My American Overtime: The Life Journal of Crystal Kung

At 21, I came to the U.S. thinking I'd only stay a year, but it seems I might spend the rest of my life here.
From student to corporate drone, from being alone to having a dog and a cat, I thought it would just be an ordinary study abroad experience, but then life threw a pandemic, company bankruptcy, and even a massive snowstorm my way?!

★A humorous yet heartfelt record of a tough and genuine life in America, told through engaging illustrations and narration.
★A highly relatable survival guide for international students.
★One person, one dog, one cat, in a room without a door—still able to live a life of substance.
★You'll laugh at these absurd stories, but tears might still well up in your eyes.

In Oakland, one of the top ten most dangerous cities in the U.S., just across the bay from San Francisco, a girl from Taipei embarked on a decade-long journey in America, starting with the mindset of "let's try it for a year." This isn't a glamorous American dream, but an improvised survival story where fires break out everywhere.

"I Have Lots of American Time" is a highly visual, humorous, and authentic graphic novel. Author Crystal Kung uses self-deprecating humor and witty prose to chronicle her true story, transforming from a well-behaved student in Taipei to a fringe artist in America: from her lonely struggles and mounting student debt at animation school, to adopting a sickly pug named "Porky" who changed her life, to bizarre dating app adventures in the Bay Area, the apocalyptic daily routine of hoarding toilet paper during the pandemic, and an American road trip through a blizzard...

The book uses a lighthearted narrative to recount the awkwardness and perseverance of surviving in a foreign land. It also portrays the anxiety, shock, and heartbreak encountered while chasing a dream, and more importantly: how to find a little bit of warmth in chaotic life and keep going with a smile.

If you've ever fought alone in a foreign land, or been made to doubt life by its hardships—
This book will make you laugh until you cry, and then give you the strength to keep going.