Books I Read in January

Here we are in February. The snow is falling. Groundhog Day came and went. I can't recall hearing about the groundhog or if it saw its shadow so I'm not even sure if it's a thing anymore. I hope spring comes early this year. I am weary of staying in and wearing socks.

J has learned to climb entire flights of stairs. I need to learn how to teach her to climb backwards down the flight of stairs now. Today was an exciting development as J managed to stay in the nursery and had fun with the caregivers during the church service and I wasn't called back to extract her from the nursery and given the evil eye of her setting off all the babies in the nursery crying with her wails of separation anxiety.

I have been applying to jobs and yesterday I thought I should test myself to learn how fast I can actually type as one of the jobs I applied for with the government required a certain typing speed. Luckily even with my non-typing for the past two years I was still able to pass the target. My mom used to type at 100wpm on a typewriter so my measly 60 wpm could still use some improvement. I don't yet know what I will do for childcare for J. I guess I will see if I get an interview and job offer before I start to worry about it. And as you read above today's success in the nursery makes me hopeful for a positive transition to daycare. L is still on leave from work.  His mom flies in from Mexico this week. 

I have only read 2 pages in the book I am reading in February. 

But this post was to be about books I've been reading. January I really overachieved and read six books. Six!! I know, shocking. 

So here are a few words about what I've been reading.

   

A Man Called Ove, Rules of Civility and Shanghai Girls were all books I found at the Library book sale earlier in the summer. 

I wasn't really a fan of Ove in a Man Called Ove even though he has a lot of aclaim over on Goodreads. His anger was a little wearing for me. There were some interesting turns as Ove's attempts to commit suicide were thwarted by neighbors dropping by to request assistance. Perhaps it was a little wearing as L was also in a dark place in the month of January. That was hard on me. L has some Ove-ish outlook tendencies minus the anger and telling people off.

I really enjoyed Rules of Civility as it had the feel of the Great Gatsby. I read it in one night while L was working a night shift. I paid for it the next day while caring for J. I havent read a book that late into the night in a long time. If your looking for a book that will wisk you away this is a great read.

Shanghai Girls was an interesting read. It is the tale of two sisters whose father gambled away their future, a mother that risked her life for them, their fight for survival, their disappointments as they find themselves trapped in marriages in a new country at the mercy of a cruel father in law, their devotion to one another and sometimes petty jealousies. I enjoy novels of cultural family relationships. 

  

I listened to an audio version of The Ocean at the End of the Lane read by the author Neil Gaiman. It was so good! His telling was fantastical and fascinating. If I were to recommend one book from January's readings this would be it.

I had wanted to finish Welcome to the Circus by Rhonda Douglas for the January Collaboreads linkup but did not finish it in time and just finished it by the month's end. It is a collection of stories by a new Canadian author that I found at the library. The first story held promise for the book, I enjoyed this tale of three friends in grade school who become enamored with their French teacher. The rest of the book was downhill from there and really ugly stories. I guess they are well written in terms of literary style but they are miserable stories of individuals with addictions and relational problems. It was a depressing read. A depressing note is not a good way to end the month reading which is likely why I'm still on page 2 of my next novel.

Well I'd like to say more because really it's been too long since I blogged but J is playing in the toilet swishing her fingers around in the water of the bowl. Yuck! Fingers to be washed and toilet lids closed, I'm off. 

A-Z Books I Read in 2016

Yay! I completed my Goodreads goal of 26 books and read 29. Haha! I know there are bloggers out there reading more than 100 books in a year and in previous years I might have read more than 29 books. But for me right now I am excited to have met this goal. Wherever you are in life, set your own goals, and don't beat yourself up or feel intimidated by others who are leapyears ahead of you. I aimed in 2016 to read through the alphabet.

I have become a huge fan of Goodreads  I have discovered some other readers and am fascinated to see what they are reading or want to read next. It is a fabulous sorce for book recommendations. I learned this morning I could sort books I read on Goodreads to various bookshelfs and then insert a widget in my blog from Goodreads that would show visually the books on that book shelf (in this instance 2016) and also each book is linked back to Goodreads. It was such a happy discovery!  I updated my Read page on my blog with this widget for both 2016 and 2015 and hope to add one for 2017 also. Adding the widget through HTML code makes me realize I'd like to learn a bit more HTML code as things tend to go a little wonky at times & it makes me realize I if I knew code how much more awesome would my blog be. Haha. Here it is below showing the books I read in 2016.

All the Light We Cannoth See by Anthony Doerr  
Big Little Lies by Liane Morianty
Chasing God by Angie Smith

Drifting House by Krys Lee 

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury 

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee

Hokey Pokey by Jerry Spinelli 

Interrupted by Jen Hatmaker 

The Jade Peony by Wayson Choy 

July's People by Nadine Gordimer 

A Kiss for Maddalena by Christopher Castellani 

Looking for Lovely by Annie Downs

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp

Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist 

The Queen's Vow by C.W. Gortner 

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard 

Room by Emma Donoghue 

Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson 

The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Unless by Carol Shields

The Vacationers by Emma Straub

Wild & Free by Jess Connely and Hayley Morgan

XYZ by Anna Katharine Green 

Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks 

Zoo City by Lauren Beukes 

As I neared the end in the last two weeks of December I didn't have titles for books starting with K and U in my que. I thought it would be challenging to find a book title that started with the letter U but instead K was a really difficult find. X was also really a challenge and while I found a book titled XYZ, a mystery by Anna Katharine Green published in 1923. XYZ almost felt like cheating as it was so short and could have qualified as a short story except that it did have chapters. According to Goodreads it is a novel even if there is no book cover associated with the entry. 

I really only started my challenge of reading 26 books after months had flown by and it was already mid year. I had lost the book, All the Light We Cannot See, I started at the beginning of the year and was stalled as I needed closure on that book before moving on. Finally I was able to request it and borrow it through the library.  Just last week I found the lost copy in question  looking pristine it's pages yet crisp, it's cover gleaming. It's a good thing I never waited until I found that copy or I would have never completed this reading challenge.

I love libraries. I also discovered this year my local library allows me to borrow eBooks and audiobooks from my iPad over the Internet (Hoopla & OverDrive)  from the comfort of my home. This discovery has revolutionized my ability to read and reduced my library fines significantly. I love that sometimes I can listen to a book while playing with J or doing housework where I couldn't have a book in hand before. Sometimes the individual reading the book makes the experience that much better. The narrators Fred Berman and Phoebe Strole  voices of The Time Travellers Wife for instance embodied the characters. 

Then I thought I needed to invest in my faith by reading inspiring books by Christian authors. Oh my word! There is a cult following for some of these authors and several in my estimation did not live up to the hype. It was as if they were just trying to put out a new book. Yawn. I actually scheduled how many pages a day I needed to read to finish one of the books. One I even resorted to underlining as if it were a text book as I kept getting sidetracked. Disappointing! Granted I did find two gems (One Thousand Gifts & Looking for Lovely) that made me think about faith & God and inspired me so I am glad I went on this journey. But I did give up on that list I had made for myself to read. 

Recap of what I read in 2016:

Top Books 

 

All the Light We Cannoth See by Anthony Doerr  

Looking for Lovely by Annie Downs 

One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp

The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Unless by Carol Shields

Fabulous Reads for the Beach

 

Big Little Lies by Liane Morianty 

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard 

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

The Vacationers by Emma Straub 

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes 

Books Reviewed this Year

 

The Jade Peony by Wayson Choy (a collaboreads review here)

July's People by Nadine Gordimer (a collaboreads review here)

Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson (a collaboreads review here)

Looking for Lovely by Annie Downs (a quick mention here)

One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp (related mention to current happenings of my life here)

I'd Rather Have Selected A Different Book to Read For My Challenge Than This Book

 

Drifting House by Krys Lee 

Zoo City by Lauren Beukes 

Chasing God by Angie Smith (the writer's asides were so annoying!)

Wild & Free by Jess Connely and Hayley Morgan (despite all the hype I couldn't get into this book)

Hokey Pokey by Jerry Spinelli (I have mixed feelings about this book...it's weird but interesting in a hokey way)

These Endings...

 

Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks 

July's People by Nadine Gordimer 

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

The Jade Peony by Wayson Choy 

All the Light We Cannoth See by Anthony Doerr  (Overall great ending, I just wished a different fate for the one character.)

Is there one novel that you read in 2016 that you would highly recommend?

Do you finish all the books you start or do you find it easy to give up on a book if it is less than what you had hoped for? If you can abandon books do you have any criteria that helps you make this decision? 

Collaboreads Link Up: Fall

This month's theme for the  #COLLABOREADS link up was a book with the word "fall" in the title. I took a little creative liberties with the word fall and chose the book Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson.

We had a big dump of snow at the beginning of the month so I thought it was only fitting. Thankfully the snow has since melted although the sky is a dismal grey. Winter is on the horizon. Fall is quickly fleeting and already L is playing Christmas songs. 

 

A QUICK SYNOPSIS: A local fisherman, Carl Meine, is found drowned. Suspicion centers on a Japanese American fisherman, Kabuo Miyamoto. After a hasty investigation Kabuo stands trial for murder. The trial digs up a contentious land deal between the Miyamotos and Meines. A backdrop is set of the Japanese internment and the roots of prejudism that pulse in the small island. Island reporter to the trial, Ishmael Chambers, wrestles with his secret childhood love affair with Kabuo's wife Hatsue, his memories of fighting the Japanese in the war, and evidence he finds in the eleventh hour of the trial. 

RIVETING: As the evidence mounts against Kabuo I found myself hanging onto a glimmer of hope that he would be yet found innocent. Why Kabuo, did you change your story? Why did you not speak forth earlier? Why do you sit with no emotion staring out at the snow falling? And yet I also feel curious about Carl's story that largely is silent except told from Ishmael's & the witnesses perspectives. 

ELEMENTS: The faint lines of a mystery ran through this novel as the author unravels the interlocking histories of the protagonists. I enjoyed the slow lead up, the descriptive setting, as clues emerge cast in the grey murky accounts biased by perspective, history, and character. 

ASSOCIATE: I have a novel that this book reminds me of in the recesses of my memory but I cannot pull it out. Perhaps it was Obasan by Joy Kogawa I cannot recall. This novel has often been compared to the themes in To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee and the atmosphere of The Shipping News by Annie Proulx. As I was reading I didn't immediately think of TKM however. 

DESIGN: I cannot say I really liked the design cover for this novel. It is dreary. 

 

STARS: I gave this novel a 4/5 stars. I really liked it, however not enough to be a five star rating as it didn't sit as a novel I'm eager to buy for everyone for Christmas. I am looking forward to watching the movie for my next pick for our movie night. I was perusing the PlayStation list of movies in advance and spotted this title to rent. I was surprised it was released in 1999 and recalled it was based on a novel. I enjoy watching movies based on novels. 

If your interested in other novels reviewed this month follow the #collaboreads link. If you'd like to link up next month with a book of your own the theme for next month is a "foodie" book. It could be a cook book, memoir, or book with food in the title. It should be fun to salivate over what everyone is reading. 

#Collaboreads Banned Book

I love the idea of a book club & the Collaboreads link up is kind of like an online book club. This month the book selection was a banned book. It is Banned Books Week (September 25-October 1) in the States & while in Canada Freedom to Read Week runs February 26-March 4 I had a book in my cue that was once banned. 

 

The banned book I read is July's People by Nadine Gordimer. July's People was banned in South Africa shortly after it was written in 1981 until 1994. It was written prior to the end of Apartheid and presented a possible outcome of civil war as a backdrop to the novel where Whites have had to go into hiding to avoid being killed. From this place of refuge in the few days after their exit the story is told. It is a time of ambiguity. I found a quote as to why this book was banned, "the subject matter is questionable...the language used is not acceptable, as it does not encourage good grammatical practices...the reader is bombarded with nuances that do not achieve much...any condemnation of racism is difficult to discover--so the story comes across as being deeply rascist, superior, and patronizing." (1)While I do not fully understand South Africa's history or the end of Apartheid in South Africa I was surprised that this book was banned. (I didn't realize it was banned until I returned it to the library and then decided to add it to my bookshelf on goodreads as completed & read a few reviews.) It almost makes me want to re-read & then review this period in South Africa's history to see if I can understand why this book caused such an uproar. Almost.

RIVETING.

What part of the book could you NOT get enough of? 

I am in awe of the author utilizing tone so effectively. There is a strong sense of ambiguity "not knowing" throughout. Even the dialogue with its unfamiliar structure and lack of quotation marks & named speakers leaves the reader wondering. Much of the dialogue is ambiguous, those conversations that make one wonder what was meant. I am always fascinated by stories of escape. While the plot does not drive the book it is enough to keep me turning the pages wondering what happens to the family. Here the Smales, a white middle class liberal family of five, take flight from their suburban home and flee the violence under the direction of their servant to the village of his family. Displaced they find themselves dependent, living in his mother in law's one room hut. They do not know what is going on back in the city, if their home has been looted & burnt, they do not know if they can get out of the country or even if they should.  Even the ambiguous ending is fitting. Has Maureen run to safety & rescue or captors & her death & what of her family?

ELEMENTS.

How did you relate to/care for the characters? What’s your thought on the plot line and twists and turns? 

At first the lyrical language, alongside the cadence of the speakers colloquial tongue, made the book difficult to read. I was disoriented with nonlinear time sequencing trying to make sense of why this flashback was included here, and what it meant. Then the point of view shifted.  I wouldn't want to read novels like this on a regular basis but I gradually became accustomed & see how these elements mirrored the crisis of personal identity & shifts in balance of power. 

I liked Maureen's spunk. She was testy, tense, on edge, but also determined.

While the ambiguous ending stuck with me for several days and I found myself mulling over this book I also thought it was too abrupt. I didn't see the ending coming and much of the novel felt unresolved.  

ASSOCIATE.

What other books are like this one? If none, did it remind you of a particular TV or movie with it’s themes and characters? Does it serendipitous-ly line-up with things going on in your life or the news right now? 

I was reminded of A Blade Of Grass by Lewis DeSoto. A Blade of Grass is also lyrical & set in South Africa. It explores as this book what it means to be Black & White, entitlement, and the price of freedom. 

In some ways it makes me think of the Syrian refugees in Canada. What would it be like to flee? What would you take in those panicked last moments? What would the moments after include? Would life always feel like an interlude? I imagine even in Canada there is still a strain of prejudism, barriers they must encounter, 

DESIGN.

You know you judged this book by the cover. What did you think of it? How did it relate to the contents of the novel? And the font and layout of the pages?  

The copy I picked up from the library was a paperback. I love how paperbacks feel. After reading some thick hardcover books holding only 160 pages was welcome. I liked the cover design; this semi abstracted landscape & writing feel like school. Reading the author is a Nobel Prize Winner set this book up already as one I should invest my time in and consider i.e. not give up after the first confusing chapter. 

STARS.

How many out of five do you give this book? Would you recommend this book to a friend? 

I would give this book a solid 3.5. I liked it. To a literary friend I would recommend. 

Wherever You Are, Be Fully There.

 

 

I've been listening to the audio recording of One Thousand Gifts read by the author Ann Voskamp. If I were to answer what has brought me to tears lately this book would be it.  It is so heartfelt. Tears were leaking from my eyes the other day as we were eating lunch, listening, J looked at me perplexed & reached for me. I brushed the tears away and smiled, it's okay, baby. Because even though the telling in some chapters is sad, there is also so much hope, beauty, and joy in others. I am encouraged and inspired. "Wherever you are, be fully there." 

Lately J has been really clingy. If I so much as step out of the room or set her down to play on her own she's in tears. If I try to have someone hold her for a moment her lip quivers and she begins to cry. It is impossible to leave her at the nursery at moms group. Her tears lift in an instant when I pick her up & we dance around the kitchen. She babbles away happy. My floors need sweeping, I have boxes of books to yet haul in from the garage and go through, laundry to wash & fold, dishes to do, my to do list keeps growing. I've been holding her lots and was told repeatedly recently that I need to leave her, let her figure it out, work on having her be more independent. I was told I should go back to work, put her in daycare because this dependence was not good. It was bemoaning all this to my mom the other day and worried that perhaps what I was being told was true. I was feeling worn down. Where had my social butterfly gone? It was exhausting being needed so fully. My mom set me back on my feet in an instant. This is so good! It means she is forming healthy attachments. Really? Huh! And I remembered then a little of what we had learned when we were thinking about adoption. In a conversation my attitude shifted, I had felt close to tears myself, defeated, and now I realize what a gift this is. 

I read an article this evening on healthy attachment in babies. "Babies and toddlers who are securely attached will let you know it loud and clear... .So, while it may be disheartening to hear your baby’s cries, take heart in knowing it’s an indication they’re solidly attached... .If your baby seeks you out first when startled or scared, you’re on the right track... .Have you ever noticed that your baby continuously has their eye on you? While they may venture a little further when learning to crawl, or accept the arms of a stranger, they’ll only do so with your reassuring eyes... .Separation anxiety is distressing for everyone involved, particularly a new caregiver left with the daunting task of soothing a crying baby. While the upset may be extreme at times, your securely attached baby...will greet your return with smiles and reaching arms... .Parents of securely attached children tend to put in much more play-time than those who aren’t. ...While you may not enjoy hours of carpet time, simply chatting, smiling and stimulating your baby’s mind with books and music means you’re providing the social stimulation babies thrive on... .Some fear responding to their baby’s needs creates a dependent or “spoiled” child, but it’s quite the opposite. The trust that forms from healthy attachment leads to greater independence and a more self-assured older child." (1) Yay, to all that.

This book, One Thousand Gifts, and my mom's encouraging reminder have been such a boost for me this week. 

I love the photo above of the lioness with her cub. Beautiful. One day that little cub will be a lion. Lions are symbols of strength, courage, and leadership. I want my precious baby to one day be brave, a leader, a woman of strength & courage. 

3 Books: Recently, Currently, & Future Read

I am joining up again today in the Blogtember Challenge. In the Blogtember Challenge the challenge is to blog every day in September. I skipped yesterday because the prompt was favorite instagrammers. My favorites are my long time pals, some of whom only post once in a blue moon, it is with great joy when I finally see their hilarious antics. Pals if your reading my blog, I'd love to see a new update on Instagram soon.  The other one of my favorites is an infertility/IVF comrade in Vancouver who is one sassy lady; I relish her sass. So I won't do shout outs for you all to follow these. 

But today is a prompt that is near to my heart. Reading.  For Monday September 12, the Blog-tember prompt is: 3 Books! One you just read, one your currently reading and one you want to read. 

Just Read: Looking for Lovely by Annie F. Downs

I listened to this book read by the author herself. I think listening to her voice made the book so much richer. It was if we were sitting in the living room just chatting about nail polish, sushi, men, podcasts we had just listened to, etc. Annie is so real. Annie is all about exploring the broken-crazy bits of herself in a conversational way, letting God show her the lovely where she has seen ugly & pain & and encouraging her readers to look for lovely in their own lives.  It is ultimately a book of transformation --a transformation that has begun and is not yet finished. I like that aspect  of incompleteness. It is like we are on a journey together. Annie is not saying, hey everyone this is how you do it because I've done it and I have it all together. I feel like I know Annie in a way after reading this book and I am excited for the next chapter in her life.  I resonated with Annie because I too am a quitter. It's not a particularly admirable quality. It shouldn't be hard to lose the 20 pounds I've gained in the last five years since being married but oh it so is! If I just followed myfitnesspal right and committed to losing a pound a week for 20 weeks I'd be there. That's only 5 months. Easy peasy right? I continually lose and regain the same five. Oh and we both have PCOS. Joy. And yet in this book is the reminder to not give up, to persevere, to face the hard things, that the pain is worth it, & the other side glorious.  Ladies this is a great read--and if you have a small group of ladies that meet up or something of that type such as a bible study group I would recommend as it has looking for lovely challenges at the end of each chapter & is great subject matter for taking about real life: our issues, insecurities, challenges, relationships, achievements, etc.

Currently Reading: Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

So early in the summer I was in a book store. I love books stores. I wanted a book for our getaway that was a light read & fun. I had been struggling through a book, that I have yet to finish, and wanted to be swept away in a book. So I picked up Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. It is a young adult fantasy novel. It was kind of like Hunger Games meets Game of Thrones PG version meets Carebears. I finished it in two or three days. I was hooked. It was such a fun read. So of course there is a sequel and now I just have to read that to learn what happens next. This one is not as gripping as the first probably because the main character is getting a little annoying and the betrayals are never ending, but I am a third of the way in and I think I am rounding the corner to where the plot thickens & I just have to keep reading to find out what happens next.

Next in Line to Read: Room by Emma Donoghue

This year I set a challenge for my self to read 26 Books on GoodReads. I thought I would read through the alphabet, with each letter of the alphabet being the start of the title of a book. I also thought I would read more books that would challenge my faith and so looked to the Influence Network for a list of books. These I am finding are not fast easy reads however. Do you know how hard it is to find books that start with the letter z that I actually want to read? Reading challenges are a great way to get us out of our comfort zones of reading & also to spur us on to read more. Last year I read 38 books out of 50 (or 52 if by trilogy category it meant all three) in the popsugar reading challenge of 2015. Currently I have only read 6 of 26 books with 2 more almost finished. So... I am not sure if I will actually meet my goal this year.

That all said, my next book in line is Room. When I was watching the Oscars, for the fashion, I was fascinated by the trailers for Room and have decided to read this novel of resilience before I watch the movie. That is also what I said about Still Alice, which I loved, and have yet to see.

From the author's website: "Room, is the story of a five-year-old called Jack, who lives in a single room with his Ma and has never been outside. When he turns five, he starts to ask questions, and his mother reveals to him that there is a world beyond the walls. Told entirely in Jack’s voice, Room is no horror story or tearjerker, but a celebration of resilience and the love between parent and child....Room was inspired by… having kids; the locked room is a metaphor for the claustrophobic, tender bond of parenthood. I borrowed observations, jokes, kid grammar and whole dialogues from our son Finn, who was five while I was writing it. Room was also inspired by... ancient folk motifs of walled-up virgins who give birth (e.g. Rapunzel), often to heroes (e.g. Danaë and Perseus).  Room was also inspired by… the Fritzl family’s escape from their dungeon in Austria – though I doubt I’ll ever use contemporary headlines as a launching point again, since I didn’t like being even occasionally accused of ‘exploitation’ or tagged ‘Fritzl writer’."

Reader Response:

1) Have you read any of these books? What did you think?

2) Are you on Goodreads? Do you know how to follow someone who is also on Goodreads who is not a facebook friend? For instance if you have a favorite blogger who is also a reader and is often talking about their Goodreads?

3) Is there a book you read because it was also being released as a movie but cannot bring yourself to now watch because the book was that good?

Collaboreads Link Up: The Jade Peony

 

I love the #Collaboreads book lovers link up that Rachel A. Dawson & Amber from Mr. Thomas & Me host. Often if I need a good book recommend I come here. 

The short version of this link up is that the hosts Rachel & Amber pick a random criteria for a book & then near the end of the month they meet up & talk about their choices following the R.E.A.D.S. review format. For August they selected a book written by someone that's a different ethnicity than ourself.

Wayson Choy's novel A Jade Peony explores the tension between "old world" traditions and "new world" ways; between cultural alienation and acceptance.  The story is told through the accounts of three siblings within a Chinese immigrant family growing up in Chinatown, Vancouver, in the early 1930s & 40s. 

Riveting

My favorite aspect of the narrative was that each character's story was told from their childhood. As a reader we recall the wonder and confusion of childhood through their experience. Particularly I enjoyed the last narrative from Sekky's perspective. Sekky, the sickly child, that within Jook Liang's & Jung-Sums narrative was overlooked finds himself invested in keeping a secret. Sek-Lung’s babysitter, the beautiful Meiying has committed the unpardonable sin of falling in love with a Japanese boy.  I was interested to learn & had never considered that between the Japanese & Chinese communities within Canada there was tension. 

Elements

The narrative is told from the point of view of three narrators: Only Sister Jook Liang, Second Brother Jung-Sum, & Third Brother Sekky. As novelettes their account illuminated each other & provided depth to their character development.

Character development is stronger in this novel than plot line. There is a faint tragic plot line that runs through each of the narrators story of losing someone. In Jook-Liang's story she wins the affection of Wong-Bak, the elderly "monkey-man" who becomes her only friend & confident only to have him leave on a ship to return to China. Sek-Lung loses both Poh-Poh (grandma) & Meiying. 

My heart broke for the women in this novel. Stepmother is called "stepmother" even by her own children that she gave birth to. Prior to the novels start she had been purchased as a concubine. Throughout the book this title continues to belittle and disrespect her in attempt to “simplify the kinship terms in Canada." Only-Sister Jook-Liang is relentlessly described by Poh-Poh (grandma) as being mo yung-useless. “A girl-child is mo yung” This creates much confusion for the young girl. She doesn’t understand why her grandmother would deem her useless when “after all, she was a girl, too.” 

Associate

This book reminded me of The Joy Luck Club. While in each they discuss some rascist governmental policies and rascist incidents rascism is not the central conflict. Instead the novels focus on relationships & families. Tensions are between generations. Additionally the children struggle with their hyphenated identity. The older generation is frustrated that the children are not Chinese enough while the younger generation is frustrated with the old ways. The children are viewed as only Chinese outside their homes and less than Chinese within their homes.

Just prior to reading this novel my family came to visit & my mom & I visited the tunnels of MJ on the tour of the Chinese immigrant experience within Canada. In the early 1900’s the majority of the large buildings in MJ were being heated by steam. Engineers who looked after this heating system in the basements decided to create a network of tunnels linking the buildings together, so they can easily move themselves and their equipment from building to building without freezing in the cold prairie winters.  During this time, many Chinese immigrants had begun to arrive in MJ to work for very low wages. In order to survive off their poor wages, the immigrants adopted the tunnel system as living quarters and workplaces which were cheap to run, and hidden from the occasional hostile populace. The Chinese laundries presented on the tour were a cruel punishing way for the Chinese men to pay their passage to Canada & later head tax. By consequence the Chinese community presented in novel had much more freedom to go to school, see films at the cinema and have their own businesses. It is possible that the older generation of Choy's novel endured this harsh existence to build the community that the younger generation of the novel grows up in.

Design

It is likely I would not have picked up this novel based on its cover. It is a lucky that I learned of this book as a recommended read for grade 12 students in Saskatchewan and requested it through inter library loans rather than perusing the shelves & picking a book based on its cover. All the while I was reading it I was thinking the cover really needed some design assistance. 

Stars

I would give this book a 5 star rating. I would highly recommend this read. This book is highly acclaimed. I later learned this book was selected in 2002 as the inaugural book for One Book, One Vancouver for the Vancouver Public Library and the 2010 edition of Canada Reads. With this book Wayson Choy won the Trillium Book Award & the City of Vancouver Book Award. 

Reading Habits

Reading Habits Tag

I love books and reading! 

I was excited to find this morning Rosie @ +Rosies Cottage  tagged me in a fun reading quiz.

Reading Tag - The Questions  

Do you have a certain place at home to read?

I read mostly sitting on the couch in the living room with my feet propped up on pillows and with pillows at my back. Always pillows! Or in bed with pillows behind my back. 

Bookmark or random piece of paper?

My mom is always making me bookmarks that are so sweet but really I use any random piece of paper that is close. In my book currently I have three random pieces of paper- an appointment reminder from the doctor, a pamphlet on becoming a member of the art gallery, and the reminder slip when you check out a book at the library. I usually only have one random piece of paper. 

Can you just stop reading or do you have to stop after a chapter or number of pages?

I have to stop at the end of a chapter or a natural break. I think I learned this habit when really young and my mom was calling me to help in the kitchen or go to bed. I could usually draw out a few more minutes by calling I just have a few pages until the end of the chapter.

Do you eat or drink while reading?

I like to have a cup of tea or coffee. Before I was pregnant on the weekends that coffee included a little Baileys on the weekend. I love a cookie or two while reading although I've had to give up cookies as of late with my recent diagnosis of gestational diabetes. Sigh! Celery and carrot sticks are just not as exciting. 

Do you watch TV or listen to music while reading?

L is a gamer and so yes the tv is on and the music is playing. Right now he is playing x-com. I really don't understand it but sometimes I have to watch a particular sequence when he says watch this. Or he will ask me which ability I think he should pick for a particular character. This game has all these aliens that launch attacks on particular countries and the characters have to defend those countries or save civilians. Sometimes he watches poker on tv or some shark show. So the tv is usually on while I am reading but I usually have it semi-blocked out. 

One book at a time or several at once?

I generally read one book at a time. If I start a second book it is hard to get back into the first book.

Reading at home or everywhere?

I will read anywhere. My favorite is to read in a coffee shop. I will read while waiting for appointments, in the car while waiting for L while he is in a shop running an errand. In the summer sometimes I liked to read at the park. I once spent a year reading Anna Karenina on my 15 minute coffee breaks and 1/2 hour lunch break when I worked for Opus Framing and Art Supplies because we had to take scheduled breaks and because they were scheduled it meant only one person was on break at a time so there was no one to socialize with. 

Reading aloud or silently in your head?

I read silently in my head. When I was in university I had a friend in Political Science who would read the textbook walking up and down the halls. He subliminally influenced me because sometimes if I was trying to study/cram for an exam I would read outloud. But only if I was the only one in the room! 

Do you ever read ahead or skip pages?

Oh yes! And it ruins it everytime. It is a terrible habit. I really do not like that I do this but sometimes if the narrative is really slow or if there are a number of characters but only one that I find really fascinating I will find myself with my thumb in the section I left off and there I am reading half way through the novel. If I catch myself early enough I will put the book down and take a break from the novel. If I don't catch myself then I can end up on the last page and by that time it is too late and it is debatable whether or not I will actually go back and finish the novel.

Do you ever write in books?

No. I have picked up novels with comments by the reader and thought they were really interesting. I am a highlighter though! Give me a highlighter in a textbook or on kobo in a non-fiction read and I go crazy with colour!

Thank you Rosie for tagging me! If you haven't visited Rosie in Scotland do! Now it is my turn to tag some others. There is no pressure to participate or when to participate in this reading habits quiz and as Heather from Icing on the Cake mentioned it took her several months to get to. 

Veronica @ Passion, Pink & Pearls

Jessica @ Tall World After All

Evalina @ Fortunate House

Amanda @ The Lady Okie

Elizabeth @ Chasin' Mason

And all my reading blogger friends. Want to join in? If you have a blog write your own version and come back and leave your link in the comments section or just add your thoughts in the comments section below. 

A Backlog of Reads

Here is another reading challenge update in less than a week! I have a backlog of books I've read to write about.

Here is what I've been reading:

A Book A Friend Recommended: The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo


I've been seeing this book blogged about, instagrammed and mentioned in numerous conversations so finally decided to read it and see what all the fuss was about. I am not sure if it is worth all of the fuss but there a few good ideas that Maire Kondo presents.  I almost feel like it could all be summed up in a short handout. I should have taken notes and made that handout for you all. The read is relatively quick and by the time you are finished you think I should pass this on so that it does not clutter up my house.  I passed it on to my mom.  So...this is not a comprehensive review by any means as I read the book in early October and what did not stick then is long gone.

A take away concept I did absorb was to consider if something brings you joy. As I have already been in the process of thinning out my wardrobe and thinking about capsule wardrobes this concept was easy to grasp and I think I was already there. It is the idea that the items of clothing or books should be items that you love and which bring you joy. If not then it should be discarded. I was inspired after reading this book to consider and let go of some of the things I hang onto but are stored in closets never to be seen or used. I have way too many books and notebooks/binders filled from courses I have taken. I intend when unpacked to purge many of my books- either to sell or give away. This is a project I intend to tackle in the new year in the new house!

I also liked the idea of tackling categories not rooms. I had done this with my clothes and it definitely made it easier to assess and discard. I also did this for my husband who is much more emotionally attached to items and often keeps items for sentimental value. I do not have as deep of an emotional connection with items. I think in helping someone else this philosophy of asking is this something that brings you joy or is it something you love is very helpful. With L and his 20 collared golf shirts for instance some of his sentimental value was the fact that he had purchased it at such a great deal on such and such shopping trip, but when questioned if he loved it or it brought him joy when he tried it on it was easier for him to part with. I assembled all of my office type supplies as one category and sorted into sub-categories. It definitely made for ease in locating and when I was diligent returning. Unfortunately as we are in transition as as my husband needs some of these they have slowly meandered from their location. It is really a challenge when living with someone else! My mom also commented on this while she was reading it saying she must be single!

While I see the value of this type of organizational decluttering philosophy set forth by Marie Kondo on a day to day basis there is still the straightening of a room and putting away of items that must occur. For instance right now I survey my living room and see that I have not finished yet decorating the Christmas tree so the boxes of decorations are still out. There is a book on top of these boxes that I checked out from the library. Clearly it should not live there but my hands were full of groceries when I came home. There are two loads of folded laundry that should be put away but L is sleeping as he is currently working nights and I don't want to disturb him. A blanket has slipped off the couch and the pillows on the couch need fluffing, a hoodie hangs over the edge of the couch, the coffee table is a mishmash of television remotes, coffee cups, receipts, socks that did not have mates, keys, and diabetic supplies I just picked up from the pharmacy. Clearly tidying up is not magic but an ongoing process of picking up and putting things back in their homes or straightening them so they do not look all haphazardly placed.

This book is clearly inspirational and if you google this title you will find all kinds of inspirational accounts of how this book has been life changing. Amazon gives this book 4.5 stars. Goodreads rating ranges from 3.1-3.8. I give it a 3.


A Book Set During Christmas: Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

What a fun read! I liked it! I give it 4 stars. If you enjoyed Arrested Development you will enjoy this novel with it's deadpan absurdity. Bee has achieved in school and as a reward asks her parents if for Christmas they might go to Antartica. Her parents reluctantly agree. This sends her mother into a tailspin as her anxiety over travelling increases and she relies on a virtual personal assistant to arrange their trip. Her husband becomes suspicious at the actions of his wife suspecting she is having a mental breakdown and plots an intervention to commit her to a mental hospital that goes awry when Bernadette disappears. Bee to make sense of her mother's disappearance collates the Internet postings, public records and private emails she has received from an anonymous source.

A Book Set in a Different Country: Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Anne Fowler

This novel started out slow and I was not sure if I would enjoy it but by the end my reservations were dismissed and I recommend this novel. I give it a 4 star rating. Goodreads rates it at 3.79. I finished this novel just after reading F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, This Side of Paradise. Reading this novel in succession to the novel by Fitzgerald as well as having read The Great Gatsby years ago made my enjoyment of it much more immense. I was not familiar with the lifestory of Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald that has been mythologized. It was an interesting fictionalized take on the emotional life of Zelda that Fowler interprets from various accounts, and a look women's issues in the 1920s.

A Popular Author's First Book: This Side of Paradise by Scott Fitzgerald

This novel also started out slow and was full of poetry and language that I did not grasp. My favorite point actually came when the novel switched to a play while at the same time I thought it entirely odd that the genre had switched for a short section. The descriptions of the setting in the play reminded me of Tennessee Williams. I would not have thought Fitzgerald a literary genius based on this read despite reviews that claim it was a romantic and witty novel. The main character spun helplessly or deliberately out of control throughout the course of the novel. There were little heroic qualities about him. After reading the novel Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald I could see semi-autobiographical aspects of Fitzgerald either his fears or his desires woven into the character of Amory. If you plan to read Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald do give this novel a go. The context is worth it. I would rate this novel a 2.5.



I likely will not complete the reading challenge by the end of December that I started at the beginning of this year but I think I have made a solid effort.

I went through the remaining categories this past week and made a list of books I intend to read, which is half the battle.

A Book By a Favorite Author You've Never Read Before: Truth & Bright Water by Thomas King
A Book From Your Childhood: The Blue Castle by Lucy Maud Montgomery
A Book with a Colour in the Title: The Jade Peony by Watson Choy
A Book that Came out the Year You Were Born: The World According to Garp by John Irving
A Book with a Love Triangle: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
A Book More than 100 Years Old: Beowulf by Unknown, translated by Seamus Heaney
A Book Set Somewhere You've Always Wanted to Visit: Lunch in Paris by Elizabeth Bard
A Mystery or Thriller: The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
A Book that Scares You: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
A Book Your Mom Loves: ??
A Book Published This Year: The Royal We by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan
A Play: The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov
A Book You Were Supposed to Read in High School But Didn't: Davita's Harp by Chaim Potok


As always if you have a novel choice for one of these categories that you think I should read do recommend as my choices are not yet set in stone and I love to hear from you! What have you been reading? What do you recommend? Did you read any of the novels above that I listed or reviewed? What did you think of them?