traveling, part 1

I'm away for a week, visiting family and going to the Society of American Archivists conference. I decided to pack only books that I could wild-release once I was done with them. I stuck two books in my carry-on bag and two in my suitcase.

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Sijie Dai

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress was a quick read. I left my copy in the seat pocket of the plane at the end of the first leg of my trip.

I didn't enjoy Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress as much as I thought I would. I can't really put my finger on what didn't work for me: the novel was too short? the ending was unexpected and not particularly satisfying? I hadn't previously known all that much about the re-education that went on during the Cultural Revolution so I found that part interesting.


The Absence of Nectar by Kathy Hepinstall

I packed The Absence of Nectar because it was a mass-market paperback. I gave it the old college try (80 pages or so) on the trip. I do enjoy some thrillers, but this one just didn't appeal to me.

I bought a copy of The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory at the bookstore in O'Hare during my unplanned extra-long layover and left my copy of The Absence of Nectar in the seat pocket of the plane on the second leg of my trip.