Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
Jamie Ford
Edition Published 2009

Growing up we always tend to misunderstand our parents. Even their best intentions are often met with derision.  In Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, the reader follows Henry Lee as he opens the Pandora box of his life when he searches through belongings left behind by Japanese families forced into internment camps during World War II.

Henry reminiscences of his adolescence growing up in a strict Chinese household and finding friendship with a young Japanese girl also trying to survive as the odd one out in a white world.  Henry's family forbids him to have any Japanese relations, which creates a "Romeo & Juliet" plot line.  Asians are often lumped together as the enemy following Pearl Harbor.   In addition a distrust of the Japanese after their invasion of China, Henry's family also fears any association with the Japanese may cast suspicion on them, ruining the life they have created for themselves in America.

I had heard too much positive feedback on this book, so of course it kind of fell flat.  All I could think as I read was, "Why didn't I think of this?"  It didn't help that the supporting characters weren't believable.  His budding romance serves as a vehicle for Henry to have many experiences that just didn't seem realistic.  And I just wasn't able to buy into the fantasy.

I suppose it is a good beach book, but so much more could have been done.  I like to think that I'm not just saying this because I did my Senior Thesis on Japanese Internment Camps, but maybe I am.  It is certainly an area of American History that was too quickly forgotten.

Booth's Sister

Booth's Sister
Jane Singer
Edition Published 2008

Asia Booth Clarke's brother killed Abraham Lincoln.  If you look at her picture, you can see the dark brooding eyes that her family was famous for.  In Booth's Sister, Singer writes about Asia and John's relationship, from illegitimate children romping through the woods to confidants living lives on separate sides of the Civil War divide.

Intrigued?  So was I.  Maybe I had too high of expectations, but I was disappointed.  I knew that it was historical fiction, but there was just something too unrealistic about the story.  Whereas Singer's characterization of Asia started out strong, it sort of petered out as the book went on (it was only 228 pages) and John's character is weak throughout the entire book.  I know that this is still a controversial aspect, but if you are going to tackle it, why not pile drive it into the ground?   I think I would have been better off just reading Asia Clarke's autobiographical account. 

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
J.K. Rowling and Mary GrandPré
Edition published 2000

Mock me if you will, but I intend to reread the series now that I have a new found appreciation.  That being said, I don't have the attention span to sit down and read them back to back.  I am sure that I would despise Mr. Potter as much as the Malfoys.

 In Book 2, Potter returns to Hogwarts in an unconventional way after a miserable summer in the Muggle world. With the introduction of a new flamboyant professor and a dramatic ghost, Harry and his friends once more save the school while dealing with adolescence and all its trappings.

I love watching the characters grow up and how their relationships evolve. While Rowling has crafted a great adventure story, she has shown how important friendship is, even with all of its quirks.  But it did leave one mystery to be solved: What role did Mary GrandPré have in writing this book?

The Scandal of the Season

The Scandal of the Season
Sophie Gee
Published 2007

It's 1711 and newly celebrated poet, Alexander Pope is invited into society life in for the "season" in London. His unique perspective, especially the scandalous love affair between Lord Petre and Arabella Fermor, inspires his satirical poem, The Rape of Lock.

In her debut novel, Sophie Gee gives the back story of The Rape of Lock.  Although the book is historical fiction, Gee did her research.  As a PhD in English, her mastery of Lock's poem is a given, but she crafts a face to the Jacobite Revolution and Catholics living at this time.

For all those positives, I found the book lacking.  If you have read my previous posts you know a book's worth is measured by my ability to connect with the characters.  Maybe it was the haughty nature of the characters, but I could not bring myself to empathize with Arabella's heart break or Lord Petre's dilemma to choose life over love.

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War
Max Brooks
Published October 2007

No, I don't get it either.   What the heck is up with zombies?  But, as I strive to stay en vogue, I have another zombie themed book under my belt.


In the not so distant future, the world will be plagued with the scourge of the living dead (Thanks, China.).  Countries  mobilize their forces to defeat this new enemy.  This is the story of those who lived through the war in various functions/places as written by a man hired by the government to compile accounts of the event.  Because if there is anything my government loves, it's paperwork.

This was a fast read and entertaining, but it was definitely written for a male audience.  I feel that if I had an extra boost of testosterone, I would have liked it much better.  Brooks definitely has the new zombie genre down: the book isn't gory; it's more of a satire of the living. And let me tell you, that's scary/funny enough.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Dyed HeLa cells

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Rebecca Skloot
Edition Published February 2010


In an unmarked grave, lies Henrietta Lacks, whose cells have made monumental contributions to science, but not without controversy.

In 1951, a young black woman named Henrietta Lacks died from cervical cancer leaving five children behind.  Yet, cancer cells taken from her body (named HeLa cells) live on and have almost single-handedly revolutionized cellular science and the pharmaceutical industry.

While Skloot's book does cover the science aspects of HeLa cells, it is mainly a quest to get to know Henrietta Lacks and her other contributions to the world, namely her children. A memoir of Skloot's quest to delve deeper into the story, the book is unlike anything I have ever read before.  I opened it expecting one thing, and found myself confronted with a reality I never conceived.  For me, the book explored the mother-daughter bond and the heart wrenching tale of a black woman trying to feel connected to a mom she couldn't remember and yearned so desperately for.

Cells, once removed from the body become the property of the scientist/doctor conducting the research.  As such the Lacks Family has not benefited financially from the HeLa revolution.  And although Skloot's book will not improve the day to day lives of Henrietta's children: she has set up a fund to provide for the educational needs of the Lacks' children.

I enjoyed the book and recommend it to anyone ready to conquer reality, in all its splendor and squalor.

 

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Oskar is convinced this is the last photograph of his father

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Jonathon Safran Foer
Edition Published November 2011

Oskar Schnell is a nine year old boy struggling to come to terms with his father's death on September 11. A thing no one should have to come to terms with.  Oskar is an unusually intelligent boy (with some other unusual quirks) who finds a mysterious key in his father's closet and becomes obsessed with finding the lock the key goes to and perhaps a bit of his father he lost.

The destruction of the World Trade Center is a personal and sensitive area for most Americans, including myself.  I was instantly drawn to Oskar's pain, but his personality quirks and the far fetched nature of his quest made it hard for me to completely lose myself in the book.  It certainly had its poignant points, especially the final images, but it lacks something that I could relate to.  But I am happy that Foer tackled the subject.  He opened the door and allowed us to see the pain through an innocent child. I just wish that child had been more relate-able.