Thursday, May 29, 2008

Question?


So what was the last great series you read? These don't have to be the best books ever, but, something you enjoyed and were able to be caught up in, with the added bonus of more to come!
I for one have enjoyed Twilight, and Harry Potter. I also loved all of the Anne of Green Gables books and all other books by Lucy Maud Montgomery. The Inspector Lynley Mystery's by Elizabeth George are another I enjoyed.
What about you?

Beneath a Marble Sky by John Shors

In 1632, the Emperor of Hindustan, Shah Jahan, consumed by grief over the death of his empress, Mumtaz Mahal, ordered the building of a grand mausoleum to symbolize the greatness of their love. Against scenes of unimaginable wealth and power, murderous sibling rivalries, and cruel despotism, Princess Jahanara tells the extraordinary story of how the Taj Mahal came to be, describing her own life as an agent in its creation and as a witness to the fateful events surrounding its completion.

To escape a brutal arranged marriage, Jahanara must become the court liaison to Isa, architect of the Taj Mahal. She is soon caught between her duty to her mother's memory, the rigid strictures imposed upon women, and a new, though forbidden, love. With exceptional courage, Jahanara dares to challenge the bigotry and blindness at court in an effort to spare the empire from civil war, and to save her father from his bellicose son, Aurangzeb, a man whose hatred would extinguish the Islamic enlightenment from the Mughal Empire. To do so she must enlist her Hindu friend, Ladli, and her guardian, Nizam, as spies, and urge her brother, Dara, the designated heir to the throne, down from the ivory tower of his philosophical inquiries. The stakes become ever greater when Jahanara must deceive her husband as to the true father of her child, and must protect those closest to her from her enemies' retaliation.

As a princess and a mother, as a sister and a daughter, Jahanara will find herself faced time and again with impossible choices, and will discover the real meaning of her regal birthright. In Beneath a Marble Sky John Shors recreates an historical Hindustan brimming with breathtaking intrigue and containing the secret truth of the Taj Mahal for a world still in awe of its enduring majesty. (from http://www.beneathamarblesky.com/thestory.html)

I bought this book because I thought it was this one. I was however very glad I read it I liked it very much.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Wild Swans, Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang


With China so much in the headlines this would be a great time to pick this book up.  It is an amazing story of three generations of women and simultaneously the history of China in the 20th century.  The story is amazing and totally gripping.  One reviewer said, "Wild Swans is a riveting account of the impact of history on the lives of women.  This is a powerful, moving, at times shocking story of three generations of Chinese women...."  I would definitely consider this book in the category of must-read.  It will really open your eyes.

Still Life With Rice by Helie Lee

I will confess it has been ages since I read this book, so the details are quite fuzzy, but I do remember it being an amazing and important story.  The book is based on the incredible life of the author's grandmother who was born in Korea, married, and lived a very traditional Korean life, which in and of itself is fascinating.  Then throw in the part where her grandmother is caught up in the historical event of the Korean division. This is one of those amazing stories and as I remember a great story of mothers and human strength and sacrifice.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith


If you haven't read this classic coming of age story yet, you absolutely must.  It is a story of a young Irish girl in Brooklyn at the turn of the century (the last century that is).  I love this book and it is one of my all time favorites.  A gem.