Snow Flower And The Secret Fan Movie Review and Giveaways!

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)31 Comments

It is present day Shanghai and Nina and Sophia are struggling to maintain their childhood friendship among the demands of career, relationships, and family.  Drawing from the lessons of the past, Nina and Sophia learn to understand their ancestral connections to Lily and Snowflower… their laotong, and the ways of 19th century China.

Like nu shu secrets within the creases of a fan…. both story lines mesh to tell one… of hope, love, and friendship.

Laotong or LaoTong (in English: old sames; written: 老同 in Mandarin) is a type of relationship within Chinese culture, which was practised in Hunan, that bonded two girls together for eternity as kindred sisters.

There were two cultural practises in Hunan in past centuries that acknowledged women’s social bonds. One was Laotong, the other was Laotang.

Chinese women commonly refer to each other as “Sisters.” This is a recognition of the importance of women’s supportive relationships, which helped them endure hardship over their lives. Preparation for marriage might involve a Laotang relationship between several young women; the sisterhood would be dissolved upon marriage. After marriage, new sisterhoods could be formed later between married or widowed women.[1]

For Chinese women, the Laotong or “Old-Sames” relationship was the most precious friendship bond. This was a more rare and formal relationship between women. A woman could only have one Laotong, and the bond was for life.

As told on wikepedia

Yesterday I reviewed the audio version of Snowflower and The Secret Fan.  This was quite the coincidence when I was offered to review the movie which released this week on DVD and Blue-Ray.  I of course, said yes to this review as I missed out on this one in the theater.

At first the movie concerned me when I heard the main characters were not the lily and Snowflower I had expected….  but have patience, soon you will see that it is just being told from a second story line that I really grew to enjoy.  Going back and forth between the modern Nina and Sophia and then to the history of Lily and Snowflower was an interesting way to present the story. 

While I appreciated the audio greatly and highly advise you read or listen to the book first, I would recommend the movie as well as a compliment to the other.  Beautifully detailed it brought tears to my eyes more than once.  I was at once very impressed. 

Along with the review of the book, I was asked to have a Laotong night with friends….  you don’t have to twist my arm to hang with friends!  A road trip was planned to our cabin with my cousin’s wife Rhonda, and two other wonderful friends, Belinda and Sheila.  It was a lot of fun as none of them had been to the cabin before.

Me, Rhonda, and Sheila at Tettegouche State Park
Belinda and Sheila

We spent the day exploring the north shore shops and had lunch at the Blue Fin Bay Grill.  We went back to the cabin where we made fajitas and chatted and laughed and wore mud masks and watched movies.  It was just what my heart needed… time with friends… time to laugh and time to share. 

Ok... they will probably have my head for posting this... but part of our Laontong night was face masks.... it was so fun!

If you read Book Journey on a regular basis you probably know that I enjoy many adventures with friends and work to make that time happen to renew and restore.  I know that it is not always easy to do when you have time commitments, family, and small children but let me tell you that your friendships are important and time with friends… makes you a better you. 

Here are a few ways you can plan time with friends:

A phone call when time is short….catch up!

A coffee date at a favorite coffee shop

Take in a movie – even a matinée

Send a card or small gift in the mail to those you can not see do to distance

Road trip… always talking about that shopping trip or sight seeing?  Make it happen!  3 of my friends and I finally made that happen after years of talking about it in June.

A gym date – double duty!  🙂

Giveaway

I was sent three copies of the book Snow Flower and the Secret Fan to share with the girls who did the Laotong night with me.  They took two of the copies… and I still have one left for one of you!  I also have been offered a DVD or Blue Ray give away of the movie!

To enter for these giveaways (I will choose two winners, one book, one movie) leave a comment here telling me either of a fun night/ weekend you have done with friends – OR one you are planning to do. 

For an extra entry, subscribe to Book Journey by signing up on the right hand side bar and let me know in a separate comment.  If you are already a subscriber, let me know that in a separate comment for the extra entry.

USA and Canada only please… I will announce the winner Friday in my morning post. 

Morning Meanderings… Wow…. thats embarassing

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)26 Comments

Good morning.  😀

I have a little confession… occasionally I write the morning post the night before.  It’s true.  I usually have a pretty good idea about whats on my mind and can write the post, draft it… and tweak it in the morning to any additions. 

Let me say that thank goodness I do as there are times that if not for my writing the night before… there would be no morning post as I just do not have time. 

Lets take yesterday mornings post for instance.  I knew what I wanted to say and wrote it and drafted it on Monday night.  And thankfully… I did because I work at 8 am.  On Tuesday morning I woke up at …

8:05 am.

Yup.  Seriously… by the time I opened my eyes and looked at the clock, I was already late.  😯 

I don’t know what happened.  I went to bed on Monday night around 11:00 pm.  Al and I had done nothing but watch sitcoms and eat the trick or treat candy…. I was not even overly tired.  Yet there I was, having no choice but to call the office and explain what I had done as there was no way I was going to make it in before 8:30 am… as it was, I arrived at 8:40.  Sugar crash perhaps?  😳

That never happens!  I don’t set an alarm as I always wake up by 6:30 or 7 am.  Well… I can tell you, I set an alarm last night just to be safe. 

In other random craziness I leave for Honduras on Saturday morning.  Friday afternoon I will head to the cities and stay overnight to catch the 5:30 am flight (you can believe that I will have an alarm that night!)  I will be gone until the following Friday November 11th.  I am taking Asus (laptop) with me as in most areas we will have internet (I think) so I will be able to occasionally check in and do a morning post.  I have lovely fellow book bloggers who will be covering some fun topics here throughout the week so I hope you will stop in and pay them some love! 

I know I have hardly even spoke of this mainly because life has been crazy and it has snuck up on me too.  🙂

Stop back a little later today, my review is going up for Snow Flower and The Secret Fan movie… along with a pretty awesome giveaway!

Snow Flower And The Secret Fan by Lisa See

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)33 Comments

In nineteenth century China, 7-year-old Lily lives among such traditions as foot binding, and match makers, where daughters are meant to be matched to men of power, as a daughter… is a lowly thing, where sons are raved on and honored and live in their birth homes forever.

Girls, such as Lily were paired with laotongs, “old sames” friendships that were meant to last a lifetime and Lily is paired with Snow Flower who is believed to come from a higher social standard which will be good for Lily’s eventual husband matching.

The girls quickly become the closest of friends, sharing messages of hopes and dreams sent to one another on handkerchiefs and within the folds of a fan. 

As the years pass and the girls grow to young women their times together change from girlish whispers and giggles to talks of their arranged marriages, loneliness, and motherhood.  As time passes, things change and Lily and Snow flower are torn apart.

Now, Lily, years later, as Snow Flower lays close to death – Lily recaps what happened, and how she can possibly ask for forgiveness from the one person who was always by her side.

It is not often I will say this, but if you have not read or listened to this book – I want you to drop everything and run to your local book store, or your favorite online ordering spot and secure a copy for yourself.  Trust me, you will be glad you did.  This is one of the best books I have listened to this year.
This was not the type of story that takes a while to get into… no, from the very beginning I entered nineteenth century China I was taken in by the sites, and by the traditions as Snow Flower and The Secret Fan is filled with tradition… painful images of foot binding, match makers, and most importantly… the laotong (a friendship that I will go into more when I post the movie review tomorrow.)
And really… that is what Snow Flower And The Secret Fan is about is friendship… a friendship that is more powerful than all the other relationships in Lily’s life…. and that… makes for an amazing story.
Normally when I am done listening to an audio it goes on my giveaway shelf as I know I will not listen to it again.  This time, I will be hanging on to this audio book as I know I will listen to it again someday and remember Lily and Snow Flower.
I bought this audio from Amazon.com

Morning Meanderings… Weekend Healing

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)17 Comments

Good morning.

It’s Tuesday… again.  Last Tuesday, I would rather erase from my memory… but here we are.  A week out and while the pain is still there… it is now manageable and I can see more clearly that we did the right thing.

I spent the weekend with a few friends from the bike rides I do, my cousin’s wife Rhonda, and my friends Belinda and Sheila.  We went up North and checked out a few shops in the area, ate great food, hiked a bit in the Tettegouche State park and watched a couple of movies. 

I think the weekend was just what I needed… a little time to get away and relax.  I came home feeling renewed and stronger again.  Friends… are counselors and healers.  I am lucky to have them.

My one regret was I did not get a picture of the four of us together. 

Sheila and Belinda
Me and Rhonda

Last night Al and I watched tv and ate pizza…. that’s how we roll on a Halloween night.  😛  How about you?  What did you do on Halloween? 

It’s Monday! What are You Reading?

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)74 Comments

Hello and welcome to another fun addition of It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading?

This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

I love being a part of this and I hope you do too!  As part of this weekly meme I love to encourage you all to go and visit the others participating in this meme.  I offer a weekly contest for those who visit 10 or more of the Monday Meme participants and leave a comment telling me how many you visited.  **You do not have to have a blog to participate! You receive one entry for every 10 comments, just come back here and tell me how many in the comment area.

Last weeks winner:

Sharon from Sharon’s Garden Of Books!

WOO HOO!!!!  Please choose an item out of the Reading Cafe Grab Shelves  and email me your choice with your mailing address as well!   journeythroughbooks@gmail.com

This week… was a hard week.  Probably the hardest I have had in a long long time and I am still recovering.  If you have been here this week… you know what I am talking about.  Here are the posts that I put up this past week:

Sleepers Run by Henry Mosquera (book review)

Water For Elephants DVD Release!

My Heart Is Broken Over The Loss of A Dear Friend.  😦

The Night Strangers by Chris Bojalian (audio review)

We The Animals by Justin Torres (audio review)

Halloween Giveaway – Laura Child’s book – Skeleton Letters, personally signed hard cover copies!

Reading went out the door after Monday and with all the happenings this week I pretty much shut down other than audio.  This weekend however at the cabin led me back to Monsters Of Men by Patrick Ness which actually felt good to read and let go of all the pain. 

This week I leave for the Cities on Friday afternoon and to Honduras Saturday morning.  I will be gone until the following Friday.  Yes, It’s Monday is planned to go on while I am away and yes, if I can get my head together here there will be posts while I am away.  As for the reading plan…

Yes… yes, I am still reading.  BUT – I will finish this week and I am LOVING it (and seriously need the distraction).

Frank W. Abagnale, alias Frank Williams, Robert Conrad, Frank Adams, and Robert Monjo, was one of the most daring conmen, forgers, imposters, and escape artists in history. In his brief but notorious criminal career, Abagnale donned a pilot’s uniform and copiloted a Pan Am jet, masqueraded as the supervising resident of a hospital, practiced law without a license, passed himself off as a college sociology professor, and cashed over $2.5 million in forged checks, all before he was 21. Known by the police of 26 foreign countries and all 50 states as “The Skywayman,” Abagnale lived a sumptuous life on the lam – until the law caught up with him. Now recognized as the nation’s leading authority on financial foul play, Abagnale is a charming rogue whose hilarious, stranger-than-fiction international escapades and ingenious escapes – including one from an airplane – make Catch Me If You Can an irresistible tale of deceit.

I seen the movie, found the audio on sale and I am LOVING this! 

Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn’t live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead. There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack—who has already killed Bod’s family . . .

Still in a bit of creepy October spooky mood, this one should be just the fix… plus I have always wanted to read Gaiman.

 

Tuesday watch for my fun audio review of Snow Flower and The Secret Fan as well as a movie review and giveaway!

That is all I am going to plan for this week as I suspect as Friday ekes closer I will be busy planning and prepping. 

What are you reading this week?  I am excited to see so please add your Monday What Are You Reading post to the linky below where it says Click here.

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Halloween Weekend – signed Laura Childs Books Giveaway

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)46 Comments

Happy Halloween weekend all!  I am on a two-day “break” with some friends at our cabin but wanted to leave you with this fun giveaway.

My pal Laura who writes the Tea Shop Mystery cozies and the Scrapbook mystery cozies has offered me two personally signed hard copy editions of Skeleton Letters.  That my friends is sooooo SSSQQQQQQUUUEEEEE worthy 🙂

Check out the fun trailer:

To enter – simply leave a comment here with a fun Halloween tradition (past or present)

For a second (BONUS) entry…. become a follower by signing up for my email subscription on the right hand side bar and in a separate comment let me know that you did.  😀  If you are already a subscriber let me know that in a separate comment as well.

That’s it…. I will choose two random winners on Halloween and then send Laura the winners info and she will sign the books and mail to you personally.

In the meantime, enjoy your weekend!

We The Animals by Justin Torres

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)18 Comments

Three brothers, the unnamed 7-year-old narrator, Joel, and Manny (both slightly older) .. the three sons to a white mom and a Puerto Rican father who can barely take care of themselves, let alone three sons.  As the boys watched their parents through love and war,

Lacking basic care such as food and shelter…. the brothers go about their days wearing hand me down clothes tied with cords, entertaining themselves through make-believe war games, exploring their environment, and trying to understand this thing called life. 

As the story continues and the boys grow the narrator finds he is drifting from them and the “we”, becomes “they” and eventually…

“I”.

Author Justin Torres

 

 

Rough.  Raw.  We The Animals has left me in a bit of awe…. its hard to describe and as I try to write a synopsis of the book – I know I am not doing it justice.  On audio, as I experienced it, it is a jumble of life stories from the one sons perspective.  Each chapter tells a story… piecing together a life story.

The boys mimic what they see… they use the language of anger their parents use towards each other and the words of forgiveness they also have witnessed.  They mimic, and they share, and they learn…

At first the audio feels chaotic, story to story…. rushing to and from one thing to the next.  I find myself piecing it together… it felt crashing and rolling….

and then it changes, a change I did not see coming and as I listen to it on the audio I pull in my breath tensing against what I believe is being told… what  I know… is being told.

 

Is it a love story?  Yes 

Is it a story of adolescence?  Yes

And it’s also about family, about poverty, about hardships, and family, and strength, and about growing into who you are… no matter what that may mean.

Overall… I am surprised I was unaware of what this book was coming too, but in a way – I am also impressed with the author’s choice to take an already good book… to another level.  I am sitting here after the audio has ended… processing what I had not seen…

 

Amazon Rating

Goodreads Review

The 2011 WHERE Are You Reading map has been updated to include We The Animals

 

I received this audio from Blackstone Audio

Morning (Mourning) Meanderings… Stages Of Grief

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)34 Comments

Good morning.  I have been up since 5:30 when sleep… left me.

It has now been two and a half days and I swear I am going through the stages of grief. 

1.  Denial – I keep making deals in my mind that I want him back…. after all there is no way what just happened…. happened.

2.  Anger – I have blamed me for not choosing to keep him with us longer…. I blame the vet (poor Steve….. he really is a fantastic guy) for assisting us in making the decision, I blame my husband for not feeling the level of pain that I do.

3.  Bargaining – I have decided that if I wake up in the morning and Elmo is back I will not question that… (knowing full well as I type this that is just crazy….) I do want to take it back.  I do.

4.  Depression – no doubt about it.  I am quiet.  I am having trouble eating and my heart is mourning. 

5.  Acceptance…. I feel is around the corner.  I know we did the right thing.  Deep down, I do know this.  However, acceptance does not seem to make it hurt any less.

I apologize for being such a downer these days… believe me – this is not where I want to be either.  Somehow though, putting it out here… helps.  All I can say now it that this too… will (MUST) pass… and please bear with me as I process my way through.

I am going to the cabin late this afternoon with my cousin’s wife Rhonda, and three other girls I have become friends with through the MS bike rides.  This trip was planned out weeks ago and while I struggle with going… I think it will be a good thing to just take a couple of days to breathe in and out like a normal person.  🙂

My reading has suffered this week… I have not been able to concentrate on words on pages and as much as I long to pick up one of the many books waiting patiently for me… my concentration is not there.  Thank goodness audio has filled some of that emptiness in my car and throughout my time at home. 

ASUS, (laptop) will not be making this trip with me… if I get organized today, I am hoping to set a couple of reviews up for the next couple days.  Other than that, please know I will be back in full force and I am excited to actuality have time to visit those of you with blogs and see what is happening in your worlds.  🙂

The Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)20 Comments

After Airline Pilot Chip Linton’s emergency landing in Lake Champlain resulted in the death of most of his passengers on his small plane, Chip moved his wife Emily and their ten-year old twin daughters to a remote Victorian home in Northern New Hampshire. 

The plan was for Chip and his family to start fresh after the accident, but Chip is haunted by the memories of the crash, as well as it seems he is haunted by passengers that died on that fateful flight.  While Chip is battling the inner demons of the 39 lost people on his flight, a long ago sealed door is found in the basement of their home with 39 six-inch long carriage bolts.

39…

While Chip makes a frightening discovery behind the bolted door… his wife Emily finds herself drawn to a group of herbalists in the area who seem to have taken an obsessive interest in her twin daughters.  Torn between the strange behavior her husband is now producing as he spends more and more time in the basement, and the odd women herbalists giving her children new names… Emily is left struggling to maintain her family when all she really wants to do is pack up and get far away from this strange place.

I am kind of digging this cover...

It’s hard to believe now that in my early 20’s horror/thrillers were my favorite genre.  Then, I read everything that Stephen King and Dean Koontz put out there.  As years went on, I went away from King, still enjoy a good Koontz, but have really moved on to a tamer, Harlan Coben for my fix. However, occasionally I have a craving (much like I do for 80’s music), where I want to dab a bit into the spooky genre, hoping to bring back the old thrills I used to get reading them.

This fact, along with my desire to read something by Chris Bohjalian, brought me to Night Strangers.  For this time of year, if just felt like it could be spooky good.

So… is it?

Well no doubt about it that Night Strangers will make you hear every bump in the night.  Putting anything in the basement is pretty spooky for me and that is barely touching the hair-raising happenings of Chris Bohjalian’s tale of the paranormal. 

I definitely got what I was craving and then some… I tend to lean more towards the good old spooky ghost stories than the modern paranormal horror so at times there was a bit of “WHOA!”  For the most part… I would call this book a ghost story with a triple energy drink kick. After all what s not to love about a book where not all your characters are living?  😯

If you are looking for a little spooky in your pre-Halloween week, look no further for great writing that will definitely make the hair on your neck tingle and have you checking the basement door. 

Twice.

Amazon Rating

Goodreads Review

The 2011 WHERE Are You Reading map has been updated to include Night Strangers

I purchased this audio from audible.com

Morning Meanderings…. Recovery (ing)

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)22 Comments

Good morning.

As you probably can imagine from yesterdays post that I am beyond heartbroken over the loss of our pet (friend, companion) Elmo.  I get that this is going to be a slow process, I knew someday I would be writing the post that I did, but I did not anticipate this level of pain.

Yesterday was a busy day which was probably a good thing.  I am going to Honduras on November 5 – November 11 and two of the guys on the team are from the Ukraine.  Dima is 28 and a Pastor in the Ukraine and he is here for the first time in the United States staying with our Pastor through Thanksgiving who met him many years ago when he was in Ukraine on a mission trip.  Dima speaks little english.  Boris is 25 and Dima’s interpreter. Yesterday I took both of them in to get their shots for the Honduras trip.  It was kind of fun (and a great distraction from life) to go and assist them with the paperwork.  They say our hospital is nothing like the hospitals in Ukraine.

They are both extremely nice and I am excited to see them on this Honduras trip with us. 

Today I work (also good) and tonight I have dinner with friends for a long overdue baby shower get together.  (also good).

I have reviews to post and books to read and while life is difficult right now to say the least, I know that I need to move ahead.  Thank you all who sent kind words… while its hard for me to talk about, I really do appreciate every comment and it means the world to me to have all your kind support.