In her eye-opening book, Bernadette Barton, professor of sociology and gender studies, examines America’s raunch culture through sexism, misogyny, and pornography. From politics to religion to workplace, raunch culture has taken over every aspect of our lives. Boys learned about sex though gonzo porn on the internet and applied violent techniques to thier girlfriends. Men objectified women for their own pleasure. Girls competed for sexual attention on social media. The country elected someone who bragged about grabbing women by the pussy to the highest office.

Reading this book made me realize that I had been exposed to raunch culture since I migrated to America at the age of twelve. I noticed the difference between Vietnam and America in regard to sexualized advertisements, rap music videos, as well as the way boys talked about girls at school. I didn’t know what objectify meant, but I was there when a group of boys checked out and commented on girls’ bodies. There was an incident where a boy came up behind a girl and dry-humped her. She punched him back, but the boys laughed. I thought it was inappropriate, but I didn’t say anything. I had friends who handed me adult magazines covered in folders. I took a job at a local video rental store just so I could have access to the porn section. At a certain point, I was craving for real sex after watching porn videos. I had to quit that job and dumped all of my porn stash in the trash as I realized that I had a problem. Nowadays, porn is only a click away. I can’t even begin to imagine if gonzo porns were available when I was growing up.

Reading stories from this book horrifies me. We’re living in a time in which raunch culture is thriving and it is impossible to escape. Fortunately, I am in a different place in my life where I have a meaningful relationship with my wife. She keeps me grounded and away from temptations and seductions. I worry about my boys and their exposure to raunch culture. I had no guidance when I was growing up, but I hope that they can come to us if they come across it.

After reading this book, I am optimistic there is still hope and Barton has provided a path out of raunch culture. Read it, learn it, and apply it.

A week ago, I had a weird dream. In my dream, I was having an affair with someone I had never met, yet I knew everything about her. I knew it was wrong, but I couldn’t resist. I woke up and felt terrible. I was glad it was just a dream. Then I realized that Sally Rooney’s Conversations with Friends had gotten into my head. I was half way through the novel where Frances and Nick were having an affair. Nick was married to Melissa. Although the sex scenes in this book were not as descriptive as in her latest book, the story was emotional and engaging. Rooney is a master at storytelling. I am glad that I picked up this book after reading Normal People last year and Beautiful World, Where Are You a couple weeks ago. I have become a Sally Rooney fan.

This is a super quick introduction to web design for non-designers. Osborn shows the principles of design, which include layout, hierarchy, color, and typography. She keeps each theory short and sweet and without a line of code. I read the entire book in an hour. I am not the target audience, but I have not read a book on web design in a long time. Plus, the book is beautifully typeset in Tisa family.

I had no idea who Glennon Doyle was. I picked up her latest book based on the cover. I can’t even figured out what the heck the artwork is supposed to be, but I spotted on R.E. Hawley’s essay, “Behold, the Book Blob.” Untamed is a collection of personal short essays covering many grounds including marriage, infidelity, feminist, religion, politics, parenting, and love. Glennon found her true love when she met Abby. Yes, the soccer star Abby Wambach. Glennon divorced her husband and married Abby. They raise three kids together. On giving kids their own phone, she writes:

There is so much about phones and children that parents worry about. We worry that we are raising children with commodified views of sex, lack of real connection, filtered concepts of what it means to be human. But I find myself worrying most that when we hand our children phones we steal their boredom from them. As a result, we are raising a generation of writers who will never start writing, artists who will never start doodling, chefs who will never make a mess of the kitchen, athletes who will never kick a ball against a wall, musicians who will never pick up their aunt’s guitar and start strumming.

What I like about this book is Glennon’s untamed honesty. Although the book is 330 pages, it is a quick read. Her prose is short and sweet. Each essay could be a blog post. What I fear is that my wife would fall in love with another woman and would leave me. Then again, it would be less hurtful than another guy.

Dĩ nhiên là em đến Ý để yêu trai Tây và chia tay trai Việt. Vì trai Việt không ga lăng và không lảng mạn như trai Tây. Trai Việt cứ chui đầu vào chỗ làm kiếm tiền chứ không chịu đưa em đi đây đó chơi như trai Tây. Biết rồi và biết rồi nhưng vẫn cố gắng đọc để thử xem câu chuyện tình giữa trai Tây và gái Việt có gì hấp dẫn hay không. Thất vọng là không có. Không tình dục không tình địch gì cả. Đương nhiên truyện tình cảm thì phải có tình dục nhưng tác giả đều lướt qua hết mỗi khi hai người ở chung một giường không để lại một chút chi tiết nào cả.

Rooney’s latest novel revolves around two young couples in their 30s. They live their normal life, which involves work, friendship, and sex. Rooney’s prose is so simple on the surface, but she packs many layers into her story including political, social, and climate issues. Rooney’s sentences are so damn good. Even when she describes a mundane scene like a quiet kitchen, you can see a camera panning through the details like dust or a brown banana. Of course, her sex scenes are so intimate and erotic. I loved all the details. I wish I could write a fraction like her. I am officially a Sally Rooney fan. If you want a guilty-pleasure read, give this one a read.

Cathy Park Hong’s Minor Feelings is filled with major thoughts. From an Asian-American lens, Hong provides a clear-eyed view on race and racism in America. Hong breaks down complex issues with her impeccable prose. Her investigative profile of Theresa Hak Kyung Cha, in particular, is heartbreaking. I want to get my hands on Cha’s Dictee. Reading Hong’s personal, historical, and analytical accounts, I am glad that she represents Asian Americans. We need more voices like her. This collection of essays is a must read not just for Asian Americans, but anyone who is interested in the race issues in America. She is a damn good writer and thinker.

Quyển tiểu thuyết ký sự của cô đào hát cải lương. Bội Châu kể chuyện về cuộc sống của một người nghệ sĩ đằng sau sân khấu và chuyện tình cảm đầy trắc trở khi cô bị chồng bỏ. Phần hai của sách chuyển từ tự truyện sang chuyện của những nhân vật khác nhưng có liên hệ với Bội Châu. Thú vị nhất là chuyện người bạn xem bói và mấy ông Việt Kiều về Việt Nam bị gái dụ. Nguyễn Thị Minh Ngọc viết văn giản dị, dễ gần gũi, và có chúc hài hước cùng cay đắng.

Tập truyện ngụ ngôn của Lê Luynh viết cho thiếu nhi với những chủ đề vây quanh đời sống. Mỗi câu chuyện được tác giả gửi gấm vào một bài học nho nhỏ trong cuộc sống hoặc trong cách đối xử với nhau. Phần minh họa của Nga Phan làm cho những câu chuyện dễ thương thêm sắc màu. Sau mỗi truyện tác giả cho thêm ba câu hỏi để phụ huynh cùng thảo luận với con. Sẽ thử đọc với mấy thằng con xem tụi nó có hiểu gì không.

As a voracious reader, I often ran into an issue called “too many books and too little time.” To help me figure out which book I should delve in first, I would read the first few paragraphs or pages. With Michelle Zauner’s memoir, she pulled me in right from her first sentence: “Ever since my mom died, I cry in H Mart.” Whether writing about her favorite Korean food or her complicated relationship with her Korean mother, Zauner’s prose is just impeccable. The story of her mother battling with fatal pancreatic cancer is heartbreaking. The pain and the suffering reminded me of my own mother who lost her life to Covid-19. I cried and salivated reading Crying in H Mart. It’s a beautiful, soulful memoir.