Expressing My Voice

I was taught to listen. This meant obeying my parents. It meant paying attention to teachers. Often, I translated this rule as to not talk, to never talk. I once held an inner competition to not speak for a whole day (yes, I won). I’d held back so long I had a difficult time even knowing what my own voice was, figuratively speaking. In high school, I started trying to find out. I wrote lots of poetry (some poems even got published). I did drama (even got some speaking lines). Writing has … [Read more...]

Book Review: Iced in Paradise

Iced in Paradise 5 stars Genre: Contemporary cozy mystery Hirahara pens an excellent ice-cold murder mystery in Iced in Paradise, her first book in the new Leilani Santiago series. As always, Hirahara does an excellent job of infusing interesting historical and contemporary details into her story. I particularly like the insider’s perspective on living in the Islands as opposed to the typical Mainlander view. All the characters in the novel are strong and unique. Leilani, the … [Read more...]

Vroman’s Walk of Fame

"Your loyalties are clear when it comes to friends." I was very excited to witness Naomi Hirahara getting inducted into Vroman’s Walk of Fame this weekend. The Author Walk of Fame started in 2014 to honor authors with a special connection to the bookstore and the community. Other writers who’ve been honored include Luis Rodriguez, Michael Connelly, and Lisa See. Hirahara immortalized her handprints and signature in concrete in front of Vroman’s, the iconic Pasadena bookstore. (She credits … [Read more...]