ASIAN BOOKS- American Born Chinese

A while ago, I read a book by a Korean author, Chang-Rae Lee, titled Native Speaker. Although it is not one of my all time favorite books, this book stood out to me for the sole purpose of the main character being Korean. I could identify with the character on some level- the culture, thoughts, and senses of being Asian.

It seems that there are more cultural novels as our society becomes more pluralistic; I intend to read everything I can. I stumbled upon this great graphic novel titled American Born Chinese by Gene Yang. I finally found comfort in a book- I could relate to the character’s troubles growing up Asian in a predominantly white area. Actually, I kept thinking about my brother’s childhood because the character, Jin, is a boy.

Jin is a young boy who’s family moves out of Chinatown, San Francisco to a predominantly white suburb. Growing up in this area, Jin faces a lot of racist remarks and isolation. He tries to find his way in life- sometimes he gives up his Chinese heritage and sometimes he embraces it. For example, Jin tries to change his image to be more attractive to the blond girl in his class.

Woven through this story is the fable told by his mother about the Monkey King in China. In the end of the novel, both Jin’s life and the Monkey King’s life weave together. The ending is a bit abrupt, but I loved everything else about this novel. The author, Gene Yang, has made several other graphic novels under the name of “Humble Comics.” In addition, he is a proponent of using graphic novels in education. Here’s the link to Comics in Education. It’s given me some thoughts of teaching ESL 2 next year. Wouldn’t it be great to get students engaged in reading, regardless of the kind of reading?

I love all my cultural books. However, I am still waiting to find a fiction book or graphic novel of an Asian girl who kicks ass. Anyone have suggestions?

Breaking Dawn- Twilight Series Ends

It is a sad day because there is no more Edward & Bella, but also one of joy because of a happy ending. I finally finished the Twilight series by reading the fourth and last book, Breaking Dawn. This was by far, the longest book of the bunch. Perhaps Stephanie Meyer wanted to condense two books into one. I'm not sure if I enjoyed this one the most because of the story or because I knew it is the last and final book. Regardless, I have enjoyed the ride.
I can't discuss this book in length because there would be too many spoiler alerts. However, I will say that Bella comes into her own and, in typical Meyer style, there is definitely a surprise or two in this book. Again, the writing is not good, even the ending is mediocre, but there is just something addicting about this book!

This is the first time in a while that I don't have another book immediately lined up. Perhaps it's because there is no fifth Twilight book to look forward to- now I can just take my time to pick another book. P Gregory may be beckoning me...

The Other Boleyn Girl

I must admit that I am a sucker for fictional stories based on royal families of the past. There's something very dramatic about the royal court, schemes, and romances. I have had The Other Boleyn Girl in my mind for quite a while, but the opportunity presented itself in audiobook form when I went to drive 6 hours to meet Kelly and Lanaya in Iowa. It was the quickest 12 hours of driving I've ever had because the story is...well it is just so dramatically good. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to find the kind of fix that the Twilight series gives me. Now, I understand that I have nothing to worry about because the author, Philippa Gregory, already has at least six novels about this time period.
This novel has everything to make for a good story. It has everything dramatic- selfish motives, death, power. At the same time, it has the beauty of life, love, and trust. I almost wish they made this into a television show series because it is an unending story of the life of aristocracy in 1500s England under King Henry's court. Whenever I explained King Henry VIII to my students in my World History class, I compared it to a soap opera in Days of Our Lives. Well, this is a well-written soap opera that is enjoyable to read.

It is no surprise that this novel was picked up to become a screenplay and eventual movie. The two A-List actresses in it who represent Mary Boleyn, the protagonist, and her sister and eventual Queen Anne are Scarlett Johannsen and Natalie Portman. I just watched the movie, The Duchess, another time period piece with Keira Knightley. I guess I am just into these time period pieces and can't get enough of them in movie or novel form!

Wuthering Heights

Promising myself to read other books besides the ones in the Twilight series, I decided to pick up Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. It is a tale of love, loss, and hatred all woven into a dramatic tale. Understandably, it would have been the modern version of any soap opera- Days of Our Lives, General Hospital, etc. Published in 1847, Emily Bronte wrote the book under a male pseudonym, Ellis Bell. People were shocked and intrigued by the incredibly passionate characters. This book is abundant with characters that have a deep hatred for one another- they plot against each other and enjoy seeing pain of others. I imagine it was quite a scandalous novel at the time.

The story begins with a housemaid, Nelly, retelling the story of the life at Wuthering Heights. The main two characters are Heathcliff, an orphaned and uneducated boy taken in by the man of Wuthering Heights, and Catherine (Cathy), the beautiful, but spoiled girl of the house. Heathcliff is treated as a despicable person because of his status in life. His anger builds through out his life so that his one and only goal is to take revenge on those who treated him ill. Meanwhile, Heathcliff and Cathy develop a friendly relationship with each other, which quickly reveals into a passionate love. However, their love is an unrequited love. Early in life, Cathy dies and Heathcliff continues on to ravage families apart. In the end, Heathcliff only finds peace when he, too, dies and is able to join Cathy in the afterlife.

In my opinion, the ending is not as fun as the journey- there is so much hatred and drama through out the book that it feels like a lot of action for a novel of its time. It is quite different than a Jane Austen book, which is filled with a lot of properness. Wuthering Heights is out in the open with emotions and does not apologize for it.