Booking Through Thursday - Best of 2009

This week's question: It’s the last day of the year, and you know what that means … nostalgia and looking back. What were your favorite books of the year? (Books that were new to you in 2009, if not necessarily published this year.).



Here is my top ten list in no particular order:


1. Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson - Just finished this one this week and I wonder why I waited so long to read it - truly memorable!

2. The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai - I loved the themes of emigration/immigration that ran throug this novel

3. The Geography of Bliss by Weiner - One man's journey to find the happiest people/place on earth which made me question how we define happiness in America

4. This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper - this was my first introduction to Tropper but thoroughly enjoyed this and will add other novels of his to my TBR list

5. Always Looking Up by Michael J Fox - I found this authobiography/memoir of Fox's battle with Parkinson's truly inspiring and a lesson in how to have a positive outlook.

6. Eating Heaven by Jennie Shortridge - I was drawn in by Shortridge's writing and have added her other books to my TBR list.

7. Yesterday's Weather by Anne Enright - an excellent collection of short stories set in Ireland.

8. Spoiled by Caitlin Macy - another collection of short stories; these are set in NY and examine privilege and class. My review is here

9. Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah - a fun, light read about a lifelong friendship

10. Knit the Season by Kate Jacobs - like Three Cups of Tea, I seemed to be behind in getting on the Friday Night Knitting Club bandwagon but I loved the first book and its sequel. I was left wanting more of the characters and Knit the Season provided just that in time for the holidays. My review is here

Happy New Year and here's to great reading in 2010!

Review: Love Under Cover by Jessica Brody

I have written this review so that it does not provide spoilers for Love Under Cover: A Novel
or its prequel, The Fidelity Files . I realize many of you may not have read either book – both are very much worth reading and I don’t want to ruin the first book for you by revealing too much in the review. If you want more plot details, you can get them here.

Jessica Brody’s sequel to the Fidelity Files, Love Under Cover, picks up approximately one year after the completion of the Fidelity Files. The favorite characters from the first novel are back – including the practical, driven protagonist Jennifer (aka Ashlynn), her friend turned Bridezilla Sophie, the acerbic Zoe, self-absorbed Charles and the charming Jamie. Jennifer continues in her chosen profession of fidelity inspections where she tests men, at the request of their wives/significant others, to see if they have the intent to cheat. As you can imagine, this profession provides for some interesting scenes throughout the novel!

As with the Fidelity Files, Jessica Brody has succeeded in Love Under Cover in writing an entertaining novel with characters that you find yourself caring about. In particular, Jennifer is very well defined and multidimensional so that her actions are not formulaic or predictable.(see my comments about Jennifer in a Tuesday Teaser here) Chick lit, although very entertaining, can often be disappointingly predictable. Love Under Cover is refreshingly different in this respect.

This lack of formula allows for some interesting plot turns, especially in the last third of the book. Again, the departure from a formula is appealing and reveals a depth within the characters. There was one plot turn, however, that I had difficulty buying into – somehow it felt too far fetched. The other turns, however, kept me reading eagerly to see what would happen next.

If you have already read Fidelity Files, definitely pick up Love Under Cover. If you haven’t read either book and are looking for entertaining reads with characters you want to get to know better, pick up both books. Speaking of getting to know the characters better, I wonder if there will be a third in this series? The ending of Love Under Cover certainly left that option open, so I can hope!

Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

1.Grab your current read
2.Open to a random page
3.Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"He looked me up and down, from head to toe, the way I had been looking at him ever since I had come to the house. His eyes seemed full of wonder: how could two such contrasting specimens of humanity be produced by the same soil, sunlight and water?"

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga, p. 68
I am just starting this book but am excited to be reading it while traveling in India.

I am one week into my trip to India and what a week it has been! I have visited New Delhi, Veranasi (Holy City and site of Ganges River), Kujaracho (site of Kama Sutra erotic temples) and now we are in Agra - site of the Taj Mahal. Every day has been an assualt on the senses but so fascinating - there really is so much to learn here!

We have had some long bus/train journeys which has given me the welcome opportunity to get some reading done. On the overnight train from Delhi to Veranasi (an interesting experience in and of itself!), I finished Wishin' and Hopin': A Christmas Story by Wally Lamb. I am a big fan of Lamb's novels so I was excited to read this one but it fell short of my expectations. Perhaps it was too short for the author's signature character development but somehow the story didn't grab me as I had hoped. Nonetheless, it was charming and a quick read which I appreciated on the train journey. I will post a full review when I have a more reliable connection.

I am now nearly finished with Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time and I wonder why I waited so long to read this! Travling in India while I read it really makes me appreciate the obstacles Greg Mortenson must have faced as he tried to build schools in rural Pakistan - I marvel at what he achieved and his selflessness in doing this work. I will certainly finish this one tonight and will post a review as soon as possible.

Next up are the two books I have targeted for the South Asian Authors Challenge.

The White Tiger: A Novel (Man Booker Prize)
The Age of Shiva: A Novel

As I said above, there is so much to learn here. In particular, I have been fascinated by the many religions that co-exist in this country. I realize now I know so little about these religions, with the exception of two or three, and I am interested in exploring some of the lesser know religions. To that end, I am joining the World Religions Challenge so that I can expand my knowledge in this area. Thanks to Bibliofreak for hosting this challenge!


On to Week 2!

Namaste

Update: My reviews are now posted:
Three Cups of Tea
White Tiger

Sunday Salon

Well, this has been quite a week -I was frantically trying to wrap up a ton of things at work while also preparing for my trip to India over the holidays. While I am very much looking forward to the trip - a 3 week vacation with friends touring fascinating India - the excitement got overshadowed by the long pre-departure "To Do" list. Needless to say, I didn't get much reading done. The only book completed this week was Jessica Brody's Love Under Cover: A Novel. My review will be posted shortly so check back soon!

Our trip in India will consist of a two week tour on North India (check out the intinerary here). After the tour we will spend a couple of days in Mumbai and finally to Kerala to a beach resort for our final 5 days. As you can see in the itinerary, there are a lot of train/plane/bus transfers on the tour so I expect to get a lot of reading done. In fact, I have brought a few books targeted for the South Asian Authors Challenge. I love to enjoy fiction set in countries that I have or am traveling to so this challenge dovetails nicely with my vacation plans. Here are the two books I brought that meet the challenge requirements:

The White Tiger: A Novel (Man Booker Prize) - This won the Man Booker Prize and has been on my TBR for quite some time

The Age of Shiva: A Novel :- I have heard a lot about this author (Manil Suri) who also wrote Death of Vishnu and am looking forward to reading this one too.

I also brought a few books from other genres along to keep things interesting:

Wishin' and Hopin': A Christmas Story- I loved Wally Lamb's first two books (haven't read the third) and since I will be away for Christmas, I wanted to read one Christmas-themed book to keep me in the spirit.


Bitter is the New Black : Confessions of a Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smartass,Or, Why You Should Never Carry A Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office - I read Such a Pretty Fat: One Narcissist's Quest to Discover If Her Life Makes Her Ass Look Big, or Why Pie Is Not the Answer some time ago and found myself laughing throughout - I thought some humor might come in handy while dealing with the challenges of traveling India

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time - I feel I may be only person who has NOT read this book - with all the great things I hear about it, its time to remedy that!

I'll see how I get along with these and if I need more I know I can pick them up in bookstores here or trade with fellow tour members. I will try to post reviews as quickly as possible but that will be limited by my ability to get an internet connection. I am sure I will be able to get online at least once per week. So, if you are interested in the journey (or just the books I am reading on the way) follow me!

Happy Holidays to everyone!
Namaste

Book Giveaway with a Special Twist

One Person's Journey Through a World of Books is offering a unique Christmas Giveaway - but it ends today, December 17th. She is giving a away a copy of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (Random House Reader's Circle) to the winner.

What I like about this challenge is that it has a unique twist - since it's the holidays, she will send the book to the person of the winner's choice - what a great way to surprise the special reader in your life! In ordered to be entered, you need to leave a comment on her post about the contest sharing you favorite Christmas memory or tradition! All the info is here

Booking Through Thursday: Speed Reading?

This week's question: What do you think of speed-reading? Is it a good way to get through a lot of books, or does the speed-reader miss depth and nuance? Do you speed-read? Is some material better suited to speed-reading than others?

My Answer: I have never been able to speed read through a novel - I find myself worrying about what I am missing, I get distracted by the worrying, and then I abandon the whole endeavor. I enjoy the story better when I am engrossed in it and for me that means reading every word. Somehow it feels like "cheating" to speed read (I used to have the same issue with audiobooks but I am getting over that now that I spend 4 hours roundtrip in a car at least once per week)

I am envious, however, of those that do speed read and still enjoy the narrative, can bond with the characters and are affected by a novel (not every speed reader seems able to do this). Just think of all the books they can get through by reading more quickly! My TBR pile could actually become manageable - maybe I should investigate this endeavor again . . .

Reviews: Saving Graces by Elizabeth Edwards

Saving Graces: Finding Solace and Strength from Friends and Strangers

In this first memoir by Elizabeth Edwards, the author writes eloquently about her life before marrying Senator John Edwards, the tragic loss of their oldest son, the 2004 Presidential campaign and her diagnosis with breast cancer at the conclusion of the campaign. Before beginning the memoir, I was aware of the major highlights of her story from the news coverage of her husband's bid for Democratic nominee for President and subsequently VP. I had seen her speak in a number of interviews in support of her husband's Presidential aspirations but didn't have any opinion about her, per se. She was a candidate's wife and really didn't grab my attention.

So I was surprised when I began reading her memoir - surprised in two ways, really. I was surprised by the warmth that emanated from the pages - she draws you in and is so obviously a nurturer that you can easily imagine dropping into her home for coffee and a good chat. I was also surprised by the intelligence demonstrated in her writing - this is a woman that clearly has a point of view and can articulate it very well. She uses literature and poetry references easily throughout the book but in an accessible way which is far from intimidating. She speaks in a very informed way about top issues facing the US today - including healthcare. She does not repeat soundbytes but provides a well-thought out, considered commentary.

As you can imagine, however, much of the memoir focuses on the event that changed her and her family's lives forever - the death of her oldest son, Wade. Her descriptions of how she felt upon hearing the news and at key points following his death were eloquent but gut-wrenching - her grief and loss were palpable in her writing. She is honest about the process she went through to learn to cope with the loss and the amount of time it took - in fact, she is honest about the fact that this loss is something she will never "get over". But through the grief, you can see a determination to continue to be there for her family and for others facing the loss of a child and to ensure her son's life was appropriately memorialized.

Surviving the loss of her son seems to have provided Elizabeth Edwards with an interesting perspective on the next challenge presented to her - the diagnosis of Stage 3 breast cancer. It is almost as if she is better equipped to deal with this obstacle after surviving her son's loss. I had trouble reconciling myself to the equanimity with which she received the diagnosis but I have not experienced the loss she has to know if it would offer me the same ability to look such a fate in the eye and resolve to move through it.

Overall - I thoroughly enjoyed this memoir and really connected with the author. I respect her intelligence and introspection. I was more than disappointed when, after I read this book, the news of her diagnosis with metastatic breast cancer and her husband's infidelities were revealed. It seems like someone that has been through so much should not be dealt two more bad cards; I thought her book would be a great comfort to anyone facing challenges - perhaps she will call upon select passages as she faces her newest obstacles.


Reading at the Beach hosts the A-Z meme which asks you to spotlight a book whose title starts with the letter of the week. This week's letter was "S".

Win a Kindle 2 in a Book Review Party

What a fabulous giveaway! Cym Lowell's blog http://cymlowell.blogspot.com/ is a giving away a Kindle . . .you need to post a link to a review on your log (and follow a few rules posted here) to be entered.

I love the idea of the Book Review Party - what a great way to see what others are reviewing and discover some new book blogs! Check out the Book Review Party!

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

1.Grab your current read
2.Open to a random page
3.Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"I was trying really hard to be objective about this whole thing. So what if the girl didn't know that Nova Scotia wasn't anywhere near Alaska?"

Love Under Cover: Jessica Brody

p. 160

I like this quote because it epitomizes the very practical nature of Jennifer Hunter, the protagonist of this novel. She doesn't tolerate incompetence or frivolotity easily - a trait I can often relate to! I can see myself making a comment just like the quote above!

Review: Spoiled by Caitlin Macy

From the Publisher:

Caitlin Macy’s debut novel The Fundamentals of Play was heralded as a Gatsbyesque examination of love and class in Manhattan. Now, in her sophisticated and provocative story collection Spoiled, Macy turns her unsparing eye on affluent and educated women who nevertheless struggle to keep their footing in their relationships and life.

In “Annabel’s Mother,” a young woman does a good deed for her nanny, only to have it go horribly wrong. “Bait and Switch” chronicles a lifelong rivalry between two sisters. A self-made woman struggles to gain the upper hand with her comically self-assured cleaning woman in “The Red Coat.” And in “Taroudant,” a newly married woman desperate for authentic experience makes a rash decision to leave the grounds of her Moroccan luxury hotel.

Macy’s voice is as straightforward as it is original in these stories, and her characters deftly nuanced. Full of surprising, sometimes shocking insights and simmering with outrage, compassion, and humor, Spoiled is a remarkable collection from a boldly talented writer.

My Review:

I read Spoiled a number of months ago for a book club - although there were stories in the collection that left me flat, overall the collection was very good. Each story had a message and prompted you to stop and think. The author, Caitlin Macy, actually attended our book club and had a great discussion with the group about her motivation for different stories, writing process and background. The discussion really added a lot of color to the stories and made me appreciate them even more.

This collection of short stories provides an insightful look at those in society who are "privileged" - no matter how recently that privilege was acquired. Caitlin Macy observantly explores issues of class and how it motivates us in this concise collection of stories. As much as you may not want to, I think most readers will recognize themselves in at least one of the characters. Worthwhile read!

Review: Knit the Season by Kate Jacobs

I resisted the Friday Night Knitting Club Series by Kate Jacobs for awhile - it's commercial popularity made me suspect. This is crazy really - if lots of people like a book, that should be a good thing, right? Usually I follow this logic but every so often I run completely counter to it - I am embarrassed to say that is what happened with this series. However, I was finally won over by an enthusiastic friend and quickly devoured The Friday Night Knitting Club and Knit Two. At the end of both books, I was bereft at the thought of not sharing time with the characters anymore.

So . . . I was thrilled when I saw Knit the Season arrive at bookstores - what a great combination, the holidays and the Knitting Club Series! The book picks up about 1 year after Knit Two and just before the holidays. Dakota's Dad has planned a family trip for the entire Walker Clan to Scotland to see Georgia's Gran and Anita is finally planning her wedding to Marty. Much of the action centers on Dakota with the other favorites (Catherine, Peri, Darwin etc) featuring more at the periphery than the center. This book is a bit shorter than the previous two so there is not as much time for character development - you get glimpses of the other characters but very little depth. If I had one criticism of the book, this is it. Because I so enjoy all the characters, it is a disappointment to get so little of each one.

With that said, the book is still thoroughly enjoyable and you feel as if you have slipped back into an easy companionship with long lost friends. Almost makes me want to start knitting . . . ok, maybe I will stick to reading!

Review: Anglo Files: A Field Guide to the British

From the Publisher:

Dispatches from the new Britain: a slyly funny and compulsively readable portrait of a nation finally refurbished for the twenty-first century.

Sarah Lyall, a reporter for the New York Times, moved to London in the mid-1990s and soon became known for her amusing and incisive dispatches on her adopted country. As she came to terms with its eccentric inhabitants (the English husband who never turned on the lights, the legislators who behaved like drunken frat boys, the hedgehog lovers, the people who extracted their own teeth), she found that she had a ringside seat at a singular transitional era in British life. The roller-coaster decade of Tony Blair's New Labor government was an increasingly materialistic time when old-world symbols of aristocratic privilege and stiff-upper-lip sensibility collided with modern consumerism, overwrought emotion, and a new (but still unsuccessful) effort to make the trains run on time. Appearing a half-century after Nancy Mitford's classic Noblesse Oblige, Lyall's book is a brilliantly witty account of twenty-first-century Britain that will be recognized as a contemporary classic.

My Review:

I definitely consider myself an Anglophile - I have long been fascinated by all things British. My Dad is from Scotland and I grew up listening to the hood of the car referred to as the "bonnet" and the trunk referred to as the "boot" of the car. My Dad and Grandmother instilled in me a love for an appreciation for "British-isms" and trips back to visit family only fueled that appreciation. I have always been fascinated by how the US and Britain are very alike but oh so very different. For that reason, I was drawn to this book . . . . My review is below:

I have mixed feelings about this book - at times, very funny in its observations of the British and their culture but at other times, the author just sounded like an obnoxious American perpetually complaining about how inferior Britain is to the US. She, rarely, if at all, pointed out anything positive about the British - this seems very one-sided! It is is more unsettling when you consider that she is married to a Brit with whom she has two children that she is raising in the UK.

Despite this, I found the book entertaining (but less so than something by Bill Bryson) and think that people that have lived in both the US and the UK will find it interesting.

Challenges

Once again I am hosting the Immigrant Stories Challenge - to sign up for The 2013 Immigrant Stories challenge, go here.

Click here to see my list of 2013 challenges.
Click here to link to my 2011 Challenge Sign-Ups
Click here to link to my 2010 Challenge Sign-Ups and Wrap-Ups

Inaugural

Wow! This is my inaugural blog post - I have been fascinated by all the cool blogs I have surfed to in the past few months and finally decided to start my own.

In particular, I have been checking out a lot of book blogs because I love to read and am always looking for like-minded people and great reading recommendations. As I looked through lots of books blogs, I noticed a theme - reading challenges. A blog seemed to easiest way to track these challenges and my participation in them so here I am . . . .

2011 Immigrant Stories Challenge

I am the child of immigrant parents and have a real interest in immigrant stories.  The more I paid attention to it, the more I realized that there is a broad selection of immigration stories out there - from immigration generations ago to modern day immigration from and to new lands.  So I decided to start a challenge which focused on immigrant stories . . . . announcing Immigrant Stories Challenge 2011!

The only requirement of books for this challenge is that they must include an immigrant story - this includes stories about immigrants, the immigrant experience, and children of immigrants (first generation). Remember -  there are immigrants to and from all countries - the challenge is not limited to the American immigrant experience. 

How many books do I need to read for the challenge?
There are 3 levels for the challenge:

 Just off the boat: 1-3 books
 This Land is My Land? : 4-6 books
Fully Assimilated: 6+ books

Include your level in your sign-up post but you can go up from your initial post if you find you are reading more immigrant stories

What types of books are eligible? Only fiction?  How about audiobooks?
All types of books are eligible - fiction, non-fiction, short stories,  audiobooks, e-books.


Other details?
Re-reads are acceptable as are cross-overs with other challenges

Any book suggestions?
You can find recommendations for books that cover the immigrant experience here - this is in no way comprehensive but will give you a start.  I will keep the link updated with titles suggested by all the participants.


What are the dates for the challenge?
January 1, 2011 - December 31, 2011.  You can sign up anytime but there will be a chance for a prize for everyone that is registered by Dec 31, 2010

How do I sign up?
Go here to sign-up and put one of the buttons below on your blog

Book Suggestions for Immigrant Stories Challenge

Brooklyn: A Novel by Colm Toibin
Forever: A Novel by Pete Hamill
Native Speaker by Chang-rae Lee
A Gesture Life: A Novel  by Chang-rae Lee
Unaccustomed Earth: Stories (Vintage Contemporaries) by Jhumpa Lahiri
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
The Namesake: A Novel by Jhimpa Lahiri
The Tortilla Curtain by TC Boyle
97 Orchard: An Edible History of Five Immigrant Families in One New York Tenement by Jane Ziegelman
White Teeth: A Novel by Zadie Smith
Who's Irish?: Stories by Gish Jen
My Ántonia (Oxford World's Classics) by Willa Cather
The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai
Leaving India: My Family's Journey from Five Villages to Five Continents by Minal Harjratwala
Stealing Buddha's Dinner  by Bich Minh Nguyen
Short Girls: A Novel by Bich Minh Nguyen
A Beginner's Guide to Acting English by Shappi Khorsandi
Mr. Rosenblum Dreams in English: A Novel by Natasha Solomons
I'll Know It When I See It: A Daughter's Search for Home in Ireland by Alice Carey
Saffron Dreams by Shaila Abdullah
Brick Lane: A Novel by Monica Ali
How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez
Away: A Novel by Amy Bloom
Little Bee: A Novel by Chris Cleave
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
Netherland (Vintage Contemporaries)  by Joseph O'Neill
Russian Debutante's Handbook by Gary Shtenyngart
Kafka's Curse: A Novel by Achmat Dangor
Strength in What Remains (Random House Reader's Circle) by Tracy Kidder
Shanghai Girls: A Novel  by Lisa See
Beautiful Maria of My Soul  by Oscar Hijuelos
Zeitoun (Vintage) by Dave Eggers
Veil of Roses  by Laura Fitzgerald
Honolulu  by Alan Brennert
American Born Chinese  by Gene Luen Yang
The Girl from Purple Mountain: Love, Honor, War, and One Family's Journey from China to America  by May-Lee Chai, Winberg Chai
Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America  by Firoozeh Dumas
Maus : A Survivor's Tale : My Father Bleeds History/Here My Troubles Began/Boxed by Art Spiegelman
A Thousand Years of Good Prayers: Stories by Yiyun Li
The Secret River by Kate Grenville
The Road from Damascus by Robin Yassin-Kassab
Digging to America: A Novel by Anne Tyler
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand: A Novel (Random House Reader's Circle)  by Helen Simonson
Bitter Sweets  by Roopa Farooki
Bread Givers: A Novel  by Anzia Yezierska
Stalina  by Emily Rubin
The Free World: A Novel by David Bezmozgis

Links to Reviews of Books Read by Past Immigrant Stories Challenge Participants (alphabetical by author):
Aghdashloo, Shoreh: The Alley of Love and Yellow Jasmines (Book Dilettante)
Aghdashloo, Shoreh: The Alley of Love and Yellow Jasmines (Books in the City)
Albright, Madeleine: Prague Winter (Book Dilettante)
Austin, Lynn: While We're Far Apart (Krystyn)
Baker, Christina: The Orphan Train (Introverted Reader)
Belfar, Edward: The Wanderers (Unabridged Chick)
Borg, Todd: Tahoe Trap (Book Dilettante)
Bowen, Rhys: Death of Riley (Avid Series Reader)
Bowen, Rhys: Murphy's Law (Avid Series Reader)
Brosgol, Vera: Anya's Ghost (Introverted Reader)
Cameron, DeAnna: Dancing At the Chance (Unabridged Chick)
Cardillo, Margaret: Just Being Audrey (Gathering Books)*
Chiofalo, Rosanna: Bella Fortuna (Books in the City)
Cleave, Chris: Little Bee (Books in the City)
Davis-Gardner, Angela: Butterfly's Child (Unabridged Chick)
Desrochers, Suzanne: The Bride of New France (Unabridged Chick)
Diaz, Junot: This Is How You Lose Her (Introverted Reader)
Durrell, Lawrence: Judith (Unabridged Chick)
Edwards, Yvette: A Cupboard Full of Coats (Book Dilettante)
Fu, Ping: Bend, Not Break (Book Dilettante)
Garstang, Clifford: What The Zhang Boys Know: A Novel in Stories (Book Dilettante)
Gourley, Candy: Tall Story (Gathering Books)*
Harrison, Kathryn: Enchantments (Unabridged Chick)
Hays, Avery: The Sixth (Unabridged Chick)
Heller, Linda: The Castle on Hester Street (Gathering Books)*
Hough, Jason: The Darwin Elevator (Unabridged Chick)
Hughes, Robert: The Fatal Shore (Caroline Bookbinder)
Jasperjohn, William: The Two Brothers (Gathering Books)*
Jean-Murat, Carolle: Voodoo in My Blood (Unabridged Chick)
Kalla, Daniel: The Far Side of the Sky (Book Dilettante)
Keltner, Kim Wong: Tiger Babies Strike Back (Book Dilettante)
Kerrigan, Kate: City of Hope (Books in the City)
Kidder, Tracy: Strength in What Remains (Caroline Bookbinder)
Kohler, Sheila: The Bay of Foxes (Unabridged Chick)
Kwok, Jean: Girl in Translation (JoV's Book Pyramid)
Kwok, Jean: Girl in Translation (Krystyn)
LaCava, Stephanie: An Extraordinary Theory of Objects (Unabridged Chick)
Laugheed, K.B.: The Spirit Keeper (Unabridged Chick)
Levine, Ellen: I Hate English (Gathering Books)*
Markovits, Anouk: I Am Forbidden (Unabridged Chick)
McCoy, Sarah: The Baker's Daughter (Krystn)
McCoy, Sarah: The Baker's Daughter (Unabridged Chick)
McCoy, Sarah: The Baker's Daughter (Diane R at Goodreads)
Marsden, John and Tan, Shaun: The Rabbits (Gathering Books)*
Moxley, Mitch: Apologies To My Censors (Introverted Reader)
O'Brien, Timothy: The Lincoln Conspiracy (Unabridged Chick)
Parssinen, Keija: The Ruins of Us (Col at Col Reads)
Pavone, Chris: The Expats (Unabridged Chick)
Perkins, Emily: The Forrests (Unabridged Chick)
Phan, Aimee: The Reeducation of Cherry Truong (Books in the City)
Platt, Donald Michael: House of Rocamora (Unabridged  Chick)
Rao, Simi: An Uncurable Insanity (Book Dilettante)
Recorvits, Helen: My Name is Yoon (Gathering Books)*
Recorvits, Helen: Yoon and the Christmas Mitten (Gathering Books)*
Reyes, Cynthia: A Good Home (Book Dilettante)
Russell, Elaine: Across The Mekong River (Book Dilettante)
Sachs, Dana: Secret of the Nightingale Palace (Book Dilettante)
Sachs, Dana: Secret of the Nightingale Palace (Books in the City)
Say, Allen: El Chino (Gathering Books)*
Say, Allen: Grandfather's Journey (Gathering Books)*
Say, Allen: Music for Alice (Gathering Books)*
Sheene, Lynn: The Last Time I Saw Paris (Krystyn)
Simons, Paullina: Children of Liberty (Unabridged Chick)
Smith, Zadie: White Teeth (bookwanderer)
Solomons, Natasha: The Novel in the Viola (Introverted Reader)
Sreenivasan, Jyotsna: And Laughter Fell From the Sky (Books in the City)
St. John, Warren: Outcasts United (Caroline Bookbinder)
Thanhha, Lai: Inside Out and Back Again (Diane R at Goodreads)
Trigiani, Adriana: Lucia, Lucia (Books in the City)
Trigiani, Adriana: The Shoemaker's Wife (Books in the City)
Trigiani, Adriana: The Shoemaker's Wife (Diane R at Goodreads)
Troy, Peter: May The Road Rise Up To Meet You (Avid Series Reader)
Ung, Luong: Lucky Child (Books in the City)
Ung, Luong: Lulu in the Sky (Book Dilettante)
Van Booy, Simon: The Illusion of Separateness (Book Dilettante)
Verghese, Abraham: Cutting for Stone (Introverted Reader)
Wahab, Saima: In My Father's Country (Book Dilettante)
Wahab, Saima: In My Father's Country (Unabridged Chick)
Wan, Helen:  The Partner Track (Books in the City)
Wecker, Helene: Golem and Jinni (Unabridged Chick)
Yep, Laurence: When The Circus Came To Town (Gathering Books) *
Zobair, Jennifer: Painted Hands (Books in the City)

To learn more about the Immigrant Stories Challenge 2013 and to sign up, click here!