Seeking recommendations for Japanese and Chinese history. I’ve read Memoirs of a Geisha
Seeking recommendations for Japanese and Chinese history. Historical fiction okay
(not Memoirs of a Geisha. Read it, loved it, but need something new!)
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Diamondhead by Cecily Wong
I’m currently reading The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See. I’m not sure of its historical accuracy but only a few chapters in and some interesting things have happened.
That was a fantastic book. I learned so much about tea!
@Jenn the fact tea was a part of the book was a huge draw (I’m a big fan of drinking hot tea in the winter.). I appreciate your endorsement of it too. Some of their beliefs here in the beginning are … a bit off putting.
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
One of my favorite books, The Good Earth by Pearl S Buck. She wrote many books about Chinese history.
One of my earliest reads. Loved that book.
Just finished it!
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee is about a Korean family in Japan, and it’s really good at explaining how Koreans are marginalized there.
This is on my TBR list. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
I was going to say The last Samurai but I don’t think that’s the correct title. Maybe someone can help; there are 3 books in the series about a samurai. Pretty sure 17 or 18th century. I read them a long time ago and can’t remember.
I’m pretty sure you mean Shogun by James Clavell.
(The Last Samurai is about a British single mum and her adorable kid whom she fed every book she could get her hands on. I recommend that, too, separately.)
@Bianca yes!!!!! Thank you so much. I really enjoyed that series.
I have several friends who have had a good cry over ‘Chinese Cinderella,’ a slim YA novel. Also, ‘Bronze and Sunflower’ takes place during the cultural revolution. It’s also a YA novel and getting terrific international buzz.
There are all kinds of good recommendations from Chinese Month on the Global Literature in Libraries blog. Here’s a link: https://glli-us.org/?s=February+28%2C+2017
Wild swans or life and death in shanghai.
If you want a good cultural book, A Geek in Japan by Hector Garcia is fantastic. Another book, I think the author is Jung Chang , is Wild Swans – it’s about 3 generations of women affected by Mao’s policies.
Shanghai Girls and its sequel (Dreams of Joy, I think?) by Lisa See.
Wild Swans by Jung Chang. Fasinating
The Wind-up Bird Chronicle; The Concubine’s Daughter; Secrets of the Jin-Shei
Daughters of the Dragon by William Andrews is destined to be a classic. Powerful and heartbreaking.
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell. It’s a fascinating fiction novel set in the city of Dejima, which was the only place in Japan where Europeans – specifically the Dutch – could trade with the Japanese. Mitchell writes so beautifully.
Has anyone recommended the classic and fabulous James Clavell series Asian Saga? Begins with Shogun and continues up through the 1960’s.
Hotel at the corner of Bitter and Sweet – about Japanese internment camps during WWII
Amy Tan
The rape of Nanking
Like to read that.
Wild Swans. Great book , especially about women.And Tokyo from Mo Hayder. It’s a horror ,but the culture in it absorbed me. Think the history was part fiction and part fact.
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
Hotel on the corner of bitter and sweet by @Jamie.
This takes place in the USA during WWII.
Green Island by Shawna Yang Ryan is about Taiwan from 1949 to current day. Caught between Japan and China. Very interesting history.
Women of the Silk, Pachinko,
I liked this one as well!
Unbound by Dean King.
The Man Who Loved China by Simon Winchester
Loved that book x
Any of James Clavell’s books…Shogun & his others.
THe Pillow Book Of Sei Shongaon. WRitten by a lady in waiting to the Empress of Japan in about the year 1000 A.D. absolutely fascinating.
In the same line/period: the tale of Genji (Murasaki Shikibu) and The tale of Heike (1300s)
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress. Takes place during the Chinese cultural revolution and it’s theme is the power of stories and literature. Read it many years ago and found it charming.
I haven’t read the book, but the film was wonderful.
Loved this book!
Pavilion of women pearl s buck
Birdless Summer by Han Suyin
Black Rain. It takes place in Hiroshima around the bomb dropping. It’s incredibly powerful, so not a light beach read.
Following
Sweet Mandarin by Helen Tse
Silence by Shusako Endo
I just got this!!! Sounds really good
The Bonesetter’s Daughter was really good as I recall.
Ring by Koji Suzuki
Daughter of China by Meihi xu
Gail Tsukiyama, any and all of her books, Highly recommend them all!
The Binding Chair by Katherine Harrison
Nonfiction but a interesting insight into four generations from China to America
Check out The Golden Mountain: Beyond the American Dream by Irene Kai
The last concubine
You might look at Amy Tan and Lisa See novels. Both wonderful authors.
Wild swans
Wild swans by jung Chang
The Gift of Rain and The Garden of Evening Mists, both by Tan Twan Eng. They are set in Malaysia, but they explore historical facts concerning both Japan and China; also, they have Japanese characters. I loved both immensely.
I also loved Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa – if you’re interested in a long saga. I read the books over a summer a few years ago, totally worth the time!
The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley is historical fiction mixed with fantasy. It mixes Victorian London and Japan during a civil war, and contains a Japanese character, so it might interest you. Also, The Tale of the Otori Clan series by Lian Hearn is really good!
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See.
The Girl Who Wrote in Silk
Not sure how historically accurate it is but Shogun is a great read. Early 17th century Japan.
Pearl S Buck books. “The Good Earth” is a good place to start but she has so many more interesting books about China.
The Samurai’s Garden by Gail Tsukiyama and Haruki Murakami books
The Thousand Autumn of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell is an excellent book and the only one I’m aware of set in that particular corner and time in Japan, highly recommended
If you liked memoirs of geisha try The Tale of Murasaki by lisa Dalby. Agree wild swans is really really good also The Binding Chair by Kathryn Harrison ?
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee is about a Korean family in Japan, and gives a fascinating history of Japanese/Korean relations. I learned a lot, and the book is beautifully written. Highly recommend!
I learned a lot from it, too.
A novel called Qin Empire by Sun Haohui. About China’s warring states. I watched the 51 episode tv show on Netflix it was wonderful all in mandarin with english subtitles but I am thinking the book might be in mandarin. Would be a great read.
Red Sorghum
The garden of evening mists by tan twan eng.
Rape of Nanking – Iris Chang
On Gold Mountain by Lisa See
One of the things I find very interesting in this thread is how many of the titles suggested are written by Westerners. I recently discovered the hashtag #ownvoices to hear directly from authors that are within a culture.
Chinese history
(1) China : A History by John Keay
(2) The Dynasties of China by Bamber Gascoigne
(3) In Search of Modern China by Jonathan Spence
(4) The River at the Centre of the World by Simon Winchester
(5) Modern China : A Very Short Introduction by Rana Mitter
If you like a Chinese perspective on Chinese history, this is excellent.
(6) Records of the Grand Historian by Sima Qian
Happy reading!