The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

Born mute, speaking only in sign, Edgar Sawtelle leads an idyllic life on his family's farm in remote northern Wisconsin where they raise and train an extraordinary breed of dog. But when tragedy strikes, Edgar is forced to flee into the vast neighboring wilderness, accompanied by only three yearling pups. Struggling for survival, Edgar comes of age in the wild, and must face the choice of leaving forever or revealing the terrible truth behind what has happened. (from Barnes and Noble)

This is my read for October and I'll post my review soon.

Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang

Blending the intimacy of memoir and the panoramic sweep of eyewitness history, Wild Swans has become a bestselling classic in thirty languages, with more than ten million copies sold. The story of three generations in twentieth-century China, it is an engrossing record of Mao's impact on China, an unusual window on the female experience in the modern world, and an inspiring tale of courage and love.
Jung Chang describes the life of her grandmother, a warlord's concubine; her mother's struggles as a young idealistic Communist; and her parents' experience as members of the Communist elite and their ordeal during the Cultural Revolution. Chang was a Red Guard briefly at the age of fourteen, then worked as a peasant, a "barefoot doctor," a steelworker, and an electrician. As the story of each generation unfolds, Chang captures in gripping, moving — and ultimately uplifting — detail the cycles of violent drama visited on her own family and millions of others caught in the whirlwind of history. (from Barnes and Noble)

I read the synopsis of this book before I bought it but I don't think I really realized that this book in not fiction. It's a biography of 3 people set in a very history-making (?) time so it's a very long book--508 pages. It did take me a whole month to read it. There's a lot of historical details, information, dates and facts to go through. Jung Chang does a fantastic job of telling her story--and that of her mom and grandma--making it read more like a novel than a history book. This book was such an eye opener to what it was like to live under Communist rule. This is a great book--loved it.

Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee

Casey Han's parents, who live in Queens, are Korean immigrants working in a dry cleaner, desperately trying to hold onto their culture and identity. Their daughter, on the other hand, has entered into the upper echelon of rarified American society via scholarships. But after graduation, Casey's trust-fund friends see only opportunity and choices while Casey sees the reality of having expensive habits without the means to sustain them. As Casey navigates Manhattan, we see her life and the lives of those around her: her sheltered mother, scarred father, her friend Ella who's always been the good Korean girl, Ella's ambitious Korean husband and his Caucasian mistress, Casey's white fiancé, and then her Korean boyfriend, all culminating in a portrait of New York City and its world of haves and have-nots. (from Barnes and Noble)

I really like reading Asian literature and I couldn't wait to read this national bestseller. It was recommended by a fellow blogger who is Korean, like the characters in this book. He said that not everyone would understand it if they weren't Asian. Hmmmm. I guess I would allow him that maybe I wouldn't totally get it since I don't live in that culture but let me tell you, parental disappointment trancends culture and ethnicity. Can I get an Amen?

Loved it.

Water For Elephants

Nonagenarian Jacob Jankowski reflects back on his wild and wondrous days with a circus. It's the Depression Era and Jacob, finding himself parentless and penniless, joins the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. There he meets the freaks, grifters, and misfits that populate this world. He introduces us to Marlena, beautiful star of the equestrian act; to August, her charismatic but twisted husband (and the circus's animal trainer); and to Rosie, the seemingly untrainable elephant Jacob cares for. Beautifully written, with a luminous sense of time and place, Water for Elephants tells of love in a world in which love's a luxury few can afford. (from Barnes and Noble)

Man, I just love it when old people look back on their lives and tell their story. Attention authors, do more of that. I like it. This is such a great book. And to think I put off reading this for long time. I wasn't interested in reading a romance set in a circus tent but I kept hearing good things about this book so I gave it a shot. And now I can't recommend it enough.

She Got Up Off the Couch by Haven Kimmel

After twenty years of burrowing into the corner of the family couch, eating junk food, and reading science fiction, Indiana mother Delonda Jarvis did something that shocked her family: she went to college. Or, as her younger daughter, Haven Kimmel, writes, she "stood up, brushed away the pork rind crumbs, and escaped by the skin of her teeth."

Despite having no money, no car, and a resentful husband, Delonda managed to obtain a master's degree in English. The former teenage bride also dropped one hundred pounds, learned how to drive, and became a breadwinner. But as she reclaimed herself, her marriage disintegrated. (from BarnesandNoble.com)

Oh, how I wish I could write like Haven Kimmel. Her essays are like perfect, meaningful blog posts. All connected in a way that tells one complete, great memoir. I loved this book. Although it stands alone I do recommend reading her first memoir, A Girl Named Zippy. It's where we are first introduced to Kimmel's "characters"--her family. If she wrote nothing but memoirs I would be a happy camper.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

In nineteenth-century China, when wives and daughters were foot-bound and lived in almost total seclusion, the women in one remote Hunan county developed their own secret code for communication: nu shu (“women’s writing”). Some girls were paired with laotongs, “old sames,” in emotional matches that lasted throughout their lives. They painted letters on fans, embroidered messages on handkerchiefs, and composed stories, thereby reaching out of their isolation to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments.

With the arrival of a silk fan on which Snow Flower has composed for Lily a poem of introduction in nu shu, their friendship is sealed and they become “old sames” at the tender age of seven. As the years pass, through famine and rebellion, they reflect upon their arranged marriages, loneliness, and the joys and tragedies of motherhood. The two find solace, developing a bond that keeps their spirits alive. But when a misunderstanding arises, their lifelong friendship suddenly threatens to tear apart. (from Barnes and Noble)

I needed 2 months to mourn the loss of Twilight but I'm back! And what a great book to get me back in the saddle! I love Asian literature and I heard so many great things about Snow Flower so it wasn't a hard decision to make on whether to read this book or not. It didn't disappoint. It was a fast and fantastic read and as soon as I finished I gave it to my sister so she could enjoy it too--and she did. The whole footbinding process was difficult to read but the culture of it was so intriguing I immediately googled pics of footbinding annnnnd immediately wished I hadn't. Ugh. Still, a very interesting culture and I can't wait to read more from Lisa See.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Do I really need to include a synopsis? Teenagers. Vampires. Love. Something like that.

January and February were dedicated to the Twilight series. I applaud all of you that read the whole series in a weekend but I'm proud of myself for getting them read in only 2 months. I wish I could've stretched it out longer though because I did not want this series to end! I confess, I was a Twilight addict for those 2 months. I resisted buying the t-shirts but I did have Twilight wallpaper on my computer and I watched the movie 4 or 5 times. Here's another confession, I was Team Jacob--I have a thing for wolves:) Loved the books, loved the first movie, and I can't wait for the next movie--and an older Jacob, please. Sheesh!