Crying in H Mart by Michelle Cavner

BATB score: 7/10 💋💔💃

A heartfelt memoir from the perspective of an American-Korean daughter through her Korean mother's battle with cancer, reconciliation attempts with her father, and the post-mortem dreams and memories of her mother's Asian influences.

Best to: mothers are always right - "Mommy is the only one who will tell you the truth, because Mommy is the only one who ever truly love you."

Best for: daughters of all ages and all walks of life - one day your tough love mother would pass, do prep for regrets of what could have, should have, would have, the endless loop of guilt throughout her grievance, and the gratefulness aura that you were her daughter

Best as: Asian mother-daughter odd relationship dynamics that is so unique and so true; mixed with numerous mentions of Korean delicacies that makes you hungry

Best passages: “Hers was tougher than tough love. It was brutal, industrial-strength. A sinewy love that never gave way to an inch of weakness. It was a love that saw what was best for you ten steps ahead, and didn’t care if it hurt like hell in the meantime. […] No one in this world would ever love me as much as my mother, and she would never let me forget it.”

"Save ten percent of yourself. No matter how much you thought you loved someone, or thought they loved you, you never give all of yourself. Save 10% always, so there is something to fall back on."