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Merry Jiao

Merry Jiao is a senior staff writer at the Daily who has previously served as managing editor, copy exec and social committee co-chair. She is a senior studying international relations and economics, and you can reach her at merry.jiao@tufts.edu.

Read, Write, & Be Merry
Columns

Read, Write and Be Merry: ‘The Bee Sting’ by Paul Murray

By Merry Jiao | April 17

Folks, this is it. The last iteration of this epic, earth-shattering column that was initially cooked up in a dusty old basement under Curtis Hall in the wee hours of the morning. It’s been such a delightful journey for me, from browsing the shelves at Waterstones in Chelsea to digging through stacks at Porter Square Books in Cambridge, as I try to find the next best read.

Read, Write, & Be Merry
Arts

Read, Write and Be Merry: ‘Once There Were Wolves’ by Charlotte McConaghy

By Merry Jiao | February 27

Okay, so here’s some background on this book of choice. Two years ago, I was coming off the high of finally getting back into reading books (shocking, I know, considering the reputation I’ve gained since then). I had just finished reading “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens. It was the only ‘mainstream’ book I had read in a while, so it was the only thing to go off of when the librarian asked me what type of book I was interested in reading.

Read, Write, & Be Merry
Columns

Read, Write and Be Merry: ‘Yellowface’ by R.F. Kuang

By Merry Jiao | February 13

I don’t think this book even needs an introduction. It’s quite possibly the most popular book I’ve seen around. From Chelsea to Cologne to Chicago, “Yellowface” always has a spot on the display shelf. In Oxford, it literally had its own little shrine, and deservedly so.

Read, Write, & Be Merry
Columns

Read, Write and Be Merry: ‘The Crazed’ by Ha Jin

By Merry Jiao | January 30

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for “The Crazed” by Ha Jin. Sometimes, I read books that I just don’t get. Something about the prose or the author’s voice, maybe, makes me feel disconnected from the plot and the characters. This book was one of those instances. When I initially picked ...

Read, Write, & Be Merry
Columns

Read, Write and Be Merry: ‘Someone Else’s Shoes’ by Jojo Moyes

By Merry Jiao | January 17

Every time I walk into a bookstore, there are basically four authors I always zero in on: Kate Quinn, Kristin Hannah, Jodi Picoult and Jojo Moyes. They each occupy a different niche in my brain, and for our first week of the new semester, we’ll tackle one of my most recent favorite books: “Someone Else’s Shoes” by Jojo Moyes.

Read, Write, & Be Merry
Columns

Read, Write and Be Merry: ‘Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop’

By Merry Jiao | October 17

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for “Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop” by Hwang Bo-Reum.You! Yes you, the person reading this article. You look like you need a hug. I’m imagining that movie clip from Migration, and I promise you will feel better after reading this. Apparently it’s midterm month over on the other side of the pond, so best of luck to all you poor unfortunate souls :)

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