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When I received this book, I was skeptical because I'm not into bubbly and cheesy romance fictions. However, I had the wrong first impression about this book. After I read the first couple pages, I was hooked. I was laughing all by myself in my neighborhood cafe while I was reading the first chapter during breakfast. Other patrons were looking at me with concerns. (I hope I didn't look like I was high on drugs.) Anyway, this book is, as of today,the funniest novel I had read in my life. The story is not just funny, it also has brilliant plots as a mystery and thriller. It's amazing how this book can have romance and suspense weaved with so much humor. The heroine is just too adorable and fun. Even the murderer is very lovable and hilarious with a lot of wits and quirkiness. This novel is a very entertaining page turner that gave me a lot of laugh and happiness while I was reading it. The ending of the story is surprisingly fun also. I was caught off guard by the shockingly twisted very end of the book. The author really out-smarted me with a funny finale that I didn't expect was coming. I think this book has the potential of becoming a hit TV series just like "Sex in the City" but with a totally different story and different heroine.
I had read the book "Snowflower and the Secret Fan" over 2 years ago and I really don't like that book. That book was hard for me to read because it had too much "American Dramatization and Mis-interpretation" of the Chinese culture that as a reader, I felt like I was reading a play performed by all American casts. You know how long time ago, Hollywood liked to cast Caucasian actress and tape her eyes and let her play a Chinese girl in a movie... When I saw an old movie like that, I felt funny. When I read "Snowflower and the Secret Fan" I had the exact same feeling.
Anyway, the above is a slide show of a TV series that is based on the best selling Chinese historical novel, written by Chinese. They have more accurate portrayal of the Chinese people and culture in that period of time. This is a big difference from the American made movie like "The Last Emperor". That movie, from costume to dialogue to the manner of the people, also made me feel very odd. For those of you who are interested in learning the Asian culture, don't watch movie like "The Last Emperor", "The Memoir of the Geisha" or "Joy Luck Club". Don't read books like "The Snowflower and the Secret Fan" either, because these are the Americans' fascination and imagination of what Asian culture is to be like. If you rely on those in becoming more worldly or in understanding the Asian people, you will be way off. I suggest reading books that are written in Asia by the locals and watching movies and TV shows produced by the locals there, like this one above. I won't say the above TV show is an absolutely accurate portrayal of the Chinese culture and history because like all TV shows, its biggest element is to entertain, not to educate. This TV show also has a big spoiler that angers a lot of the Chinese fans of this novel. That is, they added a White character "Benjamin" in the TV show which the original novel doesn't have. Lots of Chinese are mad about this. But other than that, other cultural elements are alright and they are closer to the facts than those American made Chinese movies and books. Ignoring the only white character in this show, the show does reflect how a lot of people in China are relating themselves to culturally...This TV show can be an introductory course for foreigners if they really want to start seeing Chinese cultures through the eyes of the Chinese.
Winner of this book is Jessica. If you're the winner, please email us your shipping address so we can mail to the book to you.
To continue my clutter clearing campaign to get rid of my thousands plus books that are literally taking over my home, I'm giving away this book to my blog's followers. Click here to read my review on this book. On March 31, 2011, a winner will be randomly picked and will be announced here on this blog. To have a chance to win this book, please do the following:
Be a follower of my blog.
Subscribe to our newsletter and get an additional entry to win this book.
Scroll down the side bar on the right and click "Like" on Facebook to get an additional entry.
Have a U.S. mailing address.
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Hopefully, I will get rid of all my books pretty soon. I do have separation anxiety with all my books (this is only the 18th book I'm giving away.... at least I'm making a tiny progress....), but I've got to start parting with them, or I won't even have room to sleep in... So follow my blog to be informed of my latest book giveaway.
The Winner for this giveaway is Deborah. If you are Deborah, please email us your shipping address so we can mail you the book.
We have a copy of this newly released novel to give away to our followers in the U.S. and Canada. Click here to read about this book. On March 31, 2011, a winner will be randomly picked and will be announced here on this blog. To have a chance to win this book, please do the following:
Be a follower of my blog.
Subscribe to our newsletter and get an additional entry to win this book.
Scroll down the side bar on the right and click "Like" on Facebook to get an additional entry.
Have a U.S. or Canadian mailing address.
Scroll down this post and fill out the giveaway participation form.
This is a very emotionally engaging book that I couldn't put it down once I started. The story carried me into a very detailed and intimate examination of family dynamics, friendship, love, motherhood, and tragedy. I think the writer is a master in plotting. This is the second book I read from this author. At this point, I can see that she is a genius in elaborating daily events that happen around us, into such compelling and provoking works of fiction. She did a very good job in weaving the cause-and-effects into the problems that were posted throughout the story, be it the distant relationship between Jude and her mother, or Lexi's childhood, or Jude's way of handling her crisis. As I read through the book, I realized everything came in full-circle and were linked together, and yet, I wasn't recognizing it until I read on. Then at the end of the book, I got the full understanding and the satisfying closure. This book is not a thriller, but somehow it kept giving me subtle surprises here and there just when I thought, "well, nothing is really shocking, I'm kind of expecting this to come...". Like her last book I read, this story also has a very sentimental piece of trinket that carries a significant role in the story and anchors the memorable closure. At the end of the book, I had to exclaim, "Brilliant!"
I'm giving this book 4 stars out of 5 because I have very high expectation about this book after I read the author's last book that I really really love. I also have a hard time relating to the story's obsession about USC. As someone who lives in Los Angeles, I never thought about going to USC myself or to send my child there if I have one. I think the story will be perfect if California Institute of Technology, Standford, UC Berkeley or UCLA is used instead of USC. For whatever the obsession of USC has cost the characters in the story, it's just totally not worth it. For all that conflict, it even seems a little silly. I would be happily and proudly moving to Washington to attend U of Washington, if I have to choose to stay here in LA to attend USC or to go to U of Washington. USC is in a very bad neighborhood in Los Angeles and has a small campus that can't compare to the beautiful and sprawling campus in U of Washington. Also, all my friends who couldn't get in UCLA , they got into USC. UCLA is more competitive and will make more sense if this is the school that caused the tragic event in the story. USC is a good school, just not good enough for the bucks and the break up of a family or anything to attend. Just my take.
The following is an interview with the author about "Night Road":
This novel explores a complicated and strained relationship between two sisters. Do you think Meredith is justified in being so angry with Nina? In what ways are the sisters different and in what ways are they alike?
My answer: I don't think Meredith is justified in being so angry with Nina because I personally don't think there is any justification for being angry with one's own family. After all, she only has one sister. Her sister hasn't really done anything bad, she is just more career focused and she is just trying to let Meredith run the show. I think if Meredith thinks it is too much work for her to care for her elderly parents or if she really doesn't feel happy with the burden that comes with it, she should communicate with her sister openly and honestly, and see if there is anything Nina can do to help.
Meredith and Nina are different in a lot of ways, from their preference in their life style to their temperament and their perspectives about life and relationship. They are alike in their desire for their mother's love and their closeness to their father. Click here to read my book review.
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