Today is the last day of the two-week spring festival known as Chinese New Year. As I write this, all across China, the Lantern Festival is taking place, where millions of Chinese celebrate the first full moon of the new year, and fill the streets with a parade of light. In honor of this auspicious day, I would like to recommend a few of my favorite books set in China, or with Asian-American characters.
The Joy Luck Club, by Amy Tan: This is the grandmother of them all, the book that really opened the door to the life and history of Chinese women. While many lovely Asian writers came before her, it was Amy Tan who made literature about China so accessible. Tan's beautiful writing and fantastic characters make this book a must for anyone interested in China. I have read it several times, and each time I come away with something new. This is my favorite of Amy Tan's books, but every one is worth reading.
The Red Thread, by Ann Hood: The Red Thread follows the lives of five Chinese babies, and across the ocean, five sets of adoptive parents waiting for little girls. The stories of how these families become united is truly heartwarming; the title is from a Chinese belief that people who are meant to be together are joined by a red thread, and no matter how long that thread is, it will never break. This would be a great book club book, particularly for adoptive parents; there is a lot to discuss in the story. It's also a good choice for those wanting a book with a nice big bow at the end.
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, and Shanghai Girls, both by Lisa See: Both Snow Flower and Shanghai Girls are wonderful glimpses into the life of Chinese women. Snow Flower, set in 19th century China, follows two girls bound together for life, from foot binding all the way through marriage. Shanghai Girls is about sisters trying to make their way out of Shanghai during the Japanese occupation in the 1930s, including the immigration at Angel's Island in California. Well researched and nicely written, both books would also be good book club choices.
Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China, by Jung Chang: This nonfiction book follows three generations of women in China, starting in the 1920s with Chang's grandmother. Yu-fang was among the last generation of women to have their feet bound, and she was sold as a concubine as a young woman. Chang's mother was an active member of the Communist party until she and Chang's father fell out of favor with the Cultural Revolution and suffered the horrors of "re-education." Chang also details her time with the Red Guard, and coming of age in a turbulent, every-changing China. This is a meaty, intense book that will haunt you, but it also serves the dual purpose of not only entertaining but educating the reader on the history of 20th century China.
This is only the tip of the iceberg of fabulous books about or set in China - I could really go on and on, but you have to draw a line somewhere. I hope your new year is peaceful, with many chances to curl up with a good book!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Suffering Through Book Letdown
The symptoms: excessive sighing, moping, and general malaise; often accompanied by starting a book, skimming the first few pages, and putting it back down in disgust.
It's a terrible syndrome known as book letdown, and I am suffering. You see, book letdown happens when you have finished reading something particularly moving or satisfying, and when the last page is done, you realize that at least for a little while, no other book will even come close.
Book letdown doesn't happen often. It takes a very special book to make every other pale in comparison. This time, the book was Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. A wonderful story, beautiful writing, and details that elevated rather than diminished the plot. It was such a lovely book that when it was done, I felt haunted by the ghosts of the characters I had grown to know and admire.
I've tried to move on. I picked up one book after another, but after 30 pages or so, and with resignation, I would give up. It's not their fault. They were all fine, well-received novels that under other circumstances, I would truly enjoy. And I do feel bad about it - like I should tell that sad stack of books, "Really, it's not you; it's me."
In a way it is like mourning, for the characters you won't see again, their stories left untold, and all the things you will never know about them. I believe this is the reason that trilogies and series are so wildly popular, because there is always the chance that you can meet your favorite characters again.
In the past, magazines and terribly trashy romance novels have been the cure. This weekend, I may have found another solution: my library generously provided me with FIVE books that have been on my "waiting to read" list. Maybe one of those gems will boost me out of my slump. Hope springs eternal!
It's a terrible syndrome known as book letdown, and I am suffering. You see, book letdown happens when you have finished reading something particularly moving or satisfying, and when the last page is done, you realize that at least for a little while, no other book will even come close.
Book letdown doesn't happen often. It takes a very special book to make every other pale in comparison. This time, the book was Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. A wonderful story, beautiful writing, and details that elevated rather than diminished the plot. It was such a lovely book that when it was done, I felt haunted by the ghosts of the characters I had grown to know and admire.
I've tried to move on. I picked up one book after another, but after 30 pages or so, and with resignation, I would give up. It's not their fault. They were all fine, well-received novels that under other circumstances, I would truly enjoy. And I do feel bad about it - like I should tell that sad stack of books, "Really, it's not you; it's me."
In a way it is like mourning, for the characters you won't see again, their stories left untold, and all the things you will never know about them. I believe this is the reason that trilogies and series are so wildly popular, because there is always the chance that you can meet your favorite characters again.
In the past, magazines and terribly trashy romance novels have been the cure. This weekend, I may have found another solution: my library generously provided me with FIVE books that have been on my "waiting to read" list. Maybe one of those gems will boost me out of my slump. Hope springs eternal!
Monday, January 24, 2011
Vampires with a Twist
The Radleys are just like every other family in a small village outside London - a friendly mom and dad, a boy and girl in school, a lovely home and an SUV in the driveway. But the Radleys are hiding a big, bad secret - they are vampires.
This is not your "Twilight" type of vampire story. Matt Haig's The Radleys is a slightly campy and very funny book about the consequences of trying to be "abstainers"- vampires who choose to live their lives as normal humans, without drinking blood. And they do try, very hard, to fit in. Peter Radley is the village doctor and Helen is a typical stay-at-home mom. Their children, 15-year-old Clara and 17-year-old Rowan, are blissfully unaware of what makes them so different until a terrible incident causes Clara's blood lust to appear.
On the surface, the Radleys are just a little quirky. Except for Clara, they eat meat, (lots of it, and rare, please) and can't go out in the sun without wearing 60 SPF sunscreen at all times. They have a terrible time sleeping at night and parents Peter and Helen struggle every day to follow the rules of "The Abstainer's Handbook" so that they can live their lives with humans. But the night Clara is attacked and retaliates by devouring her classmate changes everything. Peter calls in his brother Will, a legendary (and very active) vampire, to help them through the crisis. Peter and Helen must reveal the truth to their children, and Will's appearance triggers a series of events that will change the Radleys forever.
Haig's sly turn of phrase and insight into the lives of a suburban family make this book all the more enjoyable. This is a vampire story the likes of which we haven't seen - Haig focuses not just on the drama of living to drink blood, but about how this can affect a typical dysfunctional family who already has more than enough on their plates.
The Radleys is a fun and fast read, perfect for adults and teens alike. Even if you are not a fan of vampire fiction, take a trip to the dark side with Peter and his family. You might find you like it.
This is not your "Twilight" type of vampire story. Matt Haig's The Radleys is a slightly campy and very funny book about the consequences of trying to be "abstainers"- vampires who choose to live their lives as normal humans, without drinking blood. And they do try, very hard, to fit in. Peter Radley is the village doctor and Helen is a typical stay-at-home mom. Their children, 15-year-old Clara and 17-year-old Rowan, are blissfully unaware of what makes them so different until a terrible incident causes Clara's blood lust to appear.
On the surface, the Radleys are just a little quirky. Except for Clara, they eat meat, (lots of it, and rare, please) and can't go out in the sun without wearing 60 SPF sunscreen at all times. They have a terrible time sleeping at night and parents Peter and Helen struggle every day to follow the rules of "The Abstainer's Handbook" so that they can live their lives with humans. But the night Clara is attacked and retaliates by devouring her classmate changes everything. Peter calls in his brother Will, a legendary (and very active) vampire, to help them through the crisis. Peter and Helen must reveal the truth to their children, and Will's appearance triggers a series of events that will change the Radleys forever.
Haig's sly turn of phrase and insight into the lives of a suburban family make this book all the more enjoyable. This is a vampire story the likes of which we haven't seen - Haig focuses not just on the drama of living to drink blood, but about how this can affect a typical dysfunctional family who already has more than enough on their plates.
The Radleys is a fun and fast read, perfect for adults and teens alike. Even if you are not a fan of vampire fiction, take a trip to the dark side with Peter and his family. You might find you like it.
Monday, January 17, 2011
The Ups and Downs of Women's Fiction
OK, let's call it what it really is - chick lit. And just like anything else, there is good, bad and downright ugly among the many thousands of women's fiction books out there. After a couple of intense books (including the last book of The Hunger Games, which I finally finished over the holidays), I decided it was time to try something lightweight. Within a week, I had finished two books which definitely fall into the chick lit category: Lisa Unger's Fragile and Isabel Wolff's A Vintage Affair.
At first glance, Fragile seemed to be a quick, fun read- small town mystery, girl who goes missing, families torn apart by secrets -with characters that seemed both interesting and believable. But the fun stopped there. The first warning sign came when I kept putting Fragile down and conveniently forgetting to pick it back up. By the time I was halfway through, it was almost painful to try to finish it. Not only was Fragile poorly constructed, jumping back and forth between present day and the past, but there were so many subplots and twists that by the final chapter, I had no idea who half the people were and what crimes they had committed, and nor did I care. Unger's cringe-worthy last line - "... how the connections between them were as terribly fragile as they were indelible." - is the perfect example of how poorly written the book is.
Lisa Unger is a popular writer, with several bestselling books to her credit. I went into Fragile thinking that it might not be Pulitzer prize-winning, but would certainly keep my interest. It was nothing but a disappointment, and despite having a free, dowloaded copy of Beautiful Lies by Unger on my Kindle, I don't think I can bring myself to give her another try.
With some misgivings, I quickly moved on to Isabel Wolff's A Vintage Affair, a novel that was well-reviewed and sounded intriguing. A Vintage Affair is about Phoebe, a young woman who leaves her job at Sotheby's to opens her own vintage clothing store in London. While it is definitely "chick lit," reading this book was a completely different experience. A Vintage Affair contains the best elements of what women's literature offers; there's a little mystery, some romance, quirky characters, and an unresolved crisis, but wrapped in a story that was just delightful.
Wolff's well-researched and beautifully written descriptions of vintage couture, from cupcake dresses to clutch purses, made reading this book a pleasure. It was easy to lose myself in Phoebe and her supporting cast - the mystery surrounding an elderly client with a difficult past, Phoebe's romance with a widowed father, and Phoebe's parents, who have their own challenges- and while the writing was sometimes predictable, the story never grew stale. I finished A Vintage Affair within two days, with that satisfied feeling you get after a good meal or a nice long nap.
Not every book has to be groundbreaking, and it certainly doesn't have to be "literature" to be a good read. But every book should in some way entertain and enrich us, the readers, no matter under what category the book falls.
At first glance, Fragile seemed to be a quick, fun read- small town mystery, girl who goes missing, families torn apart by secrets -with characters that seemed both interesting and believable. But the fun stopped there. The first warning sign came when I kept putting Fragile down and conveniently forgetting to pick it back up. By the time I was halfway through, it was almost painful to try to finish it. Not only was Fragile poorly constructed, jumping back and forth between present day and the past, but there were so many subplots and twists that by the final chapter, I had no idea who half the people were and what crimes they had committed, and nor did I care. Unger's cringe-worthy last line - "... how the connections between them were as terribly fragile as they were indelible." - is the perfect example of how poorly written the book is.
Lisa Unger is a popular writer, with several bestselling books to her credit. I went into Fragile thinking that it might not be Pulitzer prize-winning, but would certainly keep my interest. It was nothing but a disappointment, and despite having a free, dowloaded copy of Beautiful Lies by Unger on my Kindle, I don't think I can bring myself to give her another try.
With some misgivings, I quickly moved on to Isabel Wolff's A Vintage Affair, a novel that was well-reviewed and sounded intriguing. A Vintage Affair is about Phoebe, a young woman who leaves her job at Sotheby's to opens her own vintage clothing store in London. While it is definitely "chick lit," reading this book was a completely different experience. A Vintage Affair contains the best elements of what women's literature offers; there's a little mystery, some romance, quirky characters, and an unresolved crisis, but wrapped in a story that was just delightful.
Wolff's well-researched and beautifully written descriptions of vintage couture, from cupcake dresses to clutch purses, made reading this book a pleasure. It was easy to lose myself in Phoebe and her supporting cast - the mystery surrounding an elderly client with a difficult past, Phoebe's romance with a widowed father, and Phoebe's parents, who have their own challenges- and while the writing was sometimes predictable, the story never grew stale. I finished A Vintage Affair within two days, with that satisfied feeling you get after a good meal or a nice long nap.
Not every book has to be groundbreaking, and it certainly doesn't have to be "literature" to be a good read. But every book should in some way entertain and enrich us, the readers, no matter under what category the book falls.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
To Read or To E-Read: That is the Question
2010 was the year of the e-reader. Everywhere you turned there were ads for the newest, biggest, and fanciest e-readers, with Amazon's Kindle and Barnes and Nobles' Nook leading the charge.
I received an Amazon Kindle as a surprise birthday gift this August from my generous brother-in-law. Mine is the Version 3 (not with the 3 G) which features built-in wi-fi and the fabulous pearl e-ink technology. As an e-reader, it is wonderful. It has the ability to organize books into categories (or bookshelves, if you will) and can hold thousands of titles. Amazon's convenient access to the online store on the Kindle screen makes downloading books fast and simple,although not necessarily inexpensive. The screen is crystal clear and offers variable font sizes, making reading a pleasure.
As a true bibliophile, I have conflicting feelings about the Kindle. First, there is the lack of tactile sensation - there's no smell of "new book," and certainly no feel of the page under your hand or the weight of the book on your chest. It's hard to flip back to a section of the book to look for something - Kindle has a search engine but I've found it difficult to use. When you have those "ah ha" moments in a book, you want to rush back to just the right spot when you missed a clue or critical comment. With the Kindle, that is a challenge. And unlike the Nook and most other e-readers, the Kindle does not have the ability to download books from your local library. The cache of "free" books you hear about is somewhat of an urban legend; there are free books out there (particularly if they were written before the Civil War), but unless you are looking for a classic, it requires some work to find them. Most Amazon books for Kindle fall in the $9.99 to $11.99 range - similar in price to the actual book.
But on the other hand...ahhhh, the Kindle. It's lightweight, portable, and can hold as many books as I want and still fit in my bag. With an e-reader, gone are the days of hauling an actual piece of luggage filled with books for a week's vacation. One of the best features is the ability to "sample." It's like being in a virtual bookstore. You can browse and sample almost any book available, and try it for free...all from the comfort of your own home. If there is one drawback to the samples, it's that my list of books to read grows longer every day.
For now, ours is a blended family of physical books and e-books. On my Christmas list was a copy of The Distant Hours by favorite author Kate Morton. Her books are so beautifully written that I knew I wanted the lovely, dense hardback - an electronic copy simply wouldn't do. But the Kindle is loaded with lots of new stuff too, like Our Tragic Universe by Scarlett Thomas - because you can never, ever, have too many books. Happy new year!
I received an Amazon Kindle as a surprise birthday gift this August from my generous brother-in-law. Mine is the Version 3 (not with the 3 G) which features built-in wi-fi and the fabulous pearl e-ink technology. As an e-reader, it is wonderful. It has the ability to organize books into categories (or bookshelves, if you will) and can hold thousands of titles. Amazon's convenient access to the online store on the Kindle screen makes downloading books fast and simple,although not necessarily inexpensive. The screen is crystal clear and offers variable font sizes, making reading a pleasure.
As a true bibliophile, I have conflicting feelings about the Kindle. First, there is the lack of tactile sensation - there's no smell of "new book," and certainly no feel of the page under your hand or the weight of the book on your chest. It's hard to flip back to a section of the book to look for something - Kindle has a search engine but I've found it difficult to use. When you have those "ah ha" moments in a book, you want to rush back to just the right spot when you missed a clue or critical comment. With the Kindle, that is a challenge. And unlike the Nook and most other e-readers, the Kindle does not have the ability to download books from your local library. The cache of "free" books you hear about is somewhat of an urban legend; there are free books out there (particularly if they were written before the Civil War), but unless you are looking for a classic, it requires some work to find them. Most Amazon books for Kindle fall in the $9.99 to $11.99 range - similar in price to the actual book.
But on the other hand...ahhhh, the Kindle. It's lightweight, portable, and can hold as many books as I want and still fit in my bag. With an e-reader, gone are the days of hauling an actual piece of luggage filled with books for a week's vacation. One of the best features is the ability to "sample." It's like being in a virtual bookstore. You can browse and sample almost any book available, and try it for free...all from the comfort of your own home. If there is one drawback to the samples, it's that my list of books to read grows longer every day.
For now, ours is a blended family of physical books and e-books. On my Christmas list was a copy of The Distant Hours by favorite author Kate Morton. Her books are so beautifully written that I knew I wanted the lovely, dense hardback - an electronic copy simply wouldn't do. But the Kindle is loaded with lots of new stuff too, like Our Tragic Universe by Scarlett Thomas - because you can never, ever, have too many books. Happy new year!
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