WWRW: Bitter and Sweet, Pope Awesome... both winners.

So when we last met, I was getting ready to pick my book club's next book. Well as it happens, book club was rescheduled for tomorrow instead of last week so I had plenty of time to really consider my choice. I would up picking Jamie Ford's  Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. I don't know why I was hesitant about my reading experience on this one but it was a surprise for me. I mean it was on a few lists for ideas and Jessica recommended it but I was still not convinced I would like it. I'm not sure what put me off but I am glad I did not judge this book by my prior feelings.

This book follows 40 years in the life of Henry Lee. One moment in 1985 takes him back to his childhood in Seattle during WWII. As a Chinese-American Henry is in a precarious place as the American Government begins displacing those of Japanese heritage to interment camps, including his one friend Keiko. Through flashbacks the story examines all the complex relationships a person can go through: parent/child, first loves, deep friendships among other things.

Overall I was pleasantly surprised by the book. It was captivating and brilliant and I didn't want to stop reading. While I wasn't anticipating the love story element it still didn't come off as just a love story, it is deep and complex, in all honestly like real love stories. I think that is the part that I really respected, unlike Nicholas Sparks, this felt real.

I am very interested in how my book club reacts to it. The fact of the matter is this book appeals to a broad audience, the sappy readers will certainly be pacified. The history buffs will love the truthfulness and harsh look at one of America's blemishes. The lover of novels will be happy the book is more in depth than some of the teeny bopper books we've read, while the readers who love the teeny bopper books are also going to be happy. This book really has it all. Honestly I am shocked I haven't heard more about it because I am totally late to the party on this one.

Also this week I read Pope Awesome and Other Stories by non-other than Cari Donaldson herself. Imma go out on a limb and say that if you are reading this blog post you probably know who she is and probably have plans to read the book yourself. So instead of a real review or plot description I will give you a few thoughts only and still insist you read it for yourself.

• I was not the biggest fan of cover 2 when it made it's appearance on the blog in the voting. But I like the spacing of the Futura font 100% better now and I am glad Cari ditched the cartoony font. 
• If you have read through a lot of her blog a lot of it is old hat, but in a more complete way. You can read the birth stories and conversion story but not in the same cohesive, detailed way. 
• I laughed audibly several times. 
• There was one paragraph that I highlighted (in Kindle world) and I am DYING to make it a Facebook status, tweet it, put it on postcards and maybe make it a tee shirt. But I am waiting until the hard copies are available so I don't scoop anyone. But it'll probably be a meme soon so... there's that. 
• If you didn't already want to meet this family you will soon. 

So that s what I read this week. I have another Jessica recommendation that I literally, as I type this, just got from the library. (Love those ebook wait lists.) 

Link up what you've read recently (or currently reading) with Jessica. Feel free to comment and give me more recommendations. Also I think maybe we should start a link up (or maybe once a month as part of WWRW) where we all pick the same book and put a list of open ended question up for people to answer? Like an online book club? Huh? Anyone even remotely interested in that idea?