This time, I have filled myself with hope. I was excited and believed that I would only encounter what I believe in. ♥️

I think things are going well now because I believe now that the truth does not lie in logic, but it lies in hope. Whether in the past or the future, hope will always surprise you. Hope can conquer all that opposes it, all kinds of doubts, and it can resist every attempt or suspicion that demands proof to lead us to the truth. ♥️

I would have given this five stars without hesitation. However, there were a few aspects that really annoyed me.

Simon's sterility seemed rather contrived and didn't come across as genuine. It felt like it was just thrown in there for the sake of creating a certain plot point, rather than being a natural part of his character.

Kwan, on the other hand, with his constant good humor, was a bit too much. It was as if he was always wearing a smile, no matter what the situation. While a positive attitude is generally a good thing, his unwavering cheerfulness became a bit grating after a while.

Despite these minor flaws, the overall experience was very, very entertaining. The story had its moments of excitement, drama, and even a bit of humor. It kept me engaged from start to finish, and I found myself looking forward to seeing what would happen next.

All in all, it was a great read, and I would definitely recommend it to others, despite the few things that bothered me.

The book I was reading constantly alternated between the present and the past.

This made it quite challenging for me to follow the story, especially when it came to keeping track of the various characters.

The plot was extremely complicated, filled with numerous twists and turns.

As the narrative jumped back and forth in time, I found myself getting confused about who was who and what their relationships were.

I had to constantly refer back to previous sections to try and piece together the connections between the characters.

Despite the difficulty, I was still intrigued by the story and wanted to continue reading to see how it all ended.

I persevered, hoping that as I got further into the book, things would start to become clearer.

However, the complexity of the plot continued to test my patience and my ability to keep up with the story.

It was a real struggle to keep all the characters and their actions straight in my mind.

But I was determined to finish the book and see if I could ultimately make sense of it all.

What just happened?

This is a question that often pops into our minds when something unexpected occurs. It could be a small incident like a cup falling off the table or a more significant event such as a car accident. The moment it happens, our brains immediately try to make sense of the situation. We look for clues, analyze what we saw or heard, and try to piece together the sequence of events. Sometimes, we may not have all the information right away, and we have to wait for more details to emerge. But regardless of the nature of the event, the question "What just happened?" is a natural response that helps us understand and process the world around us.

3.5

I firmly believe that love never dies.

When those we love pass away, we lose the sense of them when using our ordinary senses. However, if we search in our memories, we will find them whenever we want. This is our secret sense number one hundred: memory. Perhaps there is no existence of human beings outside of memory.

Memory is like a precious treasure chest that stores all the beautiful moments and emotions we have shared with our loved ones. It allows us to relive those experiences, feel their presence again, and keep their love alive in our hearts.

Even though the physical form of our loved ones may no longer be with us, their love and the impact they have had on our lives will always remain. Through memory, we can continue to learn from them, be inspired by them, and carry their values forward.

So, let us cherish our memories and hold onto the love that never dies.

This was one of those truly remarkable "We find what we need when we need it" books. It seemed as if it all but violently fell right onto my face in the library.

Holy snit! The last page had such a profound impact that it made me sob uncontrollably. Tan is absolutely right. Love. I couldn't help but hug this book tightly and cry my heart out.

This book is an absolute 10/10 and well worth the read. Not only did it touch my emotions deeply, but it was also really cool learning about Chinese culture.

I find it truly astonishing that yet another ghost story has managed to help me process my grief. It's as if these stories have a special power to heal and bring comfort in the most unexpected ways.

I'm so grateful to have come across this book at just the right time in my life. It will surely stay with me for a long time to come.

Love often blurs the line between reality and fantasy.

In the realm of love, we sometimes find ourselves lost in a dreamy world, where our hopes and desires cloud our perception of what is real.

We may idealize our partners, seeing them as perfect beings without flaws, even when in reality, they are just like us, human and imperfect.

Love can make us believe in fairytales and happily ever afters, leading us to create a fantasy version of our relationships in our minds.

However, this blurry line between reality and fantasy can also bring both joy and pain.

When our fantasies are met, we experience a sense of fulfillment and happiness. But when they are shattered, it can lead to disappointment and heartbreak.

It is important to find a balance between our dreams and the real world, to see our relationships for what they truly are, and to love and accept our partners with all their imperfections.

Only then can we build a strong and lasting love that is based on reality and not just on fantasy.

I read The Joy Luck Club and unfortunately, I was not a fan. I thought perhaps I should give Amy Tan another chance, so I picked up The Hundred Secret Senses. However, it did not manage to change my mind at all.

I found the plot of this novel to be rather muddled. It weaved its way through the lives of two sisters who came from different cultures and only met in adulthood. The story seemed to jump around in a rather disjointed manner, making it difficult for me to fully engage with the characters and their experiences.

Moreover, there were oh so many spiritual ghost sequences throughout the book. While I understand that this might be a part of Tan's writing style and might appeal to some readers, I personally did not enjoy them. They felt a bit forced and detracted from the overall flow of the story for me.

I am well aware that Amy Tan is a highly respected author, and many people absolutely love her work. However, it is clear that her writing is simply not for me. I appreciate the effort and talent that goes into her novels, but they just don't resonate with me on a personal level.

My first encounter with a book by Amy Tan was truly a good experience.

I devoured the pages rather quickly and found myself enjoying a significant portion of it. However, for some inexplicable reason, my reading pace slowed down in the second half. This is precisely why I awarded it three stars instead of four.

The story gracefully weaves back and forth in time. It alternates between the late 1800s in a Chinese village inhabited by the Hakka and some Christian missionaries, and the present-day settings of San Francisco and China.

The sections that delved into China's past were the ones where, on occasion, my interest waned slightly. But it wasn't enough to make me abandon the book. It wasn't because the story lacked intrigue; rather, it was because these parts were narrated by Kwan, one of the main characters, in her broken English. While this added a great deal to her character (she was perhaps one of my favorite characters in a book recently), it also made the longer chapters told in her voice a bit more challenging to read.

The parts that took place in our contemporary era were very nice indeed. I particularly relished the interaction between Olivia and Kwan. I couldn't help but wish that I had a big sister like her. It would surely be both challenging and wonderful.

Most of the time, it was an enjoyable book that I frequently longed to return to and continue reading. I will most definitely read more works by this talented writer.

The Hundred Secret Senses is truly one of those remarkable novels that defies easy description, yet it is infinitely captivating and readable.

Olivia, who is half-Chinese, was raised by her Midwestern mother following the passing of her Chinese father. Her older half-sister, Kwan, arrived to live with them when she was 18, having been brought to America as a means of fulfilling her late father's wishes.

Kwan makes the extraordinary claim of having yin eyes, which gives her the ability to communicate with the spirits that inhabit the Yin World. The novel is presented from both Olivia's and Kwan's points of view. However, Kwan's narrative mainly focuses on the story of a Chinese girl in the 1860s who lived with missionaries in Chiangmian.

The novel may build slowly at first, but it ultimately rewards the reader with richly developed characters and a story that hooks you firmly in the end. It takes you on a journey through different cultures, beliefs, and family dynamics, leaving you with a profound understanding and appreciation of the complex tapestry of human experience.

There are some truly beautiful passages in this book.

These passages have the power to transport the reader to another world, filled with vivid imagery and emotions.

The words seem to dance on the page, creating a symphony of language that is both captivating and inspiring.

Each passage is like a precious gem, carefully crafted and polished to perfection.

They touch on themes such as love, loss, hope, and redemption, making the reader reflect on their own life and experiences.

Whether it's a description of a beautiful landscape or an exploration of the human heart, these passages have the ability to move and touch the reader in ways that few other things can.

They are a testament to the power of words and the art of writing.

This book is a treasure trove of beautiful passages that are sure to delight and inspire readers for years to come.

I must admit that I truly enjoyed this book a great deal. However, the beginning, or perhaps I should say the first half, seemed to drag on a bit. Maybe it was because I read the first part in small snippets here and there, while waiting for a doctor's appointment or for the kids to finish their lessons. Or could it be that the beginning was so uninteresting that I didn't pick it up at home for a longer read? I really can't decide, which is why I gave it only 4 stars.

Although, it did have this wonderful gem closer to the front page: "We could volley ideas back and forth like tennis pros. We wrestled with each other's mind. We unearthed each other's past with psychoanalytic gusto."

The book does possess this special kind of magic. It's not the typical elves, UFOs, witches on brooms, or ghosts moving things kind of stuff. Instead, it has this unique and subtle supernatural element that is so skillfully woven into your life that you can't really tell if you believe it or not. I fall for it every single time.

The whole atmosphere was enhanced with a generous dose of humor, filled with my favorite play on words. And this is where I have to say that I'm glad I read it in English and can be certain that none of that was spoiled by a lousy translation. The same goes for some beautifully written sentences, like this one: "And then I felt myself becoming smaller yet denser, about to be crushed by the weight of my own heart, as if the laws of gravity and balance had changed and I was now violenting them."

The story itself was also quite decent (or perhaps I should say "the stories"?). It makes you think about the bonds and relationships, the people who left and those who stayed, dealing with the past and saying goodbye. But most importantly, it makes you wonder if it's true that when you're meant to spend a lifetime with someone, you will. Maybe not this one, maybe not even the next one, but the one after that? Because you may not believe it works like this, but you also can't say with absolute certainty that it doesn't. Or can you?

"I believe hope can surprise you. It can survive the odds against it, all sorts of contradictions, and certainly any sceptic rationale of relying on proof through fact."