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[Chrissie]

Lee, I know how you are feeling - it is so fun to start a new book!!!!! I am sorry that I give sometimes conflicting info about The Ginger Tree..... I am totally loving it now ! I love the details about Japan. So maybe part of the book is that it fluctuates in goodness, at lmeast for me. Sometimes when she is so self-abasing I could smash her. Heavens, I don't thins she has once LOST HER TEMPER but instead she realizes she has made mistakes. Yes she has made mistakes but who hasn't?!!

[Mona]

I love starting new books. Part of the fun of finishing one is deciding which one my bookmark will rest in next.

[[deleted user]]

I always have mixed feelings about starting a new book. Part of me is having fun deciding which one to choose, but the impatient side of me wants to dive in somewhere around the middle of the story. That is that comfort section for me!

[Manybooks]

After the interesting discussion in the "Historical Literature" thread, I have decided to give The Name of the Rose: Including Postscript another try (the first time I had to read it in German for a university graduate course, and it was interesting, but torturous). However, I am also reading The Key to The Name of the Rose: Including Translations of All Non-English Passages at the same time, and it's a really interesting an enlightening read. And, for pure enjoyment, Susanna Gregory's latest Matthew Bartholomew mystery, A Killer of Pilgrims just arrived in the mail this afternoon. I know that I have a bunch of reviews to write and group read books to both start and complete, but I am putting those on hold and reading my current favourite Mediaeval mystery author.

[Chrissie]

Gundula, I think you will get much more out of the Name of the Rose than I did b/c you are taking the time to read the key too! This is exactly why I stressed the need to choose an edition of The Master and Margarita (by Bulgakov) which has all the notes! The more you understand the details the more you will be captured by the meaning of the book....... Nevertheless, Umberto Eco's superior tone towards his readers is not to my liking. I find, making the writing detailed and complicated just to weed out the less serious readers, an obnoxious trait. Good luck. You must be fully recovered! That is good.

[Manybooks]

Chrissie wrote: "Gundula, I think you will get much more out of the Name of the Rose than I did b/c you are taking the time to read the key too! This is exactly why I stressed the need to choose an edition of [book..."

I seem to remember that it was not the book itself, but the arrogant tone in the "Name of the Rose" that really bothered me the first time I read it; I hate blow-hards (which is probably a reason I don't like certain types of continental European literature). I'm willing to give it a try again, because I am very interested in the Middle Ages, but if the tone etc. bothers me again, this will certainly be reflected in my review (when I get around to writing it). The "key" is very good, but it could have been much longer and more descriptive. I guess what bugs me a bit is that the authors allude to certain terms in their glossaries and then don't take the time to describe them (I am restraining myself from writing down interesting parts, words and descriptions and then later researching them, because this is usually how I end up taking ages to read anything, it's fun, but distracting). Yeah, I think I'm over everything (except my clumsiness, as you can see from the daily chat thread). Hope you are having a good summer.

[Chrissie]

Gundula, well the writing style is exactly what annoyed me with Eco. I will go check out the Daily Chat. Hands and finger and feet and toes that don't know how to behave, they never learn. Honestly, Gundula, it is nice for me to know that I am not the only one who manages to bread everything. ..... Two is better than one!

[Kathy]

Christine wrote: "Someone told me that I should read The Gift of Rain: A Novel (who was that???), which I just got in the mail. I'll have to start it soon..."

I was the one who told you about The Gift of Rain, Christine. A friend of mine can't quit raving about how good it is. I haven't read it yet, waiting for another friend to finish it and take it back to the library.

[Kathy]

Christine wrote: "Kathy wrote: "I've started No Second Chance by Harlan Coben. I'm fitting in some books to go with the A-Z title challenge I'm doing this year, and Coben's Caught and [b..."

Mr. Coben does tell a good story, doesn't he? He's another author that I met and heard speak, very entertaining and not bad to look at either.

[Manybooks]

Chrissie wrote: "Gundula, well the writing style is exactly what annoyed me with Eco. I will go check out the Daily Chat. Hands and finger and feet and toes that don't know how to behave, they never learn. Honestly..."

I so agree, I'm glad you are what Anne of Green Gables would call a "Kindred Spirit." And, I'm really, really enjoying the "key" but I've given in to temptation and I'm jotting down any terms, names etc. I want to research some more (at least I will have a list).

EDIT: My list is already at over 50 terms to research, I always go overboard, but that's the way I am about reading and information. If I did not go overboard, I would not be me.

[[deleted user]]

Kathy wrote: Mr. Coben does tell a good story, doesn't he? He's another author that I met and heard speak, very entertaining and not bad to look at either.
"

So. Jealous. I would freak out if I had the chance to meet him.

[Kathy]

Christine wrote: "Kathy wrote: Mr. Coben does tell a good story, doesn't he? He's another author that I met and heard speak, very entertaining and not bad to look at either.
"

So. Jealous. I would freak out if..."

He is one cool dude!

[Kathy]

I am surrounded by books and trying to pick the next one to read tonight.

[[deleted user]]

I am reading the third book in a series: Sick of Shadows. I am really enjoying these fun murder mysteries.

[Chrissie]

I just finished The Ginger Tree, which I totally loved - once I got over the beginning where the main character's naivity bugged me. The most amazing about this book is that it feels REAL, not fiction, and that you get under the skin of the Japanese. Also humorous! See my review if yo want to check the text style. Now I have started Learning to Bow: Inside the Heart of Japan which is also about Japan. This is about the author's experiences teaching in a Junior High School in a small Japanese village. It too is funny. It is non-fiction. It has received rave reviews. I will write a running reviews on this too. For anybody interested in Japan or having visited Japan, these books are worth checking out! And don't forget the marvelous book - The Pure Land.

[[deleted user]]

I finished The Girl Who Played with Fire, and I'm reading Sizzling Sixteen.

The Girl Who Played with Fire was a bit more out of my comfort zone than the first book. I don't think these stories that deal with sexual violence are really for me. My book group is reading the set of 3 though, so I'm going to read the third one anyway.

[[deleted user]]

Chrissie wrote: "I just finished The Ginger Tree, which I totally loved - once I got over the beginning where the main character's naivity bugged me. The most amazing about this book is that it feels ..."

Thanks, Chrissie! My daughter wants to study abroad in Japan, so I am looking for books like these. Have you read Untangling My Chopsticks: A Culinary Sojourn in Kyoto? My daughter really enjoyed this memoir.

[Chrissie]

Jeanette, no I haven't read it. Is it predominantly food oriented? That is my guess. I love Japanese sashimi, sushi and pickled vegetables but I am not really into reading books about food and its preparation. This just makes me want to eat it. Not good since I have a strict diabetic veg diet. For me, the less time spent thinking about food the better.

Did you have a nice time visiting Norway?! I hope so. I hope you saw the fjords!

Oh one more thing. If your daughter does go to Japan she should look into getting a train ticket for a specific time period. They can only be purchased abroad. You can travel anywhere by train within the purchased time period. Much cheaper than tickets purchased in Japan. The train system is fabulous. You can buy bento boxes at the train stations. You don't have to worry about traveling in Japan, the people are very helpful and crime is practically non-existant.

[[deleted user]]

Chrissie wrote: "Jeanette, no I haven't read it. Is it predominantly food oriented? That is my guess. I love Japanese sashimi, sushi and pickled vegetables but I am not really into reading books about food and its..."

"Untangling My Chopsticks" is a memoir written by a woman who went to Japan to learn how to prepare and serve the traditional Japanese tea service. So, it is really about her experiences with the culture of Japan and the tea ceremony. My daughter really loved the book.

Thanks for the tip about the trains. The study abroad program lasts a year, with two semesters in Tokyo and one semester in the country. Several people have related how safe Japan is. As an added bonus (for me), her host family will make sure she is in at night. They expect this from young ladies.

Norway is so beautiful! We stayed with host families and could see the fjords from the house. Such fresh air and fresh water. We saw several big waterfalls and a glacier. The choir sang in some lovely old (800 yrs) churches. I won't describe the food, except the Norwegian cheese, which is everyone's favorite. :)

[Mary]

Kathy wrote: "I am surrounded by books and trying to pick the next one to read tonight."

My favorite kind of problem!! What did you decide on, Kathy?

[Chrissie]

Jeanette, so glad you had a nice time. Yes, the style of the Norwegian churches is very special. And thank you for telling me more about the book.

[[deleted user]]

Chrissie wrote: "Jeanette, so glad you had a nice time. Yes, the style of the Norwegian churches is very special. And thank you for telling me more about the book."

You're welcome. There are recipes in the book, but it is also a story about the culture and the author's experiences, too.

The choir sang in a Stave church, a reproduction, unfortunately. In one old church there was a model ship hanging from the ceiling. It was made by the father of my hostess. Someone in the church said it symbolizes the idea that "Life is a journey.". The same hostess is the gr-gr-great-granddaughter of the man who built Roald Amundsen's ship that he sailed the NW Passage in (through Canada). It is on display in Oslo. This was an exciting part of staying with families and hearing their stories.

[Chrissie]

Katri, actually Tove Jansson wrote in Swedish! This is b/c there is a large group of people speaking Swedish in Finland. But you obviously are aware of that.......The Moomin books are great. I cannot imagine how it works to translate them to English.

Jeanette, it sounds like you had a really lovely time.

[Maude]

I am reading A Question of Honor, The Kosciuszko Squadron, Forgotten Heroes of World War II, by Lynne Olson and Stanley Could.

[Kathy]

Mary wrote: "Kathy wrote: "I am surrounded by books and trying to pick the next one to read tonight."

My favorite kind of problem!! What did you decide on, Kathy?"

Yes, Mary, as problems go, it is a good one to have. I thought I had chosen South of Broad by Pat Conroy (his Beach Music is one of my favorite books), but I spent so much time on my laptop last night that I fell asleep after only a few pages. Today was kind of busy, so I decided to fit in a "J" book for my alphabet challenge and read a short, disturbing book called A Jew Must Die. It's about the Nazi influence in a small Switzerland town in 1942. Then, I started Broken for You when I ate supper tonight. So, I am now reading that book and plan on picking South of Broad back up in July. Tess Gerritsen's new one, Ice Cold, comes out next Tuesday, so I will finish up June with it.

[Chrissie]

Kathy, A Jew Must Die looks interesting! So this is what was happening in neutral Switzerland during WW2.....

[Maude]

Kathy, I loved Broken for You! I hope you do, too.

[[deleted user]]

Maude wrote: "Kathy, I loved Broken for You! I hope you do, too."

I just read that one too! It was very good. :)

[[deleted user]]

Chrissie, my daughter is reading Learning to Bow: Inside the Heart of Japan. She's been reading the funny parts out-loud to me.

[Mona]

Jeannette, if Learning to Bow: Inside the Heart of Japan wasn't already on my list, I would have added it. It sounds fascinating.

[[deleted user]]

Mona wrote: "Jeannette, if Learning to Bow: Inside the Heart of Japan wasn't already on my list, I would have added it. It sounds fascinating."

Chrissie recommended it (msg 1358), along with a couple other titles. Once my daughter has read it, I will, too. I like these first-person accounts of experiencing a new culture.

[Mona]

Jeannette wrote: "Mona wrote: "Jeannette, if Learning to Bow: Inside the Heart of Japan wasn't already on my list, I would have added it. It sounds fascinating."

Chrissie recommended it (msg 1358), al..."

Jeannette, yup, that's when I put it on my list. I also love to read about other cultures besides my own(India), both fiction and non-fiction.

There's a book I read about in another thread titled

, kind of a Indian Sherlock Holmes in modern India. I can't wait to go pick that up at the library on Monday.

Well I guess I'll turn in for the night.

Good Night Jeannette :)

[[deleted user]]

Good night, Mona! Nice chatting with you again. :)

[Lisa]

I need to read three children's novels as I read my current novel so I just started Aldabra, The Tortoise Who Loved Shakespeare, one of the July books for the Children's Books group.

[Kathy]

Chrissie wrote: "Kathy, A Jew Must Die looks interesting! So this is what was happening in neutral Switzerland during WW2....."

I guess I had never really thought about what was happening in Switzerland during WWII. I was surprised to find out that there were Nazi sympathizers and activists. It made me think that there must not have been any good place in Europe to be Jewish at that time. Apparently, latching on to placing blame on the Jews for the economy and every other problem wasn't just a German shame.

[Kathy]

Maude wrote: "Kathy, I loved Broken for You! I hope you do, too."

Good to hear, Maude. I already am enjoying the writing style and am not very far into it, yet. I hope to devote some quality reading time to it tomorrow.

[Kathy]

Christine wrote: "Maude wrote: "Kathy, I loved Broken for You! I hope you do, too."

I just read that one too! It was very good. :)"

I noticed that you liked it, too, Christine, in your rating of it. That helped me decide to go ahead and read it.

[Chrissie]

Jeanette and Mona, Learning to Bow is very interesting and funny too - as you see Jeanette since your daughter is reading parts to you. I am doing the same to my husband;You immediately feel the difference in how the Japanese behave if you visit Japan. This book puts it on paper in black and white. They ALWAYS put themselves in groups, working independently is just very foreign to them. They feel comfortable having everything regimented around them, even though they will complain. Given a choice they themselves set up even more rules and regulations. They persevere in hard times. Their way of looking at life is just very different and you SEE this even on a short visit. They are very kind people and very polite, but they tend to do things in a different manner. You get examples and some explanations for why they act as they do. And really it is laugh out loud funny sometimes.

Kathy, exactly what I was thinking. Even in neutral Switzerland horrible things were happening to the Jews. I am sure you do know it is not only the Germans who have discrimated against Jews. This is a phenomemon that has been repeated over and over and over again .....Poland's attidtude is shocking and this attitude has remained until quite recently. These are beliefs that have shaped how the modern countries are today. These beliefs are NOT wiped away so easily. In the Berlin Jewish museum this was made so clear. To get in there was worse than getting into high security buildings. Then you went to the Jewish cemetary and there was no control. Really bizarre. Please let me know what you think of the book as a whole and if the writing style is good.

[[deleted user]]

Jeannette wrote: "Chrissie, my daughter is reading Learning to Bow: Inside the Heart of Japan. She's been reading the funny parts out-loud to me."

Oh, I want this book!

[[deleted user]]

I'm starting One Day

[Chrissie]

Chrstine if you want to know a bit more about the book see what I have noted on my review. I write a bit as I read.

[[deleted user]]

Okay, I'll go look for it.

[Kathy]

Chrissie wrote: "Jeanette and Mona, Learning to Bow is very interesting and funny too - as you see Jeanette since your daughter is reading parts to you. I am doing the same to my husband;You immediately feel the di..."

Chrissie, yes, I knew that there were lots of places in Europe that discriminated against the Jews during that time period and before (unfortunately, a long dismal history of discrimination), and I've read quite a few books set in Poland during WWII that deal with this. I think I was just surprised that Switzerland, with his neutral stance and my idea of their attitudes (not necessarily correct), had such feelings of hate from some of its citizens. The book was really just a short account of the murder of a Jewish man. I wasn't really taken with the writing style and felt that someone could have taken this story and expanded it, even made a good historical fiction book out of it, but it served the purpose of enlightening me, so it was well worth the read. I think I'd like to see if there are more books dealing with Switzerland during this time frame.

Oh, Learning to Bow: Inside the Heart of Japan sounds very good, Chrissie. If it's one that is good to share outloud with other, then it must be good.

[Mona]

Jeannette wrote: "Good night, Mona! Nice chatting with you again. :)"

Good Afternoon Jeannette: I just now got online. It was nice chatting with you last night too. We'll chat again soon :).

[Mona]

Chrissie wrote: "Jeanette and Mona, Learning to Bow is very interesting and funny too - as you see Jeanette since your daughter is reading parts to you. I am doing the same to my husband;You immediately feel the di..."

Chrissie: I'm really looking forward to reading Learning to Bow: Inside the Heart of Japan. A while back I had read about another book about Japanese culture but I must have the title wrong because I can't find it anywhere. I thought it was called PARK DEBUT. It's about how difficult it was for a mom in Japan to fit in among the "mommy clique" at the park with all the protocols.

[Chrissie]

Kathy, Yes what is shocking is that the story occurs in neutral Switzerland, but Switzerland with its lixed cultures and languages is a bit of a mystery. There is alot about the country that is not straightforward......

Kathy AND Mona - Learning to Bow is very good. I have rad about half and it is fascinating. I like the was it is a mixture of historical fact and daily experiences with the kids. And there is lots to laugh about too. I will not say too much here b/c I have left comments as I read the book in my review. Those interested can look there. One aspect that is so interesting is the different way westerners and easterners look upon group influence and working independently. So very, very different! I admire what they teach in Japan, but I do not think I could follow it. I would defintely be the odd ball out. Maybe that is b/c I was not raised in that manner.

[[deleted user]]

One funny example my daughter read was the author observing a group of middle schoolers bowing and saying "Good Morning!". When he asked what they were doing, the other teacher explained that they were practicing saying "Good Morning!", which they did every year, so as to improve their delivery!

[Chrissie]

Jeanette, also the "Good Morning" had to be repeated b/c the kids had just had their longest school vacation. So repetition was particularly important. It is funny when you remember these kids are in junior high, not elementary school! But compare these kids to the problems coupled with junior high children in America!!!!! In many way these kids seem much younger, more naive and more playful too. School in Japan seems to have taken over the role that parents have in the West. School raises the children, not only teaches them reading, writing and arithmetic. The children seem more attached to their "sensei" (teachers) than their busy/absent fathers and nagging mothers...... Furthermore the definition of sensei is intersting. I shouldn't go on any more. Read the book, those of you who are interested. Don't forget The Ginger Tree!

[[deleted user]]

I have a friend whose 14 year old son is in Japan right now for the summer. She said he is in school from 9am until 7pm, every day. So, I guess the school is very important to the children. I can't imagine staying in school so many hours!

[Manybooks]

Jeannette wrote: "I have a friend whose 14 year old son is in Japan right now for the summer. She said he is in school from 9am until 7pm, every day. So, I guess the school is very important to the children. I ca..."

Do they still have to do homework when they get home? I hope not, that would be too much.