Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant: A Memoir | 
pickI really enjoyed listening to this memoir. Chin talks about his experience growing up as a gay Chinese American in 1980s Detroit, where his parents ran a long lasting Chinese restaurant. He discusses the turbulence of the city during that time, tensions with race, expectations of family, & coming to terms with his sexuality. Chin narrates the audiobook & does a great job inflecting it with character & humor
#Nonfiction2024 @Riveted_Reader_Melissa
#ReadingBracket2024 Nonfiction Update
October was a slower reading month and I didn't manage to finish any nonfiction books. I hope to remedy that in November! But the third quarter pick is finalized, Chin's memoir moving up the ranks
Sitting waiting in my car to be serviced. I brought this book in hopes it could drown out the news.
pickCurtis walks readers through his life with humor and ample reflection. It was interesting reading about his experiences in his family's restaurant alongside his experiences as he grew into young adulthood. This was a pleasure to read. #nonfiction #LGBTQIA
pickOctober 16, 2024 I learned a lot from this book. It was humorous, witty, and full of character. I loved how the author, Curtis Chin shared his own experiences by categorizing each section with titles like: The Tea, Appetizers and Soups, Rice and Noodles, Main Entrees, The Fortune Cookie. He connected his understanding of Chinese food and incorporated moments of his life where he ate the food with family and working in the Chung's. Very relatable
October 15, 2024 The quote on page 162 is a good quote to share because it acts as a reminder that it is okay to identify as gay. No one (whether they themselves are straight or gay) should dehumanize someone who is gay. "Maybe being gay wasn't a death sentence. Maybe there was life and even joy. What that might look like for me, I have no idea, but at least there was hope, and as a young gay teen.... middle of a plague".
October 14, 2024 {continued from last post} Curtis likes high school and as one gets older, so do the hormones and personality. He has a secret attraction to guys but his mom is not aware of it. He finds out he is gay when picking up a Playboy magazine and flipping through it to find many pages of white models wearing nothing but pant and their "bulges" showing
October 14, 2024 The author, Curtis Chin seemed to have a very hard time growing up. His parents owned a Chinese restaurant while their kids (Craig, Calvin, Cindy) + 2 more young ones (that the mom had later) helped to run the restaurant. Curtis is the middle child and being the middle child can be tough at times, especially trying to impress your parents. SO Curtis decides to do a lot of things to impress his mom but his mom is very traditional.
October 14, 2024 Wow! Midway through October and I am about midway through this book. It was pretty interesting because the author speaks about his own life through the lens of a Chinese restaurant. He does pronounce some of the Chinese foods incorrectly but forewarns the reader. I know how to speak Chinese and so far I am able to understand. The author seems to be pretty comical. However when things get sad, he shares that side too.
pickI loved this memoir of a gay Chinese American growing up in Detroit. I'd seen a few very negative reviews on other sites, but this book really resonated with me. Growing up in a Chinese restaurant in Montreal in the late 70's and early 80's, parts of this book felt like my own autobiography. The author and I even share the same surname!
#gottacatchemall (48. Polteageist: Hospitality setting) @PuddleJumper
August Nonfiction #ReadingBracket2024 Update
I read two great nonfiction books this month. The tagged took the month spot but I kept Rainbow History Class as a wild card. I'll decide who's moving on in the ranks next month once I've sat on them a bit
pickI adored Curtis‘s stories of growing up Chinese in Detroit in the 70‘s and 80‘s. He shares stories about being one of 6 kids, helping out in his family‘s Chinese restaurant and his coming to terms with being gay. Just delightful. Also, Chin reads his memoir which is an added bonus.
Curtis‘s family owned a Chinese restaurant in Detroit, MI , and him, his siblings, cousins, grandparents, and his parents all worked there.
I really enjoyed all of his stories, and it felt like I was a customer in the restaurant with everything on and off the menu in front of me waiting to eat.
Overall, I am glad I chose this one over a comedic book, and was very enthralled by his story.
pickCurtis Chin‘s family owned a Chinese restaurant in Detroit where he grew up along with his 5 siblings. He recalls his childhood in the kitchen and working alongside his family in the restaurant with some mouth-watering food descriptions. Chin touches on his political leanings and the section about his college life focuses more heavily on his sexuality which he hides from his family for some time. I appreciated the audiobook narrated by the author.
pickI loved this memoir. Chin‘s writing, his amazing family, the Detroit backdrop, his struggles to find his place in the world really resonated with me.
Really recommend this book! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Release Date: 10/17/23
#NetGalley #NetGalleyGroup #NGGSummerSmashup
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