Beyond the Blossoming Fields - Jun'ichi Watanabe

This book is based on the real-life story of Ginko Ogino - Japan’s first female doctor.  After contracting gonorrhea from her husband, experiencing divorce and humiliation of being examined by male doctors, Gin sets out in male dominated 19th century Japan to become the first female doctor so other women don't have to experience the same humiliations she did.

What can I say about this novel?  I finished it.  It was a tad painful.  I'm not sure if it's because it's a male writer portraying a female persona, maybe something was lost in translation from Japanese or that the writer can't decided to tell the story in first person narrative in the characters present or telling the story ABOUT Ginko historically but this was a terrible read.  It had such great potential and it was so disappointing.  In the middle of Ginko talking about how she applied to a school the next paragraph will talk about how that particular school many years last would go on to become a blah blah blah which would have absolutely nothing to do with Ginko, female doctors or the story.  It was a random historical fact.  And how he writes about Ginko herself there is a disconnect with the character.  For all that she went through and the strength she had to fight to become a doctor, as the reader you are not in any way connected with her.  There's no emotion.  You don't even feel sorry for her.  It's like you're just reading facts about a condition not a person.

All in all with poor writing I would not recommend this book.  Save yourself the trouble and read the wiki article about Ginko Ogino.

The Diamond Throne (#1 of The Elenium) - David Eddings

After being exiled for many years, Sparhawk made his way home to his queen.  But things are not well in the kingdom of Elenia and it's queen Ehlena is encased in glass to save her life.  What happened to the young queen and who's head does Sparhawk need to bash?

I am the biggest fan of David Eddings and his Belgariad series.  It was only a matter of time before I dusted this series off the shelf and read it.  And I'm not sorry I did.  I was always afraid like most really good authors it would be a rinse and repeat storyline and characters would be too similar.  Eddings not only managed to create a whole totally different world but another set of amazing characters that aren't like my beloved Belgariad.

I love Sparhawk.  For lack of a better reference he is a paladin.  He is a no nonsense knight that kicks, ass, takes names and his horse is worse.  I may be more in love with his horse Faran.  Anyways Sparhawk already has a reputation (I would pay good money to read about Sparhawk as a youth!) but when he returns to the kingdom and then sets out to save his queen the characters he takes with him are just as rich and mysterious and spirited as he is.

Read it!!

A Court of Wings and Ruin (Book #3) - Sarah J. Maas

The last book in the series.

Feyre has returned to the Spring court.  War is coming, has come already to some parts of the land and she has to play a dangerous game of being a spy.  Her loyalties clear, she must save all those she loves or all is lost.

I must admit that the second book is still clearly my favorite.  This one tied up everything quite nicely and once again Sarah has quite a bit of intrigue.  She still introduces characters (ones you've read about before but she describes them thoroughly here) and takes you further into other lands of Pyranthian.  There are unexpected and gripping surprises and some characters doing things you would at first think they would do but upon further/deeper reflection it is within character.  So she really shows a depth to characters that is awesome.  The beginning of the book sees some HUGE changes to some that is felt throughout the rest of the book.  I like the direction she went with the ending and am happy with how the series has finished.

Read it.  You've already read the first two...

Split Infinity - Piers Anthony

Stile lives on Proton - where he is a serf and master games man.  His life is pretty good and he is marveling at his luck lately when suddenly he doesn't have a good streak anymore - someone wants him to not be so good and injures him enough that he isn't very much use to his citizen.  Stile is no dummy.  There is a reason he is a master gamesman.  While hiding out he stumbles through to another world.  Another world nothing like his but somewhat the same.  Where is he and can he survive here?

What can I say about this book?  It was written in the 70's.  AFTER I read the book I read other's reviews and some of them are pretty harsh.  Stile is a manly man man.  But I don't think this book is sexist.  I don't think women are objectified in this book either.  He has created some very strong women characters and they have their place in these worlds.  Stile is the main character and it's his story.  I liked the way Piers writes and I like concept of parallel universes.

I think this is a good old read and it should be experienced.

Wishful Drinking - Carrie Fisher

Ah Carrie Fisher.  Princess Leia.  I have to admit that I didn't even realize that she had written a slew of books until she passed away.  So like the others I started researching and reading.

Short and bittersweet life story from her own words, Carrie takes writing to a different place than most readers are used to.  From the moment she was born to her famous parents and what that's like, her marriage, life as a single mother and the many times she's tried for roles other than princess leia mold.  Humorous, blunt and heartbreaking.

This was a very short read.  It was interesting to see into her mind and hear her own words.  This one starts off a tad strange until you realize it's Carrie and being inside anyone's mind is a strange thing but being inside the mind of someone with a mental illness is well not a straight line.  We think very differently than other people.

I enjoyed this one.  I am looking forward to delving deeper into her life with her other books.

Pawn of Prophecy (The Belgariad #1) - David Eddings

Ah David Eddings.  This series holds a very special place in my heart and bookshelf.  Not only was this the very first fantasy series I read as a young adult but this series was something the hubby and I shared many hours talking about when we were dating.  We have both read this series more than 15 dozen times and could probably recite half of it.  But still we keep coming back to read it through.  Again and again and again.  Its. That. Great.

Long, long ago the evil god Torak saw something that didn't belong to him and stole it.  The Orb, having sentience, sensed that Torak was not good, but also his intent for the Orb nefarious, damaged him forever.  Wars fought, magic in existence and god's in exile.

But this is only a story told when the Storyteller visits remote farms like the one Garion lives on and Garion doesn't believe in magic.  Sure he's had a shadow of a man following him for years but that's normal right?  And what does a young boy know of apostates planning to wake gods in exile or sorcerers and sorceresses that live milleniums?  Nothing.  His life is farm chores, the cute farm girl kitchen maid and Aunt Pol's ever watchful eye on his existence.

But Garion's world is about to be turn inside out and who he thought was normal isn't...

This series has the most in depth characters and even tho there is a ton of them by the fifth book, you never feel overwhelmed by the magnitude (*cough* GoT *cough*).  And the writing style is from Garion's perspective 98% of the time so you are never confused as to where in the storyline you are.

If you never read another fantasy series - read the Belgariad starting with Pawn of Prophecy.  Then continue reading The Mallorean series of Garion grown up cause who doesn't love a sequel that's just as good if not better that the original?

Rice, Noodle, Fish - Matt Goulding

A little off my normal YA, fantasy, sci-fi, fiction path.


In the next year or two, we are planning a month long trip to Japan.  As such I have been scouring the internet for ideas/recommendations etc for anything about Japan.  One website I came across was www.boutiquejapan.com.  And they had some excellent book recommendations.  So off to the library I went to find some of them, and at the moment this was the only in.

This isn't like your normal tour guide book.  It's filled with tons of useful information like phases you should know, full page color pictures and the like but what's the most interesting is the author's take and experiences.  He takes you into the side streets, the small family run izakayas (japanese pubs) and the behind the scenes fish markets.  He talks about the food culture in Japan and how it isn't just about sushi (don't get him or me wrong - Japanese sushi is/would be the best in the world) but it's about the dying art of the Shokunin (craftsman) and how these people have dedicated themselves.  It isn't about the food business or money, it about the individual ingredients.  These men and women have studied individual ingredients for decades and their understanding far surpasses just putting a piece of tuna on a bed of rice.  You may have heard it said that sushi apprentices spend 4 years or more just learning how to make rice.  And oh how the Japanese are obsessed with rice!  In Japan rice isn't about buying it from the grocery store and cooking it.  There it's about what region the rice came from, what was the weather like when that particular crop was growing, how does this particular facility process the rice THEN once the rice has been scrutinized that way it's about cooking it - rinsing it so many times, at the right temperature, with the right seasoning, cooling it to the right temperature etc etc etc.  Rice is a religion in Japan and they take it VERY seriously.  I have a newfound respect for rice now and see it in a new light.

I digress, this book was more like literary storytelling for both the intrepid traveler and armchair reader seeking adventure.  It was informative, enlightening and one I will most def be picking up and adding to my repertoire not only for my trip but also to keep coming back to re-read.  Even tho I've haven't been to Japan (yet) this book took me to the country in a way that was all encompassing - I could hear the greetings entering the establishments, shouts of kampai (cheers) from various patrons, almost smell the sizzling hot oil cooking tempura and feel the smoky coals broiling various bits meats.

If nothing else, pick up this book and make the journey.  So worth it.