September 2015 book list

None!

August 2015 Book List

A Civil Contract by Georgette Heyer

The Forgotten Sister: Mary Bennet's Pride and Prejudice by Jennifer Paynter

Keeping the Castle by Patrice Kindl

Not books but:

A Sheltered Woman by Yiyun Li at <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/03/10/a-sheltered-woman">A Sheltered Woman</a>

2015 Winner of Sunday Times EFG short story prize.

October - December 2013 Book List

This is not going well, is it?

Inferno by Dan Brown
The Last Dragon-Child by Mikaela Steele

August - September 2013 Book List

The Bridesmaid by Beverly Lewis (Book 2 of the Hickory Hollow series)
The Guardian by Beverly Lewis (Book 3 of the Hickory Hollow series)
The Choice by Suzanne Fisher

Quick Thoughts 
The Guardian: The only book of Beverly Fisher's that I've read that starred a non-Amish heroine. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the personal growth that each of the two adult heroines went through in this book.

The Bridesmaid: I enjoyed the premise, but really The Guardian is a much better book. If I had to pick one, I'd choose The Guardian. The characters here were fairly standard Amish fiction characters I think.

The Choice by Suzanne Fisher

Prior to this book, my only exposure to Amish romantic fiction has been the works of Beverly Lewis. Therefore I was immediately surprised by the non-Amish (to me) sounding names. I was also surprised by how quickly the plot moved along although at the end it all made sense.

Spoilers!
The real hero does not make an appearance in the blurb, and did not appear in the flesh until after the death of the red herring hero. In this respect the blurb did a good job of leading me down a merry path. I was expecting a story about love growing in a marriage of convenience - that seems to be quite a common romance novel theme - but this book upended my expectations by chapter 6.

The heroine is not obviously a role model or obviously NOT a role model. In this respect Fisher has given us a more real to life heroine than most romance novels - Amish or otherwise I would think. Other than being extraordinarily pretty, there was no one trait about her that particularly stood out, making her both more ordinary and more unusual among her usually one dimensional contemporaries.

For a romance novel with slow moving Amish protagonists, this was a page turner. The underlying mystery in the book was kept at a low simmer consistently throughout and the final unraveling was both believable (if foreseeable) and gently satisfying.

Somehow although this book did not come across as gentle as Beverly Lewis', and I would say is drawn with bolder colors, the final impression is that of a gentle story about gentle people handled gently by a gentle author. Nothing really stood out - and yet it wasn't a waste of time. It's just a gently satisfying read.

(gosh could I use the word gentle any more often in one paragraph?)

July 2013 book list

Devil's Cub by Georgette Heyer
When Christ and His Saints Slept by Sharon Kay Penman

June 2013 Book List

Digital Fortress by Dan Brown

May 2013 Book List

Sadly, none.

The Red Queen and The White Queen by Philippa Gregory

I'd actually read The White Queen a while ago when it first came out. I'd enjoyed it and when I saw the The Red Queen at the library, I couldn't help but be intrigued. Lady Margaret Stanley had played such a very small part in The White Queen, appearing only at the end, and yet her life and that of Elizabeth Woodville (the White Queen) would soon be entwined for the rest of their lives through their children.

I would definitely recommend reading these two books side by side. Each book was written from the viewpoint of the protagonist, so having both books forces the reader to see the War of the Roses from both sides. For me, it also provoked some thoughts that would not have come to me had it not been for comparing both books or reading one book with the other in mind. Somehow, having both viewpoints forced on me only accentuated my awareness of all that I did not know. Both books together also compounded the irony of what happened next.

I wonder if it was deliberate but The White Queen, that was published first, presented a heroine who was portrayed as likable, despite being, in many ways, enviable. A beautiful older woman (alright, not by that much) who snared a king and had a large and close-knit family. A merry, loving
woman who was loved in return.

On the other hand, The Red Queen, came across as hypocritical and fairly unlikable, despite her modern persuasions (she takes delight in learning Latin!) and pitiable early personal history (married at 12 to a much older man, a difficult birth at 14, her only son being raised far away from her).

I started out liking Elizabeth Woodville uncritically, and mourning her losses. It wasn't until I read The Red Queen that I reconsidered my viewpoint. (Whereas if I had read The Red Queen first,  I doubt I would have changed my assessment of either queen). The White Queen makes much of Elizabeth's and her mother (Jacquetta's) potential witchly powers. Every once in a while, these powers were utilized to help her husband's cause. Sometimes, however, she hurt her enemies, and did not regret it one whit. In fact, she even directly ill-wishes King Richard III. The irony is that she eventually forgives him and even contemplates marrying her daughter to him, only to have him die as
a result of her ill-wishing. (But it's ok, her daughter still gets to be queen anyway). In addition, it wasn't clear what, if anything, she did for the people of her country (although her brother, Anthony Woodville, seems to have been something of a renaissance man and was probably a good advisor
to the king). Perhaps she also gave King Edward IV good advice during the long peaceful years of his reign, which both books glosses over (since peace is nice but quite uninteresting).

But basically, next to Margaret Beaufort, Elizabeth Woodville comes across somewhat clichedly blonde - beloved by her hot husband (not that this stopped him straying, but she is still first of the many in his heart), beautiful, happy, loving when loved, vengeful when crossed, interesting
until compared to the fascinating Margaret Beaufort.

Now Margaret is quite unlikable, in part because her worldview is so warped. We ought to like her - her attitudes should appeal to the modern reader. However, she also presents a classic case of projecting her own weaknesses onto her enemies. Even while she scorns Elizabeth's grasping after power, she acts in ways to ensure her own and her son's power. She claims to be devoid of vanity, yet longs for the attention of multitudes. Her one claim to virtue that is perhaps true is that of a freedom from lust - however, this is more likely a side effect of three arranged marriages, the first of which was rough and unloving; and having the man she loved (in her own way) usually far away geographically. Perhaps also her love for power exceeded her lust - this was probably true of the man she fell in love with, for he chose to have her stay in England rather than join him when she was widowed for a second time. She veils her own grasping after power in religious garb - her son is the rightful king ordained by God while Edward IV was nothing more than a mere pretender. She also never tried to understand her home and hearth loving second husband, scorning him and loving another, despite his  kindness toward her. Despite her firm religious principles and almost vegetarian diet, she also may have set in motion the events that caused the two princes in the tower to vanish, perhaps to die. In short, Margaret is a deeply flawed woman, and perhaps this is why she is
more interesting than Elizabeth.

I do wonder how Margaret and Elizabeth got on after their offspring were married - my bet would be not at all. Most of the animosity is really from Margaret directed towards Elizabeth, and it is the animosity of a sad, plain, attention-seeking girl towards that of a happy, beautiful, effortlessly attention-grabbing woman. I also wonder how she felt when the man she loved was married off to Elizabeth's sister, one of the many scorned Woodvilles. How did she feel about her own daughter-in-law taking precedence over her among the women of the country? Much to our loss, Philippa Gregory does not deign to imagine it for us (for now, anyway).

As for Elizabeth, I wonder how she and her daughter felt when Prince Arthur, her eldest grandson, died. She would not have lived to see Henry VIII work his way through six wives, but surely she would have thought of the curse she'd wrought upon the murderers of her two sons. Wouldn't it be ironic if it turns out that Elizabeth and Elizabeth of York ended up placing a curse on their own descendants? Even we the readers will never know because Philippa Gregory never reveals what actually happened to the princes in the tower.

Anyway, even though these books stand alone very well, read the two books together - they complement and somehow amplify the message contained in the other. I will definitely be looking out for the other books in this series - I believe the next is about "The Kingsmaker's Daughters" i.e. the Neville girls who married George and Richard respectively. Something tells me they will probably come off a lot better and more sympathetic than they did in these two books and I will have to adjust my opinions yet again.

The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory

Favorite Quote:

If it is to be done at all, it must be done with grace.

- Queen Anne of Cleves

April 2013 Book List

The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory
The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory

February and March 2013 Book List

The Favored Child by Philippa Gregory
The Empty House by Rosamunde Pilcher
Arabella by Georgette Heyer

Quick Thoughts:
The Favored Child: Gosh, this was slow-going (could have been my fault for constantly reading the end first though). The subject matter was titillating but not to my taste. The main characters are unlikable. However, she does make a good job of creating believable characters despite the eyebrow-raising plot.

The Empty House: This is a simple story. Some plot elements reminded me of Nicholas Sparks' "The Notebook", specifically the disapproving mum and the mislaid calls and letters. However, the plot was a little far-fetched, especially the reason why the heroine decides to get together with the hero, so enjoy this book when you are ready to suspend disbelief (a hot cup of tea and a comforter would not hurt).

Arabella: Oh what a delight this is. Georgette Heyer as usual with a delightful heroine and not as usual (delight of delights) with a not too old hero (how a ten year age gap (I think) is not too old speaks to how I usually view Heyer heroes). The hero this time has a slightly sadistic streak, while the heroine is adorable in a non-cloying way. The chemistry is believable and sparkling. Not quite as electric or fun as The Grand Sophy but a great romp nonetheless.

The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer

This was highly recommended as one of the best Georgette Heyer romances by the friend who introduced them to me, and I would have to agree.

Sophy is a delightful heroine, one who we'd be inclined to fall in love with even if she had turned out to be a manipulative minx, which, in fact, she did turn out to be. However she mixes it with pure intentions and a shrewd insight into human nature which I suppose elevates her meddlesome manipulative ways into a form of caring. I think Heyer herself realized that her heroine could not get by on the strength of her personality alone, charming as she was, and so wrote a few interludes that illustrated her goodness, particularly in contrast to her more sedate, commonplace and thus boring antagonist. This was essential I suspect because (major spoiler alert) Sophy essentially steals another woman's fiance from under her nose, and no amount of personality could have reprieved that act if Miss Wraxton had not been so particularly mean instead of just plain boring.

I do wonder if Heyer realized this halfway, and so added layers to her characters, or if she had planned from the start to peel back the layers of her characters' personality to reveal the underlying character. In a way this reflects how we meet and get to know people. How often have we extrapolated character traits from personality traits only to later be disappointed? For example, from her confident extroverted nature I would have expected Sophy to be a queen bee if I had met her in real life (my bias is showing here) but clearly that is not what she turns out to be upon close examination.

For me personally this method of character development works. I've always had trouble with the heroines who had charm and the golden heart and always got the man in the end, because it was just so unfair that the loser not only did not get the man, but also did not get the consolation of moral superiority either. Heyer somehow fixes this by so gradually getting us so thoroughly on Sophy's side that she ends up as a life and blood creature, someone who could potentially have really lived, rather than an impossibly glossy perfect heroine. It helps also that she did not just make Miss Wraxton thoroughly unsympathetic (although we may have felt for her and understood her jealousy in the beginning) but also by giving her a humorously appropriate love interest in the end.

Can I also say how refreshing it was to have a Heyer hero who was not a doddering oldie who could very well have been the heroine's father? The fact that Charles Rivenhall was not violent or a womanizer was just the cherry on top of the icing on top of the cake. Apart from allowing his affections to be stolen ,he is really my favorite Heyer hero to date. (I also have a soft spot for the secretary from Federica - was he named Charles too? But sadly he wasn't a major character).

I can recommend The Grand Sophy as a wonderfully light delicious romp with an outrageous and yet charming heroine. Definitely my favorite Georgette Heyer to date.

Regency Buck by Georgette Heyer

I'd read the blurb at the back of the book, which was probably a major mistake. It turns out that it not only included a major spoiler, but a major spoiler that happens late in the book. I kept waiting for the event to happen, so much so that by the time it did happen, I was let down.

I had only been familiar with Georgette Heyer as a writer of regency romances, so this Regency romance- mystery hybrid was somewhat of a novelty for me. I think it was waiting for the event referenced in the spoiler that made it draggy for me, so I would highly recommend not reading the blurb (difficult and unusual advice I know).

Otherwise this book serves up the usual combo of lovably flawed heroine with too much responsibility on her shoulders, the brother whose only use is to lend countenance to her housekeeping and the much older, initially off putting hero. Like other Georgette Heyer Regency romances (I am not familiar with the thrillers) It provides a light amusing read suitable for airports and bedtime.

January 2013 Book List

Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Promise trilogy by Michael Dante DiMartino, Gurihiru 9Artist), Dave Marshall (Editor) and Gene Luen Yang

Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Lost Adventures by multiples

Regency Buck by Georgette Heyer

The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer

December 2012 Book List

None! Although I've been reading, I did not finish a book this month.

November 2012 Book List

The Vanished Child by Sarah Smith
The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
Venetia by Georgetter Heyer
The Judgment by Beverly Lewis
The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson

The Convenient Marriage by Georgette Heyer

A friend had recommended Georgette Heyer to me a while ago, and when I saw this book on the shelves at my local library I decided that it was now or never. Besides it promised to be a light and fun read, and the link to http://www.austenfans.com/ on the back cover promised Austenian fun and wit.

Well, that link was misleading. I was severely disappointed from the very first page because Heyer was clearly no Austen. However, once I got over my disappointment, and decided to enjoy the book solely on its own merits, I discovered that this was a light and funny read (laugh out loud in many parts).

I think the main difference for me was that Austen traded more in satire and wit, while Heyer traded more in the absurd/caricature. Horry Winwood was also not a very engaging heroine. Despite her youth (which was often emphasised), she still comes across as a spoilt brat. One wonders why/how she enchanted the Earl of Rule. While the book tries to make a case for her charm lying chiefly in her naive frankness and honesty, it sometimes comes across as a childish lack of maturity. Luckily for Horry then she is quickly married off to a rich (hence negating the need to earn her keep) protective (allowing her her escapades, from which she escapes with nary a hurt except for a couple of anxious moments) older (who will sometimes train her like a child, using laws of reverse psychology and the like) husband.

The Earl of Rule, on the other hand, is painted as an attractive man of the world, happily sowing his wild oats until Horry came along. He is prone to settling arguments with violence or threats of violence. He wouldn't be an attractive man in real life - except of course what woman can resist the charms of the domesticated wild oat sower?

Overall, this book read very quickly, and was laugh out loud funny in many parts. Be prepared for plenty of the absurd, and some wit, and some very interestingly caricatured minor characters. I was later informed that this was not one of Heyer's best. Since I really did enjoy this thoroughly after (1) getting over my annoyance at it not being more like Austen, and (2) indulging in the fantasy that I am Horry and can do what I want and not suffer any consequences, and not have to work, and can buy jewel-encrusted shoes on a whim. This would make awesome airport/airplane reading material.

 ***** for being a jolly good read, despite not being Austen. And the detailed descriptions of clothes and fashion and hair!

An interesting thought: When Austen wrote her books, they were contemporary romances. When Heyer wrote hers, they were historical romances. Makes one wonder who is the Austen of today? 

Empress Orchid and The Last Empress, by Anchee Min

I had actually read "The Last Empress" before I read "Empress Orchid". I found "The Last Empress", by itself, to be tough going. It dealt with a time when China was faced with invaders on all fronts, and too weak to defend itself. I felt like much of the book dealt with politicking, foreign negotiations, etc and too little with the human dimension. Nevertheless, I was intrigued enough to pick up the "Empress Orchid", since the summary presented in the prologue hinted at a more human story - or at least a more personal story less tempered with the realities of holding power at the head of a dying dynasty.

Initially I found the writing in "Empress Orchid" to be clunky, with much overuse and abuse of both adjectives and adverbs. However the story itself was so compelling that it drew me in anyway. I suppose I should be honest enough to admit that I was looking, at least partly, for titillation - this lady after all was the only one of three thousand concubines of the emperor to bear a son, and only one of two to bear him a child (the other child being a princess whose mother later hanged herself).


Having read "Empress Orchid" did give me me new appreciation for "The Last Empress". Reading about the time when China was merely weak, not unsalvageable, put a new perspective on the challenges outlined in "The Last Empress", and also added context to Orchid's desperation that she was unable to raise a competent Emperor.

Towards the end of "Empress Orchid", and throughout my re-reading (ok, skimming) of "The Last Empress" afterwards, however, I was disturbed by an undercurrent of racism. While the title character, the man she loved, and some of her most trusted advisors were Manchu, the writer frequently interjects with comments of how gracious, how tolerant the Chinese were as a whole, and how loyal and capable the Empress' Chinese advisors were, even excusing their fence sitting during the power struggle after the Emperor's death. In contrast, the Manchu were portrayed as decadent weaklings, their blood running thin. If I had to venture a guess, I'd guess that Anchee Min was Han Chinese.

Overall, this was an interesting book, but I'd class it closer to the fictional side of historical fiction than the historical side. Parts of the books seem to be laboring to provide excuses for the Empress inability to hold the country together, or to provide new interpretations of historical events that show the Empress in a nobler light. For example, after the attempted assasination attempt on her life, the Emperor was moved to a palace on an island on a lake - in the book, this was for his health and by his request, while according to various websites (which obviously are not reliable sources :)  ) the Emperor was literally in house prison.

These books were interesting enough however that they made me want to pick up a biography of Cixi - to learn about the woman in history - not a romanticized fictional account of her. Whether I will indeed do so though, who knows.

 ** 1/2 for the undercurrent of racism I felt balanced against the interest sustained in the story, especially in the first installment, although how much of this is due to the credit of the author, and how much to the credit of the Empress, I do not know.

Book Review: Asian Faces: The Essential Beauty and Makeup Guide for Asian Women by Taylor Chang-Babaian

This is an excellent book for beginners (to which group I belong). I do not know if it will be helpful to non-beginners.

It does start from the very very beginning - with pictures of mascara, blush, gloss etc followed by six pages of brushes (with descriptions). It then goes on define the terminnology for various parts of the face. This may sound anal, but turned out really useful when trying to duplicate the looks in the book (where's the apple of the cheek?) (Remember, beginner here :)  )

Next there are sections on skincare, makeup removers and base makeup. This is followed by sections about the basic techniques for making up the eyes, lips, cheeks, how to apply foundation etc.

The looks are divided into day, night, cities, decades and costumes. Each look takes up two pages - a full page picture of the model on the left hand page, and brief step by step instructions on the right with swatches of the products used (useful when one is not quite sure what is the difference between peach and apricot). Most of the looks also include detailed instructions for the eyes and lips.

Generally the looks all seem to utilize the same basic techniques laid out in the "eyes" "lips" "cheeks" etc section. Nevertheless I still found the many looks helpful as guides to which shade of eyeshadow goes with which shade of lip color etc. The pictures also served as a guide to what color clothes would match the look.

Overall this is a good book for beginners - it provides an overview of basic techniques and inspiration for matching colors. Given the dearth of makeup books specifically targeted at Asians, I'd heartily recommend to anybody who has Asian features. However, this book does seem to be skewed more towards East Asians (although there are a couple of South Indian models) so South Indians may be better served just checking this book out from the library as opposed to buying it (unless they look East Asian of course).

Taylor Chang-Babaian will also have a book specifically on making up the eyes coming out in August 2010  and I can't wait for it to come out (where else on the face can I play with outrageous colors? :) )


***** because I'm a newbie