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yapxinyi's review
3.0
The title drew me in – I found it fascinating-sort-of-disturbing and thought there might be a similar curious energy running through the book. I wanted to like it. Unfortunately, not sure if it's me and SingLit, rarely does a SingLit poem make me feel things, unlike [a:Ada Limon|291817|Ada Limon|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1427897997p2/291817.jpg] or [a:Chen Chen|407926|Chen Chen|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]... is it me?? Is it SingLit??
I think none of the pieces got me emotionally invested enough to feel anything before I got ripped out into the next one, which was also what made this a quick read. Perhaps it's because the pieces feel very literal for me – it's always telling me something is happening, but who is this "we", this "us" this "I"? It's like telling me about something without actually telling me, which makes me feel as though there's nothing rich savour or soak in. There's not much to take apart and reread, over and over. So maybe I'll reread but...someone else needs to convince me. :P
I think none of the pieces got me emotionally invested enough to feel anything before I got ripped out into the next one, which was also what made this a quick read. Perhaps it's because the pieces feel very literal for me – it's always telling me something is happening, but who is this "we", this "us" this "I"? It's like telling me about something without actually telling me, which makes me feel as though there's nothing rich savour or soak in. There's not much to take apart and reread, over and over. So maybe I'll reread but...someone else needs to convince me. :P
machadamia's review
3.0
This book was written with such love and care I could feel it through the words. Some of them stood out some fell a little short. Much like our attempts at connecting with others, not every single piece would resonate. My favourite one would be This House Stands Divided, one written about her family which really reminds me of mine. Chopsticks touched me in a different way, after experiencing the death of 3 grandparents and going through that same motion thrice. Why, she asks and The lemon table both started and ended in unexpected ways. It's very easy to dismiss this book, some poems feels immature and childish even while others feels like a heavy burden. But recall what the book is about, our need for connection, and you'll realise that it has achieved what it set out to do.
theresidentbookworm's review
5.0
I love browsing used bookstores, and it has been a while since I went into one thanks to the current COVID situation. Recently, however, I had the opportunity to visit Madison, WI, and explore Paul's Bookstore, which is fantastic! Seriously, if you're ever in Madison, I definitely recommend a visit. They have an amazing selection, and I could have spent hours there.
Among the books I picked up there was We Were Always Eating Expired Things. It is the debut poetry collection of Singapore writer/poet Cheryl Julia Lee. From what I can tell, she hasn't yet published a second collection, which makes me sad because I'd love to see more work from her. I bought this collection because I flipped through it and saw a poem titled "You Can Return the Books You Borrow", but then I fell in love with the whole thing. It centers around the idea of a family and its house falling apart and what that looks like. I really loved Lee's verse style and just the narrative of the collection.
If you're looking for an interesting, short poetry collection, give We Were Always Eating Expired Things a try!
Among the books I picked up there was We Were Always Eating Expired Things. It is the debut poetry collection of Singapore writer/poet Cheryl Julia Lee. From what I can tell, she hasn't yet published a second collection, which makes me sad because I'd love to see more work from her. I bought this collection because I flipped through it and saw a poem titled "You Can Return the Books You Borrow", but then I fell in love with the whole thing. It centers around the idea of a family and its house falling apart and what that looks like. I really loved Lee's verse style and just the narrative of the collection.
If you're looking for an interesting, short poetry collection, give We Were Always Eating Expired Things a try!
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