[vivismom]

Summer's coming, and as a teacher, it is my 1 season of the year for pleasure reading. Any good books about Chinese history or culture? Or any good novels in general you recommend? I am chaperoning 20 teenagers on a trip to Costa Rica for 2.5 weeks and will have lots of reading time.

[drmalcolm]

I am a huge fan of Barbara Kingsolver. The Poisonwood Bible is probably my favorite book.

The Bean Trees and Pigs in Heaven actually deal with an orphan/adoption of sorts (not China, though).

Enjoy your summer and that Costa Rica experience!

Christina

[akina]

Ok, very weird Christina. I was just going to recommend the Poisonwood Bible. I just finished all of her novels and was blown away by that one. (The Bean Trees and Pigs in Heaven were enjoyable too, but I thought Prodigal Summer was her other great one)

My absolute favorite book that I have read this year was; The Time Traveler's Wife. So amazing. It moved me and made me think.

Enjoy your trip.
-akina

[DianeScraps]

Even before the movie I loved Girl With a Pearl Earring (but not any of the rest of her books)

If you are into religous history at all I have also really enjoyed the Women of Genesis series by Orson Scott Card

[SofiasMom]

I really enjoyed Peter Hessler's Rivertown. He was a Peace Corp teacher in Fuling for 2 years.

[taramayrn]

Originally Posted by drmalcolm

I am a huge fan of Barbara Kingsolver. The Poisonwood Bible is probably my favorite book.

The Bean Trees and Pigs in Heaven actually deal with an orphan/adoption of sorts (not China, though).

Enjoy your summer and that Costa Rica experience!

Christina

Me too me too!!!! When is she going to come out with a new one?? Have you read "The Prodigal Summer"? That's a good one too...but yes, "The Poisonwood Bible" is one of my favorites too.

[robchris119]

Hi,

I just enjoyed a good book by Anne Tyler - "Digging to America". It is about two families who meet when they both adopt baby girls from Korea.

Chris

[drmalcolm]

Isn't that amazing? We are all obviously very intelligent women.

I've read and love all of her books, but I think Barbara Kingsolver got me from the start with Poisonwood Bible with the first line from Leah's story: "We came from Bethlehem, Georgia, bearing Betty Crocker cake mixes into the jungle." Brilliant!

The only thing that has slightly ruined this book for me is the Oprah Book Club. I detest having that seal emblazoned on books, and by the time I bought a copy (about a year after I had read it the 1st time), I was hard-pressed to find a copy that didn't have it on there. Someone said to me, too, when I recommended the book, "Oh, yes, did you get that from Oprah?" as if women never read books before Oprah Winfrey! Okay, sorry, I got a little carried away--the curse of a literature major who is passionate about her books.

This is a great thread--let's keep it going. I am going to check out the other recommendations on here, too. I have to read every night before I got to sleep--it keeps me sane!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Christina

[drmalcolm]

Chris, we must have been posting at the same time. I'm from Baltimore, so Anne Tyler is our local celeb! She has such amazing characters. My mom just brought me a newspaper clipping on Tyler and Digging To America. It looks really good!

[Korrie Sue]

Having gone through all adoption related books before we were even DTC, I too have moved on to books that fit into the China history/culture category.

I just finished:
Chinese Cinderella,
China Rises,
Wild Swans
and a couple of Amy Tan's books.

All are set in China, provide much historical insight, and are worth picking up.

[stayjay]

You must must must must must read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. It is a fabulous book and you really get a feel for how things were for Chinese women long ago. I didn't think I would like it but a friend highly recommended it and I was hooked from the first chapter. I think the author is Lisa See. Enjoy!

[dkb60]

And then when you are done reading anything by Kingsolver or Amy Tan, pick up something with a hunky guy on the front and make a brown paper cover for it. Or if you are into weight lifting, start the Diane Gabaldon Outlander series.

So many books...so little time
D.

[kgembs]

Wild Swans is WONDERFUL. I just bought a copy yesterday for my husband. I read it 7yrs ago, before I was married and even thought of adopting from China. I was so excited to see it because it made a great impression back then, now I will enjoy it even more. A MUST read!!

[Mihoshi]

If no one else has suggested this (I didn't see it anyways), I would strongly urge you to pick up The Good Earth. There is so much to this book that tore out my soul and left me feeling helpless and depressed - all the while I could not stop reading it! It's a truly remarkable look at a typical pre-revolutionary Chinese family, and it's a journey worth taking in my opinion.

[ksquilter72]

I second 'The Good Earth'. In fact, any of Pearl Buck's books are worth reading. The Pavillion of Women is an amazing story as well. She spent much of her life living in China and then, of course, founded Welcome House as a response to the treatment of mixed race orphans in the country. We're adopting from Korea, not China, but her books are amazing looks into Asian culture.