Read all about it!
I am not a huge bookworm, by any means, but I do enjoy reading, and manage to find a few moments to do so here and there...mostly before I go to bed. Helps keep me sane, I guess. Lately, I have had 3 books on the go. The first is called Wild Swans, by Jung Chang. I love to read about real people's lives....I'm not much of a novel reader. Although I'm getting bogged down by some of the political stuff, it's a fascinating tale overall. Amazing how people lived under Communism in that era. Truth is definitely stranger than fiction.
The second book is called, The Last House on the Road, by Ronald Jager. It's the story behind an old house in Washington, New Hampshire, owned by parents of some friends of ours who we visited this summer at that very house, in fact. We met Mr. Jager (the author, and owner of the house) this summer when we visited our friends, and he gave us a signed copy. I've been reading it before bed, and finding it very relaxing...helps me unwind.
Last but not least, I would recommend, Potty Training in one Week, by Gina Ford. Not that it's done me much good this particular week, but we are ON THE WAY down the path, and that's what counts. Maybe not WELL on our way, but on the way!! I shall say no more on the topic, as it's too depressing to get into, and far too exhausting to contemplate at this time of night.
Thought I'd post a little summary of Wild Swans, in case anyone's looking for an interesting book to read...(lifted from Amazon).
In Wild Swans Jung Chang recounts the evocative, unsettling, and insistently gripping story of how three generations of women in her family fared in the political maelstrom of China during the 20th century. Chang's grandmother was a warlord's concubine. Her gently raised mother struggled with hardships in the early days of Mao's revolution and rose, like her husband, to a prominent position in the Communist Party before being denounced during the Cultural Revolution. Chang herself marched, worked, and breathed for Mao until doubt crept in over the excesses of his policies and purges. Born just a few decades apart, their lives overlap with the end of the warlords' regime and overthrow of the Japanese occupation, violent struggles between the Kuomintang and the Communists to carve up China, and, most poignant for the author, the vicious cycle of purges orchestrated by Chairman Mao that discredited and crushed millions of people, including her parents.
The second book is called, The Last House on the Road, by Ronald Jager. It's the story behind an old house in Washington, New Hampshire, owned by parents of some friends of ours who we visited this summer at that very house, in fact. We met Mr. Jager (the author, and owner of the house) this summer when we visited our friends, and he gave us a signed copy. I've been reading it before bed, and finding it very relaxing...helps me unwind.
Last but not least, I would recommend, Potty Training in one Week, by Gina Ford. Not that it's done me much good this particular week, but we are ON THE WAY down the path, and that's what counts. Maybe not WELL on our way, but on the way!! I shall say no more on the topic, as it's too depressing to get into, and far too exhausting to contemplate at this time of night.
Thought I'd post a little summary of Wild Swans, in case anyone's looking for an interesting book to read...(lifted from Amazon).
In Wild Swans Jung Chang recounts the evocative, unsettling, and insistently gripping story of how three generations of women in her family fared in the political maelstrom of China during the 20th century. Chang's grandmother was a warlord's concubine. Her gently raised mother struggled with hardships in the early days of Mao's revolution and rose, like her husband, to a prominent position in the Communist Party before being denounced during the Cultural Revolution. Chang herself marched, worked, and breathed for Mao until doubt crept in over the excesses of his policies and purges. Born just a few decades apart, their lives overlap with the end of the warlords' regime and overthrow of the Japanese occupation, violent struggles between the Kuomintang and the Communists to carve up China, and, most poignant for the author, the vicious cycle of purges orchestrated by Chairman Mao that discredited and crushed millions of people, including her parents.
posted by KW | 1:28 PM
5 Comments:
KARENA! I'm so excited to hear that you are reading "Wild Swans"! I had to read that for a class I took on modern Chinese history and I LOVED IT! I think I am obsessed with the Cultural Revolution and Chairman Mao. I mean- not obsessed in a good way but in a sort of horrid fascination. I have a couple other books about that time period- similarly written- autobiographical accounts - in case you're interested someday. Wow- you have quite the spectrum of literature now! From Chinese history to Potty training... I'm impressed. I'd like to borrow that book about the house in Washington someday.
I, too, am impressed by your Chinese book! I didn't do much with the potty training since like Friday. I got Will 6 pairs of undies, and he went through them quick. And then I wasn't up to the challenge Saturday...or Sunday...or today. But it will happen eventually, right!?
Janelle, I love Mercer Mayer books!! I grew up with them, and we have some around the house, such as Just Go to Bed, Me and My Dad, etc. When you are really tired and want a QUICK bedtime story, those are great. :) Love the Lion Aslan and all those stories. Really can't wait for the movie that's going to come out! Yay! Let's all see it together!
Janil,
I didn't tell you how long it takes me to read these things, OR for that matter if I will ever finish it--the Wild Swans one that is....It is LONG--p'raps 700pgs or so. Anyhooo, thanks for your commentz.
Thanks for posting about Wild Swans! I read it a couple years ago and found it facinating, but since then I forgot the title! Excellent choice.
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