Title: The End of East
Author: Jen Sookfong Lee
# of pages: 245
Review:
The first member of the Chan family to arrive in Vancouver was Seid Quan, a poor man from a Chinese village who looked toward a job in Canada as a great opportunity. With his passage being paid for by the village, he set off in 1913, determined that he will pay back his debt, send enough money back to China to feed his family there, and save up so that his wife and children can settle in the city with him.
Two generations later, his granddaughter Sammy is looking back on her family's history, uncovering Seid Quan's mementos hidden in an old crate and an aged cigarette tin. She has been assigned the task of taking care of her outrageous mother now that all of her elder sisters have moved away to live with their husbands.
While The End of East did not have the format of typical historical fiction, I found Lee's style to be very entertaining. We learn about the difficulties Seid Quan faced for most of his time in Canada, especially the racial discrimination that was prominent in society at that time. The characters are given real personalities, and it almost seems as though the reader knows them in person. The events that occurred could have easily happened in real life.
I would highly recommend this novel to everyone with an interest in historical affairs, or simply anyone who enjoys reading novels.
Screen Name: WaterfallOfDestiny
Branch: Angus Glen
Friday, August 17, 2007
Number the Stars
Title: Number the Stars
Author: Lois Lowry
This story takes place during the when Nazis were ruling and were against Jewish. Annemarie is Jewish and her best friend Ellen is also. However Ellen lives with parents who are not. One day, back to school both of them were stopped by Germans to ask them some questions. Because of situations getting serious, Annemarie’s family leaves. Annemarie’s uncle helps them to flee to Sweden for some peace. Days passed by and the war has stopped. Anne’s parents explain to Ann that her older sister Lise has died because she was part of Resistance, and also the fiancé of her older sister. Ellen hasn’t also returned to where Ann is now. Anne starts to wear the Star of David pendant chain, since now there is no fear of wearing of it. She believes that Ellen and she will meet again and will live together.
This story at many times were sad. It makes me think of how it has been to many of the children and adults during the wars years. We are all lucky to be living in a peaceful country and live a happy childhood. Compared to our diffculties and struggles these children has went through much more than us. I would reccommend everyone to read this book.
Mina
Miliken Mills
Author: Lois Lowry
This story takes place during the when Nazis were ruling and were against Jewish. Annemarie is Jewish and her best friend Ellen is also. However Ellen lives with parents who are not. One day, back to school both of them were stopped by Germans to ask them some questions. Because of situations getting serious, Annemarie’s family leaves. Annemarie’s uncle helps them to flee to Sweden for some peace. Days passed by and the war has stopped. Anne’s parents explain to Ann that her older sister Lise has died because she was part of Resistance, and also the fiancé of her older sister. Ellen hasn’t also returned to where Ann is now. Anne starts to wear the Star of David pendant chain, since now there is no fear of wearing of it. She believes that Ellen and she will meet again and will live together.
This story at many times were sad. It makes me think of how it has been to many of the children and adults during the wars years. We are all lucky to be living in a peaceful country and live a happy childhood. Compared to our diffculties and struggles these children has went through much more than us. I would reccommend everyone to read this book.
Mina
Miliken Mills
Thursday, August 16, 2007
nothing but the truth
Title: Nothing but the Truth (And a few White Lies)
Author: Justina Chen Headley
# of pages: 256
Review:
Patty Ho was born to a Taiwanese mother and a white father. Since her father left her family, Patty's mother has been working tirelessly as an accountant to feed the family. However, her mother is subject to performing lengthy lectures and screaming in the public when she is unsatisfied with something. As the school year ends, the Truth Statement that was meant to be her end-of-the-year project was labelled by the teacher as "incomplete" because it did not seem to portray the truth about herself.
The following summer, Patty is sent to math camp at Stanford. There, she meets teenagers she once considered as nerds, but who are really people just the same as she is and have a passion for math (or were otherwise sent by their parents to study mathematics). Though she used to deny her mathematical abilities, she learns from her mentor at Stanford that one must not hide their strengths, and that she must be proud of her heritage regardless of common stereotypes. By the end of the camp, Patty finally realizes the truth about who is , and it is with that knowledge that she finally completes her Truth Statement and hands it in to her teacher.
Justina Chen Headley did a fantastic job of portraying the process of self-discovery and how the support of mentors and friends can help one accept the identity of oneself. It takes a series of events before Patty transforms from a girl who downplayed her mother's origins after constant bullying at school, to a confident young adult. Headley also gave an interesting perspective on the common stereotypes regarding Asians, describing how a seemingly harmless stereotype could have such effect on a person.
Nothing but the Truth (and a few white lies) is recommended for all teenagers, and may be of particular interest to those of Asian or part-Asian descent. The novel also contains some significant elements of chick lit.
Screen Name: WaterfallOfDestiny
Branch: Angus Glen
Author: Justina Chen Headley
# of pages: 256
Review:
Patty Ho was born to a Taiwanese mother and a white father. Since her father left her family, Patty's mother has been working tirelessly as an accountant to feed the family. However, her mother is subject to performing lengthy lectures and screaming in the public when she is unsatisfied with something. As the school year ends, the Truth Statement that was meant to be her end-of-the-year project was labelled by the teacher as "incomplete" because it did not seem to portray the truth about herself.
The following summer, Patty is sent to math camp at Stanford. There, she meets teenagers she once considered as nerds, but who are really people just the same as she is and have a passion for math (or were otherwise sent by their parents to study mathematics). Though she used to deny her mathematical abilities, she learns from her mentor at Stanford that one must not hide their strengths, and that she must be proud of her heritage regardless of common stereotypes. By the end of the camp, Patty finally realizes the truth about who is , and it is with that knowledge that she finally completes her Truth Statement and hands it in to her teacher.
Justina Chen Headley did a fantastic job of portraying the process of self-discovery and how the support of mentors and friends can help one accept the identity of oneself. It takes a series of events before Patty transforms from a girl who downplayed her mother's origins after constant bullying at school, to a confident young adult. Headley also gave an interesting perspective on the common stereotypes regarding Asians, describing how a seemingly harmless stereotype could have such effect on a person.
Nothing but the Truth (and a few white lies) is recommended for all teenagers, and may be of particular interest to those of Asian or part-Asian descent. The novel also contains some significant elements of chick lit.
Screen Name: WaterfallOfDestiny
Branch: Angus Glen
Love is a many trousered thing
Title: Love is a many Trousered Thing
Author: Louise Rennison
# of pages: 271 (250 when appendices and glossary excluded)
Review:
Georgia Nicolson, after several long weeks of wondering where her future love life lay, has finally received not one, but two offers of being the girlfriend of either Robbie, her handsome first boyfriend who just returned from Kiwi-a-gogo-land (aka New Zealand), or Masimo, the charming singer for the Stiff Dylans who replaced Robbie after he left England. In the eighth instalment of Georgia's story, she must decide who will ultimately be her boyfriend, even if the situation is only more complicated with Dave the Laugh's constant presence in her life.
Finally, three novels since the introduction of Masimo as a romantic interest in the series, do we see any progress in terms of the plot. That expanse was filled with a few events that managed to carry on for pages and pages, to the point that the repetition occurring in the series was unnerving. Of course, there were some hilarious situations here and there, but for the most part, it was Georgia ranting about how depressing her life was when in fact, it seems that she lives life with no worries besides those of her love life. I enjoy the humour expressed in Rennison's writing, but I find that the events that have occurred in the eight novels so far could have been consolidated into 4 at most, to save readers from reading about the same complaints over and over again without many plot developments, and to have a sense of conclusion and the end of each novel that I had only seen in Love is a many trousered thing and the first few books.
I would recommend this novel to all fans of chick lit, and (previous) fans of the series will be satisfied with it.
Screen Name: WaterfallOfDestiny
Branch: Angus Glen
Author: Louise Rennison
# of pages: 271 (250 when appendices and glossary excluded)
Review:
Georgia Nicolson, after several long weeks of wondering where her future love life lay, has finally received not one, but two offers of being the girlfriend of either Robbie, her handsome first boyfriend who just returned from Kiwi-a-gogo-land (aka New Zealand), or Masimo, the charming singer for the Stiff Dylans who replaced Robbie after he left England. In the eighth instalment of Georgia's story, she must decide who will ultimately be her boyfriend, even if the situation is only more complicated with Dave the Laugh's constant presence in her life.
Finally, three novels since the introduction of Masimo as a romantic interest in the series, do we see any progress in terms of the plot. That expanse was filled with a few events that managed to carry on for pages and pages, to the point that the repetition occurring in the series was unnerving. Of course, there were some hilarious situations here and there, but for the most part, it was Georgia ranting about how depressing her life was when in fact, it seems that she lives life with no worries besides those of her love life. I enjoy the humour expressed in Rennison's writing, but I find that the events that have occurred in the eight novels so far could have been consolidated into 4 at most, to save readers from reading about the same complaints over and over again without many plot developments, and to have a sense of conclusion and the end of each novel that I had only seen in Love is a many trousered thing and the first few books.
I would recommend this novel to all fans of chick lit, and (previous) fans of the series will be satisfied with it.
Screen Name: WaterfallOfDestiny
Branch: Angus Glen
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Everything Worth Knowing
Title: Everyone Worth Knowing
Author: Lauren Weisberger
# of pages: 367
Review:
Bette Robinson works at UBS as an accountant, and spending long work hours doing mindless work bores her. One day, she suddenly decides to quit her job, though she admittedly has nothing in mind concerning her future prospects. She does, however, enjoy unemployed life and the immense freedom it brings.
Perhaps in an act as sudden as quitting her job, her trustworthy columnist Uncle Will lands her one at his ex-assistant's firm: a PR company specializing in planning events, with strong connections to the most prominent celebrities. She is an immediate success, meeting new faces, going to parties, and suddenly being part of the "cool" crowd - meaning, thinking nothing of a $1000 price tag, or enthusiastically keeping track of her place in the wait list for the next Hermes Birkin bag. However, as she soon finds out, all of her life is published onto accusatory tabloids, and appearances are often deceiving.
One of the things I noticed about this novel was that it bore strong resemblance to another, perhaps more well known, of Weisberger's works: The Devil Wears Prada. The main character experiments with a job that seems to bring great opportunities, only to realize how much it destroys her personal life and the relationships with the ones she loves most. Perhaps one of the few significant differences between the two storylines was that the characters landed on different jobs.
In all other respects, Weisberger has done an excellent job of documenting Bette's life throughout the course of the story. The storyline is imaginative, for the most part. Nevertheless, I found the conclusion quite disappointing - it seemed a bit rushed, when Bette's revenge against those who defamed her during her stint as a PR girl and her relationship with her new boyfriend a not as well-described as the rest of the novel.
A prime example of chick lit, Everyone Worth Knowing is recommended for all young women who enjoy reading the genre, but don't keep your hopes up for a good ending.
Screen Name: WaterfallOfDestiny
Branch: Angus Glen
Author: Lauren Weisberger
# of pages: 367
Review:
Bette Robinson works at UBS as an accountant, and spending long work hours doing mindless work bores her. One day, she suddenly decides to quit her job, though she admittedly has nothing in mind concerning her future prospects. She does, however, enjoy unemployed life and the immense freedom it brings.
Perhaps in an act as sudden as quitting her job, her trustworthy columnist Uncle Will lands her one at his ex-assistant's firm: a PR company specializing in planning events, with strong connections to the most prominent celebrities. She is an immediate success, meeting new faces, going to parties, and suddenly being part of the "cool" crowd - meaning, thinking nothing of a $1000 price tag, or enthusiastically keeping track of her place in the wait list for the next Hermes Birkin bag. However, as she soon finds out, all of her life is published onto accusatory tabloids, and appearances are often deceiving.
One of the things I noticed about this novel was that it bore strong resemblance to another, perhaps more well known, of Weisberger's works: The Devil Wears Prada. The main character experiments with a job that seems to bring great opportunities, only to realize how much it destroys her personal life and the relationships with the ones she loves most. Perhaps one of the few significant differences between the two storylines was that the characters landed on different jobs.
In all other respects, Weisberger has done an excellent job of documenting Bette's life throughout the course of the story. The storyline is imaginative, for the most part. Nevertheless, I found the conclusion quite disappointing - it seemed a bit rushed, when Bette's revenge against those who defamed her during her stint as a PR girl and her relationship with her new boyfriend a not as well-described as the rest of the novel.
A prime example of chick lit, Everyone Worth Knowing is recommended for all young women who enjoy reading the genre, but don't keep your hopes up for a good ending.
Screen Name: WaterfallOfDestiny
Branch: Angus Glen
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Next week - Prize draws
Next week, we will make the draws for the final prizes.
I will then send all the prizes (trivia etc) to the home branches (branch nearest your house) for pick up.
Catherine
I will then send all the prizes (trivia etc) to the home branches (branch nearest your house) for pick up.
Catherine
Last week for blog - Survey
Hi,
This is the last week for blog, this summer.
Unfortunately, it was not as successful as last year.
1. What would you like to see instead for next year's reading club?
2. Would you like it to be a different format, like Facebook?
3. Would you prefer a meeting in the library, instead?
4. What kind of program would you like for next summer?
5. Final question about programming: Is there a program you wish the library would offer for teens?
Thanks.
Catherine and Andrea
P.S. one survey entry will be drawn for a prize.
This is the last week for blog, this summer.
Unfortunately, it was not as successful as last year.
1. What would you like to see instead for next year's reading club?
2. Would you like it to be a different format, like Facebook?
3. Would you prefer a meeting in the library, instead?
4. What kind of program would you like for next summer?
5. Final question about programming: Is there a program you wish the library would offer for teens?
Thanks.
Catherine and Andrea
P.S. one survey entry will be drawn for a prize.
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