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The Hundred Secret Senses
The Hundred Secret Senses: A Novel | Amy Tan
The Hundred Secret Senses is an exultant novel about China and America, love and loyalty, the identities we invent and the true selves we discover along the way. Olivia Laguni is half-Chinese, but typically American in her uneasiness with her patchwork family. And no one in Olivia's family is more embarrassing to her than her half-sister, Kwan Li. For Kwan speaks mangled English, is cheerfully deaf to Olivia's sarcasm, and sees the dead with her "yin eyes." Even as Olivia details the particulars of her decades-long grudge against her sister (who, among other things, is a source of infuriatingly good advice), Kwan Li is telling her own story, one that sweeps us into the splendor, squalor, and violence of Manchu China. And out of the friction between her narrators, Amy Tan creates a work that illuminates both the present and the past sweetly, sadly, hilariously, with searing and vivid prose. "Truly magical...unforgettable...this novel...shimmer[s] with meaning."--San Diego Tribune "The Hundred Secret Senses doesn't simply return to a world but burrows more deeply into it, following new trails to fresh revelations."--Newsweek
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lauraisntwilder
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Pickpick

I enjoyed the whole book, but especially the last few chapters. It's hard to believe the ending of an almost 30-year-old bestseller hadn't been spoiled for me.

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Lcsmcat
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Pickpick

I had a quiet afternoon for reading today, and finished this beautiful book. I have loved everything I have read by Tan, including the children‘s book I used to read to my kids. Lovely lyrical writing that takes you right where she wants you to go. #authoramonth @Soubhiville

AmyG I, too, love her books. 3y
Soubhiville Ooooo, pretty cover too. 3y
KathyWheeler I loved this book, but, weirdly, it‘s the last Amy Tan book I read and I did that when it first came out. I need to read some of her newer books. 3y
Lcsmcat @KathyWheeler You should! They‘re all good. 3y
48 likes4 comments
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Susanita
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If you don‘t like ambiguous endings and unanswered questions, don‘t read this! If you‘re okay with uncertainty and mystery and lyrical writing, go for it!

Amy Tan spoke at the 2018 National Book Festival. Here‘s info for this year (all virtual): https://www.loc.gov/events/2021-national-book-festival/

#authoramonth

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Susanita
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An uneasy relationship between #siblings and this month‘s #authoramonth selection.
#conflictedworlds

Eggs Great choice 🙏🏻📚👍🏼 3y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 👩‍👧📚🙌🏻 3y
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Eggs
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Pickpick

Where to begin? The character of Kwan is endlessly fascinating! She sees and hears yin (ghosts), but to her half sister Olivia, Kwan‘s world and visions seem like a strange world far away from day to day reality. Rich characters and journeys-I recommend!

#authoramonth2021 @Soubhiville

#bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 3y
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Ellen_C
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Pickpick

A ghost story, some history, and selfless love. Kwan says she can communicate with spirits and has lived past lives. Her half sister Olivia, a photographer, believes what she sees and finds Kwan annoying. But what is Kwan is not crazy? Amy Tan takes us to China 1865 and modern SF to tell us Kwan‘s stories. Beautiful and tragic. https://cannonballread.com/2021/05/the-hundred-secret-senses-elcicco/

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Deblovestoread
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A Kindle deal today for Amy Tan our August author. Unlike the rest of the month‘s I had not chosen a book for August and this showed up today. Problem solved! #AuthoraMonth

Soubhiville Oh perfect! Thanks for sharing! 4y
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TheBookHippie How fun is this?! Thanks !!! I enjoy her writing I think I‘ve read 3 of her books in my life. I picked this one so far for the month 4y
Cinfhen Thanks for posting & sharing!!! 4y
AmyG Thanks! 4y
Eggs Thanks Soubhi🙏🏻 4y
Kaila-ann Can I be removed from this activity for the time being? I just don‘t have the time to participate fully 😔. Thank you. 4y
Lcsmcat Thanks for sharing! 4y
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mrp27
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#litsyspringbreak

A favorite author of some favorite books set in #china

TheKidUpstairs I've only read one of her books, but it was fantastic 4y
mrp27 @TheKidUpstairs I loved Joy Luck too. All her books have been awesome. 4y
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TheEllieMo
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OriginalCyn620 Love it! 4y
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booksandsympathy

"When there is great suffering," he said, "everyone struggles the same. But when there is peace, no one wants to be the same."

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reading_rainbow
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another gift from my sister, this is one of her favorites 💜🌿 i plan on reading it as soon i can 🌞☁️☁️

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Gadolby

“Are we born with blank hearts, waiting to be imprinted with any imitation of love?”

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Gadolby

“For many hours each day, she and Yiban talked, their heads bent together like two flowers reaching for the same sun.”

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TK-421
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“I once thought love was supposed to be nothing but bliss. I now know it is also worry and grief, hope and trust. And believing in ghosts--that's believing that love never dies. If people we love die, then they are lost only to our ordinary senses. If we remember, we can find them anytime with our hundred secret senses.” #ghost #QuotsyOct18

Texreader That‘s beautiful 6y
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mrp27
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#augustisatrip #china

A favorite book by a favorite author. Tan's books are always filled with rich detail about Chinese culture.

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks So pretty 💙💕 6y
vkois88 Gorgeous 😍 6y
43 likes2 comments
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TK-421
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I'm a mood reader so I don't really make monthly TBR plans, but I'm trying to complete several reading challenges this year (#LitsyAtoZ2018, #ReadHarder2018, #LRC2018, #LitsybytheNumbers) and I also signed up for @DuckOfDoom 's #SFFTBR year-long challenge which just started today (July 1). I'm hoping to finish my current read which is my pick for "100" and then continue chipping away at these challenges! #AnticipatedJulyReads #JulyinBooks18

hermyknee What is the #SFFTBR ? 6y
TK-421 @hermyknee Seems I got the hashtag wrong - that should be #SFFTBRChallenge! It's a yearlong 50 book sci-fi & fantasy challenge that's hosted by @DuckofDoom. If you check out her posts, there's a link to the sign up form. 6y
DuckOfDoom @hermyknee The sign-up is closed now, the challenge starts soon, BUT you can still participate, but I will probably not be able to partner you up. Just email me at untote.seifenblasen@gmail.com if you want to join! 6y
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hermyknee @DuckOfDoom oh thanks! It sounds cool, but I don‘t think I‘d be able to keep up. I can‘t wait to see everyone‘s posts!! 6y
DuckOfDoom @hermyknee you can also join with 10 or 15 books! Just have fun and maybe but a little dent into your TBR. 6y
hermyknee Hmmmm i definitely think I can manage 10 sci fi / fantasy books in a year! Does YA count? I‘ve got several from OwlCrate on my TBR! @DuckOfDoom 6y
DuckOfDoom @hermyknee of course! I also hope to read some of my Fairyloot books 😊 6y
Chelleo @DuckOfDoom shoot, I‘ve got 7 under my belt with the Michael Vey series alone! 6y
DuckOfDoom @Chelleo do you want to join the challenge? 😊 6y
Chelleo Why not?! I‘ll email you. 6y
Chelleo @hermyknee want to partner up with me since we‘re just joining? Would that work @DuckOfDoom 6y
DuckOfDoom @Chelleo I thinkn@LibrarianRyan was open to a second partner as well if that does not work out 6y
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TK-421
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Since I'm not a summer person--I hate heat & humidity and I burn easily--I don't do beaches. But my bedding looks close enough to water & sand that with a fan blowing at me, an ocean waves CD playing in the background and a bit of imagination, I could lie in bed and pretend that I'm at the beach with my current read! 😂 #beachread #ReadingResolutions

MrsMalaprop I remember liking this one when I read it a long time ago. Enjoy your ‘beach‘ read 😉. 6y
TK-421 @MrsMalaprop Thanks, I am! It's a reread for me, & even better than I remembered! 6y
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Teafiend
Pickpick

Oh kwan! Why???

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Haweller
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Pickpick

The combination of western belief systems and Asian beliefs is fascinating to me. Amy Tan did a great job in bringing them together. Loved her books before I read this one and am even more of a fan now.

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CillainWonderland
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Listening to this on the way to meet my boyfriend

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emilyhaldi
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I bought this signed copy for $1 at a recent rummage sale near Cleveland, OH & found this picture inside... after some research I uncovered the mystery man's identity!

This is Cleveland bookseller Richard Gildenmeister who opened a pop-up shop in 2012 to sell off his private book collection after having dreams of "all these books moving around my brain". The sale included 2000+ volumes and I'm wondering if this could have been one of them?? ?

cathysaid So cool! 8y
emilyhaldi @Mdargusch @Reviewsbylola @Meredith3 @AnnieD thought you might find this interesting!! 🤗 8y
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Reviewsbylola How tf did you discover that???? 8y
emilyhaldi @Reviewsbylola Google Image! It's genius!!! Here's the full article I found for fun- http://www.freshwatercleveland.com/devnews/richardgildenmeister032912.aspx (edited) 8y
LeahBergen That is so cool! 😮 8y
BarbaraJean What a wonderful find! 8y
Dragon What a fun bookish mystery. And you solved it 👍 8y
Mdargusch So cool!👍🏼 8y
Reecaspieces Wow that's awesome! 8y
shawnmooney Great story! 8y
mcipher That's such a cool story! 8y
melbeautyandbooks That's so cool! 8y
LauraBrook Wow, that's awesome! 🤘🏼 8y
Zelma Great story and sleuthing skills! 👍 8y
Cinfhen I see you share your sister's passion for sleuthing! That's really incredible... I'm impressed 🙌🏻 8y
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MrsMalaprop
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#bookclub I posted yesterday about my book club reaching its 20 year milestone. At the end of each year we vote on our favourite book for that year: roughly 10 books to choose from and 10 members voting. This is a list of the books that got the most votes each year since 1997. Sorry about the small font, it might be a bit hard to read on a phone. Many great books did not make it onto this list. But that's reader diversity for you 😊.

Well-ReadNeck This is fabulous! Thanks for sharing. 8y
Megabooks Awesome!! 8y
Suet624 Thank you. This post is a keeper! 8y
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Cinfhen Thanks for posting!!! Such an incredible group of books and what a great bookclub 💕📚💕 8y
Jeg So many good books. Think my all time favourite would have to be Clive James. 8y
twohectobooks #bookclubgoals wow! My book club is about two and a half years old right now and I can only hope it'll last to the end of this decade, much less twenty years! 8y
23 likes6 comments
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sherri
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Library book sale!!! 8 books for $8

becausetrains Nicely done, @Sherri! What's the little slim volume next to Elements of Style? 8y
sherri @becausetrains That is a staple-bound poetry book called Three Voices: Arthur Bramhall, Eugene T. Maleska, and Herman M. Ward 8y
22 likes2 comments
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The_Literary_Jedi

#septphotochallenge today are book #setinasia and it was difficult to find any in the stacks...I need to buy more! #somethingforsept #somethingforseptember