“Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet”
by Jamie Ford
Lisa See’s “Shanghai Girls” meets Khaled Hosseini’s “A Thousand Splendid Suns” in this great debut novel by Jamie Ford. With chapters alternating between 1986 and 1940, readers become eyewitnesses to the plight of Japanese Americans during World War II. A Seattle elementary school is the setting in which Chinese-American Henry Lee falls head over heels in love with his Japanese-American classmate Keiko.
Reference Librarian Stacey Inman says, “Readers will not only enjoy the heartwarming love story, but they will also get a glimpse of the attitudes and history of this period.” Stacey highly recommends this novel to anyone searching for a great story — especially one that bridges cultural divides on a literary journey through history.
“Some Assembly Required: A Journal of my Son’s First Son” by Anne and Sam Lamott
In her 1993 bestseller, “Operating Instructions,” writer Anne Lamott described the trials and triumphs of her first year of motherhood with Sam, her beautiful bundle of joy. Today, the book continues to live on as staple baby shower gift for new mothers. But in 2012, Lamott received a life altering phone call from her now teenage son, Sam, explaining that she will be a grandma. Picking up where “Operating Instructions” left off, “Some Assembly Required: A Journal of my Son’s First Son” is Lamott’s attempt to capture her emotional rollercoaster ride into grandmotherhood. Filled with the trademark humor Lamott’s fans expect, “Some Assembly Required” is a must for grandmothers, new and old.
