Dream Home Libraries

I've envied many fictional home libraries. The one from Disney's Beauty and the Beast was almost too amazing. I always liked Professor Higgins' library from My Fair Lady.

But here is a real life one that I'm adoring. I've always wanted a library in my home, and here's what it would start with:

Found here: http://lilykleppertknoop.tumblr.com/post/3563206803

Review: Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

I knew almost nothing about this book when I picked it up. I had seen it on lists and I liked the title. What it's about is very succinctly put on the cover, which is an odd and interesting place to put it.

"This is a story about a mother, two daughters, and two dogs. This was supposed to be a story of how Chinese parents are better at raising kids than Western ones. But instead, it's about a bitter clash of cultures, a fleeting taste of glory, and how I was humbled by a thirteen-year-old."

I read this book in just a few days, which is pretty amazing for me and my schedule right now. It was provocative.

It was interesting to read as a parent, even though I hold Western ideals of parenting despite the proof of the results of Chinese parenting. I'm always fascinated by mother-daughter stories, being both a mother and a daughter myself. Especially since my own daughter is so young and still thinks the sun rises and sets with me.

And it was enlightening for someone who has read many fictional stories of Chinese Americans, particularly Amy Tan. It shed some light on the dynamics of mother-daughter relationships in those books.

It was also an interesting look at immigrant culture--seeing how each generation changed as a result of having come to America.

Review: Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague

Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague by Geraldine Brooks has long been on my TBR list. When I was finally able to read it this week, it did not disappoint.

The story was engaging, the history fascinating. Though fictionalized, this story of a town that voluntarily isolates itself in order to contain the plague is based in fact. Which makes the horrors witnessed by our narrator and heroine, Anna, all the more vivid and terrifying. I feel very lucky to live in a time and place free of plague and witch hunts.

I definitely recommend this book, though you should keep in mind that many of the images are gruesome.