Another Excellent Read!!

[jonipossin]

When I get really excited about a book, it's so hard not to share it!! My latest favorite is Shanghai Girls by Lisa See. The story begins in 1937 right before the Japanese bombed China. The main characters are 2 sisters who escape from China under Japanese occupation. They get to America but only to spend months on Angel Island. Finally on to Chinatown to meet their husbands... and so on. The details are fascinating... I've learned so much! She is an excellent writer and storyteller with lots of history thrown in!

Also by Lisa See is Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. That was one of my favorites in 2008!!

Enjoy!
Joni

[dugarner]

Oh, Joni, I read Snow Flower several years ago, and it was excellent. So sad, deeply painful, my heart just ached. It's one of those that you can say was so good, a must-read, but yet you're not getting out of it without some major emotional involvement with the characters. My other all-time favorite was The Time Traveler's Wife. I can't remember a book I had ever read, next to Exodus by Leon Uris, where I felt so uncannily attached to the main characters. I remember feeling physically drained when I was done with Snow Flower. Very recommended! I'll have to put this one on my list, too.

[readstoomuch]

Joni ... I'm glad to hear that you are liking Shanghai Girls! I have it on hold at our library, but they don't have even one copy of it yet. I'll wait for it . . . I'm in my cheap phase and am trying to wean myself off of buying every book that comes out in hard back! I too liked Snow Flower and the Secret Fan . . . guess that I read it in 2005 when it first came out. Then read Peony in Love a couple of years ago. I thought that Snow Flower was the better of the two books.

If you like these, you would like Memoirs of a Geisha and I loved Falling Leaves: The Memoir of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter by Adeline Yen Mah and if you have never readThe Good Earth by Pearl Buck, you must read it. I sort of got hooked on books about China several years ago and read these and three or four about the Chinese camps in the early years of WWII which were very interesting too.

Sarah ... I remember reading Exodus many, many years ago and really loving it so much. I should dig out my old paper back copy and read it again. Thanks for the memory jog!

[katrinak]

These sound great! I'm going to add Balzak and the Little Chinese Seamstress to Mollie's list of books you might like.

[jonipossin]

I love all of the suggestions! Thanks!! I've read them all except Balzak, Little Chinese Seamstress and Falling Leaves. I'll have to look these 3 up on Amazon (I tried using the library and I had too many fines!) So... I often buy used books on Amazon and have never been stung! They are usually overstocks or marked and can't be sold for reg. price. Really great deals!!

I too loved Exodus and could read that again one of these days!

Love all these suggestions... keep them coming!

[katrinak]

Joni the title is Balzak & The Little Chinese Seamstress (one book) I knew it was confusing when I typed it

[snard]

Learning digital scrapbooking and getting great book suggestions, too. What a great group!
Really enjoyed Peony's in Love Look forward to reading Shanghai Girls.

[dugarner]

Well, let's see . . . I have my standard list of favorites. Near the top is Mere Mortals by Neil Ravin. It's an old book, maybe out of print, but probably available in most larger metro library systems. It is a beautiful novel about a young doctor (I think he's either a resident or fellow at the beginning of the book) and a head nurse who meet at a cancer center at Massachusetts General. Their story is woven so tightly in with the patients they meet and lose over the years---The Professor, Mrs. Roundtree---and so many others that I can still see and hear in my mind. I like his other couple of books, too. I think he only wrote three.

Kind of out-there and maybe not everyone's cup of tea was The Eight by Katherine Neville. It's a live-chess-game mystery/thriller, intellectual and well-written. I enjoyed another of her novels, Calculated Risk, which was not as good, but was very interesting in its own right. The Eight has parallel storylines passing between modern (well, I think late-70's?) times and the era of the French Revolution. The lines eventually cross.

Another author that sticks in my head is Arturo Perez-Reverte, particularly Club Dumas and The Flanders Panel. Not for everyone, but they are beautifully crafted, and the translations are absolutely gorgeous.

[JesseEdwards]

ok. I have to add one that I'm reading right now. It's called "The Midwife" It's a collection of experiences this woman had as a midwife in London in the 1950's. Very good.

[FlowerGirl]

I just finished The Book Thief and loved it. Highly recommended

[jonipossin]

Thanks for all these wonderful suggestions! I'm keeping a list! I bought Mere Mortals on Amazon last night for 50 cents... 3.98 shipping. New... unread!! I'll check on the rest of your books at Amazon later today.

Stacy- I read The Book Thief and couldn't put it down!! I love books that take place during WWII. I too recommend this title!

[dugarner]

Originally Posted by jonipossin

Thanks for all these wonderful suggestions! I'm keeping a list! I bought Mere Mortals on Amazon last night for 50 cents... 3.98 shipping. New... unread!! I'll check on the rest of your books at Amazon later today.

Stacy- I read The Book Thief and couldn't put it down!! I love books that take place during WWII. I too recommend this title!

I'll have to try The Book Thief as well---how could I forget that Eye of the Needle (Ken Follett) is one of my favorites, as well?

Joni, if you don't like Mere Mortals, I'll send you a check for the cost of the book! I'm always nervous recommending books and movies to people I don't know well. I mean, what if you hate it? Now that I think about it, I think they met in New York City, not in Boston. Anyway . . . hope you enjoy it.

[readstoomuch]

I just put Balzak & The Little Chinese Seamstress on hold at our library and will pick it up tomorrow. I remember loving the book jacket of the two little red shoes back when this first was published, but for some reason I didn't read it. I can't wait to start it ... I am now reading The Girls from Ames: a story of women and friendship that a friend mailed to me. It reminds me so much of our group of girls that I've been friends with for 64 years. And, I've just begun David McCulloughs John Adams which will take me two months to finish I'm sure! {I usually am in process of reading from two to three books at a time ... so I'll enjoy the LCSeamtress too!}

[ptknox]

Well, I guess I'm a day late and a dollar short as usual! I just started Snow Flower and the Secret Fan last night and was getting ready to send an email to my friend Mollie telling her she HAD to read this book! Can you tell that I only get to really indulge in my love of reading during Summer Breaks ... I'm apparently behind by about 4 years! LOL!

Another "oldie but goodie" that I go back and re-read every now and then is The Joy Luck Club

[deanie]

Thanks for all these suggestions, girls! John is going to be traveling for most of the next two weeks, so having a book to read is imperative. I have a problem returning things to libraries, so off to Amazon for me too!

[digigrandma]

I love threads like this. My Book Club is always looking for good reads.

I loved Snow Flower so I'd like to read Shanghai Girls, too.

Jesse, I liked Midwife, too.

Oooh, Book Thief, that sounds intriguing.

thanks, everyone!

[angie wags]

Shanghai Girls is in the stack on my nightstand. I'm so glad you liked it. I'm reading Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner right now and loving it! I also have The Help by Kathryn Stockett in the pile. I read a good review on that one.

[jonipossin]

Several friends have recommended The Help... on my list but not on the nightstand yet!

[THAT-GIRL]

I have a ???? Does anybody buy and download books on their iPods/iPhones... ??? 'cause I do... sorry that's how I read... the old fashion way is too heavy to carry and really eyes strain too... so-o-o my question is:... is there "e-Library"... that I don't know about where I can get/rent books...??? All those books sound SO GOOD, but I doubt that I can get them for 50 cents... I bet if there isn't any "e-library" that would be a great idea... just like some programs that they give you for 30 days... and then cut off... something like that...

[dugarner]

Originally Posted by THAT-GIRL

I have a ???? Does anybody buy and download books on their iPods/iPhones... ??? 'cause I do... sorry that's how I read... the old fashion way is too heavy to carry and really eyes strain too... so-o-o my question is:... is there "e-Library"... that I don't know about where I can get/rent books...??? All those books sound SO GOOD, but I doubt that I can get them for 50 cents... I bet if there isn't any "e-library" that would be a great idea... just like some programs that they give you for 30 days... and then cut off... something like that...

No, but I'm pretty close to saving up for a Kindle. We'll see! It would be nice to be able to carry ten books in a little tablet, as much as DH and I read when we're out of town.

[jonipossin]

I have a blog-friend, Melanie, who has the most wonderful blog (Lit Chick) devoted to books! She is always on top of the latest and best... but reads EVERYTHING! She rates them and talks about them! You must give her blog a peek and find something yummy to read... besides all the yummy titles we've come up with!

Also... she does have a new Kindle, Sarah, and talks about it... pros and cons. http://www.litchic.typepad.com. She has 3 young boys and just had a little girl... so her blog is devoted to photos lately. But it's fun just going through her sidebars... loaded with reviews, etc.

I had an email from her last week and she recommended The Help... her latest favorite!

She also has an online book club!

Enjoy!!

[THAT-GIRL]

Joni... the link opened to an empty page...??? can you fix it...

Originally Posted by jonipossin

I have a blog-friend, Melanie, who has the most wonderful blog (Lit Chick) devoted to books! She is always on top of the latest and best... but reads EVERYTHING! She rates them and talks about them! You must give her blog a peek and find something yummy to read... besides all the yummy titles we've come up with!

Also... she does have a new Kindle, Sarah, and talks about it... pros and cons. http://www.litchic.typepad.com. She has 3 young boys and just had a little girl... so her blog is devoted to photos lately. But it's fun just going through her sidebars... loaded with reviews, etc.

I had an email from her last week and she recommended The Help... her latest favorite!

She also has an online book club!

Enjoy!!

[katrinak]

Tatiana, my local library offers downloadable books. You get them in chunks that expire after a set time period, but they have many great titles. I'd check with your local public library to see if they have something similar.

[THAT-GIRL]

WOW thanks Katrina !!! I will definitely check them out... didn't even think about the regular libraries with everything going ON... on line !!!

Originally Posted by katrinak

Tatiana, my local library offers downloadable books. You get them in chunks that expire after a set time period, but they have many great titles. I'd check with your local public library to see if they have something similar.

[jonipossin]

I'm going to try a different format for the book blog that I visit so much. Tatiana... try this... www.litchick.typepad.com and see if it gives you the site. Sometimes it's just a small tweak that makes a difference. You can always copy and paste too! It's well worth it!! Melanie is a sweetheart and really knows her books... and has 'giveaways'.