Book Review: A Hundred Horses

A Hundred Horses
Author: Sarah Lean
Published: Harper Collins, 2013
Genre: Middle-grade, Coming of Age
Rating: 5/5

So, a few weeks ago I went to my local bookshop The Toadstool to browse through the middle-grade reader horse novels. For years as a child, my mother brought me to this bookstore so I could by a new Saddle Club book or some other horse related novel. Even though I am now an adult, part of me still enjoys reading books about young girls healed by horses.

Nell is not too pleased about spending her spring break with her aunt and cousins on the farm. But, Nell's mom is too busy working, and maybe too busy trying to forget about Nell's father. Something important is taken from Nell by another girl riding a horse, and Nell will do anything to get back her treasure. Nell meets Rita, an older women whose husband's recent death is forcing her to sell her herd of 99 horses. The connection between Rita and the other girl, Angel, is revealed and Nell and Angel forge an unlikely friendship based on their need for affection and understanding.

There is an old truth of horse bringing people together, and this novel captures that truth in character and plot. The writing is fluid and the characters grow with each encounter and challenge they face. I would recommend this novel to horse lovers and parents whose daughters might be facing a difficult time.

Book Review: Colorless

Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage
Author: Haruki Murakami and translated by Philip Gabriel
Published: 2014 English Edition,
Genre: Psychological Fiction
Rating: 5/5

Have you ever had that urge to buy that hardcover, but just couldn't justify spending the money on it? I was there when Colorless by Haruki Murakami was released in 2014. I really wanted to buy it, but I was short on cash and had accumulated several unread titles by Murakami. My practical side won and I decided I would buy Murakami's most recent novel when it was released in paperback. The day it came out, my inner book dork took control and I spent the next few days reading it whenever I could.

Tsukuru Tazaki is a mid-thirties bachelor spending his working days designing train stations. He leads a lonely, but not unsatisfactory life in Tokyo when he meets Sara. Over dinner one night, Sara encourages Tsukuru to explore how the collective rejection of his four childhood friends has affected his adult life. Unable to ignore the fact the wound never completely healed, Tsukuru goes on a quest to find out the reason why he was rejected and abandoned by his high school comrades. As he speaks to each one, he begins to realize they all had their secrets, desires and disappointments. Tsukuru delves into the emotions of the past and present to heal the wounds with understanding and respect.

Haruki Murakami is known for his extensive analysis of human emotions through his characters. This novel is a balanced work of art that explores the emotional and the spiritual quest of Tsukura, This novel's plot seems simple, but the intricate interior dialogue brings readers to Tsukura's fifteen-year-old plight. Murkami's dialogue is natural and flows between the characters as the emotions build with each reunion.

What is startling about this novel is how simple it makes readers question their own life. Are you hiding old wounds? Has a traumatic event that you "recovered" from still haunt you? How many of us lie to ourselves?

 For readers looking for a psychologically driven plot, Colorless is just the book for you.

Book Review: The King's Curse

The King's Curse
Author: Philippa Gregory
Published: Touchstone, 2015
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 5/5

Philippa Gregory is one of my favorite historical fiction authors. I appreciate the creative license she takes while still staying in line with most major historical facts. What I admire most about her unique ideas is her ability to weave the common threads through all the books. In her most recent The Cousins' Wars novel, The King's Curse, Gregory explored the life of Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury and how her closeness to the throne leads to the highs and lows in her life.

Margaret Pole is the cousin of Elizabeth of York, queen of England. Her Plantagenet bloodlines make her a threat to the new Tudor rulers, and she is married off to the Tudor supporter Sir Richard Pole. As the years pass, Margaret finds her life affected by her continuous rise and fall of royal favor. She forms a strong friendship with the young Katherine of Spain and both are devastated with Prince Arthur suddenly dies. Margaret Pole finds herself struggling and sends her children to be raised by family members or the church. When Katherine marrieds Henry VIII, life seems to smile on her and Margaret. However, these two women will soon discover their fates are tied to a young, jovial king who will slowly turn into a petulant, temperamental man ruled by his rash anger.

Gregory successfully weaves together the ongoing "curse" that is first revealed in The White Queen and how it directly affect Margaret Pole. Readers can sense the Margaret's pride, but sensitivity to her royal blood as she makes all attempts not to draw attention to herself and her family. Gregory's ability to pull readers into the complex emotions of Margaret will widen their knowledge on humanity and how much the human heart can stand.

While I enjoyed this novel, it might not be a favorite read for those who have previously read Gregory's other novels. This novel does go over events previously portrayed in other novels such as The Constant Princess and The White Princess. However, it is worth the read to see how other royals lives depended upon the laws and favor of their king. Royals may have had the advantage of education and possible wealth, but their lives were far from their own.

Book Review: Chancey of the Maury River

Chancey of the Maury River
Author: Gigi Amateau
Published: Candlewick, 2010
Genre: Middle-Grade, Fantasy, Horse Narrative
Rating: 5/5

Anybody who has read my blog in the past knows I love horses. I especially love stories about horses and my favorite novels are usually aimed at middle-grade readers. There is a time in lots of young girls' lives they fall in love with horses. Some will fall out of love in a short time and others will fall in love for life. Much to my parents' dismay, I never stopped loving horses. My mother felt guilty, she could not afford riding lessons so she gave me what she could: books. My childhood days were filled with book like The Saddle Club, Pony Pals, Heartland and novels by Marguerite Henry.

Sometimes, I still go to my local bookshop where I browse the "horse section" for middle-grade readers. This is where I found Chancey of the Maury River. This novel is on the same level of craft writing and plot as War Horse.

Chancey is an albino Appaloosa. He has lived his life with the indifference of his owner while working as a school horse. When his owner faces a financial crisis, he is forced to fend for himself and then abandoned. At Maury River Stables he meets the first human to love him unconditionally. Claire has suffered a great loss, but through her relationship with Chancey she begins to recover. As Chancy ages, Claire learns to share him with other riders in a therapeutic riding program. She and Chancy touch the hearts of other humans and animals as they grow together.

Amateau had done an outstanding job writing this from Chancey's point of view. Chancey's interpretation of the world is authentic and reliable (from a horse's POV). The plot of this novel is well done and both of the main characters grow with each new challenge. Amateau presents accurate knowledge of horsemanship in this novel and has colorfully written images that will stay in her readers' heads.

I heartily recommend this novel for all young equestrians and adults who enjoy horse stories. It will be a book I share with my own children someday.

When you Miss Your Own Heart

Today, as I was walking up my friend's endlessly steep driveway, I stopped to admire how the recent winds how drifted the snow into layers on the snowbanks. They reminded me of the layers of uneven frosting on the first birthday cake I had baked for myself. The feeling that arose in my heart as I stood breathing in the cold air can only be described as "connectedness".

The past twenty months I felt as if part of me disappeared. I have missed writing the way I used to.
I have missed my own heart.

I never thought I'd lose myself. But I did. I lost myself between looking for a "career starting position" and trying to balance a long distance intercultural relationship.

Two people in my life have constantly been telling me to write for a long time. However, my alignment with my secret heart (muse as others would call her) has been hard to bring back. I know she is in there between the horses, history and taste of Asia I keep in my soul.

Writers, you should never neglect your muse. She is like a garden of flowers. If you stop watering your flowers, they will die. Then, you will find yourself trying to save those flowers or planting new seeds. This is not a bad thing, though. Now I can add some new flowers to my field.

I hope they grow strong with brilliant colors.

Why I walk up that steep driveway.

Book Review: 1Q84

1Q84
Author: Haruki Murakami (translated by Jay Rubin and Philip Gabriel)
Published: Vintage International Oct 2011 in USA
Genre: Alternate Reality, Fantasy, Parallel Worlds
Rating: 5/5

My first venture into reading Japanese literature was Haruki Murakami's novel Norwegian Wood. Since then I have the works of Natsuo Kirino, Yoko Ogawa, Koushun Takami, Yukio Mishima and parts of historical texts including, "The Hojoki" and "Essays in Idleness". Murakami's tantalizing writing style brought me into a part of Japan's creative culture beyond the manga of my childhood. My copy of 1Q84 was purchased from the Kinokuniya store in Shinjuku. Whenever I feel nostalgic, I pull out one of the books I bought in Japan and begin reading.

The year is 1984 in Tokyo. Tengo is an aspiring writer who spends his time teaching at a cram school and writing. He leads a solitary life except for a few professional contacts. When he takes on the task of rewriting a manuscript his tranquil life begins to unravel. What if what you were writing had taken place in another reality? As Tengo's world changes he constantly thinks of the young girl he loved in elementary school.

Aomame has outcasted herself from her strict religious family. She spends her days working as a personal fitness trainer and completing tasks for one of her clients. Her world converges into another realm when she steps down the emergency ladder to the street below. She is no longer in 1984.

As their narratives intertwine between the parallel worlds, Murakami created an elegant portrayal of a romance connected through time, space and human emotions. Simply by taking the human feeling of "connectedness" and molding it Murakami has created an ambitious work of literature. His narrative and character development is exquisite and readers will become more invested with each page.

This novel is a must read for those who enjoy books with a mystical element. For those who enjoy the reading realms of both high fantasy and realistic fiction, this book maintains a balance you will surely enjoy.

Book Review: China Dolls

China Dolls
Author: Lisa See
Published: Random House, June 2014
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4/5

Lisa See happens to be one of my favorite Asian historical fiction writers. Her works have focused on China and the trials and tribulations Chinese women have faced in different time periods. I was excited to read her latest novel China Dolls and was pleased with the storyline, setting and the initial introduction of her characters. However, this novel didn't deliver strong character development as her other novels have.

In 1938, Grace finds herself in San Francisco's Chinatown after leaving behind her abusive father. Her desire is to find work at a nightclub where she can make a living dancing. She meets Helen and Ruby and three soon become fast friends. Helen has a dark past and lives with her traditional Chinese family and her  desire is to escape the cage and her pain. Ruby is Japanese and passing herself as Chinese in order to find gainful employment in Chinatown. The course of their lives and friendships is altered the day Japan attacks Pearl Harbor. Ruby is sent to a concentration camp while her two friends continue on with their life and wonders which one betrayed her.

What I enjoyed about this novel was the premise of the story: three young oriental American determined to make their own way in the world. Lisa See's ability to bring her readers' to the historical setting is one of her strengths. In my mind, I could envision the 1930-40's streets of Chinatown and San Francisco. Her characters each have a solid, believable background which sets the tone of voice for each girl.

The reason this novel seems to fall short in my eyes is the lack of character development throughout the story. The initial friendship of the girls' seems to be motivated by the face they are all pretty and like being seen together. Even as the novel progresses, they tend to act like preteens jealous of each other's friendships like a love triangle.

What began as a possibly well-written alternating narration quickly becomes a weakness in this book. While the character's each have a developed voice the alternating chapters began to feel a bit choppy. Towards the end of the novel I felt as if I was being pushed from one character's brain to the other without much notice. Even the thought process of the characters' and their voices began to feel the same. Considering each girls' dramatic past, their voices could have been individually stronger with their psychological and physical experiences.

I would recommend this novel to those curious about the life of the Chinese in American history. Overall, this novel can be an enjoyable read, but it will not be making the reread list.