An engaging short story collection that illuminates diverse aspects of modern China while providing readers a glimpse into recent Chinese history. Like any story collection, I enjoyed some stories more than others, but on the whole, the collection is worth checking out if you're interested in China.

September was such a great reading month. I am well and truly down the #acotar rabbit hole and loving this fantastic series. Severance was a true stand out - deeply strange to read during the pandemic but so unique and fantastic.

Read This Now 🤯
Severance - Ling Ma
River Woman - Katherena Vermette

Pretty Darn Good 😀
Him - Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy
A Court of Thorns and Roses - Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Mist and Fury - Sarah J. Maas
Land of Big Numbers - Te-Ping Chen

#readinginstead #septemberreadingwrapup #readingwrapup

I couldn't get through this title. It ended up not being for me, but I hope it finds a hope with other readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This was a good short story collection. I enjoyed most of the stories. They were all interesting and well written.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

AT the onset, I was surprised to find that this was a book of short stories. I thought I was reading a stand alone novel.. The stories were good and well written, but I was left wanting more; to know what happened next. I suppose I'm just not a short story kind of gal.

Great stories about different people in China. The reader views many cultural aspects thru the lens of diversity and social challenges as China tries to figure out it's place in the world.

this is a great selection of short stories written with elements of magical realism and realistic fiction. i found the storytelling superbly
done. the author weaves in elements of culture, politics, Chinese history, and familial themes.

i found myself extremely drawn into the stories as they unfolded. i felt a deep tension, a hopefulness for the character that was often not fulfilled. the realness of the stories, the uniqueness of the stories - compelled me

Interesting and profound stories, unbeatable writing and approach, make this book a recommended and very pertinent literature. A great way to study what we are and know what we don't understand.

A phenomenal collection of stories. Each and every story is poignant, important and so well written. This collection captured me from the beginning and I was deeply invested the entire time. Exploration of many topics and intersectionalities. One of the my favorite books of the year.

It was a really insightful and interesting collection of short stories. I enjoyed learning more about the Chinese culture, lifestyle and people.

Wow - so so good. Short stories that pack the punch of a novel. I don’t know how the author did it. Characters are complex and nuanced with creative settings and writing style that kept me reading and wanting more. I won’t soon forget these stories. Highly recommend. Wonderful.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to review this book. I struggled to finish this collection of short stories. I found one interesting and the rest just ok.

I really tried to read and like this book but I just couldn't get into it. I just really don't have time to read books I can't get interested in.

I’m judging the L.A. Times 2020 and 2021 fiction contest. It’d be generous to call what I’m doing upon my first cursory glance—reading. I also don’t take this task lightly. As a fellow writer and lover of words and books, I took this position—in hopes of being a good literary citizen. My heart aches for all the writers who have a debut at this time. What I can share now is the thing that held my attention and got this book from the perspective pile into the read further pile.

I love these stories… this is from Lulu, “At night when we sat in front of our computers, you could hear the same tinny chirping of chat alerts all around us, emanating from the floorboards, the ceilings, and the walls, as though hordes of invisible, electronic crickets had stormed the building.”-6

Land of Big Numbers by Te-Ping Chen is an artful short story collection that showcases ten stories that highlight the lives individuals in modern-day China and the diaspora. It's insightful with a dash of magical realism.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this with me. All thoughts are my own.

A collection of heart-warming and heart-wrenching stories of the Chinese culture in contrast to western culture. I did not particularly like the magical elements that made the genre confusing. I wrote this review after being provided an advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

Interesting collection of short stories about Chinese people and culture. Really diverse stand points and kind of a dystopian flair. Made me think a lot.

I’ve been struggling getting into short story collections lately -- but this one was wonderful and reminded me what I really enjoy about reading short stories.

This was a collection of stories that shows the lives of seemingly ordinary people from modern-day China. Really, though, in many of the stories, the characters are so normal, so relatable, you almost forget that they are set within the context of being governed by an authoritarian government until everything goes wrong. From the brilliant student turned imprisoned anti-government activist to the engineer who has worked his whole live to create the perfect invention that will finally get him accepted into the Party that he’s coveted an invitation into his whole life, to the woman just trying to get home after a long day at work who gets trapped in the subway because of “rules,” these stories are haunting and are stories that will stick with me.

Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. It has not influenced my opinion.

A memorable and poignant collection of short stories that offers a precious inisght on what it's like to live under the Chinese regime. Mixing reality with supernatural elements, "Land of Big Numbers" gives a voice to marginalised people, generally those from Chinese provinces who move to cities in search of a better future but whose dreams are often crashed by a merciless system. I thoroughly enjoyed this thought-provoking collection and I'd definitely recommend it!