The Pillars of the Earth
Author: Ken Follett
Genre: Historical-Fiction

I can’t believe I waited so long to start reading this book! It’s been screaming at me from the shelves at the bookstore for years but I was always hesitant to buy it because I was never interested in Medieval England (no thanks to Social Studies class in high school). That’s another reminder for me to KEEP AN OPEN-MIND AT ALL TIMES. I almost missed something this great.

A spellbinding epic tale of ambition, anarchy, and absolute power set against the sprawling medieval canvas of twelfth-century England, this is Ken Follett’s historical masterpiece.

I think I read this entire book in one sitting, much to Boyfriend’s dismay. It reminded me of a Korean drama… you just can’t get away from it without feeling horribly deprived. Some may say this book is overrated and full of flaws but I loved it. The Pillars of the Earth revolves around the building of a great cathedral and presents a combination of feelings; it was complex, heart-wrenching, sad, intense, happy and overwhelming all in one and full of characters you just fall in love with. It totally transports you back into history. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

On the Beach
Author: Nevil Shute
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic

Can you imagine knowing that your inevitable death is literally creeping it’s way to your doorstep? Can you imagine knowing that you are going to be one of the very last survivors of human civilization? Can you imagine trying to carry out your daily lives as if everything is normal until the very end?

They are the last generation, the innocent victims of an accidental war, living out their last days, making do with what they have, hoping for a miracle. As the deadly rain moves ever closer, the world as we know it winds toward an inevitable end…

This book is a quick and simple read but it will shock you, sadden you and change your perspective on humanity.

Madame Chiang Kai-shek: China’s Eternal First Lady
Author: Laura Tyson Li
Genre: Biography

I love reading stories of women with power (fiction and non-fictional)… from queens who ruled their own country, wives of powerful men to the extraordinary working class women who made a mark in history and paved the way for others, for centuries to come.

“The Dragon Lady” and her two sisters were raised in one of China’s most powerful families and became three of the of the most significant and influential political figures of the early 20th century. Her oldest sister, Soong Ai-ling, “the one who loved money” married the richest man and finance minister of China. Her second sister, Soong Ching-ling: “the one who loved China” was married to Sun Yat-sen, the “Father of Modern China.” And herself, Mayling Soong: “the one who loved power” married the Nationalist leader Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek and became his adviser, interpreter, and propagandist. Each played a role in alternating the course of Chinese history.

An international crusader who continued speaking out against Communism well into her nineties, Mayling sparred with Churchill and Roosevelt and impressed Westerners and Chinese alike with her acumen, charm, and glamour.

Imagine a family background like that. How can you NOT be intrigued? This is Mayling’s story.

The Blessing Stone
Author: Barbara Wood
Genre: Historical Fiction

The Blessing Stone is one of those books that leaves you in awe. I found this book in a used bookstore five years ago and have read it about 6 times since. Barbara Wood paints an amazing story of a blue meteorite that fell on earth 3 millions years ago to illustrate the history of the civilizations that came in contact with the stone—from the first homo sapiens that walked this earth to the modern-day 20th century. It begins when a girl stumbles upon it on the African plains 100,000 years ago and thus the legend of the stone begins as it goes to ancient Israel, to Imperial Rome, to medieval England, to the colonial Caribbean and finally the American West. This is an enticing and warm story of human spirit and survival.

Wizard’s First Rule
Author: Terry Goodkind
Genre: Fantasy

This is the first book in The Sword of Truth series; the epic tale of a woodsman named Richard Cypher who finds out who he really is and the destiny he must fulfill to save the world from evil with the help of a beautiful but mysterious woman who appears in his life out of nowhere.

I started reading these books a couple years ago, the same time I started watching 24, and if you watched 24, you’ll know how intense the show is but this book is 200x more intense than the show!! I actually whipped out these books to read instead of watching 24 with Boyfriend because it was that good. The writing style is a little repetitive and annoying (be warned!) but there is basically non-stop action in the book so it’s impossible to put down. You just HAVE to know what happens next. I finished all 11 of the books in about 2.5 months (somebody tell me to get a life). Recommended if you like being in suspense but not recommended if you are super anal about writing styles (I’m not a good writer myself so I can put up with somewhat bad writing as long as it’s not Twilight-related).

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Children of the Dust
Author: Louise Lawrence
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic

I was going through a post-apocalyptic phase and right when I discovered this book, I rushed to find it online and have read it 4 times ever since. It’s a really quick read but it’s shocking, powerful and depressing— it will totally blow you away. It’s a beautifully written tale of three generations of a family after a global nuclear war. This is one of those books that you read and can never forget. Recommended if you like science-fiction and end-of-the-world scenarios.

Empress (Godspeaker Trilogy)
Author: Karen Miller
Genre: Fantasy

[From a review I wrote about in a previous entry] Empress is about an unwanted, feral slave named Hekat who was destined to become the greatest empress of Mijak in a world ruled by religion. You sympathize with the her in the beginning because of who she is and where she’s from but as the story progresses, you realize Hekat is bit crazy (somewhat of a sociopath) and incapable of feeling love or sympathy— only hatred and fear so you find yourself disliking her more and more because of what she’s becoming. I find this interesting because she is suppose to be the protagonist and the protagonist is always perceived as the “good guy” (although I know not all protagonists are suppose to be likable). But anyhow, it compliments well with Hekat’s independence, desire to rise to the top and her extremely determined and ambitious personality… she is after all, “precious and beautiful, she is god-touched.”

Chasing Daylight
Author: Gene O’Kelly
Genre: Memoir

As CEO at accounting giant KPMG, Eugene O’Kelly was so immersed in his job that over the course of a decade, he managed to have lunch with his wife on weekdays just twice. His travel schedule was set 18 months out. Once, he was so obsessed with impressing a potential client that he tracked down the man’s travel schedule, booked the seat next to him on a flight, schmoozed the guy all the way to Australia, landed the account, and flew immediately back to Manhattan. His Type-A ways vanished when, at age 53, a top neurosurgeon in New York told him he had late- stage brain cancer. “His eyes told me I would die soon. It was late spring. I had seen my last autumn in New York.”

That was enough to capture me to read the book. It’s inspiring, touching and pretty much made me bawl my eyes out.

The Other Boleyn Girl
Author: Philippa Gregory
Genre: Historical-Fiction

This is historical fiction at it’s best since Philippa Gregory is THE queen of historical fiction. I caught The Other Boleyn Girl on PPV one day and instantly became obsessed with the story, the Tudors and just [European] royalty in general so I went out and bought the book and was even more impressed. Again, if you loved the movie, READ THE BOOK!!

Mao’s Last Dancer
Author: Li Cunxin
Genre: Memoir

In a setting similar to Wild Swans that I recommended in a previous entry, Mao’s Last Dancer is an auto-biography written by Li Cuxin about his journey from a boy living in extreme poverty and laboring in the fields of China’s countryside to his career as a world-famous professional ballet dancer. When Madame Mao’s Dance Academy arrived at his school looking for students for ballet, he was chosen and admitted to the academy; this book documents his intense struggle to the top where he eventually graduated and was chosen to go to America where he danced in the Houston Ballet for sixteen years.

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I’ve gotten a couple requests for book recommendations so here it is but just for the record, I’m not too picky about books (the only genre I don’t prefer reading is romance, but I’ll read anything else) so I don’t usually dislike books unless they are really really horrible. I will only recommend about 3-5 books/series at a time and try to cover a range of different genres that I like.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy
1. Fellowship of the Ring
2. The Two Towers
3. Return of the King
Author: J.R.R. Tolkien
Genre: Epic-Fantasy

These are classics and they are always the first books I recommend when someone asks for good books to read because they are my favorite. If you love fantasy and haven’t read Tolkien, WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN? If you’re not into fantasy, then start now! Also, if you like hot elves played by Orlando Bloom, then read the book for more of Legolas’ sexy travels (you just gotta picture him in your head). Oh, I can’t forget The Hobbit if you want a lighter read by Tolkien.

The Lives of the Mayfair Witches trilogy
1. The Witching Hour
2. Lasher
3. Taltos
Author: Anne Rice
Genre: Horror

Or are these my favorite books? This and LOTR are both so different from each other and each have their own charm that I can’t decide between the two!! It starts out a little too slow but it’s worth the read. What I loved about The Witching Hour is how far back Anne Rice goes with the Mayfair family history and how she really seduces the reader into the story with a very rich and intense history and amazing attention for detail. Her descriptions creates extremely vivid imagery in your head, some of it so powerful that it’s almost as if the story was real and you could see/feel/hear/taste/smell everything that is going on. I think this book took me longer to read than most because I made sure I read each and every word… sometimes even twice because I was so into it (and I’ve reread the book 4 times since). Lasher and Taltos wasn’t as strong as the first book, but once you start, you gotta finish the journey.

I was reading some of the reviews and was surprised when some people didn’t like the long Mayfair family history. That was the part I loved the most… in fact, if that was what the entire book was about, I would’ve loved it even more.

Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China
Author: Jung Chang
Genre: Memoir

“The story of three generations in twentieth-century China, it is an engrossing record of Mao’s impact on China, an unusual window on the female experience in the modern world, and an inspiring tale of courage and love.” I first read this when I was 16 and have read it 3 times ever since. The book is very intense and most of all, it’s real. Recommended if you love history.

Black Order
Author: James Rollins
Genre: Action

I actually have to reread this book because I read all of James Rollin’s books in a short period of time so they are all sort of mashed into my memory. His books are very Dan Brown-ish but better (only because everyone knows who Dan Brown is) and is filled with non-stop action, following the characters through roadblocks, destruction and mysteries that needs to be solved to save the world; it will leave you breathless.

Abundance: A Novel of Marie Antoinette
Author: Sena Jeter Naslund
Genre: Historical-Fiction

If you’re a history-freak like I am and am obsessed with beautiful 18th-century France, you’ll love this book. This historical fiction follows the life of the young Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria to Marie Antoinette, Queen of France to her infamous journey to the guillotine in rich detail. If you watched the movie, then read the book because as we all know, movie adaptations are never as good as books.

Let me know what you think of them!

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