just off the bookshelf
>> Wednesday, July 25, 2012 –
book review
it's hard to squeeze in reading time during the summer. so much going on... and my kids think if i sit down to read that it means they have to instantly get bored out of their minds. oh well. i can still sneak in a good 30 minutes at night before i doze off and the book smashes down on my face. (now if that doesn't make you jump, i don't know what does. haha)
by Julie Otsuka
4 stars. this book was a little slow for me at first, but it had me sucked in by the end. it was very interesting to learn about how the Japanese-Americans were viewed and treated here during the 2nd World War. i think i'd be interested in reading another book about this if anyone knows of a good one??
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by Harry Bernstein
4.5 stars. the author was in his 90's when he decided to write this book about his childhood. living in England during the World War I he tells about his street that is separated by an "invisible wall"... the Jewish families on one side and the Christian families on the other.
now i look forward to reading "The Dream" which is a continuation of his story here in the US.
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by Alice Hoffman
4 stars. i wouldn't say this is necessarily an easy read. (for me at least) but i did enjoy the book. i loved getting to know each of the women in the book and how their lives intertwined with each other.
have you been reading this summer?? anything good?
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Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet was a good book about the Chinese- and Japanese-Americans during WW II. It's fiction but still gives you an idea of how people were treated then.
I just recently picked Moloka'i based on your recommendation for our book club. I am about half way through right and really really enjoying it! Thanks for the book suggestions!!
Take care!
I agree! Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford was great. And, if you love Seattle like I do, you'll appreciate it even more. Check it out!
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is an excellent read about WWII.
"Beautiful Ruins" by Jess Walter. He jumps back and forth a lot between characters and time periods but I thought it was wonderful!
I read mostly non-fiction. Right now I'm reading An American Son, the autobiography by Marco Rubio. It's well written!
i love your book selections...you have gooood taste in reads! i've wanted to read the invisible wall for a while now. thanks for the review :)
I love to read! I'll be putting a few of your selections on hold at the library for my upcoming reads. Two of my equally favorite reads this year have been The Blogess' book "Let's Pretend This Never Happened" So funny! and Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. So different but both so great. I try to do a monthly reading list on my blog. You should check it out.
Thanks for the suggestions!
I can't remember if I recommended Pope Joan before? It is good!
I just read Secret Daughter, which I liked. I also read The Bonesetter's Daughter, and liked it as well.
And another I can't remember if I recommended, but it is Wild Swans. It is amazing!
Another vote for Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.
Also the classic novel/memoir on this topic is Farwell to Manzanar.
In high school I read a book called Nisei Daughter by Monica Itoi Sone. It is about the Japanese camps and WWII.
I highly recommend the book "How to Be An American Housewife" by Margaret Dilloway.
I haven't read When the Emperor Was Divine, but just finished Tallgrass. It's a novel about a Japanese internment camp. It was pretty good.
Love all of your suggestions! I just finished The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom. Set in the Old South during the times of slavery. Very good!
I have several to recommend:
Dinner: A Love Story (a cookbook that I read cover to cover!)
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen
I was going to recommend Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet too! Read it and I really liked it! There is also Tall Grass which is completely different from the Hotel one but also about Japanese War Camps. Both are good!
Ditto on Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet! Great sentimental book!
I was going to mention Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet but I see I wasn't the first. It's a good read, but I can't wait to read your suggestion, When the Emperor Was Divine.
Love your rating system. :)
I'm not typically a huge sci-fi fan, but I picked up Stephen King's 11/22/63 and was drawn in so much that I hated to get to the end. Great summer read!
I have read 2 of your 3 books this summer too.
I have to recommend Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet as well. Such a great book! And if you're looking for one geared towards kids, try The Bracelet by Yoshiko Uchido. My aunt spent time in the camp when she was a child so I am always interested in reading about this time period.
I finally read Eat, Pray, Love. I enjoyed it. I am now reading the Hunger Games and I have the Lovely Bones waiting for me after that. Thanks for the recommendations!
Obasan, by Joy Kogawa, is a fictional tale of the Japanese internment here in Canada. Although Canada entered WWII as Commonweath Allies, much earlier than the USA, I think our treatment of the Japanese immigrants was very similar during the war.
I devoured the Uglies Series by Scott Westerfeld this summer and have already lent the books out to be read by my friends. It is such a good read
I loved Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, too. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand is the opposite view, it shows how horrifying life was for our POW soldiers in Japan. It is a must read and is a testament to the human spirit and will to survive. If you haven't already, read The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom--my all time favorite book. WWII history fascinates me.