The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel: The Alchemyst by Michael Scott

Book of the Week: (Book #1) The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel
Tea of the Week: Milk Tea

Excerpt:
“Sophie knew-just knew- that there was no possible way for the small gray man to see her: she was standing on the opposite side of the street behind a pane of glass that was bright with reflected early-afternoon sunlight. She would be invisible in the gloom behind the glass.
And yet…
And yet in that single moment when their eyes met, Sophie felt the tiny hairs on the back of their hands and along her forearms tingle and felt a puff of cold air touch the back of her neck. She rolled her shoulders, turning her head slightly from side to side, strands of her long blond hair curling across her cheek. The contact lasted only a second before the small man looked away, but Sophie got the impression that he had looked directly at her.
In the instant before the gray man and his three overdressed companions disappeared into the bookshop, Sophie decided that she did not like him,”(6)

Josh and Sophie Newman are twins. Twins that share everything in life, but when Josh discovers an ancient secret unfold and  his boss, Nick Fleming, is not who he really is, his sister follows his footsteps and things are turned upside down. Through the struggles that this pair face, everything that they knew was wrong about history. Will Sophie and Josh survive the outcomes that are provided by fate, or will they fall into the hands of the wronged?

This has to be one of my favorite books as a young child and it’s partially because of the way Scott write it. He write this series in third person, but through the character’s actions you can tell what they’re thinking. It’s also a very fast paced novel, where it’s still a detailed novel, but the pacing of the event that happen are very quick. I also love how he creates the characters over a period of time so that as the character grows as a person, they also grow on you.

I find that when Josh is shown as someone who is insecure about how he doesn’t have power, and how his twin does, shows how thought out he is, as a character. It also depicts internal struggle that all of us deal with at one point in our lives, which is being jealous of someone, for something that we don’t have. And that’s totally fine, it’s a human thing, which is why I love these characters because they’re realistic and aren’t the cliche “I’m the good guy so all of my thoughts and actions are good”.

I also love how ancient history is included, and I don’t know if it’s just me, but I love mythology and including it in a modern setting is possibly one of the best things in the entire book world for me. I love how it includes figures from different mythology backgrounds like Egyptian and Norse.

And while if I were to talk about how much I love this series, it would ruin it for you guys who have not read it, so for now, I’ll stop here.

Ofdragonsandtea out.

China Dolls by Lisa See

Book of the Week: China Dolls by Lisa See
Tea of the Week: Jasmine tea with some honey

Excerpt:
“The boys stood and brushed the sand off themselves. When they held out their palms, I paid them their promised nickels. Once they scampered off, I turned to Helen.
‘Where to?’ “(16).

San Francisco, 1938
Grace, Helen and Ruby meet in the most unusual circumstances. In Chinatown, life is buzzing around and there’s a war about to drop just overseas, and the city? The city is buzzing with opportunities.
Grace, Helen and Ruby, three women with the most different backgrounds, meet with fate on their shoulders, in the chic Forbidden City nightclub. This trio becomes fast friends, but when the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor, paranoia and shock lead down a twisty path full of betrayal and problems.
And then, everything changes.

I have read this book so many times, it’s probably a favorite of mine. I remember the first time I read it, I couldn’t stop reading it (I mean that hasn’t changed but..) and when certain parts got to me, I couldn’t stop crying, and the emotional stretch this had on me was very grand, and it really was an unfathomable experience.

I love the writing style, because the way Lisa See writes this book, is from the different perspectives of the three main girls, and it gives the reader three different ways to see the plot of this book. She also makes her characters complex, and relatable so that the reader can’t hate any of the characters, but it’s not like any of the characters are perfect. It’s not like the cliche, good guy versus bad guy, where the good guy wins and gets the girl.

This novel is also very empowering towards women, and Chinese and Japanese culture which I love, because I haven’t found many books that empower Asian women, which is a shame because there honestly should be a lot more! I also love the fact that this novel doesn’t “slut shame”, and is geared towards showing the artistic side of burlesque and showing the reality of prostitution and working at a nightclub.

Although this novel has some graphic scenes, and themes, it developes the book into something more. Something that can be related to our modern world and be used for inspiration. The graphic scenes, aren’t that graphic, but the things and themes that are applied wouldn’t make this novel suitable for immature readers.

And after reading this novel, it gave me inspiration to do somethings, it’s one of those books. I would definitely reccommend to read this, and although it isn’t the perfect sappy romance for Valentine’s Day, it shows another type of love. Friendship.

Happy Valentine’s Day!