurant we’d gone to in the pre-Covid days and it was so good! It reminded me of all the times I was dragged to Chinese restaurants growing up, and then once I got old enough to appreciate such places on my own with friends. And by the way, if there is a Chinese restaurant in your area that you like and haven’t been in a long time, maybe make a visit sometime…this isn’t the time or place for me to talk about what’s been going on in the Asian American community but it is something very much on my mind.
More Asian snacks: A good friend recently reminded me that I neglected to share one of my favorite favorite snacks in my Chinese grocery favorites post: these Japanese rice crackers. They are SO good and addictive and I have a terrible habit where I keep them in my pockets and eat them throughout the day. I LOVE them. The only downside is that a) if I eat a TON I break out. But no one is seeing me, anyway.
Do you guys read book blurbs? In case you didn’t already know, blurbs are those quotes from other authors on the back/front of books, saying how much of a masterpiece they are. There’s an interesting WSJ article about them, that it’s “time to kill the book blurb.” Every author (and person I know in publishing) hates the blurb process. Everyone has their own specific theory as to whether they help sales (if at all). So actually I would LOVE to hear your answer to this: do you read and trust book blurbs?
Most worn item this week: this Everlane sweatshirt (the perfect intersection between winter and spring), which I think I shared in an earlier weekend update. I’m a big fan! It’s not the most beautiful or flashy item but just hits all the right spots to make it versatile and easy. Leggings are from Lululemon.
Covid update. My mom is fully vaccinated! Hooray. And it’s been great to hear of most of the 65+ and older in our lives getting their shots scheduled and done. Kids both remain in remote learning, both preschool and kindergarten…it almost seems normal now, especially as we approach the one year mark of the first “two week shutdown” (do you remember when shutting down for two weeks seemed crazy/unbelievable)? Not to sound Pollyannaish but it’s been nice to have them home too, to have time with them (in between the periods where I’m hiding in a bathroom, pretending they don’t exist). Once we go back to “normal”…whenever that is…I know I’ll miss it. I just wish I could enjoy this part more now. But isn’t that how life in general goes?
Please let me know how you guys are doing. How are you coping, planning, eating? What are you buying? And please: do you care about book blurbs (indulge me this question!).
24 Comments
Jenny
March 1, 2021 at 8:46 amI really, really don’t like book blurbs. With all the positive adjectives, they all sound kind of generic. I pay a bit more attention if a writer I really like gave a blurb so I guess that’s helpful to the writer but it’s not the reason I buy a book. One or two insightful blurbs are okay; anymore and I roll my eyes and put the book back down.
AY
March 1, 2021 at 9:35 amI am really worried about the rise of hate crime against Asian Americans. I’m infuriated, sad, mad, worried, frustrated, all at once and more. I’m worried about the elders in our community, but I just read about a 36yo Asian man stabbed in the back in CHINATOWN New York. Asian lives matter.
Lilian
March 1, 2021 at 10:54 amI am SO SORRY that this is happening! Asian lives DO matter. This whole thing is awful, and we need to have more done to curb it. And we need LE to do more, quite frankly, because these incidents seem very organized and orchestrated. We’re averaging more of these hate crimes against Asians every single day.
Anonymous
March 2, 2021 at 8:56 amIt is awful, as Asian Americans we are perpetually seen as foreign. LE is not the ultimate answer to the problems our communities are facing. Police killed Christian Hall and Angelo Quinto.
Anonymous
March 2, 2021 at 5:00 pmTHIS! I am sooo sick of “no, where are you *really* from.” Does it matter?
Also, for some reason, I really dislike it when they send an Asian salesperson to approach me in stores.
Kat
March 20, 2021 at 5:02 pmHa, I don’t mind the salesperson thing, I’m flattered that they think I am a wealthy mainlander, haha!
Sonia
March 1, 2021 at 9:47 amAs a bookstore manager blurbs don’t sway me. Having worked with publishers and done events with authors I know much of it is connections and also a publishers pushing of a book, some books you can tell are just being positioned to be big. And most of our staff favorites are not those which are being positioned as the new masterpiece.
Hadilly
March 1, 2021 at 10:17 amPeninsula reader here, which Asian restaurants do you like? I’m always up to try something new and support the Asian community, especially now. I like Chef Zhao in Palo Alto. The ginger fish at Jing Jing (also Palo Alto) and the samosa soup at Rangoon Ruby (various locations) are both excellent.
Theresa
March 1, 2021 at 10:25 amI do not read blurbs – too short and generally not helpful. I do like forwards by other authors. It provides real insight and an outside perspective to the author’s process, inspiration, and makes connections I wouldn’t normally know about. So I say yes to forwards and snappy summaries on the inside jacket to capture my interest – like a good movie trailer. No to blurbs and save that back cover for beautiful artwork.
mct16
March 1, 2021 at 10:54 amOk first: I read book blurbs! and they matter to me! How interesting to know that authors hate them, that makes me kinda sad to know! Especially when I am considering reading something from someone I don’t know well, if there is a blurb by someone I do know and respect, that can potentially seal a sale for me. And I love reading them even for books I have already bought bc it feels like the authors all know each other, which is kind of fun to imagine :).
how have I been coping? working more. Initially I thought work was so overwhelming and made my life miserable but now I have done a 180 and think that work actually helps me feel less desolate and gives me purpose outside of just keeping my kids alive and well. finding little bright spots like mastering a new baking project (I made my own baguettes for the first time). Being outside as much as possible. Retail therapy (too much of this).
On retail: I have been buying so many things from new brands I had not found before COVID. Most notably Jason Scott for tees and tanks (pls do check them out, their cotton is seriously revolutionary and COZY, you will want to pet yourself with it on) and Jennie Kayne for all things cashmere.
Lilian
March 1, 2021 at 10:58 amHOOORAYYYYY FOR VACCINES! So glad you’re closer to the point where your Mom can be with y’all more frequently without fear of catching the ‘Rona.
Book blurbs are okay by me 🙂
How are we coping? We’re at the wall, I’m afraid, so this weekend, we took the kids away for a spell, to just breathe fresh air and do outdoor things. It’s helped a great deal 🙂 My husband and I run, so we took time to do a couple of long runs, and it was awesome. We’ve kept at our runs and workouts indoors since we can’t go to the gym, and it really did give us something to look forward to.
Anonymous
March 1, 2021 at 12:57 pmYes, I read book blurbs and think about it after I read the book to see if I feel the same way. A book without blurbs is… I don’t know. It’s like someone on facebook without anyone writing happy bd on their wall? It doesn’t mean much if it’s there but sort of strange without?
Anonymous
March 1, 2021 at 1:55 pmYes – I need book blurbs! I rely on them to filter all the book recommendations from various sources. If they sound too similar, too generic then I know to move on. I’m confused though, if there is no blurb then how do you know what the book is about?
Interestingly when my child was taught about using a library and selecting books at school, they were taught “read the blurb”
Anonymous
March 1, 2021 at 2:46 pmNote from Kat: this was an email, which I got permission to post as a comment anonymously:
No, I don’t trust book blurbs, generally. Sometimes if I have a little idle time on my hands I’ll research the relationship between the author and the book blurber/“reviewer” and it irritates me to discover that this one was that one’s dissertation advisor, for instance. Sometimes I find book blurbs amusing especially if the blurb is guarded in its praise or otherwise just plain snarky, (“this popular overview” referring to a scholarly work), or over-the-top gushing. Sometimes the book blurb is veiled criticism and I’ll think “oh no!” But I generally don’t trust a short blurb. I think they can do a lot of damage and not much good, unless the blurber is wildly famous, like Murakami or Margaret Atwood.
Rainy
March 1, 2021 at 2:55 pmWonderful in Milbrae is really excellent, and there’s a noodle restaurant in Mountain View – Chang’An. Awesome biang biang noodles.
Kristy
March 1, 2021 at 3:29 pmHow interesting! I don’t rely on book blurbs (assuming it’s only the endorsement part) these days, with reader reviews being so accessible on listings and Goodreads. Though I do have fond memories of running around B&N as a kid, and I relying on book blurbs to decide whether or not to try a new book / series.
For the past year (how is it almost one year), we’ve been dutifully supporting our closest AYCE kbbq spot. We’re really hoping they make it through, and at least now outdoor dining is a good boost. It’s extremely disheartening to see what’s been happening lately to the AAPI community, especially with elders. Glad to see, at the very least, some influencers, celebrities, and media bringing light to the matter, though there’s still a long way to go.
Anonymous
March 1, 2021 at 5:09 pmI don’t read book blurbs. I find them uninformative, generic, and very very annoying. I still don’t know how to determine whether a book is worth reading though, I am solely relying on recommendations from close friends.
Alisa Gabriel
March 1, 2021 at 5:54 pmI don’t read book blurbs either; I rely on recommendations from friends with similar tastes. And I am making a point of ordering from Chinese restaurants more frequently these days; it’s a small way to fight back against ignorance and prejudice.
Christine
March 2, 2021 at 1:42 pmNo to book blurbs. IMO they’ve become a “you scratch my back …” commodity. Let’s face it, you’ll never read even the slightest critique or less than effusive praise. NY Times, Goodreads, friends with similar interests are much better sources.
S in the USA
March 2, 2021 at 5:07 pmFirst, hooray for your mom!
I don’t read book blurbs at all (if they were not positive they would not be published, right?). Hard to trust. I put a lot of stock in a great book sample (Kindle) or a catchy summary.
As for what I’m buying? Beauty products, especially in small sizes so I can try them! My favorite has been Charlotte Tilbury’s flawless filter – sooo good (it’s light but gives so much glow to my complexion without glitter). Sephora has a small size which is perfect.
I have also been buying Sisley hair products. The hair oil is hands down the best I’ve ever used (straight-ish Asian hair); it really smoothies it out and isn’t greasy at all. Miracle!
Haven’t been buying clothes much; I’ve stocked up on so much Lulu in the last year; how much more do I need?
Kelly
March 3, 2021 at 6:39 amI assume(I really have no idea if it’s true), that book blurbs are either canned and generic from the publishers stable of authors, thus easy to get permission to use. Or, that they are traded like favors, you blurb my book and I’ll blurb yours. Of course they are always lavish in praise. I trust reviews from several sources or recommendations from friends.
Love your blog, I look forward to it every week!
Kat
March 4, 2021 at 2:02 pmThank you everyone for the really helpful comments here! I love the discussion (and love that there are so many book readers)
Reanna
March 5, 2021 at 4:20 pmBook blurbs: don’t really care, but I suppose I’ll give a book a longer consideration if a writer I like/respect says something nice about it. But most of the books I choose are because someone I actually KNOW recommended them…so the blurb isn’t much of a determinant.
Michelle
March 5, 2021 at 8:31 pmI do read book blurbs, it either pulls me in or not. Over the past year, went between cycles of cooking lots (early days), to a lot of take outs and finally now a balance of both. I haven’t been inspired to cook unless it’s something I really want to eat. On the shopping front, mostly skincare, household stuff (decor and storage) with the occasional luxury indulgence where I struggle with being practical versus crazy … I have not worn a pair sandals I bought a year ago, do I really want to plonk money down for another pair? Or do I get jewlery which I can wear or one of those mini bags that can only carry my feelings between rooms at home?