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ajdarm

I like historical fiction generally and trying to read more Asian authors (and translated works).

86 points

0% overlap
Level 1
Reading...Footsteps (Buru #3)
My Taste
Pachinko
Human Acts
Counterfeit
The Bean Trees (Greer Family, #1)

ajdarm finished reading and wrote a review...

2w
  • Child of All Nations (Buru Quartet, #2)
    ajdarm
    Mar 19, 2025
    4.0
    Enjoyment: 4.0Quality: 5.0Characters: 4.0Plot: 4.0

    This book kept me guessing the entire time. I saw the main character Minke grow incredibly during the development of the book. There were some slow, more lecture-y prose as I think is typical of Toer, but he is an excellent author and communicator. I enjoyed this read more than I thought I would!

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  • This Earth of Mankind (Buru Quartet, #1)
    Reading Update from 100%

    I know this book is a part of a series, but the ending is pretty unsatisfying because the “good guys” didn’t win. Which I fully know is the point, but still. A great read with deep, literary insight into colonial Indonesia.

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  • This Earth of Mankind (Buru Quartet, #1)
    Reading Update from 49%

    I literally just gasped. This is a very long book but I literally can’t put it down. Truly a masterpiece. I had this book picked out because one of my reading goals this year was to read more non-Western (specifically, Asian) authors. I’m Indonesian by ethnicity and was wondering if there were books that would be an example of Indonesian literature, and this book was on the top of that list. What a phenomenal piece of literature.

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  • ajdarm finished reading and left a rating...

    8w
  • It Starts with Us (It Ends with Us, #2)
    ajdarm
    Feb 06, 2025
    3.0
    Enjoyment: Quality: Characters: Plot:

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  • It Starts with Us (It Ends with Us, #2)
    Final thoughts

    Overall- enjoyed the character development as well as the new characters. Can’t give it more than 3 stars though, but the story was gripping enough and I was already so invested in the story that I have no choice but to finish it all.

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  • It Starts with Us (It Ends with Us, #2)
    Update

    About halfway through. I can definitely see why reviews said that the first book is better. Although I agree, I am actually enjoying a little bit of the development of characters.

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  • ajdarm finished reading and left a rating...

    8w
  • It Ends with Us (It Ends with Us, #1)
    ajdarm
    Feb 03, 2025
    3.5
    Enjoyment: Quality: Characters: Plot:

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  • ajdarm set their yearly reading goal to 12

    12w

    ajdarm's 2025 Reading Challenge

    4 of 12 read
    It Ends with Us (It Ends with Us, #1)
    It Starts with Us (It Ends with Us, #2)
    This Earth of Mankind (Buru Quartet, #1)
    Child of All Nations (Buru Quartet, #2)
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    ajdarm wants to read...

    12w
    Crazy Rich Asians (Crazy Rich Asians, #1)

    Crazy Rich Asians (Crazy Rich Asians, #1)

    Kevin Kwan

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