Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is a wonderful novel about Chinese culture in the 19th century. At the time women were not given equal opportunities. They were expected to spend their lives striving for ideal beauty and being devoted mothers and wives. But two girls learned the secret art of nu shu ('women's writing'). It was a language only women could read. These two girls were paired as 'old sames' with a friendship expected to last a lifetime. "They painted letters on fans, embroidered messages on handkerchiefs, and composed stories, thereby reaching out of their windows to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments."

I thought this book was fascinating especially as See vividly describes the footbinding process. See has done a lot of research to write her novels so the historical facts are accurate. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan chronicles the life of a Chinese girl as she transitions to womanhood and marries. It is incredible what these women would do to prepare for their weddings. They had incredible endurance, pain tolerance, strength, and personal control. This is a must read for anyone who is interested in Chinese culture and history. It is a light and quick read but See gets to the depth of female pain, envy, happiness, and many other emotions.

This book is being added to the Top 10 page. I give this book a Thumbs Up!

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Inge and Mira by Marianne Fredriksson

Inge and Mira was written by Swedish author Marianne Fredriksson. It was translated by Anna Paterson whom I believe is from the UK. Inge is from Sweden and Mira is a refugee from Chile during a time of military unrest. When they meet they instantly become friends and share their passion for plants. However, Mira's painful past is brought to the surface. This is a book about a strong bond between two women from two different worlds.

I was misled from the summary on the back of the book. I thought it was about two divorced women that fall in love but it turned out that they were just friends. I can't say that I understood their relationship though. I didn't understand the book. I had no idea what was going on most of the time. I only clued into a few bits but overall I completely missed the message/plot. I think a lot was lost in translation and it was nothing like I expected. It was hard for my to visualize what was happening, the characters were confusing, the plot was unstructured, and the overall writing style lacked fluidity.

I give this book a Thumbs Down.

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The Host by Stephanie Meyer

The Host was an excellent book, definitely a new fave. This was also a genre I am not used to reading. It's a science fiction about an alien invasion but it is nothing like you'd expect. 

Worm-like aliens have invaded the earth and taken over humans' bodies and minds. For a while Melanie, one of the last survivors, is able to hide from the intruders. But she is captured and implanted with an alien named Wanderer. The transition is not a success. Melanie is able to resist Wanderer (to a degree). Both women end up sharing the same body. They are able to communicate with each other and Wanderer can see Melanie's memories. Wanderer feels the love Melanie has for Jared and becomes infatuated with him as well. They begin a journey to find Jared..

At first the book was a little confusing but a few more pages later you clue into what she was describing. And boy does she have an imagination! Overall it was a creative, fast-paced read with lots of action, suspense, and romance. If you don't like the beginning of the book keep reading because it gets a lot better. The Host is a very interesting and highly recommended read!

I give this book a definite Thumbs Up!

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The Princess Bride by William Goldman

The Princess Bride is a fantasy book about love, princesses, princes, pirates, giants, fighting and more. Buttercup falls in love with a farm boy, Westley, but is forced to marry Prince Humperdinck. Believing Westley is dead, Buttercup draws closer to her wedding night. But before the ceremony Princess Buttercup is kidnapped by three humourously dysfunctional characters. Shortly after the crime they notice they are being followed. The Dread Pirate Roberts interferes with their plans and steals the Princess. . .

The author, William Goldman, had taken the original book (by Florinese author, Morgenstern) and edited out all of the "boring parts". Throughout the book he comments on which parts he is skipping.


I thought Goldman's comments were irritating but the story was very well written. It was easy to read and faced paced with lots of action, romance, and humour.

I saw the movie first, when I was a kid, and it has been my favourite ever since. It's not the type of genre I usually read (fantasy), but, because the movie follows the book so closely, I liked it before I even read it (yes, this review is a bit biased).

I give this book a THUMBS UP! If it doesn't seem like the type of book you would read, I recommend at least watching the movie.

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