I really enjoyed most of the short stories & this was definitely my favourite anthology I've ever read. My absolute favourite was 'The Land of the Morning Calm' by E.C. Myers (based on Korean mythology). My heart 💕

My full review can be found on my, The Quiet Pond.Reading A Thousand Beginnings and Endings is, quite frankly, a dream come true for me.Growing up, I never read mythology or stories about my culture - apart from the occasional viewing of Sun Wukong or Mulan. So, not only was reading this anthology validating, it was also gave me a sense of relief because, with this book, Asian teenagers, adults, and children alike will be able to read stories about them and that have characters that are like the...

i have always actively avoided anthologies because short stories have never been my thing - im definitely the kind of reader who needs more than 30 pages to form a connection. buuuut, im interested in asian culture and i adore mythology, so i gave in and decided to give this a try. overall, this wasnt as rough as i thought it would be. there are obviously some stories i enjoyed more than others, especially if i have read something by the author before. i do like being exposed to new myths and le...

We would have been overjoyed to have found this anthology, filled with characters with skin and hair and names more like ours, in our beloved libraries. It’s the book that was missing in our lives for far too long. I have been so excited about this collection ever since I first heard about it. Ellen Oh is a wonderful woman (you may know her as one of the co-founders of the #WeNeedDiverseBooks movement!), and I knew that her co-editing efforts would lend to a perfectly wonderful anthology. I

i thought it was high time for me to get back into short stories, so here we are!1. forbidden fruit by roshani chokshibased on a Filipino myth of maria makiling; roshani chokshi’s writing is so immersive, i almost wish this could have been longer (and could have ended in a way that didn’t have my heart weep in misery).2. olivia’s table by alyssa wongbased on a traditional Chinese festival 盂蘭盆節; a beautifully written and heartbreakingly tender story.3. steel skin by lori m. leebased o...

reimagined South Asian folklore! also, anthology! also, what if this cover just murdered me, right where I stand fifteen stories →Forbidden Fruit by Roshani Chokshi← →Olivia’s Table by Alyssa Wong← →Steel Skin by Lori M. Lee← →Still Star-Crossed by Soman Charaipotra← →The Counting of Vermillion Beads by Aliette De Bodard← →The Land of the Morning Calm by E. C. Meyers← →The Smile by Aisha Saeed← →Girls Who Twirl and Other Dangers by Preeti Chhibber← →Nothing Into All by

This is a collection I couldn’t wait to start. When I was about eight years old, my grandma bought me a volume of Asian Folk Tales and thus, she opened a window to a world that was exotic, mysterious, a land of fairytale to my young mind. This was the beginning of my fascination with Asian cultures, especially the ones found in India and China. I thought that this collection, edited by Ellen Oh, would feel like a magic carpet to the lands that seem so distant, hidden, often misunderstood. Alas,

While I appreciate the book's endeavor to promote more diversity and Asian stories in literature (especially with the cultural diversity of different Asian ethnicities featured), the anthology falls under the same issue that most do with many of the stories being quite forgettable or not as well written. I thought the second half was much stronger than the first, which goes to show the inconsistency of quality. My particular favorites were Spear Carrier by Rahul Kanakia, The Smile by Aisha Said,...

*4.5I actually loved almost every single story in here. The only reason I’m knocking it down a half point was because there were a couple that just weren’t my cup of tea 🤷🏼‍♀️ but if all anthologies could be as good as this one, I’d read many many more!!

DNF at 48%. A Thousand Beginnings and Endings is a collection of short stories that re-imagine South and East Asian myths, penned by fifteen authors tasked with representing their culture. While the myths themselves are interesting, the re-tellings lack sparkle. Halfway through the book, the only alluring tale is found in its opening pages: 'Forbidden Fruit' by Roshani Chokshi. Chokshi conveys a bittersweet tale of love and heartache with colorful prose, though the moral of the story is delivere...

ALERT ALERT ALERTI JUST FOUND OUT THAT THERE IS A FILIPINO STORY IN THIS BOOKas in filipinolike me!!!!i am crying actual tears of joy right now! i've never felt truly represented in any books before and this feels like such a huge step. i love the publishing industry. i love everyone. if you're reading this, i love youso guess what i'm reading next

3.75 starsThis was a lovely anthology! It’s not often that you see Asian characters in YA fantasy, and I’m glad more and more diverse books are emerging.I am Asian myself and seeing my culture’s folklore being retold in a YA anthology made me so happy. I enjoyed most of the stories but I did find some average and forgettable (and even too short). Each story was whimsical and mysterious, with an eerie undertone. I was entranced and captivated throughout.Overall, this was a breath of fresh air and...

Reading anthologies is always an iffy experience for me. I just can’t seem to enjoy them as much as I like traditional novels. My ratings for anthologies almost always sit around three stars. I loved the inspiration for this anthology, but I didn’t enjoy all of the writing. This is definitely a five stars for rep but three stars for the actual stories situation. My favorite part was the authors' notes after each story explaining the myth/folklore that inspired their tales. I could read those in-...

Every story was absolutely amazing.These are the stories of my childhood, the stories that are rarely explored in Young Adult fiction.15 short stories, 15 #ownvoices reads... From mountain spirits to mischievous devils to ancestral ghosts, each story brings alive a vastly unique and refreshing folklore dug from the roots of Asia. Each author adds a short explanation of the original story and why they chose to write what they did at the very end. The settings also range from present-day America t...