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Showing posts with label Chinese-American Authors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chinese-American Authors. Show all posts
Thursday, March 19, 2020
Need Some Light, Fun Reading for the Apocalypse? Look No Further.
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Note: While this review will not contain spoilers for Wonton Terror, it may inadvertently spoil plot surprises from previous Noodle House mysteries. As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.
The opening of the Asian Night Market is Cleveland's culinary kick-off to summer. It's a weekly food festival that brings the community together for delectable eats, lively entertainment, and warm conversation. Lana Lee is thrilled to be at the festival selling Ho-Lee Noodle House's unparalleled cuisine, even if it seems they might be outsold by the popular Wonton on Wheels food truck parked next to them. It's obvious something odd is going on with the truck's owners—who are old friends of Lana's parents—but Lana's shocked when their truck explodes on the first night of the festival, leaving one of its owners dead. Was it a tragic accident or something more sinister?
As it becomes increasingly apparent that someone tampered with the food truck, Lana launches a clandestine investigation into the incident. The more she digs, the more she realizes that Ronnie Chow was not a pleasant person. A number of people had grudges against him, but who hated him enough to kill him? Or did Ronnie do it himself in order to collect the insurance money? The closer Lana gets to the truth, the more dangerous her life is becoming. Someone doesn't want the truth to get out—and they will do anything to keep Lana from getting too close. Has Lana finally gone too far with her amateur sleuthing? Will her restaurant be the next one that goes up in flames?
I always enjoy reading about Lana's antics with her overbearing family, her quirky friends, and her dangerous investigations. The Noodle House Mysteries by Vivien Chien are just fun. Wonton Terror, the fourth installment in the series, is no exception. It's entertaining, even though I solved the mystery pretty early on. I don't expect a lot of surprises in a cozy mystery—I enjoy them because they make for clean, easy, distracting reading. This series is one of my favorites for all those reasons. I'm definitely in for seeing what happens to Lana and Co. next.
(Readalikes: Reminds me of other books in the Noodle House Mystery series, including Death By Dumpling, Dim Sum of All Fears, Murder Lo Mein, Egg Drop Dead, and Killer Kung Pao)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for brief, mild language (no F-bombs), violence, and disturbing subject matter
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
Thursday, December 26, 2019
Third Installment Another Fun Entry in an Always Entertaining Series
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
(Note: Although this review will not contain spoilers for Murder Lo Mein, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from earlier Noodle Shop mysteries. As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)
Lana Lee is biased, yes, but she knows her family's Chinese restaurant, Ho Lee Noodle House, employs the best chef of Asian cuisine in the city. And she intends to prove it. It's Asian Village's turn to host Cleveland's annual Best Noodle Contest; winning the cooking competition would be a major boost for the shopping center and for the Lees' eatery. Peter Huang can take home the prize for Ho Lee, Lana is sure of it.
The competition has barely gotten underway when one of its judges is strangled to death at The Bamboo Lounge after receiving a threatening note in a fortune cookie. As more ominous cookies make the rounds, the other judges begin to fear for their lives. Lana can't let a killer run amok on her turf. Detective Adam Trudeau, Lana's "sort-of-maybe boyfriend guy" (11), begs her to leave the sleuthing to the police, but Lana can only promise so much. She can't let more people die and she won't let Asian Village's reputation be ruined because of nefarious happenings on its grounds. If the cops can't catch the killer, Lana will. Even if it means she's next on the murderer's list ...
Murder Lo Mein is the third book in Vivien Chien's always entertaining Noodle Shop Mystery series. Like its predecessors, this novel is a light, fun read. The setting is unique, the characters are likable, and the plot moves along quickly. This isn't my favorite installment, but I still enjoyed it and will definitely keep going with the series. It's one of the few cozy series I really like.
(Readalikes: Other books in the Noodle Shop Mystery series, including Death by Dumpling, Dim Sum of All Fears, Wonton Terror, Egg Drop Dead, and Killer Kung Pao)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for brief, mild language (no F-bombs), violence, and mild innuendo
To the FTC, with love: I bought a copy of Murder Lo Mein with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.
Wednesday, December 18, 2019
The Downstairs Girl: There's A Reason It's One of My Favorite Books of the Year
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Few people stand out in 1890 Atlanta as much as 17-year-old Jo Kuan. Although she was born in the U.S., her distinctive features proclaim her Chinese heritage for all to see, marking her as a foreigner despite her American speech and mannerisms. The fact that she's a bit of an opinionated "saucebox" doesn't help her blend in. Besides Old Gin, the elderly Chinese man who has raised her, Jo has no family to shelter her. In fact, she and her adoptive father are squatters, living in hidden abolitionist tunnels beneath a printing shop.
When Jo overhears her unknowing landlords discussing their failing newspaper's need for an "agony aunt" to up the rag's sales, she gets a brilliant idea. Using a secret identity, she soon becomes an advice columnist by night. Her day job as a lady's maid to a wealthy, obnoxious debutante gives her an insider's views into the glitzy lives of Atlanta's elite. Using this insight as well as that she's gained from her own daily struggles, Jo uses the column to school the city about gender equality, racism, women's suffrage, and the cruel hypocrisy lurking under so many Southerners' genteel facades. Soon, the whole city seems to be up in arms. Everyone's dying to know the true identity of the outspoken "Miss Sweetie." While Jo desperately tries to keep her secret under wraps, she finds an intriguing clue to the mystery of her unknown parentage. Juggling her controversial advice column, a dangerous investigation into her own past, and even a surprising romance, Jo has more on her plate than she can handle. Can she find the answers she's seeking? Will Atlanta learn anything from Miss Sweetie's pleas for fairness? Or will the lynch mobs come after her next?
The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee is a quick, enjoyable read about one young woman's fight to belong in a world where she doesn't fit in for a multitude of reasons. It touches on a number of issues, maybe too many for one book, but still, it's a thought-provoking historical novel. Which isn't to say it's preachy or heavy-handed. It's not. In fact, it's funny, engrossing, and compelling. Jo is the kind of heroine who's easy to like and root for—she's smart, loyal, hard-working, and brave. She's surrounded by equally interesting characters, who make for a colorful, fun cast. With all these elements combining against a vivid historical backdrop, it shouldn't be difficult to see why I enjoyed The Downstairs Girl so much. It's one of my favorite reads of 2019 and I highly recommend it for both adult and teen historical fiction lovers.
(Readalikes: Reminds me of Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for brief, mild language (no F-bombs), violence, innuendo, and references to sex and prostitution
To the FTC, with love: I bought a copy of The Downstairs Girl from Amazon with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Mystery/Courtroom Drama Intriguing, But Still Just an Okay Read for Me
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Not everyone is on board with the idea of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), but that's the business Pak and Young Yoo run out of their garage. Using a submarine-like chamber, the Korean immigrants offer the treatment to patients suffering from everything from infertility to cerebral palsy to autism. While some tout the miraculous healing power of pressurized oxygen, others are skeptical, while still others will stop at nothing to get the Yoos' operation shut down. When their "Miracle Submarine" explodes, killing two people and leaving Pak paralyzed, the Yoos become the center of a fierce legal battle to determine who was at fault.
As the trial progresses, revealing ugly secrets about everyone involved, it provides more questions than answers. How did the explosion happen? Was it an accident or the result of the Yoos' negligence? Did someone purposely rig the submarine to explode? If so, who? And why? Did the Yoos do it in order to collect the insurance money needed to send their daughter to college? Were the protestors on-site that day desperate enough to risk people's lives to prove their point? Or was it Elizabeth Ward, the exhausted mother of a little boy with too many problems, trying to put them both out of their misery? At the heart of the matter is one very big question: How far will parents go to save their children? When the truth finally comes out, it will shock everyone, changing lives forever.
Miracle Creek, a debut by Angie Kim, is an absorbing novel that examines some very intriguing questions. It's depressing as can be, but also compelling and thought-provoking. Most of the characters are empathetic if not exactly likable; it's their stories that really bring the novel to life. Parents, especially those of children with disabilities, will identify with characters like Elizabeth Ward, Teresa Santiago, and Kitt Kozlowski—all of whom are fervently seeking ways to deal with kids with severe challenges. Readers may not agree with their individual choices, but they can at least understand the motivations that propel them. In the end, while I found Miracle Creek engrossing and its storyline interesting, it turned out to be just an okay read for me. I liked it, didn't love it.
(Readalikes: Reminds me of novels by Celeste Ng)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for strong language, violence, blood/gore, sexual content, and disturbing subject matter
To the FTC, with love: I bought a copy of Miracle Creek from Amazon with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.
Saturday, August 10, 2019
Second Noodle House Mystery Another Delightful Cozy
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
(Note: While this review will not contain spoilers for Dim Sum of All Fears, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from its predecessor, Death By Dumpling. As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)
Waiting tables at the Ho-Lee Noodle House under the critical eye of her demanding mother was bad enough in high school. At 27, it's literally the last thing Lana Lee wants to be doing. Desperate times and all that. Things are finally looking up, though. Lana's landed a promising job interview, one that will hopefully get her out of the Asian Village shopping plaza for good. Then her parents receive an emergency phone call summoning them back to Taiwan. With no one else to run Ho-Lee Noodle House in their absence, Lana has no choice but to step up.
To everyone's surprise, Lana is doing a bang-up job, keeping everything running as smoothly as it does under her parents' watch. Then, something else goes bang, leaving the newlywed couple that runs the souvenir shop next door dead. Lana's got enough to keep her busy without poking her nose into Asian Village's newest mystery, but she can't help herself. Despite warnings from handsome Detective Adam Trudeau, Lana's soon knee-deep in a case that's getting more dangerous by the second. Can she run a busy restaurant, solve a murder, and ensure her meddling mother is kept totally in the dark all at the same time? It's a tall order, even for Ho-Lee Noodle House's favorite server.
I'm picky about which cozies I read, but I'm loving the Noodle Shop Mystery series by Vivien Chien. The colorful Asian Village setting is appealing, the quirky characters are endearing, and the mysteries are light but satisfying. Yes, the books are far-fetched, but who cares? They're fun, frothy, and all kinds of entertaining. Dim Sum of All Fears, the second installment, is just as enjoyable as the first. I've already bought the third book and am looking forward to seeing where this delightful series goes next.
(Readalikes: Death by Dumpling by Vivien Chien; also reminds me of cozy eatery mysteries by Ellie Alexander, Lena Gregory, and Joanne Fluke)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for brief, mild language (no F-bombs) and mild violence
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
Friday, May 31, 2019
Epic Novel About Korea's Female Free-Divers Expansive, But Intimate
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
The Korean island of Jeju boasts an abundance of three things: wind, stones, and women. In its matrifocal society, women known as haenyeo plunge into the sea—as they have for centuries—probing its depths in search of treasures like abalone, urchins, and octopus. These delicacies are sold at market, making money for the women, their families, and the community. Spots on the island's various all-female diving collectives are coveted, the honor passed down from mother to daughter. It's a risky, all-consuming line of work. While the women engage in hundreds of dangerous free dives over their lifetimes, their men stay behind to look after their homes and children. Husbands may be given an allowance by their wives, but it's the latter that does all the bread-winning.
Kim Young-Sook cannot wait to follow in her mother's footsteps and become part of the Hado collective, of which her mother is the leader. She and her best friend, Han Mi-ja, are thrilled to become "baby divers" when they turn 15. Being inducted into this exclusive community of women means inclusion, acceptance, and belonging. Under the warm tutelage of the older women, Young-Sook and Mi-ja learn the fine arts of diving, collecting, and surviving in dangerous waters. As the girls become proficient divers, even traveling to different countries to take lucrative diving jobs, they become closer than ever before. But, as they grow up, their very different lives become even more divergent, until their paths no longer cross at all. By the time they are wives and mothers, the estranged friends are doing all they can to survive the growing violence on their island as well as the more intimate concerns of poverty, abuse, child care, increasing restrictions on diving, and the clash between tradition and modernity that will change their island irrevocably. The friendship that could sustain—and save—them both is tenuous, but is it truly gone forever?
The Island of Sea Women, an epic novel by Lisa See, explores the friendship between two remarkable women over the course of several momentous decades. Rich with detail about Jeju, the haenyeo, and Korea's tumultuous history, the novel is expansive and intimate at the same time. The culture it explores is fascinating, the story it tells heartbreaking, but empowering. Although The Island of Sea Women isn't a quick read, it's beautiful, absorbing, and unforgettable. I loved it.
If you're interested in learning more about the haenyeo (a tradition/culture that still exists today, although the divers are now mostly old women), there are several videos you can watch on YouTube. The one below gives a quick peek at what the divers do, but there are others that explore the culture in more depth.
(Readalikes: I haven't read much about Korea at all, let alone about the haenyeo, so I'm not sure what to compare this book to. Suggestions?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for violence, blood/gore, mild sexual content, and disturbing subject matter
To the FTC, with love: I bought a copy of The Island of Sea Women from Amazon with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.
Friday, April 05, 2019
China-Infused Cozy an Entertaining Delight
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Lana Lee is a spunky, independent woman whose career goals do not include waitressing at Ho-Lee Noodle House, her family's Chinese restaurant. A dramatic walkout at her last job, however, leaves her little choice. Now she's taking orders, bussing tables, and trying to ignore her mother's constant needling about finding Lana a husband.
Lana's got enough problems without becoming a suspect in a murder investigation, but that's what happens after she delivers a takeout order for the restaurant's too-busy chef. Everyone at Ho-Lee knew about Thomas Feng's shellfish allergy—so how did the property manager end up eating a shrimp dumpling that left him dead? Now, the whole restaurant staff, as well as the other proprietors in the Asian Village strip mall Feng owned, are under suspicion for offing their landlord. Motives abound, but who actually did the dirty deed? In order to clear her name, Lana launches her own investigation, despite being warned off by the handsome detective who's in charge of the case. Can she identify the killer before she finds herself in the slammer? Or, worse, in the morgue?
I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with cozy mysteries. They appeal because they're light and clean, without all the grimness and gore that can be difficult to stomach in heavier mysteries/thrillers. However, they're too often poorly written, with cliché characters, predictable plots, and improbable, unrealistic situations. So, I'm picky about which ones I read. When someone (Katherine, probably) mentioned the Noodle Shop Mystery series by Vivien Chien, I decided to give it a go. And, guess what? I enjoyed Death by Dumpling, the series opener, quite a lot! It's a fun, easy read featuring a unique setting, likable characters, and an engaging plot. The mystery is pretty straightforward, but I didn't get it all figured out until the end of the story. Overall, then, I found Death By Dumpling an enjoyable, entertaining read. Immediately after finishing it, I checked the next book out from the library so I could continue with this delightful series.
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for brief, mild language (no F-bombs) and some violence
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
Saturday, December 29, 2018
Far-Fetched Front Desk Still An Appealing, Empowering Story for Kids
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
When 10-year-old Mia Tang arrives in Anaheim, California, her head is filled with the same visions as any other kid—screaming happily on a roller coaster at Disneyland, splashing in the cool water of a hotel pool, and basking in the brilliant sunshine, warm and content. That's not exactly what she gets when she lands at the Calivista Hotel. For starters, she's not a guest. She's living there because the room comes with her parents' housekeeping/hotel management jobs. Also, the mean owner has banned employees from using the pool. As for Anaheim being a happy, joyous place? Apparently, that doesn't apply to Chinese immigrants whose English needs a little help. Anaheim might be the setting for other people's dream vacations, but it's not turning out so dreamy for Mia.
Then, Mia starts working the front desk when her parents are too busy to manage that and room cleaning. Suddenly, she has a purpose. As she organizes the office, takes care of guests, and gets to know the hotel's permanent residents, Mia's gloom starts to dissipate. She still has to deal with the greedy, dishonest hotel owner and his snooty son; worry over her parents' secret hiding of illegal immigrants; and deal with demanding guests; but at least she has a purpose. Will her growing skills be enough to help her family survive in a hostile new environment? Will she be able to keep the Calivista Hotel running? Or will the Tangs be forced to start over once again or, worse, turned over to the authorities?
Inspired by her own experience working at a California hotel with her immigrant parents, Kelly Yang's Front Desk is a bright, engaging book about using your talents to help people. It's got plenty going on to keep readers engaged and wondering how everything is going to turn out. While I enjoyed the story overall, I had trouble believing a 10-year-old would be giving as much responsibility as Mia had or that adult guests would trust a child with handling money, fielding complaints, and dealing with check-in/check-out. I realize that Yang was an exceptionally bright 10-year-old (she entered college at 13, started Harvard Law School at 17, and graduated at 20), but still ... Mia talked and acted like no 10-year-old I've ever known. That major suspension of disbelief tainted the book for me. Still, Front Desk is an appealing story that young readers will find entertaining and empowering. I didn't love it, but that's okay.
(Readalikes: Reminds me of other MG books about immigrant families trying to find their way in America, although no specific titles are coming to mind.)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for violence and scenes of peril
To the FTC, with love: I borrowed a copy of Front Desk from the library at my child's elementary school.
Saturday, February 03, 2018
Depressing Family Drama Rich in Discussion-Worthy Topics
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Like Shaker Heights—the Ohio community in which she resides—Elena Richardson has structured her life with master-planned precision and care. Predictably, she's now living the dream as a suburban housewife with a luxurious home, a successful husband, and four (almost) picture-perfect children. Her part-time job as a reporter for the second-best newspaper in Shaker Heights gives her something to do with her spare hours, while charity work helps her feel altruistic and superior. Elena craves order, plays by the rules, and expects everyone else in her affluent community to do the same.
The arrival of Mia Warren, a 36-year-old artist and single mother of 15-year-old Pearl, shakes up the neighborhood almost immediately. Elena takes in the impulsive, free-spirited nomad, allowing her to live in the Richardsons' rental home. She even hires Mia as a housekeeper, a job Mia accepts mostly so she can keep an eye on Pearl, who's drawn both to the structure and tidiness of the Richardson home and to Elena's charming teenage son Trip. Unpredictable Izzy Richardson is the opposite. She prefers to hang out in the casual, laid-back atmosphere of the Warrens' apartment. As the lives of the children become more and more enmeshed, a troubling disquiet creeps over Elena's well-ordered life.
Things come to a head when a Shaker Heights couple, long-time friends of the Richardsons, adopt a Chinese baby. The birth mother, a poor, desperate friend of Mia's, is fighting to get her child back. As the situation escalates and people choose sides in the ensuing conflict, Elena watches her family, her community, and the shiny veneer on her seemingly perfect life crumble in shocking ways. As Elena soon learns, behind the doors in her gleaming, privileged community—even in her own idyllic home—there are little fires burning everywhere.
Little Fires Everywhere, a sophomore novel by Celeste Ng, offers a sharp examination of some big issues—classism, racism, transracial adoption, privilege, entitlement, and what it means to be a good parent. Book clubs will likely drool over its discussion-rich possibilities. I've seen a plethora of rave reviews for Ng's second bestseller, but once again, I find myself a bit underwhelmed by her work. Yes, Little Fires Everywhere offers up some interesting observations, but it's also peopled with a cast of unlikable characters and burdened with a plot that creeps along very slowly and comes to, what I feel, is a deeply unsatisfying conclusion. Overall, the novel is just dreary and depressing. Compelling, yes, but not a read I think of as overly engrossing or laudable. For me, the book is just okay. I felt the same way about Everything I Never Told You, so maybe Ng just isn't an author with whom I click. Oh well.
(Readalikes: Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (a half dozen or so F-bombs, plus milder expletives), sexual content, and depictions of illegal drug use and underage drinking
To the FTC, with love: I bought a copy of Little Fires Everywhere from Amazon with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.
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