Review: The Good Earth (by Pearl S. Buck)

My Rating: 4 stars

Pearl S. Buck's The Good Earth is one of those famous classics that I should have read in school but never did so I'm reading it for the first time now since it was chosen as a book of the month for one of my book clubs. I will admit that I was a bit apprehensive about reading this book at first, as I had heard about the long-running controversy over Buck's credibility writing this book as a Westerner with no ties to China or Chinese culture other than having lived there for a period of time. As someone who is already very familiar with Chinese culture (partly because of my Chinese heritage but also because I majored in Asian studies in college with an emphasis in Chinese history and literature), I was concerned about how the story would be told from an authenticity perspective and in a way, I was preparing myself to be critical. Now after having read the book, I am happy to see that Buck actually got quite a lot of things right in her portrayal of what life was like for a Chinese farmer and his family back during the pre-revolutionary era. Buck covers a lot of ground with her fictional story of Wang Lung, his wife O-lan, their family, and the significance of the land (the aptly titled "good earth"), bringing to light many of the social issues that were prevalent back in those days (some of which are still relevant even today). For me, the attitudes toward women as well as the class differences between the rich and the poor were what stood out the most and I can definitely see how the realistic rendering of these issues by Buck through the cycle of Wang Lung's life would've made this a difficult read for some. I myself sympathized greatly with O-lan and despite already knowing what I do about the culture and that it was considered "normal" for women to be treated that way back in those days, it was still heartbreaking to read.

There is so much worth talking about in this book that I don't think I would be able to do any justice to it in such a short review. The story itself seems relatively simple but is superbly told and while most of the characters were not likable, they were realistically drawn and were instrumental in giving us a glimpse into the behaviors and attitudes of that time period. Reading this book brought back memories of my previous trips to China (the most recent one being less than 10 years ago) where I had witnessed first-hand some of the customs and superstitions that were brought up in this book. On one of the trips, we visited a few villages in remote parts of China and I remember how blown away I felt seeing locals engaging in customs and practices that we would find abhorrent and unacceptable, yet for them, it is the "normal way of life" – as natural to them as breathing or eating. It also humbled me to see the conditions that many of these locals lived in – multiple family members crammed into small huts not unlike the ones Wang Lung and his family lived in during the time when they were in the city begging for food – simple dwellings where to have a separate "bathroom" (if you could call a hole in the ground surrounded by 3 long wooden boards a bathroom) with a door on it is considered a "luxury." It reminded me again just how much we take for granted given all the modern conveniences and comforts we have. Of course, the above is just a small portion of the big picture and it can be argued that the actual number of people living in such conditions is probably insignificant given China's vast population and the fact that much of China is truly modernized now (in some cases, maybe even more so than some first world cities). It would be unfair to paint the entire country under the same brush and there is no doubt that China has undergone sweeping changes in the past century that should not be overlooked or forgotten.  However that doesn't change the reality that, in some parts of the country, life truly is difficult as it was portrayed in the story.

I found out recently that this book is actually part of a trilogy. I'm not a fan of book series in general and to be honest, I feel that this book worked well as a stand alone, but since I liked this first one well enough, I will probably read the other 2 books as well some time in the future. Hopefully the sequels are as good as the original.

Review: On Edge: A Journey Through Anxiety (by Andrea Petersen)

My Rating: 3 stars

Let me start off by saying that this book was definitely not what I expected it would be.  When I first read the book description, I had thought this would be a memoir of sorts, about a woman living with anxiety, how it manifests itself in her life and how she handles it, etc. with some factual information and research included as backup.  While the author did indeed recount her personal journey through anxiety in the book, it unfortunately fell a bit short for me because too much of her story was bogged down by facts and statistics as well as a lot of scientific and technical details that I felt was not all that necessary.  At times, I felt like I was reading a scientific journal rather than a memoir.   Don't get me wrong though – this book was absolutely well-researched and those looking for a more scientific explanation of anxiety interwoven with personal anecdotes and stories will probably appreciate the approach the author took with this book.  For me, I loved the personal stories the author told about her struggle with anxiety and the background with her family as well as the plentiful real-life examples she gave to illustrate particular points – these sections worked well for me and it helped to see how the author came to accept anxiety and learned to live in harmony with it.  I also appreciate the author's tremendous honesty in sharing some of the most intimate details of her life and the role her anxiety played during these moments.  However, on the flip side, there were too many times while reading where I got "lost" in the science, to the point that I felt overwhelmed with too many statistics dancing around in my head.  I've never been a science person, which is why I tend to avoid books that are overly scientific or technical, since I know my brain can't handle it and the information will just pass right through, as it did in this case.  It didn't matter how many times I tried to re-read those sections, nothing was sticking so in the end, I gave up trying. 

I initially chose to read this book because I struggle with anxiety myself and so I was interested in seeing how the author's experience was similar or different to mine.  Subconsciously, I guess I was also looking for some "best practices" of sorts – some insight into how others deal with their anxiety that I could perhaps apply to my own situation.  While I got this partially through the author's personal story, I think I would've been able to connect more with the author's experience if the focus had been more on her story rather than the science and statistics behind it.  

In terms of recommendation, I would suggest reading other reviews before making a determination.   I think for those who don't have a problem with too much science or technical facts, this would be an excellent read, as the author's story truly was interesting and there was much to offer in terms of practical application for others who may be similarly struggling with anxiety.  It didn't quite work out for me, but I would still consider this a good, solid book that I don't regret reading.

Received advance reader's copy from Crown Publishing via NetGalley

Review: The Lost Letter (by Jillian Cantor)

My Rating:  5 stars

Jillian Cantor's The Lost Letter is an exquisite book!  From the very first page, I was drawn into the story and could not put the book down – I ended up finishing the book in 1 day, which is a first for me given my busy schedule nowadays.   The story is told via a dual narrative in alternating chapters – one narrative takes place in Los Angeles in 1989 and the other in Austria right before and during the Nazi occupation in 1938/1939.  In the present day, Katie Nelson is a thirty-something journalist who finds herself dealing with a sudden divorce just as she is trying to come to terms with having to put her beloved father Ted into a nursing home when he is no longer able to take care of himself due to Alzheimer's.  Ted was an avid stamp collector his entire life and as a child, Katie always accompanied her father to thrift shops and yard sales to search for what he called the "Hope Diamond" of stamps.  When her father leaves his collection in her care prior to entering the memory care facility, Katie decides to take the collection to a stamp dealer to get it appraised in the hopes of helping her father find any "hidden gems" that might be amongst the stamps, but also because she wanted to preserve the happy childhood she had with both her parents (her mother passed away when she was in college).  Together with the stamp dealer Benjamin – a young man with a tragic past of his own – Katie finds an old letter with an unusual stamp dating back to WWII era and thinking that might be the "Hope Diamond" that Ted has been looking for, the two of them set out on a search to trace the origins of the stamp and the letter.

In the second narrative, we are taken back in time to 1938, Austria, which is on the verge of Nazi invasion.  Frederick Faber is a renowned Jewish stamp engraver who takes in a non-Jewish orphan, Kristoff Mueller, as his apprentice.  Kristoff grows attached to the Faber family, who accepts him as one of their own, and he eventually falls in love with the eldest of the Faber sisters, Elena.  When Frederick suddenly disappears after the Nazis occupy Austria, Kristoff takes up his promise to his beloved teacher to watch over the family and continue on with the engraving business as long as he could.  Kristoff is eventually forced to engrave stamps for the German government that has taken over, however at the same time, he also works secretly with Elena and other members of the Austrian resistance to forge papers in the hopes of getting as many people out of the country as possible.  When the work becomes too dangerous, they must eventually figure out a way to save themselves.  Kristoff and Elena's story is one of love and survival in the midst of a brutal war, made especially poignant given the Faber family's Jewish background.

I love the way the author wove the two narratives together, done brilliantly in such a way that both stories converge seamlessly in the latter half of the book, with a surprise that I totally did not see coming.  As a history fanatic, I also love the rich historical context that the author was able to incorporate into both narratives – whether it was the historical background on the war or details about the stamp-making process, it was all presented in a way that was accessible to someone like me who doesn't have the slightest clue about stamp collecting, let alone the actual creation of stamps.  Like Katie at the beginning of the story, I've always looked at stamps as merely a small piece of printed paper with designs on it that is needed to transport mail from one place to another, but don't have much significance outside of that.  Now after reading this book, I can't help but look at stamps differently – maybe not deep thought or analysis but at least wonder about the story behind them.

This was also one of those rare instances where I liked nearly all of the characters in the book.  Whether it was Katie and Benjamin in the first narrative or Kristoff and Elena in the second one, I found myself rooting for all the characters (the main ones as well as side characters) and wishing, hoping, that they would all have good endings, even though I knew that might not be possible due to the story being about WWII and the Holocaust.  Much of the story that took place in Austria was heartbreaking and even though the parts that took place in present day were less so, both stories still moved me emotionally – the ending itself was heart-wrenching, but at the same time, satisfying.

It's not often that I give a 5 star rating, but this book absolutely deserves it!   Structurally, this book combined beautiful storytelling with a well thought-out plot and compelling, likable, well-developed characters – no easy task, especially when the historical elements are added in there (and again woven in seamlessly).  There aren't a whole lot of books out there that are able to move me emotionally these days, but this book definitely did.  In fact, I am still thinking about the story even now and am compelled to go back and re-read certain sections to pick up on some "clues" knowing what I know now – this rarely ever happens with books I read so for that alone, it deserves high marks!  Highly recommended read, especially for those who love well-written historical fiction.

Received advance reader's copy from Riverhead Books via Penguin First-to-Read program.

Review: Fangirl (by Rainbow Rowell)

My Rating:  3 stars

Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl is not the type of book I would've picked up on my own to read, mostly because the book's target audience is the younger generation and I'm clearly outside the age range now. I'm not opposed to reading YA books as an adult and admittedly I've read my fair share of them over the years (though I base the decision to read mostly on the summary rather than the genre) – however they are usually lower priority for me unless they get picked for book club, which was the case here. I went into this book with much lower than usual expectations, even thinking at some point that I would for sure dislike it given that I've been reading a lot of "adult" books over the past few months and this was too much of a departure from what I usually read, both in style and content. I tried to keep an open mind however and it paid off, as I ended up enjoying this book more than I thought I would (though it also helped that I dusted off my figurative "YA hat" and put it on prior to reading, lol). In glancing through the reviews for this book, it seems like majority of readers fell into one of two camps – either they LOVED the book or they HATED it. I think I fall somewhere in the middle in that I didn't "like" the book enough to give it 4 or 5 stars but also didn't feel it deserved a low rating either, so in the end I settled for 3 stars.

This is the first Rainbow Rowell book that I've read so I can't speak to her style or how this book stacks up compared to her other ones. One of the things I appreciated about this book was the character development – the characters were well-written, realistic, believable, and, despite their many flaws, were quite endearing. There were a few characters I liked throughout the story, such as Levi, Wren, the dad, and even Reagan at certain points. With the main character Cath, I can't really say I "liked" her, as I often found her frustrating, especially when she would stubbornly overthink things (which seemed to be all the time), but I definitely empathized with her. In fact, out of all the characters, I'm able to relate to Cath the most, as I was very similar to her back in my college days. I was also an insecure, socially inept book nerd whose greatest fear was having to interact with people I didn't know in public settings. I disliked going to parties, disliked group projects (because had to work closely with other classmates for extended amounts of time), and basically disliked anything that had a remotely social element to it (except being in class because that was a structured environment). My favorite place to "hang out" was always the library, where I would sit in a corner and read or work on a paper for hours on end. I was also "quirky" and "weird" in that I would take copious notes in class and then spend most of the down time between classes reviewing and re-copying my notes into new notebooks, sometimes even copying the same notes several times! So yea, I can totally understand where Cath was coming from and why she reacted the way she did in certain situations.

The parts of the book that I did not care for at all were all the Simon Snow-related sections. I'm sure there is a reason why Rowell opened each chapter with excerpts from the fictitious Simon Snow books as well as Cath's fanfiction version of the story, but the significance was lost on me. I honestly was not interested one bit in Simon's story or his relationship with Baz (perhaps because I'm not into the whole magic / fantasy / vampire story thing) – to me, it was boring and an unnecessary distraction from the actual story about Cath and her college life. I skimmed most of the Simon Snow sections in the beginning and by the second half of the book, I was skipping those sections altogether. Even though I wasn't able to appreciate the "story-within-a-story" sections involving Simon Snow, I do applaud Rowell for addressing the whole concept of fanfiction itself and incorporating the debate over fanfiction versus "real fiction" via Cath's struggles in her Fiction Writing class. I've never written fanfiction myself but I have friends who do (and are phenomenal at it), plus I'm relatively active in those discussion forums for the subjects they write about, so from that perspective, the "controversy" over fanfiction is a pretty familiar topic for me. In that regard, it was interesting to see how the debate over fanfiction is applied outside of the context of the forums.

And so that leads me to the ending of the book. When I got to the last page of the book and realized it was over, my first reaction was: HUH??? Did I miss something or is my copy of the book actually short a few pages? I'm not sure if the reason why I didn't "understand" the ending was because I skipped over most of the Simon Snow stuff thinking it wasn't relevant? Or did Rowell deliberately write the ending that way to send a particular message? Writing this review now after having some time to think about it, I think the problem with the ending goes back to the fact that there was not much of a story in this book to begin with so there was nothing really to "end" per se. I don't know, but up until the ending, I was actually considering giving 3.5 stars – the ending pushed it back down to 3 stars.

Overall, despite its flaws, this was an enjoyable read – a nice brief escape from the "seriousness" of all the "adult" books that I've been reading lately. Yes, there were some things in this book that were typical YA and most of the "heavy" issues that this book touched on were done mostly surface-level, but I honestly didn't have a huge problem with it considering I wasn't expecting an in-depth exploration of those issues in the first place. I also felt that the book was way longer than it needed to be (especially for a book that has very little to offer in terms of actual story and plot), but at least it was a relatively quick read!

Review: Swimming Home (by Mary-Rose MacColl)

My Rating:  4 stars

This book was a surprisingly good read and a quick one too despite its length (400+ pages).  I will admit though that when I first saw the title and read the summary, I wasn’t sure if it would be my kind of book.  The main reason is because the story seemed to revolve around swimming, both for recreation and as a sport – nothing wrong with that of course, but I tend to shy away from books about athletics and sports because, well, I’m not “outdoorsy” and because I’m not into sports of any kind, I’m afraid I might get bored if a book gets too technical about the sport.  Well, it turned out that with Mary-Rose MacColl’s Swimming Home, I had nothing to worry about.   Yes, the book was about swimming and yes, the sport played an important role in the story, with the author even blending real life swimming history into the story (for example -- names of real swimmers with real achievements, real swim organizations, historical facts about swimming and the women’s movement, etc.).  However, there was much much more to the story than just swimming.  MacColl actually explores a variety of different subjects in the book, including family relationships, friendship, society convention and prejudices, gender equality and women’s rights, coming-of-age, class system (rich versus poor), etc. What I liked best though was the good dose of history that the author was able to incorporate into the story, both via the setting (1920s Europe and U.S. when aviation hadn’t really taken off yet so people took the train or boat when travelling between countries and also no telephone either so people wired one another via telegrams) as well as actual historical events that had taken place (i.e.: the WSA’s fight for women’s rights in swimming, the changes in society that were part of the aftermath of World War I, famous achievements such as swimmer Gertrude Ederle being the first woman to swim the English Channel in 1926, etc.).  There were even some undercurrents of a subtle mystery that ran throughout the story, which resulted in a bit of a twist in the end that I totally did not expect. The beauty of the way the story was written though (yes, this book was definitely well-written), was that none of the subjects this book dealt with were overpowering in any way -- each subject/theme was given adequate treatment without going overboard, which I definitely appreciated.

This book also had good character development, especially with the 2 main characters :  Louisa Quick, a doctor in London who was instrumental in helping to lead the female empowerment through education movement in her youth, and her niece Catherine Quick, a teenager born and raised on a remote island in Australia whose affinity with the sea and swimming was as natural as eating and breathing.  To be honest, I really didn’t like Louisa much in the beginning and some of her actions were truly appalling, but then I realized that the way her character was written was actually very realistic.  Basically, she was a good person who made mistakes – lots of them….in other words, she was flawed just like the rest of us.  Catherine, on the other hand, was a character I liked from the start – her carefree manner was infectious and I enjoyed getting to accompany her as she comes-of-age after her father dies unexpectedly and she is relocated to London to live with her aunt.  I loved that Catherine grew and matured after her various experiences in London and New York, but yet the core of who she was never changed and her passion for swimming stayed strong throughout.

I read a few reviews of this book that said the plot was too slow, which made it hard to get into the story.  I partially agree in that the plot was indeed slow at first and it did take a few dozen pages for the story to really take off, but after that, I didn’t have any problems getting into the story.  In fact, I found the story quite engaging at this point and I was so invested in the characters that I just wanted to keep reading so I could find out what happens to them in the end.  I also appreciated the good use of descriptions and imagery throughout the story – again, adequate and not overpowering while staying true to the historical context of the time period.

This is a book I would definitely recommend, especially to those who enjoy well-written historical fiction that is also well-researched, with a story that has depth, but is also easy to read.  One observation I would like to mention though – I noticed this book was originally published in October 2015, but I received an ARC of this last month with an expected publication date in June 2017.  I didn’t really look into it but I noticed the 2017 release is for the paperback version – so I guess this is technically an “older” book from 2 years ago that is being re-released in paperback now.  Just a random observation in case there is confusion on the release dates for this book.

Received ARC from Penguin Books via Penguin First-to-Read program.

Review: The Little French Bistro (by Nina George)

My Rating: 4 stars

I didn't realize when I started reading Nina George's The Little French Bistro that I would enjoy it as much as I did.   The book was relatively short (Goodreads shows it at 336 pages but the proof copy I received was actually a little under 300 pages), yet it was rich in charm.  I found it easy to get into the book from the start and truly enjoyed getting to know all of the delightful characters in a picturesque setting that was a "feel-good" read pretty much all the way through.

The story starts off with a 60-year-old woman named Marianne who has been stuck in a loveless marriage for 41 years and has finally decided that, for once in her life, she would do what she wants to do rather than what others dictate that she do.  On a trip to France, she decides to jump into the Seine river in the hopes of ending her life – a decision that she bravely and unhesitatingly makes because it made her feel free and happy and useful for the first time in her adult life.  However, it was not meant to be, as she is saved by a homeless man who happened to be nearby and sent to the hospital to recover.  When she is reunited with her husband Lothar at the hospital, he not only doesn't show an ounce of concern for her well-being, he actually berates her for being stupid and ruining his vacation.  He then decides to return home to Germany by himself and, as a "punishment" of sorts, he leaves Marianne behind to make the trip back with a psychologist.  During her stay at the hospital, Marianne comes across a beautifully painted tile of a place called Kerdruc, which she later finds out is a picturesque little port village in Brittany, on France's western coast.   Inexplicably attracted to the beauty of the town depicted in the tile and still wanting to end her own life, Marianne escapes from the hospital and sets off for Kerdruc with barely anything to her name.  Once there, Marianne is surprised and overwhelmed by the warm welcome she receives from the locals, a colorful cast of characters who quickly embrace her into their world and without knowing it, help Marianne get her life back.  While at first it might seem like the story should be sad and maybe even depressing due to Marianne's suicide attempts and the unhappy life that she led for so many years, it actually ends up being far from that.  Everything that Marianne experiences in Kerdruc as well as the people she meets there turned the story into a heartwarming, uplifting story of hope and second chances. 

I loved the writing in this book and the way the author used just the right amount of descriptiveness to make us feel as though we were there in Kerdruc alongside Marianne. The way the little town was described made me want to visit there someday (though admittedly I know so little about France's geography that I have no clue whether that town actually exists or not).  Aside from the setting though, what really drew me into the story were the characters – not just Marianne, but also the wonderful "supporting" characters who each had side stories of their own, yet did not detract from the main story involving Marianne.  I loved reading about each of the characters and even though all of them go through their fair share of issues, it is their attitude of finding happiness in life's small moments and the spirit of living life to the fullest regardless of whatever setbacks may come their way that made them so endearing to me.  My favorite characters were Emile and Pascale Goichon – an elderly couple living in a house in the forest surrounded by dozens of stray cats and dogs.  Emile suffers from the early stages of Parkinson's while Pascale has dementia and at times can barely remember who her husband is, yet the love this couple has for each other spans 50 years and they would go to the ends of the earth for each other if given the chance.  I enjoyed reading about this sweet elderly couple, along with all the other characters I got to meet along the way – from the lovesick chef Jean-Remy to uptight bistro owner Madame Ecollier to young waitress Laurine, the painter Yann Game, also Paul, Simon, Colette, Marie-Claude – too many characters to name, all with flawed personalities but yet endearing and likeable. 

We don't see a whole lot of books nowadays where the central characters are older generation folks in a sort of reverse coming-of-age story, which I felt was the most unique aspect of this book.  Most of the characters were in their 50s and 60s, with a few who were older and only two (it could have been three?) characters who were "young" enough to be the older characters sons or daughters  (the younger characters' exact ages weren't given in the story but I'm assuming they were in their 30s or 40s?).   Even though I'm relatively young in comparisons to majority of the characters in the book, that did not stop me from appreciating the message that the story attempts to deliver:  namely that it is never too late to follow your dreams and find true love.  

 Received ARC from Random House via Penguin First-to-Read program.