SHANGHAI GIRLS by Lisa See
I fell in love with Lisa See's writing a few years ago when I read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. As such, I was really looking forward to reading Shanghai Girlswhen it came out. Initially though, people began saying that it did not compare. So it was with trepidation that I began reading this book, afraid that I would be disappointed. THAT DID NOT HAPPEN. All I can say is that Lisa See has another hit on her hands with this wonderful story of two sisters who emigrate from Shanghai to America around the time of the cultural revolution in China. From the beginning of the book in Shanghai, through their journey out of China, to their stay on Angel Island, and finally their life in Southern California, I was captivated by Pearl and her sister May. Two sisters could not be more different, but more attached than the two women in this book.
As usual, See has imbued this story with a wonderful cast of characters who surround the sisters and help tell the story of the bewilderment of the Chinese population after the 1937 invasion by Japan, the assimilation of the Chinese into American society in the 1940s and 50s, and finally, the mistrust, prejudice, and panic in the US towards Chinese Americans after the rise to power in China of Mao Tse Tung. See is such a gifted storyteller, that you feel like you know the characters personally and the pages just fly by.
My only complaint was that the end of the story left so many loose ends. In a way it was fitting, but at the same time there were many questions left unanswered. I was, therefore, very excited to hear that Lisa See is planning to continue the story of Pearl, May, and Joy in another book.
IMMORAL by Brian Freeman
One thing I always look forward to in a book, is not being able to anticipate the ending. Because of that, I have become a real fan of the thriller genre with it fast pace and high amount of plot twists. In fact, I was beginning to think that no amount twists could be to many, but I have to say, in this book Brian Freeman accomplished it. There were so many plot twists in this story, that I actually had trouble keeping up with them all. Not really, but almost. That is the only thing that I could possibly say bad about this book, though. All in all, it was a fantastic story. Every time I felt that we HAD to have gotten to the final twist in the story, the author would throw in another one and keep the story going for a while longer. The result is a thrill ride from start to finish. And far from detracting from the story line, each plot twist seemed to enhance the story.
In addition to a great story, this book was also filled with a lot of great characters. I found Jonathan Stride's character to be just the right mix of male characteristics, and his relationship with Maggie was really fun to see. In addition, Serena and Cordy were a good match for each other. Obviously Jonathan continues through the series, but I certainly hope that Serena, Maggie, and Cordy also continue to be players in the future stories. Along with the major characters, the characters that the murder plot revolved around were varied and interesting.
All in all, I am glad for three things:
I am glad that I have such good GR friends to recommend books. Thanks for this one goes to both Wendy C and Marilyn
I am glad that I was looking for a book that took place in Minnesota for a monthly challenge. See, there is a definite benefit to reading for challenges.
Mostly, I am glad that I read this book.
08 September 2010
26 August 2010
The Confessions of Catherine de Medici by C. W. Gortner
I think I have always been a Historical Fiction fan. Something about reading about other cultures and times just fascinates me. My first favorite books were The Little House on The Prairie series, and I can still remember picking up my first James Michner. Over the years I have read quite a few HF novels, but the ones about the 14th - 16th century kings and queens are near and dear to my heart. So imagine my joy when I found a new author to devour. That author is C.W. Gortner and the book that introduced me to him is The Confessions of Catherine de Medici.
This book enchanted and enthralled me. From the beginning, when Catherine said, "I was ten years old when I discovered I might be a witch." I was hooked. I have to admit, I was not as familiar with Catherine and the French Court as I am with the English Court, so I wasn't sure what to expect. What I found was that they could hold their own when it came to intrigue, politics, backstabbing, romantic liasons, in short, everything that makes the royal courts so much fun to read about. The excellent story telling in the book brought Catherine and the French Court alive for me.
Being a Tudor aficionado, there were a couple of things that really peaked my interest in the book. Although it did not play a major role, it was quite interesting to see the view of Henry VIII and his court from another perspective. I was also reminded that religious persecution and upheaval was not simply an English phenomena, but in fact was prevalent throughout Europe during that time. In France it was the Catholics vs. the Huguenot followers of Calvin. In that respect, here was one character who I found particularly interesting. Although he was a minor character in actual history, Mr. Gortner gave Gaspard de Coligny a major role in his book. Some may be dismayed at this as it is not historically accurate, but I thought that using a single character was a great way to consolidate all the issues raised by the Huguenots without confusing the reader with a multitude of names. To that end, I am willing yield to Mr. Gorner's creative license in this respect.
In the end, I will just say that, as good Historical Fiction should, Confessions made me want to read more about Catherine and her children, especially Margot and Henri. Mr. Gortner is a great storyteller, and I am looking forward to reading his other book, and eagerly await his new books. I am glad to have another favorite author in this genre.
This book enchanted and enthralled me. From the beginning, when Catherine said, "I was ten years old when I discovered I might be a witch." I was hooked. I have to admit, I was not as familiar with Catherine and the French Court as I am with the English Court, so I wasn't sure what to expect. What I found was that they could hold their own when it came to intrigue, politics, backstabbing, romantic liasons, in short, everything that makes the royal courts so much fun to read about. The excellent story telling in the book brought Catherine and the French Court alive for me.
Being a Tudor aficionado, there were a couple of things that really peaked my interest in the book. Although it did not play a major role, it was quite interesting to see the view of Henry VIII and his court from another perspective. I was also reminded that religious persecution and upheaval was not simply an English phenomena, but in fact was prevalent throughout Europe during that time. In France it was the Catholics vs. the Huguenot followers of Calvin. In that respect, here was one character who I found particularly interesting. Although he was a minor character in actual history, Mr. Gortner gave Gaspard de Coligny a major role in his book. Some may be dismayed at this as it is not historically accurate, but I thought that using a single character was a great way to consolidate all the issues raised by the Huguenots without confusing the reader with a multitude of names. To that end, I am willing yield to Mr. Gorner's creative license in this respect.
In the end, I will just say that, as good Historical Fiction should, Confessions made me want to read more about Catherine and her children, especially Margot and Henri. Mr. Gortner is a great storyteller, and I am looking forward to reading his other book, and eagerly await his new books. I am glad to have another favorite author in this genre.
19 August 2010
In The Beginning
I have had this burning desire to start a blog for a while, so here is my first attempt. I will be posting about my books, projects, cooking, photos, and just life in general. Hope you enjoy.
Today is a book day. The first review is below:
The Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
Being an aficionado of classic mysteries, you might wonder why it has taken me so long to read any of the original Sherlock Holmes stories. After reading this compilation, I wonder that myself. After all, I have read pretty much every Agatha Christie mystery written. In defense, I can only say, I don't know why. I ordered this book from the library after Rick (one of my GR buddies) and some others in one of my groups were talking about how much they liked them. "Wow," I thought, "I wonder why I haven't read them."
I began by reading the introduction written by the editor of the compilation and ended up learning a lot about Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes, Doctor Watson, and Doyle's relationship with Holmes that fascinated me and only wanted to make me read the stories all the more. As I began, I could tell early on that they were the type of mystery stories that I really enjoy. I found myself devouring them. I was really enjoying the interplay between Watson and Holmes. In fact, I found Watson to be a totally different character than I expected, and enjoyed his character much more than I thought I would. He really isn't a bumbling fool, but more of an endearing friend. In addition, I began to look forward to whatever quirky encounter they were going to be embroiled in next as none of their cases seemed at all straightforward, but were populated with interestingly unusual characters and quirky plots.
In the end, I enjoyed these stories so much, that I bought a two volume set of the the complete Sherlock Holmes, all 4 novels and all 54 of the stories, and decided to begin at the first one. Three reasons for this decision:
1. Watson kept alluding to other capers in the stories I read that weren't included in that compilation, and I got the distinct feeling that I was missing something.
2. I wanted to get the full effect of the development of the relationship between Holmes and Watson
3. I was enjoying them so much, I didn't want them to end.
What I am hoping to do now, is start over at the beginning and read a story or two a week until I have read them all.
Today is a book day. The first review is below:
The Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
Being an aficionado of classic mysteries, you might wonder why it has taken me so long to read any of the original Sherlock Holmes stories. After reading this compilation, I wonder that myself. After all, I have read pretty much every Agatha Christie mystery written. In defense, I can only say, I don't know why. I ordered this book from the library after Rick (one of my GR buddies) and some others in one of my groups were talking about how much they liked them. "Wow," I thought, "I wonder why I haven't read them."
I began by reading the introduction written by the editor of the compilation and ended up learning a lot about Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes, Doctor Watson, and Doyle's relationship with Holmes that fascinated me and only wanted to make me read the stories all the more. As I began, I could tell early on that they were the type of mystery stories that I really enjoy. I found myself devouring them. I was really enjoying the interplay between Watson and Holmes. In fact, I found Watson to be a totally different character than I expected, and enjoyed his character much more than I thought I would. He really isn't a bumbling fool, but more of an endearing friend. In addition, I began to look forward to whatever quirky encounter they were going to be embroiled in next as none of their cases seemed at all straightforward, but were populated with interestingly unusual characters and quirky plots.
In the end, I enjoyed these stories so much, that I bought a two volume set of the the complete Sherlock Holmes, all 4 novels and all 54 of the stories, and decided to begin at the first one. Three reasons for this decision:
1. Watson kept alluding to other capers in the stories I read that weren't included in that compilation, and I got the distinct feeling that I was missing something.
2. I wanted to get the full effect of the development of the relationship between Holmes and Watson
3. I was enjoying them so much, I didn't want them to end.
What I am hoping to do now, is start over at the beginning and read a story or two a week until I have read them all.
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