Welcome to Litsy!

I was reading this for #BookedInTime when the details started to seem familiar. Checked LibraryThing and turns out I had read it in 2014. According to my review I was just meh on it then too so I‘m moving on.

Top Tow: #sundaybuddyread #diaries #ChristieCapers #AgathaChristieClubR3 #foodanslit #Rowanda #readyourkindle #DorothySayers #poetry
Middle Row: #AprilPoetryChallenge
Bottom Row: #bookedintime #ChinaQuingDynastyPost1912+ #nonfiction #hummingbirds #audiobook #QueensofCrime

I found this interesting and loved the setting of the story both as physical locations and timewise. The characters felt like they actually lived in the pages. This is quite a big book and it was fun to read one story for such a long time. It's been awhile since I last did that. I think I'll be reading more Amy Tan at some point. 😊

Started two new books today. I'm travelling again and wanted to pick two books to take with me that are as different as possible. Blue one is historical fiction and the black one is non-fiction that focuses around mafia.

Getting some early morning reading in outside before it gets too hot.

Step back in time with a story about life as a courtesan in early 20th century China. Spanning fifty years, the book follows the life of Violet Minturn, who is forced to separate from her mother and become a virgin courtesan at the start of the revolution.

#ExoticTravel #IndelibeMoments @AlwaysReading @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Audiobook: there were times I felt it was a long journey (600+ pages) and I wasn‘t sure where it was leading. But it ended up in a beautiful way as the story of two strong women unfolded over the years. They prevailed through political upheaval, evil men, poverty, abandonment and the lives they lived within the confines of the courtesan world. Great story 💗

#authoramonth2021 @Soubhiville
#bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

The story of two women, mother and daughter, their loves, losses and search for identity....set in China in the early to mid 1900‘s. A sweeping novel, perhaps a little too long, but a wonderful story.

@Soubhiville #AuthorAMonth #August

I really enjoyed this book. It's description of Chinese courtesan houses and how virgin courtesans were trained, were particularly interesting.

But what I enjoyed the most was the culture of wooing, jealous rivalries and lifelong sisterhood - it touched my heart.

The audible narration is done by three narrators and they were great.

In all, this book has it all - drama, action, suspense, sex and tears. What more can you ask for?

Well-written, moving. The perfidy of man made me so angry in so many places in this book, I had to keep putting it down; yet I‘m glad I persevered. A story of the damage done to one woman passing down wounds to the next generation...3 generations. Strong, amazing women.

Day 26 -
#AmyTan
#AugustAuthors
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @OriginalCyn620

A story between mothers and daughters, relationships that are separated through unfortunate events.

I enjoyed the reading the family history of Violet, Lucia, and Flora. Each person had personal growth without mother figures in their life and how they found their way back to each other. The book goes through pain and love in the early 1900s.

“I was returning with myself whole and unbroken—limbs, mind, and spirit. I had discarded pride, that useless burden of self-importance.” #return #QuotsyMay20

I knew that feeling of being betrayed by lies you had believed in. It was like a crack in the wall behind you that widened without your knowing until the entire how collapsed on you.

Currently reading in preparation to seeing Amy Tan next month.

1. The Valley of Amazement
2. The Song of Hiawatha by Longfellow
3. The cost

@NataliePatalie @rachelsbrittain #weekendreads
Thanks for the tag @Eggs

I'm going and the tickets were free! I will read the tagged book to prepare. 😁

#bookwormlogic

- own 3 Amy Tan books for 10+ years
- resist buying others bc of said 3 unread books, what if I don't like her?
- finally get around to reading The Joy Luck Club - it totally lives up to its rep, I loved it!
- pick up some more Amy Tan books bc now I know I like her
- now have 4 unread Amy Tan books

... 🤷‍♀️ #neverendingtbr

Went for a walk this morning and had more good luck at a #littlefreelibrary 🙂

Dunno who this book smelled like but kitty boy felt the need to make it very thoroughly his. #catsofLitsy

I really liked this. A warning that there are some graphic scenes, though – sex, violence. The book certainly kept me wanting to read to find out what happened. It was a bit of an emotional roller-coaster with ups and downs. A small portion of the book told Lulu‘s story; admittedly, at first, I didn‘t think this was necessary, but it got more interesting as it went on, and it was nice to see the pieces come together as it continued.

Labour Day = beach day. Started this book and devoured half of it! Perfect bank holiday. ☀️⛱📚💝

Added a friend to my current TBR shelf. He seems very excited to be surrounded by books! 😆

#shelfie #litsygram #alien #facehugger

Just started reading this.

I got my Goodreads TBR below 600!! Now to fill it back up with my kindle books and bookshelf books. Wanted to snap a pic before I did.

Day 11 #setinsoutheastasia #aprilbookshowers This is the closest one I could find on my shelves to being set in Southeast Asia. It was an OK read but not a favourite.

Just finished this book and always I loved Amy Tan's writing.

what great finds...every single minute was worth it...perusing @ Bart'sBooks...#booknerdforlife #imallbooked #inmyownworld #shuttingoutreality #bookishgal #myreadinglife #readersgonnaread

#Didntlikeitstillfinishedit #Marchintoreading I'm on fire: 4 out of 4 challenges so far this month 👍😁. I have enjoyed many Amy Tan books over the years, but this is not one of them. The only reason I finished it is because it was a book club read, chosen by my mum (sorry mum ❤).

Day 28 #BooksByAsianWriters #ReadJanuary These are the only two in my home collection, but in recent years, I've read more books by Asian writers, courtesy of friends and my local libraries.

Look, I only got a few books at the book sale. I am the picture of restraint and practicality #saidnooneever

This was great as a great audiobook. It was interesting seeing into the Chinese world of courtesans (I liked the Japanese story Memoirs of a Geisha). Unlike Memoirs of a Geisha, I felt like this novel didn't have as tight a plot line. I will forgive plot meandering, however, because the world Tan created was so vivid.

Any body have such a long TBR list that you don't know what to pick up next? How do you decide? I may be in a reading funk 😱😰

Weekend TBR: Late start to the weekend because of a lot of winter traveling! Started this 600+ page one (on the Kindle) during the 11 hour plane ride for letter V. The plan is to finish it, finish letter C and then chose between these for letter D and MountTBR. Winnie is so ready! Aloha 😎🌺 #LitsyAtoZ #MountTBR #FunFridayPhoto

Starting a new audiobook. Back on night shift tonight. Got a long 12 hour shift in front of me. #audiobook #happylistening

#bookface challenge

I read this book a couple of years ago and, like everything I've read by Amy Tan, it was excellent.

#photoadaynov16 Who knew?!? I found 2 #headlesscovers in my first stack 😊 I still haven't read Valley of Amazement but it's moving up in my pile. Hoping to get to it in January❣️

I was so excited to read this book by Amy Tan but I was unfortunately very disappointed. It seemed too long and I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters. Although it explored a part of Chinese history I wasn't familiar with, I would look for another book to explore it. 😕

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Do you know what morals are, Violet? They're other people's rules. Do you know what a conscience is? Freedom to use your own intelligence to decide what is right or wrong...Whenever others disapprove of you, you must disregard them and be the only one to judge your own decisions and actions.

Amazing book. Started it a year and a half ago but couldn't get into it. Just restarted it, and I couldn't put it down. A sad read, but beautifully written.