Historical Fictionistas discussion

Hello there all! It's time to start the nomination process again. This time around, we're going for a setting theme, featuring Asia and the Pacific, including, but not limited to, Australia and New Zealand and Hawaii.

So break out your globes and consult your bookshelves and let's get some nominations going! :)

We'll take nominations through August 2nd, and then we'll vote.

Remember - ONE nomination per person. Please link to title and author. (I'm gonna be a stickler this time. No link, it doesn't count.)

Also - please be sure to check the group bookshelves to verify that we haven't already read your nomination. http://www.goodreads.com/group/booksh...

Let's go... to Asia!! :D

EDIT: I closed the nominations early since we got so many so quickly. Go vote! :)

OK.. I guess I'll get things started!

I'm going to nominate The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough. Set in New Zealand (briefly) and Australia (mainly). I read this book a while back, and I loved it and I would love to discuss it with the group. I love McCullough's writing and I really enjoyed this family saga. Beautiful story... :)

Becky wrote: "OK.. I guess I'll get things started!

I'm going to nominate The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough. Set in New Zealand (briefly) and Australia (mainly). I read this book ..."

I first read The Thorn Birds sometime in the '80s, and even though I'm not much of a romance reader, it is still on my favorites shelf to this day. It's such a deep and sweeping story and is beautifully written.

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

I don't know how much of it actually takes place in China, though. If you want me to nominate something else, let me know!

I'd like to nominate The Denniston Rose by Jenny Pattrick. I visited what's left of Denniston about 10 years ago - 'grim' doesn't even begin to describe it - and have been meaning to read this book and its sequel Heart of Coal ever since.

I will nominate The Samurai's Garden by Gail Tsukiyama. It focuses on relationships - both positive and negative - between the cultures and traditions of 1930s China and Japan in a poignant and personal way.

I'd love to nominate one of the novels in James Clavell' Asian Saga.

I presume "Shogun" is probably read by most HF lovers already.
So maybe Gai-Jin?
The novel is set in Yokohama of 19th century, around the newly established relationship between England and Japan. It is very informative and have plenty of action and drama.

No nominations for novels taking place in Hawaii?

OK, I've got one. A Map of Paradiseby Linda Ching Sledge

It's about a Chinese girl growing up on Hawaii in the 19th century. I haven't read it. I just picked it up from my library's sale cart.

The Calligrapher's Daughter by Eugenia Kim. Set in early 20th century Korea. Recent enough to still be in print and available at the library. Not so recent that you need to be on a 3 month wait list.

Awesome nominations so far! This should definitely be an interesting one... :D

A Town Like Alice has both an Azian and Australian setting - plus a very good movie was made from it.

Ooooh, good choice, Kate! I have that one on my Nook too, I want to read it. :D

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. I have it in my to-read list.

April wrote: "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. I have it in my to-read list."

This is a great book!

I support

April wrote: "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. I have it in my to-read list."

Well, I think I want to un-nominate this one and nominate another. Can I?

I would rather nominate The Private Papers of Eastern Jewel by Maureen Lindley

Well I haven't read any HF in this setting so I'll be checking out all the nominees and filling out my tbr!

I loved Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and I loved Memoirs of A Geisha but I know we already read Memoirs. I thought we already read Snow Flower too.

The Ginger Tree - awesome story about a European woman in China and Japan spanning early 1900s thru WWII. Written in diary/letters form.

The Beauty of Humanity Movement by Camilla Gibb. It's set in present day North Vietnam, and there are some great flashbacks to the 60's and 70's in Vietnam, but it's not a "war" story. Yes, a lot is mentioned about things that happened during the war there, but there's SO MUCH MORE. It's incredibly interesting, and a great story. And I learned so much about Vietnam.

A Fine Balance is such a powerful book about relationships and life in India. It talks about a variety of classes and what their life consists of. It is one of my favorite HF books.

Melodi wrote: "A Fine Balance is such a powerful book about relationships and life in India. It talks about a variety of classes and what their life consists of. It is one of my favorite HF books."

Is this your nomination?

Phair wrote: "The Ginger Tree - awesome story about a European woman in China and Japan spanning early 1900s thru WWII. Written in diary/letters form."

Is this your nomination? Please link to title AND author, otherwise it won't count.

Becky wrote: "Melodi wrote: "A Fine Balance is such a powerful book about relationships and life in India. It talks about a variety of classes and what their life consists of. It is one of my favori..."

Yes, sorry first nomination I've done! The author is Rohinton Mistry for A Fine Balance

No problem - thanks Melodi! :)

I have been wanting to read The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli

Becky wrote: "Phair wrote: "The Ginger Tree - awesome story

Is this your nomination? Pleas..."

sorry:

The Ginger Tree by Oswald Wynd

THanks, Phair! :)

Lisa wrote: "I have been wanting to read The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli"

Lisa - please link to title and author for your nomination to count. The easiest way is to click on the "add book/author" link above the comment box and search.

This is not a nomination. I just want to say that Phair's nomination/book The Ginger Tree is wonderful.

Confirmed nomination recap:

The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough
Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
The Denniston Rose by Jenny Pattrick
The Samurai's Garden by Gail Tsukiyama
Gai-Jin by James Clavell
A Map of Paradise by Linda Ching Sledge
The Calligrapher's Daughter by Eugenia Kim
A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute
The Private Papers of Eastern Jewel by Maureen Lindley
The Ginger Tree by Oswald Wynd
The Beauty of Humanity Movement by Camilla Gibb
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli (Adding anyway... LOL)

We already have so many I'm thinking we should go ahead with these... what do you all think?

adding my .02
The Hell Screen by I.J. Parker
I've read the first one in this series Rashoman Gate and enjoyed it a lot. Either that or this would be great to read imo.
Mrs. Marco Polo Remembers by Mary Parker Dunning
This book is an excellent read. I'd recommend it to anyone.
Lost in Translation by Nicole Mones
Jade: A Novel of China by Pat Barr
I have not read this yet but have been meaning to.


No one offered up any of the Sano Ichiro novels by Rowland I noticed.. =)

Not a nomination but East of the Sun by Julia Gregson was delightful and would also qualify for this too.

Which one is your nomination, Kiri?

Becky wrote: "Confirmed nomination recap:

The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough
Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
The Denniston Rose by [author:Jenny..."

When is the vote?

I guess I will set it up now - we have quite a few nominations, so I'll end it early.

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See won the poll. I'll open a discussion thread for the book on August 15th! :)