Juan > Recent Status Updates

I think the description of Morrie’s decline yet positive outlook as he battled the demoralizing disease that is ALS got me, this is the first time I teared up while reading a book.

I thought of my grandpa, how positive and kind he was, charismatic, and lovely to talk to. And saw him in Morrie. I miss my grandpa a lot, and the resemblance struck home (despite my grandpa not passing from ALS)

Impactful read overall, good to be familiarized with the ever lasting impact of this disease and how factors such as racism, colonialism, sexism, stigmatism, and overall, negligence due to fear of the unknown, enhanced the impact of it on the world

• reclining wood slatted chairs were invited for TB patients to rest outdoors without moving

• pasteurization of milk started to eliminate the risk of bovine TB

• TB patients were very maltreated pre 1880s: “thrown medication while the patient was told to stand in a corner”, they were told to not cry, to not feel.

The story of Angie and her dad really hit hard, having to write fake letters to not sadden

Interesting start with Henry’s story & Sierra Leone’s current (and lasting) fight with TB due to colonialism’s detrimental impact on their society. Eye opening how the romanticizing of tuberculosis in social culture over the years has led to unrealistic beauty standards for women, fueled racism and poor diagnosis/treatment, and more.

Even better to listen to this book tbh, since it’s narrated by Green

I am loving this book! Yumi and Nikoro’s journey together has been such a great tale thus far. Painter learning from Yumi to stack, Fearing the machine & scholars replacement of the yoki-hijo. On the other hand, Yumi learning to paint, to be independent and take ownership of her life, friends etc. i hope they end up together (eventho they can’t physically :( )

Scared abt the stable nightmare! Yumi ran into it

I’m loving it so far!! It’s such a good story, up until chapter 5-6 or so it started setting up the world, picked up immensely once the stable nightmare popped up, yumi’s conflicting/unsettling scenario with the spirit, and their freaky friday ordeal. I’m intrigued!!

Yumi is starting to be painted (hehe) as a very interesting character. The yoki-hijo’s ability to “entertain” and summon spirits to help the people of Torio via rock balancing is interesting.

Poor Yumi is also struggling with her identity and want, isolating but also stressing herself (to the point of collapse :( )

Town is actually Kilahito!! They have brushes, which I’m assuming allows them to paint weapons or act as weapons against nightmares. Similar to Sai from Naruto?

Painter is 19 y/o, loner, lanky, stoic, but he does want a companion or friend. Akane (woman) & Tojin (man) are also painters. They tease him but he doesn’t feel he belongs.

Outsider :(

Briefly mentioned Yumi (haven’t started chapter 2 yet)

Introduced to the Painter (Nikaro) and his role in the town of Hilahito (?)

Picking up more, felt like a lot of drama between “friends” the whole time until now with the world’s fucked up aspects. I get you’re trying to get me to feel bad for Ruth and like her character, or get some sort of redemption, it’s kind of too late for that lol

It’s a little boring? Has had suspenseful moments but it mostly feels like miscommunication and petty things that teens say to each other without thinking

Unsettling slowly as details and explanations come about. Kathy is a cool narrator!

Fire

Really good so far, it was slow at first but now its picking up

Science make my brain hurt