Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong (translated by Moss Roberts)

I knew I just have to have this book the first time I set my eyes upon it in the bookshop and boy, did I not regret it anymore!

This book is a novel-based telling of the chronological events in the history of the period of the Three Kingdoms. It was written in a fact-based form but also with the style of a story-telling as in a novel that we read anywhere.
The introduction of all the characters was done in a factual-style and a fashionable manner where they were all introduced through their given name, middle name/style and the description of their physical appearance.

Of course, this cannot be compared to the historical textbook on the sequence in Three Kingdoms but this novel is definitely following very closely to the events.
It started from the Han Kingdom and the Yellow Turban Revolution led by Zhang Jiao and introduced a young Cao Cao with his father who was the minister at that time to the downfall following the death of the Emperor and how the throne was succeeded by a son which was undeserving; resulting in a revolution and thus invoked the greed and ambition in his serving ministers.
As most were eyeing the throne and the weaker Emperor Xian, it then led to battles to wipe out the revolution around the country.

The climax of the story is the battle of the Red Cliff, which was so famously discussed among the fans and was even made into a movie by John Woo.
This battle was said to be unofficial initiation of the separation into the three kingdoms of Wei, Shu and Wu; where Cao Cao, Liu Bei and Sun Quan are the respective rulers.

Amidst the numerous characters introduced in the book (trust me, there is way too many characters that it becomes confusing and difficult to keep track; especially if you are a novice at the events of the Three Kingdoms!), my personal favorite is none other than the wise and suave Civil advisor in the form of Zhu-Ge Liang; styled Kong Ming who was assisting Liu Bei.
He was also known as the Sleeping Dragon and agreed to help Liu Bei following the latter's visit to him for three times and Zhu-Ge Liang was said to be touched by his sincerity and was also in awe of Liu Bei's nobility.
The reason I love this character is his wisdom (as in Merlin's wisdom). Despite him staying in an isolated area and spending most of his time hibernating in his nest, it was amazing how much he knew about battles and strategies as he continues to throw out one after another of his baffling strategies in countering his enemies; especially Cao Cao whose army clearly outnumbered that of Liu Bei's and even Sun Quan's.

His Eight strategem, his acquisition of the arrows from Cao Cao, his plans of attack to defeat Cao Cao's troop and how he escape unharmed each time was truly the most interesting and climatic read for me; and thank goodness the novel had not one nor two but several chapters dedicated to Zhu-Ge Liang's tales of wisdom.

This is truly a recommended book for all Three Kingdom's fans and I enjoyed every bit of it!!

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

What can I say, this is after all, a classic novel and one that most have heard of, if not read it before in their lifetime.

I enjoyed the story told from childhood and how they fight against the racial discrimination in their conservative community.

It was definitely not just a simple story of the children growing up; as they tell their story but it also shares on the elements of love and values of life in a community which believes in the majority rights and only in what they believe.
It was a difficult place to grow up in but they had the guide of their strict father who was also a lawyer who fought not only for money but also for justice.

He led the family into the target of the town's fury when he took up the case to defend a black man who was accused of raping one of the townsmen's daughter.
Knowing that there is no chance of the black man being freed in this town of white men, he fought will all his might as he know that the black man is innocent and he may have lost the case but he won his children's support and in implanting the right values and attitude in his growing children.

It was a touching novel; once which I shall always remember with the vivid descriptions by the narrators who were the proud children of the just lawyer.

Quote: Lawyers, I suppose, were once children

Crossings by Danielle Steel

One of my favorite authors, Danielle Steel spins a story about a woman who had grown ahead of her age (as all the female leads in her stories), and had to confront her true feelings for a man while waiting for her husband during the war period.

Liane Crockett, was the young and only daughter of the famous Crockett Shipping merchant, Harrison Crockett when she caught the attention of the de Villiers; the French ambassadors' Armand and his wife, Odile. Back then, she was being treated like their daughter; particularly by Odile, who doted on her. Following the wife's death, she even entrusted her husband to Liane for her to accompany, and this led to the blossoming of the love between the duo despite the huge age difference (also another commonality in DS's novels).

She was happily married to the French ambassador, Armand who loved her more than anything in the world and the due had two daughters, much to Armand's delight after unable to conceive with his first wife.
Then in a twist of fate, Armand was requested to be back in France, his homeland again which sent the whole family on their journey on the famous and beautiful Normandie (a famous French ship).
On board, they met Nick Burnham and his spoilt wife, Hillary, whom Liane and Armand could tell were not in a happy marriage.

Liane became close to Nick and realized how unhappy he was with his wife, whom he loved dearly but she, due to her pampered ways at home, tried to dodge her responsibilities in the marriage and even cheated on him by sleeping with other men.
At the same time, Liane felt neglected by her husband while on the ship due to his time being occupied with work. It became worse when they landed in Paris and Liane found herself often wondering about Nick and his wife.

When war struck, where Paris was suddenly attacked by the German Nazis, Armand had to arrange for his wife and daughters to be sent back to America. On the ship, Liane met Nick again and their teamwork in helping to save the victims brought them to realize their feelings for each other and love blossomed on the ship.
However, they made a pact that all must end upon reaching America.
Fate decides the better for them when they constantly crossed paths with each other, and Liane has a hard time dealing with everyone accusing her husband as a traitor to his own country when Liane knows the truth about Armand.
Nick was also having a hard time fighting for the custody of his son; while parting ways with his temptress of a wife who finally re-married after their divorce.

Will they get back together?

As usual, DS concocts a tale of dilemma and tough decisions between the two protagonists of her stories and make their love story so hard for each other.
However, it will all end well as you go through the story, but no doubt, you will always end up feeling so much emotion for the characters and yearning for them to be with each other.
DS remains one of my favorite authors :)

P.S, I Love You by Cecelia Ahern

Already a major motion picture, this is a unique romantic tale of how a husband who knew his death by cancer, plans ahead for his wife, by preparing letters For each month after his death for his wife to get herself busy with the activities and in the meantime, learn to live again.

Holly and Gerry were a couple who often argued in the beginning, as Holly starts to recall after Gerry's death by brain tumor/cancer. Their arguments always center on Holly's mother who does not seem to like Gerry and at the same time, their small apartment. However, after each argument, as Holly lovingly recalls, they will make up to each other and kiss.
When Gerry finally succumbs to his illness, Holly's whole world collapsed and she refused to go out of the house, which worried her mother and her best friend to no end.
However, she was soon brought back to life when a parcel arrived for her containing the letters Gerry prepared ahead and telling her what to do each month which Holly diligently obeys.
As the time passed, the letters are heading towards the notion to get her to free herself of depression and to slowly let go of Gerry, telling Holly to find her life again.

A truly touching tale, and a unique idea of how powerful true love is.
It is very true that when you love someone so much, you would always want to see them happy.
You do not have to own someone when you love them; it is sufficient that the love grew in your heart.

I love Gerry in this story; as the thoughtful and wonderful husband as recalled by Holly in the various parts of the book.
The author truly know how to fiddle with the real human emotions and to tell us through this story how love lives on even beyond death.

Shadow of Ashland by Terence M Green

A story which started from the death of the narrator's mother; to whom he was close to.
His dying mother's wish was to locate her long separated mother and thus, Leo Nolan embarks on a mysterious journey back to Ashland based on the letters he starts to receive from his long lost uncle recently while the letters were posted back then in 1934.

He started on his journey by driving back to the last place his uncle wrote about in his letters, and stayed in the same hotel where he met the same people his uncle talked about.
In his quest to find out the truth about his uncle, he was thrown into an imaginary world based on the letters, his uncle's description, and the story as told by the owners of the inn whom his uncle was close to.
As he starts to uncover the story behind his uncle's disappearance, he plunged into a little romance with the local waitress at the Woolworth's he frequent for meals.

It started off with a sad note, and the writer captured my interest by the intrigue he has built.
However, as the story moves deeper when Leo, the protagonist is in Ashland, that was where the climax starts to die and I felt that the story had gone into a weird route; where you seem to feel out of the flow.

It did explains things though; but I guess it started off with too much of a high note which could lead to a low-key ending which was supposed to be simple and explanatory; but it was not meeting my expectation :(

Overall, the little book made it easy to carry in my bag whenever I need a book to read.

Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah

A true story on the author's childhood and the life she led as the unwanted daughter in the family.
It was a story which touched my heart, and at the same time, it reminded us of our unique ethnicity as a Chinese through the depictions of the traditions, culture and the typical family mindset during those tumultuous era.

Her birth signifies the death of her mother; and due to that, she was scorned upon and disliked by her own siblings. To make matters worse, their father has since remarried a French woman who had two more children by him, making them a group of 7 siblings.
However, their French stepmother is practising double standards in the treatment of the children, favoring her own biological children compared to the other five.
Ostracized by her own siblings and the evil stepmother, she was constant ridiculed and ignored in the family.
Despite her shortcomings at home, she excelled at school and had the love of her grandfather and aunt Ba Ba who were the only ones who were true to her.

She had to put up a front in school; telling tales that she was much loved at home.
However, due to the constant turmoils in the country, her family had to run away from the unstable states which resulted in her being transferred from one school to another, and yet continuously excelling in her studies.
She was even left behind in missionary schools by her family until she was saved by her French stepmother's own sister who treated her with such love and care that she half-wished she belonged to that family.

It was heart-wrenching when her beloved grandmother died and she was separated from her aunt Baba.

Lady Luck finally shone unto her when she emerged as a winner in a script play writing competition and won the admiration of her father who agreed to send her overseas to further her studies; a dream she had longed for and thought had lost due to her being a daughter in the family.

Her father frowned upon her dreams to study English or writing and decided to place her in medicine. Better than none, she accepted it as the golden opportunity to independence.

A truly touching story, and simple enough for anyone to understand.
I felt the stirring emotion for Adeline as I followed her through her plight and her life story.

P.S:I would love to get my hands on the prequel; Falling Leaves :)

The Last Empress by Anchee Min

An engaging story about the life and thoughts of one of the most prominent female leaders struggling amongst the thorns in the conservative society in China back then.
Empress Dowager; Tzu Chsi (or Orchid) as she is fondly known as.

Anchee Min spins the tale in a way that it was narrated from the lady herself; detailing her thoughts and emotions.
It was cleverly told, and the narrator assumes her role and responsibilities from a normal brought-up peasant and ordinary girl just like you and me, and how she too, goes through traumatic times in making life-threatening decisions.

The contemporary world has formed a perception of Tzu Chsi as a tyrant; and a cold-blooded ruler who would do just about anything, to protect her authority as she makes her way up to the top; including murdering her own son.

This story shows us the other side of Tzu Chsi; a Tzu Chsi who may have been misunderstood by the world, a lady who have her own difficulties in explaining to the world on everything she has done; for the pride and dignity of her country and at the same time, protect her own son, the emperor from further humiliation.

It was a realistic depiction, and I felt like I was reading the Empress's thoughts; and seeing her human side compared to the cold portrait that has been painted based on the stories I have heard and read about her throughout all the years.
The author has injected a touch of humanity and a tale of compassion into this famous female ruler who had to protect herself and the throne from all the conniving men surrounding the two widows and the son who was the true heir to the throne.
When her own son has contracted a deadly disease which was too disgraceful to be announced, Tzu Chsi was torn between true compassion and depression and at the same time, being realistic to understand the consequences of the news to the empire.
During that time, there were foreign forces which were particularly interested in the Chinese empire due to their strong influence and resources.

Tzu Chsi had to be careful with her every move, as there is no one whom she can trust in the palace. It was an internal battle itself, behind the palace walls, as she struggles to make the right decisions and forming her own very trusted allies; comprising of the devoted General Yung Lu and her eunuch who died somewhere in the novel.
Initially, Prince Kang was another allie who soon found his way out to his own interests and Tzu Chsi was left with no other choice.
Her close and intimate relationship with General Yung Lu ignited the sparks among themselves and also the whisperings along the palace corridors and the main hall. However, the author told about the empress as a lonely widow but still one with rationality and traditional mindset to swerve towards any form of behavior which will be frowned upon.
At the same time, Tzu Chsi was still human after all, and all those suppressing of her own inner feelings for a man has those times when she just wanted to break away from tradition and follow her heart, just a thought that occasionally seeps into her mind.

It was a poignant tale; but brilliantly told to show us a personally expressed story by the protagonist herself.

I love this novel; and this is actually a sequence to the Empress Orchid which starts the tale from how she became the empress; from a young peasant girl.
This novel itself; is the sequel in which her tale continues from the death of the emperor and her assuming her role as one of the Empress Dowager and at the same time, the mentor and guide to the budding young emperor who was her own son.

This is a book that I will definitely read again; to revive that compassion and heartfelt emotions of the glorious and yet humane empress.

Rating: 4.5/5