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I liked this, it provided the sense of war for 1937 Chinese students searching safety in the interior of their country while invaded by Japan. I‘m fascinated by Chinese lores so the effort to save volumes of legendary tales fascinated me. The touch of magical realism brought those lores to life. …That said, the storytelling was a bit simplistic for the horrors of war.

Jan #BookSpin Cat:Across an Ocean @TheAromaofBooks

Wow, I loved this book (which seems weird to say). I even did some googling after I read this one, which is rare! Set in 1937 in China, Japan is attacking China so everyone is migrating to different parts of China.

This book was just beautiful. So glad I finally picked this one up.

#NewYearNewBooks Day 16 #Refugees

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

I read Three Souls and I really liked this author writing style in that novel. I hope I can read this one soon🤗 According to the the blurb is about refugees.

This lovely edition has been languishing on my shelves for years- so I‘m thankful that the #BOTM bonus challenge gave me the push to pluck it off and read it! It‘s a nice blend of historical fiction, with a dash of mythical fantasy and some romance to balance out the darkness of the journey and hardships across 1937 China, with the country at war with Japan & itself. I wish the characters were more deeply developed & I wanted more of the legends!

Historical fiction with a mythical element. I knew little about this war and enjoyed the story, but it was a bit long and slow at times. I would have also have liked the mythical elements to have played a more prominent role.

This is a great thread for anyone looking for new books, even if you haven‘t fallen off with reading! The tagged book isn‘t listed, it‘s my current read. Enjoy!

https://twitter.com/literyture/status/1556633203544301570?s=21&t=AefKDozRmprHsgZ...

#BeginsWith @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs
#Library

I love Janie Chang. This was better than her second book for me but still not as good as her first. I found it a bit long but the story was compelling.

This looks so darned good. Ebook on sale for $1.99 but I‘m holding out for the irl book.

There‘s a lot to like about this one, especially the historical information. But it took me a while to finish. Some of the subplots didn‘t seem to fit and at times I hit a snag on the writing style. But the history and characters were interesting, even if at times things didn‘t seem to hold together.

Loved this book!! I'm a sucker for stories like this. Legends and ordinary people and the way their history/mythology makes their choices different from the way those same things help mine. Fun, fun, fun

TMW your book, your knitting, and your shirt all go together…totally engrossed in this magical tale picked up for a lecture series.
#heliconian #blue

Enjoying this book at the park.

I saw some cool clouds on my lunchtime #audiowalk. The sky behind them was way more blue than my camera could pick up.

I‘ve gotta say, I groaned when I realized THE LIBRARY OF LEGENDS is read by Emily Woo Zeller, my narrator nemesis. Luckily, she doesn‘t shout TOO loudly with this one, but there‘s still a definite imbalance between the undertone she uses for the narrative and the loud dialogue. Sigh. At least I‘m enjoying the story.

I'm a bit late with my summary, but I finished the #20in4 readathon with a total of 11 hours and 35 minutes. In the last hours, I started this historical fiction novel about a group of students and professors fleeing the invasion of Nanking in 1937.

@Andrew65

Finished Queenie and Olive, Again. Working on these on the final day of the May #24in4.

Book 25
An interesting and well-written historical fiction novel set in 1930s China in the midst of war with Japan when university students carried ancient texts of Chinese myths and legends (The Library of Legends) across the country in hopes to preserve them. The book is part fantasy, as characters from a fictional legend are part of the story. It started and ended strong but was a little slow in the middle. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This book takes place in China in 1937 during the Second Sino-Japanese war. It focuses on the student refugees who needed to travel to safety to inner China so that they could continue their education and preserve the history and knowledge of China. It also weaves the story of mythical creatures moving to the safety of the heavens in order to escape the tragedies of China. It was a very beautiful story. #doublespin No. 9 pick

I absolutely loved this book. This book is about a college in China that has to evacuate during the war with Japan in 1937. Each student is tasked with carrying one book from the Library of Legends, an ancient set of books that contain China's myths & folklore. During the journey one of the myths plays out in a seamless blend of magical realism & historical fiction 📚
#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks
#LittensDressedInBlood @MidnightBookGirl

I like so many things about this book. But there are just so many subplots that just don‘t hang together. It was a bit frustrating.

I want to post more on Litsy! It‘s been a while since I have. So, here is what I hope is the first of many in the weeks ahead! #mycurrentread. #mondayreads #cover #coverart #bookcover

My review and Giller prize prediction for the tagged book: https://lindypratch.blogspot.com/2020/08/the-library-of-legends-by-janie-chang.h...

You know there disadvantages and advantages to being able to read books in less than 8hours. The advantages are that there so good you can‘t stop reading; while the disadvantages are that you can‘t stop reading, the feelings they create, and the inability to put the book down when your doing laundry 🧺 👀😳 so this is an amazing informative read that once you start you won‘t stop it‘s so good 😊 type of book 📖

Starting this beauty 📖

Historical fiction with a magical twist. I definitely learned about a time in China I didn‘t know about.

#talkaboutittuesday @BayouGirl85
A bit late! Tagged book is my current read 😊☺️🙂😁

Just received my #botm cant wait to read these two books 📚 hopefully I will get back into the swing of things and keep up now 🙌🏽 just moved into our new place so hopefully I can start posting on Litsy again

🎧 BOTM April choice with The Guest List. It was advertised as Historical Fantasy. I feel the “fantasy” description was overly generous. I totally picked this based on the cover & “fantasy” category.

Students from a Chinese university carry the books of the library of legends on a long journey to escape the Japanese Invasion of 1937. Based on true happenings, interspersed with a sprinkling of magic. Prettily written. Narration was meh ⭐️⭐️⭐️6/7

My two favorite colors 💜💛 #PurpleandYellowcovers

#FlyHighJuly

From my tbr shelf! 📚

I got this book for 2 reasons: I loved Chang‘s Three Souls and this cover is gorgeous. The book itself didn‘t disappoint, although I can‘t say I‘m as in love with it as I was Souls. Janie Chang writes beautifully and poetically. The story was a bit slow in parts, but overall I loved Lian‘s story as well as the fantasy elements.

I recently read about the Japanese invasion of Nanking, and that‘s where this story starts. #bookserendipity

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

#firstlinefridays

This is just such a gorgeous cover that I had to share.

Engaging historical fiction following a group of students evacuating Nanking in WW2 China, with touches of mythology as the gods and spirits begin their own evacuation. An interesting piece of history that I know very little about. In the West we tend to have a very Euro-centric view of WW2, and it is easy to overlook the struggles faced elsewhere in the world. 👇

Reading a good book with a super snuggly reading buddy. And a friend just dropped off Tim's for a treat. It's a good day.

In 1937, the students of Minghua University evacuate Nanking for interior China ahead of attacks by the Japanese. The continue to have classes along the journey and also carry important books—the Library of Legends. Based on true events, I found this utterly absorbing and enjoyed the thin thread of fantasy woven seamlessly through.

#Booked2020 Pan-Asian author/Silk Punk

#GoodReads2020Challenge

What made me choose this book? The cover. Its really beautiful.
And once I started reading, it seems that I am also a character in the book...

First, you have to get beyond that gorgeous cover. Go ahead and gaze at it, absorbing that artistry. Then once you are ready, open the cover and enter the fantastical world Janie Chang has created, a story blending Chinese history and Chinese folklore.
“Maybe immortals feel the passage of time differently than we do. Maybe a hundred years to her is only the blink of an eye, a single beat of the heart.”

Some books with a #purplecover 💜💜💜
I love purple 💜 All of these are beautiful!!

#BiblioMAYnia

Today‘s #MayARC was released this past Tuesday 5/12.

Review is up on my blog. This one is different. Check it out https://reecaspieces.com/2020/05/13/the-library-of-legends-by-janie-chang-wmmorr...

I chose this from #BOTM because of the gorgeous cover! I enjoyed it, although it was a bit slow in places. I liked the fantasy aspect mixed with the historical details. 4⭐️ Recommended!

#50 of my year.