Book Review - A World I Never Made by James LePore

Title: A World I Never Made  
Author: James LePore
Year: 2009
Page: 288
Genre: Fiction - Suspense / Murder / Mystery / Thriller

FTC Disclosure: I was contacted by Pump Up Your Book. I received a free copy in exchanged for an unbiased review.

Summary (from goodreads.com):
Pat Nolan, an American man, is summoned to Paris to claim the body of his estranged daughter Megan, who has committed suicide. The body, however, is not Megan's and it becomes instantly clear to Pat that Megan staged this, that she is in serious trouble, and that she is calling to him for help.

This sends Pat on an odyssey that stretches across France and into the Czech Republic and that makes him the target of both the French police and a band of international terrorists. Joining Pat on his search is Catherine Laurence, a beautiful but tormented Paris detective who sees in Pat something she never thought she'd find-genuine passion and desperate need. As they look for Megan, they come closer to each other's souls and discover love when both had long given up on it.

Juxtaposed against this story is Megan's story. A freelance journalist, Megan is in Morocco to do research when she meets Abdel Lahani, a Saudi businessman. They begin a torrid affair, a game Megan has played often and well in her adult life. But what she discovers about Lahani puts her in the center of a different kind of game, one with rules she can barely comprehend. Because of her relationship with Lahani, Megan has made some considerable enemies. And she has put the lives of many-maybe even millions-at risk.

A World I Never Made is an atmospheric novel of suspense with brilliantly drawn characters and back-stories as compelling as the plot itself. It is the kind of novel that resonates deeply and leaves its traces long after you turn the final page.

First Sentence:
Dad, I don't own you or anybody an explanation, but I think you'll appreciate the irony of a suicide note coming from a person who has abhorred tradition all of her life.

My Thoughts:

Why this book?

• Murder / mystery / thriller / suspense has always been one of my favorite genre. I have been reading  less of this genre lately (used to be 99% of what I read). I am always on the look out of authors I haven't read before. The premise sounded interesting so I thought I'd give it a try. 

First thought:

• Not bad for a debut.

Cover Art:

• Not too memorable but fitted well with the story.

Title:

• I liked it fine enough.

Writing:

•  Easy to read

Plot:

• Started off promising, but then it got predictable. I was able to guessed most major plot lines. That's the bad side of having read a lot of books in this genre... after a while it became easy to guess who-dunnit.
  
• There was also a slight supernatural element in the story that I didn't know how I felt about it. It played a role in the plot but in the end it made you wonder why this detail was incorporated into the story?

Characters:

• Pat Nolan, the father, and Catherine Laurence, the Paris detective, were likable enough characters but I didn't feel attached to them.
  
• Megan Nolan, Pat's daughter, was probably a character I liked least... can't go into too much without giving too much away.
  
• I found that the minor characters were more interesting and wished they played a bigger role, such as Catherine's uncle, the friends who helped Megan out

Ending:

• Okay ending - wasn't mind-blowing (like the Six Sense) but also didn't make me felt like I wasted my time reading it

Emotion:

• Felt a bit like a TV movie as I was reading the book

What I Learned:

• Gypsies were mentioned in the book, and upon finishing it, made me want to learn more about them!  

Read this Author again?

• Maybe. Depend on the premise. Not bad as a first book, but I hope the author's future books would have more twists

Overall Rating:
3 Stars. Not a bad first effort.

All reviews and posts are copyrighted by Christa @ Mental Foodie. Please do not use or reprint them without written permission.

Disappointed

My second most anticipated book in 2011 was Where She Went by Gayle Forman (sequel to If I Stay). I am a bit picky about YA books, but I enjoyed If I Stay as I could relate to Mia, the main protagonist somewhat.

Have to say though, just like my most anticipated book for this year, Left Neglected by Lisa Genova, I am disappointed with this sequel. Not a bad book, just didn't quite live up to my expectation :( I will do a full review later.

Sigh.

Updates...

Wow haven't posted for 3 weeks... work is still keeping me busy so I just don't feel like writing (but I'm still reading.) or using the computer when I get home... Plus I'd been watching some DVDs (Hoarders: Season 1 and LOST: Season 6 (finally!)) so that cut into my reading time.



Read (yet to do reviews):

Fiction

• The Silver Metal Lover by Tanith Lee
• Still Life by Joy Fielding
• The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen

Non-Fiction

• The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir by Kao Kalia Yang
• Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua
• Girls Like Us: Fighting for a World Where Girls Are Not for Sale, an Activist Finds Her Calling and Heals Herself by Rachel Lloyd

Did Not Finish:

Non-Fiction

• In with the Devil: A Fallen Hero, a Serial Killer, and a Dangerous Bargain for Redemption by James Keene
• Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son's First Year by Anne Lamott

Currently Reading:

• The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
• Lost in Shangri-La: The Epic True Story of a Plane Crash into the Stone Age by Mitchell Zuckoff

Reading Goals:

• One of my reading goals was to read about 50-50 fiction and non-fiction. I think so far I have read 14 fiction and 11 non-fiction, so not too bad.
  
  
• Another goal was for me to read out loud with the Husband (I like print, he likes audio). I am aiming for 5 books. We completed one! It was Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua. We both enjoyed the experience and it was great that we could discuss the book together. Our second book together is Lost in Shangri-La: The Epic True Story of a Plane Crash into the Stone Age by Mitchell Zuckoff and we both enjoyed it so far. I guess we actually started this reading together last year when we took Dave Ramsey's class - part of the homework was to read some chapters of his Peace University book, and I read aloud to him then. When the class finished, I thought it'd be a good idea for us to keep going!
  
• Oh in March received our look list to pick our selection for our local book club! I was so excited to receive the list (yeah I'm a nerd :p) We'll return our vote in April, and will find out in May what we'd be reading from August 2011-July 2012. Can't wait to find out, there were some good ones there (okay I confessed I suggested quite a few titles, but I didn't vote for all my suggestions, even though we got to pick 15-20 titles! So I am glad I found some new authors!)
  
  
• I forgot to mention, I won a copy of Table of Contents: From Breakfast with Anita Diamant to Dessert with James Patterson - a Generous Helping of Recipes, Writings and Insights from Today's Bestselling Authors by Gelman Judy from Kristen Book Club Classics recently. To my surprise, Kristen included a very pretty note card with the book with the book wishing that I'd enjoy it as much as she did. What a nice touch! I haven't read it yet but took a quick look - it included many authors, and each of them answered a few questions such as Inspiration, Readers Should Know, Readers Frequently Ask and Authors Who Have Influenced My Writing, and then of course their favorite recipes. Some of the authors (whose books I'd read) included Lisa Genova, Sara Gruen, Janice Lee, Laura Lippman and James Patterson. I can't wait to read more about the other authors I hadn't read before to see if I'd discover some new (to me) authors! Thanks Kristen!
  
  
• I kept meaning to write more personal posts, or have more discussions posts (been "collecting" some questions). Guess I need to be more discipline about blogging... or rather, have better work/life balance... so much to do (and read) and so little time... Any tips on how to do that better? And to think that we don't even have kids... what would life be like if we do?

Updates...

• Work is keeping me busy once again. I still manage to read about 2 books a week, but was behind with blogging (finally caught up with reviews today). Thus having much time to visit your blogs either, and I am hopelessly behind on replying on comments (THANKS for commenting on my posts by the way! It's exciting to see comments!)

• Also meant to do a Book Vs Movie post, will do that later... (watched My Sister's Keeper and The Girl Who Played with Fire).

• Haven't much luck with fiction this year... only one stood out so far (Matched), and others were just okay or worse (see what fiction and non-fiction I'd read so far this year here)

• Want to read 50-50 fiction and non-fiction this year, but looks like I'm doing 2:1 so far. Perhaps reading more non-fiction will help with my dissatisfaction with fiction. But with work being easy, it's easier to read fiction as I don't have to think as much...

• Sometimes I wonder if my expectations with fiction is set too high? I suppose this year I am trying to read genre I am generally not into, and there's probably a reason I wasn't into the in the first place... but I won't know for sure till I try.
• One of my goals this year is to have a read-along with my husband - since he prefers audio books and I prefer print, we'd choose 5 books together and I'd read to him instead. We started with Unbroken, which is very interesting so far. But we won't be able to finish it before the due date (we don't get to read every night due to my work). It also takes longer to read the book this way - it took me an hour to read 20 pages aloud (it is about 400 pages, with quite a lot of lines on each page... unlike some books with more white space). So will have to return it to the library and borrow it again later. Meanwhile, will choose something else to read - probably something not so new and popular so we can renew it! Thinking of My Life in France by Julia Child. Then after that maybe The Lost City of Z. Want to choose some fiction too - thinking of Shantaram and Cutting for Stone, but both are long books! 

• Sometimes, Sesame (youngest kitty) just doesn't want me to read! He'd curl up at the crook of my arm, and push my book away with his paws, so I could pay full attention to holding him instead... it wasn't so difficult before to hold him and read at the same time as he was just 3.5 lb and I could hardly feel him, now he is probably close to 7lb if not more! Maybe I am just a wuss and need to lift weight :) He also loves to push the stacks of books I borrow from the library off from the top of my cabinet or desk to the floor... maybe I need to read fairy tales to him instead.

• I can't wait till spring gets here... I know other parts of the country are enjoying spring break. Definitely not us. 

Book Review - Christmas, Present by Jacquelyn Mitchard

Title: Christmas, Present
Author: Jacquelyn Mitchard 
Year: 2003
Page: 114
Genre: Fiction - Family

FTC Disclosure: Borrowed from the library


Summary (from goodreads.com):
A fourteenth wedding anniversary is nothing to sneeze at, Elliott Banner knows, but it's not exactly a landmark year—like fifteen, or twenty, when he plans to take his wife, Laura, to Paris. But when a headache on the drive home from their anniversary date—two days before Christmas—turns out to be more than a migraine, he wishes he had celebrated every year as though it were their last.

In this poignant, touching, uplifting story, a woman calmly gathers her family around her during the Christmas holiday to celebrate their lives together—both past and future—and to truly count their blessings.

A family history unfolds in a single night in this deeply affecting story that speaks volumes about love, trust, and letting go—a perfect holiday read that underscores the true meaning of the season.

First Sentence:
For weeks, he'd pestered himself over the fact that he couldn't remember whether this anniversary was the fourteenth or fifteenth.

My Thoughts:

Why this book?

• I was reading about book recommendations on a forum - a thread on "what is the saddest book you have read". Someone suggested this book. I tend to prefer sad to happy books, so added this to my TBR list.

First thought:

• Even though this is a VERY SMALL book (114 pages, and about half the size of a normal hardcover book - even though it IS a hard cover book), I still wanted my 2 hours back after I finish it!

Cover Art:

• Quite pretty, for a Christmas story

Title:

• Clever! 

Writing:

• Urgh. It was a fast read, I'd give it that, and because it's such a small book I decided to finish it to find out if it got better... it probably did not take me 2 hours to read (I read it in 2 settings in the same night, but I didn't time it)

Plot:

• It is supposed to be a sad book - it's about a dying mother for crying out loud. Instead of feeling sad, I felt irritated instead - the pace of the story was rushed, and there really wasn't much of a plot, and for the things that happened, it seemed unrealistic. Here I was prepared to feel all emotional about the story, I ended up questioning whether I have some personality problems instead because I couldn't stand the book. Don't tell me to feel sad because it is a sad story, make me feel sad instead!

Characters:

• None of them memorable really... there were kids in the story, and when you couldn't even stand the kids in a sad situation... I think there's a problem.
  
• There were no character development - even for someone who usually don't like character-driven novels! Their dialogue seemed very forced

Ending:

• Predictable. 

Emotion:

• Didn't stir up the right emotion!

What I Learned:

• Just because others felt sad reading this book, didn't mean I would too (but that could be just me being picky)

PS:

• I read that there were some 1-2 stars reviews of this books - but mostly because people thought this book was too depressing! And here I was, thinking it wasn't depressing enough - don't get me wrong, the premise IS depressing, but the author just didn't deliver. (and this is from someone who cry while reading and watching movies, so I am not as coldhearted as you might think I am...)

Read this Author again?

• No, sorry

Quote: 

Children are never afraid, you know,. It's their parents who instill the fear. (p128)

Overall Rating:
0.5 Stars. Wasted my time (note, 0 stars are reserved for books I couldn't finish for one reason or another...)

All reviews and posts are copyrighted by Christa @ Mental Foodie. Please do not use or reprint them without written permission.

Book Review - Big in China: My Unlikely Adventure in Raising a Family, Playing the Blues, and Reinventing Myself in Beijing by Alan Paul

Title: Big in China: My Unlikely Adventure in Raising a Family, Playing the Blues, and Reinventing Myself in Beijing
Author: Alan Paul
Year: 2011
Page: 256
Genre: Non-Fiction - Memoir

FTC Disclosure: Given a ARC from publisher HarperCollins

Summary (from goodreads.com):
Expanded from Paul's award-winning The Expat Life columns for WSJ.com, "Big In China" traces Alan's three and a half years in China - a time of life-changing experiences during which he reinvented himself, most prominently as the leader of a Chinese blues band called Woodie Alan. The band quickly achieved great success, and Paul soon found himself and his bandmates touring China, being named Beijing Band of the Year, and recording a CD that has earned praise from American musical luminaries from the Allman Brothers Band to ZZ Top. However, as exhilarating as the band's success was, it was only one part of the expat experience that was invigorating for Paul's entire family. Paul also reveals the challenges he and his family faced living in a foreign land, including trying not to become stuck inside the expat bubble so many construct around themselves when living abroad. "Big In China" is a book for anyone who wants to go on a journey, or who merely wants to come along on one.

First Sentence:
Xiamen, China -- I stood in the spotlight at the center of the broad stage, feeling exposed and alone.

My Thoughts:

Why this book?

• When HarperCollins contacted me to see which books I'd like to review for March, this book caught my eye. I like reading memoir, and since I am Chinese, it'd be interesting to read what expat life is like in China (I'd been to few smaller cities in China, but not Beijing)

First thought:

• Quite entertaining!

Cover Art:

• Not sure if I like it... I understand the different elements on the cover, but just didn't seem very attractive

Title:

• The title made me pause and think - "Big in China" sounded quite arrogant, especially from a Chinese perspective (we are "supposedly" humble) but then again the author is an American where things are usually "the bigger the better" so I guess the title does make sense (I know I am stereotyping... my husband is American so you can't say I'm picking on Americans :) 

Writing:

• Very easy to read and engaging. 

• I liked that when he used Mandarin words or phrases in the book, he'd translate it. While I can read/write Chinese Cantonese, I don't know a lot about Mandarin so I appreciate that - though I wish the Chinese characters could actually be included, I am still trying to figure out what mao bi is (p120)!

Plot:

• The book talked about the 3.5 years the author and his family spent in China - it included many different topics such as the expat lifestyle, his music, his children, the decision whether to extend their stay or not, their families back in the State etc. There really was no "plot" so to speak as the book read more like different snippets of their lives.

• Probably because of the author's optimism and tried to make the best of their adventure in China, most of the books talked only about positive experiences. I wish it would talk a bit more about the difficulties too - maybe they really did not experience any? Just hard to imagine everything went so smoothly without much frustration or disappointments

Characters:

• Everyone in the book was likable (well those with names anyway... ) The author's English teacher was an intriguing character and made you wonder how he is now.

• I also envied the author and his band's ability to "jam" - I started learning the piano (and took violin and drum lessons for a brief period of time), but I am not one who could just improvise... I wish I could just be creative and go with the flow... but the way we were taught was to practice, practice, practice... to the way the music was written. Changing any of it meant you played it wrong. 

Ending:

• The ending was in a way predictable, but also provided closure.

Emotion:

• My husband's cousin is an expat in Beijing. We don't see her family very much, and while reading this book made me think of them, especially the children. The author talked about the "fake rich" lifestyle they had in China (with drivers and multiple nannies), and how the children would assimilate back in the US upon their return. An aspect I haven't thought of before. I guess since I have moved from Hong Kong, then to Australia, then to the US, you just learned to adopt the new culture. It also makes me wonder, if I ever get asked to work in China, would that make me an expat or not? 

What I Learned:

• Third Culture Kids (TCK) - "these children come from one culture, move with their parents to another, and end up feeling like they don't quite belong to either." Instead, they create a "Third Culture" and can most closely relate to others growing up in similar situations" (p161). I can identify with that... though I don't know if I should be 4th, 5th, or 6th culture kids lol.

PS:

• Upon finish this book, I thought I'd give it 4 Stars. After thinking about it, I wish it has gone into a bit more depth. I know this is book about the author's own experience, and does not represent all expat's experience, but it seemed it'd paint an unrealistic picture for others who are considering working in China because everything seemed too easy

• After the book, I went to youtube to look for audio clips of the author's band, as it made me curious what their music was like! 

Read this Author again?

•  Yes, but it'd depend on the topic, as I am typically not interested in his type of music or basketball (his expertise areas)

Quote:

Home was wherever they were (wife and children) -- wherever we were -- and I understood that with a new clarity. (p77)

"Everyone is concerned about being cheated by someone else, but it doesn't matter." This was a radial statement, which got to the heart of something I saw all the time in China; everyone lived in constant fear that they were being ripped off. (p128)

"But the language is a bridge to the culture," he continued. "And the culture can stay with you forever." (p129)

Overall Rating:
3.5 Stars. Enjoyable and interesting read. Just wish it had a bit more depth. It just didn't inspire me as much as other memoir I had read.

All reviews and posts are copyrighted by Christa @ Mental Foodie. Please do not use or reprint them without written permission.

Book Review - People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

Title: People of the Book
Author: Geraldine Brooks
Year: 2008
Page: 372
Genre: Fiction - Historical

FTC Disclosure: Borrowed from the library

Summary (from goodreads.com):
From the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of March, the journey of a rare illuminated prayer book through centuries of war, destruction, theft, loss, and love.

First Sentence:
I might as well say, right from the jump: it wasn't my usual kind of job.

My Thoughts:

Why this book?

• My coworker recommended it, when another coworker and I were talking about books and she wanted some recommendations. I have heard of it before (positive) and thought it sounded intriguing - a bit of an adventure and solving puzzles. I have never read The DaVinci Code, but had watched the movie and like the genre. So thought this book might be similar.

First thought:

• Argh. 

Cover Art:

• Couldn't figure out what it was at first. Was it a butterfly? Was it a fish? Thought it could have been better.

Title:

• The title definitely sounded interesting, especially appealing to a reader!

Writing:                          

•   The beginning was engaging. But then it slowed and dragged on...

• I found that I liked it better when the parts of the story were written first person. The parts written in third person... I ended up skimping parts of the book because those parts bored me. 

Plot:

• The book alternated between past and present. The parts about the past had different setting and time frame. They were supposed to provide the background of the book throughout its history at different point in time. Because of that, those parts also read like short stories, which I don't like reading. Thus the book seemed disjoint.

Characters:

• Felt indifferent about them... the part I liked best was probably the slang the main protagonist used - she was Australian, so every so often you saw Aussie slang like Woop Woop and Bloody. I lived in Australia for 13 years so I liked the familiarity (and made me miss my friends back home - though since I have lived in 3 countries, I am not quite sure where home is anymore).

Ending:

• Okay... almost uneventful for me. 

Emotion:

• Didn't feel much really... 

What I Learned:

• The most interesting part was probably about book conservation. I wished the story devoted a bit more to it

PS:

• I almost abandoned this book... but wanted to find out what happened so ended up skimping parts of it instead. Maybe if this was a movie I'd have liked it better.

Read this Author again?

• Maybe not... March, about the father of "Little Women" sounded kinda interesting, but I don't know if I'd get bored or not...

Quote: 
N/A

Overall Rating:
2 Stars. Not for me. Historical fiction is 50-50 for me. I am usually glad to learn something from history, but since it's usually a genre I am interested in, it has to be done in a very entertaining way to capture my attention.

All reviews and posts are copyrighted by Christa @ Mental Foodie. Please do not use or reprint them without written permission.