I Grew My Boobs in China (Sihpromatum #1) by Savannah Grace

Blurb

In 2005, 14-year-old Savannah Grace’s world is shattered when her mother unexpectedly announces that she and her family (mother, 45; brother, 25; sister, 17) would soon embark on an incredible, open-ended journey. When everything from her pets to the house she lived in is either sold, given away or put in storage, this naïve teenage girl runs headlong into the reality and hardships of a life on the road.

Built around a startling backdrop of over eighty countries (I Grew my Boobs in China relates the family’s adventures in China and Mongolia), this is a tale of feminine maturation – of Savannah’s metamorphosis from ingénue to woman-of-the-world. Nibbling roasted duck tongues in China and being stranded in Mongolia’s Gobi Desert are just two experiences that contribute to Savannah’s exploration of new cultures and to the process of adapting to the world around her.

My Perspective

This is the twenty-first book I read from my post Credit Where Credit’s Due. I read about I Grew My Boobs in China (Sihpromatum #1) by Savannah Grace from Ionia at Readful Things Blog. You can read her thoughts on the book here.

The book follows Savannah, a fourteen-year-old Canadian girl who’s life is uprooted when her mother decides to sell all of their possessions and go backpacking with her and two of her older siblings.

I found the book hard to get into at first. Savannah was obviously quite upset at being uprooted from her life as she knew it and being the age she was, didn’t have much say, so the start was quite self-pitying and not so much negative but not very positive. It also wasn’t super interesting until they finally started their journey however it was a chance to get to know Savannah and her family so I don’t think it was something that could have been edited out without affecting the “character development”.

When they finally started their journey, the pace of the story picked up and it was a lot more interesting to read.

Savannah doesn’t make it easy on herself with the attitude she takes to her mother’s plans. It’s completely understandable however also can’t be changed so you are kind of waiting for her to “get over herself”. Thankfully she does otherwise I think it would be a bit of frustrating read.

It was fascinating reading about their traveling experiences. They certainly didn’t travel luxuriously or much like foreigners and they had plenty of adventures!

This is an interesting yet unusual coming of age story that I would definitely recommend to those who like travel memoirs/autobiographies. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

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Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter by Adeline Yen Mah

Blurb

A Chinese proverb says, “Falling leaves return to their roots.” In Chinese Cinderella, Adeline Yen Mah returns to her roots to paint an authentic portrait of twentieth-century China, as well as to tell the story of her painful childhood and her courage and ultimate triumph over despair.

After her mother dies giving birth to her, Adeline’s affluent, powerful family considers her bad luck . Life does not get any easier when her father remarries. She and her siblings are subjected to their stepmother’s disdain, while her half brother and half sister are thoroughly spoiled. Although Adeline wins prizes at school, they are not what she really yearns for — the love and understanding of her family.

My Perspective

As I’ve mentioned before, my younger brother (I can’t say little anymore because he’s taller than me now!) isn’t a huge reader so when he does read a book and recommends it to me – I will always take the time to read it.

For school he had to read the book, Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted daughter by Adeline Yen Mah, and after reading it, thought I might be interested in it.

The book follows the true story of Adeline Yen Mah, an unwanted daughter in China from around 1935 to around 1950. Adeline’s mother died soon after her birth and therefore she is seen as bad luck by her siblings. Her father remarries and soon forgets about her and her other siblings, his new wife taking control and relegating them all to almost servant status – Adeline being the least. All she wants is for her father to love her and be proud of her and this is her story of how she works so hard to achieve that – even if it’s only for a moment.

This book was sad. The fact that it’s true and doesn’t have a ridiculously happy ending like the story of Cinderella does, made it even sadder. Obviously there are children who have been a lot worse off in China, especially daughters, however reading someone’s memoirs of feeling so unloved as a child just breaks my heart – especially as I have a child of my own now.

Adeline was adorable and so eager to please. She worked so hard and was so strong. I really admired her resolve, especially as she was so young. It really makes a lot of the children I come across on a regular basis seem like massive spoiled brats. Her stepmother was a real piece of work and I actually can’t believe people exist like that! How can people treat other people like that? I didn’t mind her father so much, he was just weak and under his wife’s thumb. Her siblings were interesting and there was a kind of love/hate relationship with them. Aunty Baba, Yi Yi and Nai Nai were extremely likeable.

The story was well written. I also enjoyed the fact that the author added various Chinese characters to the text – it added an extra touch that gave it a greater depth.

The story was interesting and informative as well as emotionally involving you – I can see why it was chosen as a school text.

Overall I enjoyed it although it was sad and tugged a bit at my heart. I would definitely recommend it to those who like historical memoirs/autobiographies.

A Cup of Light by Nicole Mones

Blurb

As an American appraiser of fine Chinese porcelain, Lia Frank holds fragile beauty in her hands, examines priceless treasure with a magnifying lens. But when Lia looks in the mirror, she sees the flaws in herself, a woman wary of love, cut off from the world around her. Still, when she is sent to Beijing to authenticate a collection of rare pieces, Lia will find herself changing in surprising ways…coming alive in the shadow of an astounding mystery…

As Lia evaluates each fragile pot, she must answer questions that will reverberate through dozens of lives: Where did these works of art come from? Are they truly authentic? Or are they impossibly beautiful forgeries–part of the perilous underworld of Chinese art? As Lia examines her treasure, a breathtaking mystery unravels around her. And with political intrigue intruding on her world of provenance and beauty, Lia is drawn into another, more personal drama–a love affair that could alter the course of her life…

My Perspective

This book was lent to me by my mother-in-law.

A Cup of Light follows Lia as she flies to Beijing to examine a set of valuable porcelain pots. As an appraiser, she is one of the best, however what she arrives to is greater than she imagined.

This is a book that i would not normally read however I’m glad that i did. It’s always good to broaden your horizons.

The story was fairly slow to start off with and didn’t really pick up the pace until at least a third of the way through. Even then, it was still quite a gentle pace.

The descriptions in the book intrigued me. I felt like the author was trying to write in a way that tapped into your senses however i don’t think it quite hit the mark so instead felt a little forced.

I couldn’t figure out whether i liked Lia or not. It wasn’t that she annoyed or frustrated me, there was just something about her that prevented me from connecting with her. I didn’t really like Michael, however considering what he’d just been through, he was a little messed up. I actually liked all of the other characters, which thinking back on, were all Chinese! Not sure what that’s about.

The suspense in this book is good. It slowly builds and builds without you ever realising it until you’re actually holding your breath. What i loved is that from the style and the writing, you couldn’t figure out whether the author was going to have a happy ending or not. Even though it sucks if everything falls apart, it’s a lot more interesting wondering whether everything will actually work out in the end or not. A lot of books have the suspense but you always know it will be fine…this book, it kept me guessing.

I’ve never really thought about porcelain pots in depth before however from reading this story i want to find out all about them. It was really fascinating and when i visit China next, i really want to visit The Porcelain Trail!

There was some slight sex in this book and one scene was actually quite in your face, albeit very short. I don’t like reading content like that, however the fact that i know my mother in law read it makes it even more awkward!

Although the blurb hints at it, i didn’t realise this was a romance novel. Yes, it has a lot of other aspects to it, however underlying, it’s just a romance novel. I was kind of disappointed as i didn’t actually like that part of it. I would have happily enjoyed it without any of the romance.

I was fascinated with the way in which Lia used the Greek/Roman mnemonic system to memorise every pot she’d ever beheld plus any information she’d ever read. At first i found it unbelievable however i researched it and found out that it is actually a real thing. It may have been taken slightly further in the book than is actually possible however it was still very cool.

Overall it was an interesting and unique story. I would recommend it to those who like art and/or cultural fiction.