THE BUDDHA IN THE ATTIC * THE AMERICAN HEIRESS

The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka - The Buddha in the Attic is about Japanese immigrants to America at the beginning of the 20th century. It's specifically about women, and it's written in an engaging, flowing style, compsed of many voices. Each sentence could be a paragraph, a chapter, or even an entire novel. With all these voices coming together as a chorus of experiences, many separate stories become one. It's a beautiful tapestry of a certain time and place in American history.

The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin - I was going on vacation, and I needed a book! The cover and title attracted me, while the designation as New York Times Bestseller sealed the deal. It's a vanilla romance about Cora, an educated mid-1800s debutante with a pushy mother. Vanilla is a nice flavor, and it was an easy read that I didn't want to put down. Daisy writes a page turner - perfect reading for when you don't want to think or learn too much.