2010 Book Reviews: Wrap Up

Everyone's doing a book wrap up for the year, so here's goes. I reviewed 70 books but must have read over 100!

This year I started to read romances and more general women's fiction, adding these to the mysteries I normally read. I also reviewed self-help books and a cookbook or two. A good mix of genres for 2010! I have starred * the ones I really, really like, though I liked them all!

Books Reviewed:

                                
Defending the Enemy by Elaine B. Fischel, non-fiction
Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh, Indian fiction*
Busy Body by M.C. Beaton, a cozy mystery*
The Tapestry of Love by Rosy Thornton, women's fiction, romance*
A King of Infinite Space by Tyler Dilts, crime ficiton
The End of Marking Time by C.J. West, dystopia
Every Bitter Thing by Leighton Gage, detective fiction*
The Insane Train by Sheldon Russel, crime fiction
The Love Goddess' Cooking School by Melissa Senate, women's fiction, romance
The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley, mystery*


Extinction by Dan Ailey, sci-fi
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson, thriller**
A Dog Named Slugger by Leigh Brill, non-fiction
Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh, self-help
A Darker God by Barbara Cleverly, Greek island mystery*
There's No Hope for Gomez by Graham Parke, comedy

The Season of Second Chances by Diane Meier, romance
The Blind Contessa's New Machine by Carey Wallace, historical fiction**
Half Life by Roopa Farooki, women's fiction
A Twist of Orchids by Michelle Wan, mystery**

Blood Hina by Naomi Hirahara, mystery
Petals from the Sky by Mingmei Yip, women's fiction
Kitchen Chinese by Ann Mah, women's fiction*
The Time of the Dragons by Alice Ekert-Rotholz, historical fiction
The Queen of Patpong by Timothy Hallinan, thriller**

                                The Mountain Place of Knowledge by Marshall Chamberlain, thriller
Assassins of Athens by Jeffrey Siger, mystery*
Making a Case for Life by Stephanie Wincik, health
The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova, women's fiction*
Seducing Mr. Darcy by Gwyn Cready, romance**

Clean, Green, and Lean by Dr. Walter Crinnion, health
Sahara by Clive Cussler, adventure/thriller

In the Shadow of the Cypress by Thomas Steinbeck, historical fiction
Flirting with Forever by Gwyn Cready, romance**
The Killing of Mindy Quintana by Jeffrey A. Cohen, legal thriller
Snakes Can't Run by Ed Lin, mystery
Nancy's Theory of Style by Grace Coopersmith, romance
Arabesk by Barbara Nadel, Turkish mystery
Pearl of China by Anchee Min, historical fiction
Perfection by Julie Metz, memoir

Skin and Bones by D.C. Corso, detective fiction
The Stone Monkey by Jeffrey Deaver, crime fiction
Murder in the Palais Royale by Cara Black**
Songs of the Humpback Whale by Jodie Picoult, women's fiction

A Dead Hand by Paul Theroux, thriller*
Feeling the Vibe by Candace Dow, romance
The Old Capital by Yasunari Kawabata, literary fiction*
At Home with Laurie Ann by Laurie Ann McMillin Ray, decorator's guide
Love in Mid Air by Kim Wright, romance
The Godfather of Katmandu by John Burdett, thriller**

 The Writing on My Forehead by Nafisa Haji
WOW: A Handbook for Living by Zen Ohashi and Zono Kurazono, self-help*
The Museum of Innocence by Orhan Pamuk, literary fiction
The Brick Layer by Noah Boyd, thriller
Far from the Land, an Irish Memoir by Thomas J. Rice
The Risk of Infidelity Index by Christopher G. Moore, detective fiction*
 Thirsty by Kristin Bair O'Keeffe, women's fiction
 Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, women's fiction*
  I Ching: A New Interpretation for Modern Times by Sam Reifler, self-help
  Paying Back Jack by Christopher G. Moore, detective fiction*

One Amazing Thing by Chitra Divakaruni , fiction
The Trudeau Vector by Juris Jurjevics, thriller**
Dino Vicelli: Private Eye by Lori Weiner, detective fiction
Denise's Daily Dozen by Denise Austin, self-help, exercise*
Simply Quince by Barbara Ghazarian, cookbook
Knit, Purl, Die by Anne Canadeo, cozy
The Cuban Chronicles by Wanda St. Hilaire, travel memoir
The Last Surgeon by Michael Palmer, thriller
The Tricking of Freya by Christina Sunley, women's fiction**
A Map of Paradise by Linda Ching Sledge, historical fiction*

What does your list look like this year?

Book Review: Defending the Enemy by Elaine B. Fischel

Title: Defending the Enemy: Justice for the WWII Japanese War Criminals
Author: Elaine B. Fischel, member of the American defense team, Tokyo Trials
Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Bascom Hill Books (February 1, 2010)
Genre: Partial memoir, historical account
Source: Review book provided by Phenix & Phenix Literary Publicists

About the Author: Elaine B. Fischel was born in New York. The end of WWII found her working in Tokyo for two-and-a-half years at the trial of the 28 accused Japanese war criminals. General Douglas MacArthur, the leader of the Occupation, recruited American lawyers to defend the fallen leaders to insure that history would say this was a "fair trial." Elaine's assignment to the Defense enabled her to interact with the fallen leaders... and with military leaders, diplomats, the Japanese royal family, and Japanese citizens from all walks of life. When the trial was over, Fischel returned home and attended the University of Southern California School of Law. She went on to practice law for 57 years. (Book description).


Product Description:
Defending the Enemy is an eyewitness account of an extraordinary time in America's history - the "Tokyo Trials." From 1946-48, Fischel worked in Tokyo alongside the American attorneys assigned to defend the Japanese war criminals held responsible for the torture and deaths of millions of civilians and prisoners of war. She recounts the post-WWII transition in Japan to the country's occupation by their former enemy, and the subsequent surprise on the part of the Japanese citizenry that the U.S. allegiance to democracy meant providing a fair trial even to the men considered the most evil perpetrators of atrocities. In letters to her family at the time, the author as a young woman tries to explain her ...(interactions) with the defendants and her own surprise at the growing fondness she felt for many of the "villains" of WWII - particularly premier and general Hideki Tojo.

Fischel interweaves the ... trial alongside her tales of travel throughout Japan, her social engagements with high-ranking military and civilians, and her unique enduring relationships, such as her friendship with Emperor Hirohito's brother, Prince Takamatsu. In doing so, Fischel illuminates the paradoxes inherent during this period in history.

My comments: I was fascinated by the title of the book, the chance to read an inside and personal account of this period in American and Japanese history.  I found a few gems, including the author's questioning the role of Russia as one of the countries involved in the Tokyo Trials against Japan. Russia was an ally of Japan until just before the end of the war and was involved in the deaths of hundreds if not thousands of Chinese in Manchuria, yet was invited to sit in trial against Japan but not as a defender itself in war crimes.

Another gem was her account of General Tojo's testimony as the number one war criminal at the trials.

Before a full house replete with reporters, Tojo testified how the Japanese had been forced to go to war because of America. America had given Japan an ultimatum about China. The Americans told Japan to get out of China or they would not have access to any of the world's oil. However, the Japanese had been fighting in China for more than ten years and invested significant military and economic resources in this battle. Japan was not amenable to being threatened or forced to leave. (p. 231, ch. 15)

Some of the top level war crime defendants, the A-level group, said as part of their defense that they had no personal involvement in the atrocities committed during the war and lay blame for military aggression on military cliques and on the Japanese Navy.

I admit I am not a historian and don't have knowledge of the facts outside of Fischel's book, though many of these historical accounts of the Tokyo Trials exist. I can understand her wish to leave a detailed account of her experience with the defense team as a legal stenographer. I think her book is valuable as a part of the history of the proceedings, from a personal point of view. Fischel has included numerous newspaper accounts of the trial, personal letters written to her by the defendants, their relatives, and many other people involved. Letters include some from the Emperor's brother, Prince Takamatsu, who was not a part of the trials.

Historians of the period would find her book a useful addition to the body of work that already exists. General readers will find it interesting and controversial at the same time. I cannot accurately rate the historical value of her account, but from a general reader's point of view, I would give her book a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

New Year's Resolution: ARCs

For the new year, there are lots of ARCs to read, including

                         A thriller,  Mr. Hooligan by Ian Vasquez, Dec. 7, 2010.

                      Voltaire's Calligrapher: A Novel by Pablo De Santis, Oct. 1, 2010.

               Zero Day: A Novel by Mark Russinovich, March. 15, 2011, a thriller.

A Lonely Death: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery (Inspector Ian Rutledge Mysteries) by Charles Todd, Jan. 1, 2011.

                     A Heartbeat Away by Michael Palmer, Feb. 15, 2011, a thriller.

The Tapestry Shop (Five Star Expressions) by Joye Elson Moore, Oct. 15, 2010.

I'm way behind for some of these ARCs already published this year! Have to apologize to the authors/publishers, catch up, and get to the ones to be published 2011!

These books are also competing with the ones downloaded on my new Kindle. I'm in the middle of War and Peace, Kindle edition, and admit I am skimming through the War sections and concentrating more on the Peace sections of this long novel. Otherwise, I'd never finish.

 The above reads are now my New Year's Resolutions. What are yours?

Game of Patience, A Novel by Susanne Alleyn: Teaser Tuesday

Title: Game of Patience by Susanne Alleyn
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur (March 21, 2006)
Genre: Police procedural, historical novel

"I see no pearl bracelets or diamond brooches here."Aristide stepped aside so that Montereau could peer into the jewelry box.  (p. 55)

Goodreads book description: "With elaborate French cultural atmosphere, author Susanne Alleyn has created a sophisticated and stylish mystery set in the uneasy and turbulent years between the Terror and the rise of Napoleon."

"Paris, 1796. Aristide Ravel, freelance undercover police agent and investigator, is confronted with a double murder in a fashionable apartment. The victims prove to be Célie Montereau, the daughter of a wealthy and influential family, and the man who was blackmailing her."

Teaser Tuesdays asks you to choose two sentences at random from your current read. Identify the author and title for readers.

The Friday 56: Broken Birds by Jeannette Katzir

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Link it to host Freda's Voice, here.

Broken Birds, The Story of My Momila by Jeannette Katzir

"To stay alive here, you have to fight every day!" the man told Nathan.