Foreigner Books

As is to be expected, a well written book that completes the first triad of the Foreigner epic. It is a finish to the opening and the start of the next triad in the seriese.

This is the third -- but far from last -- volume in the author's explication of the "Foreigner" universe. The human colony on the usland of Mospheira, isolated by the treaty that ended the War of the Landing, and the government of the atevi (under the aiji) on the western part of the mainland, have been getting along, more or less, for a couple of centuries, through the interface provided by the padhi, the official translater and "explainer" for each side to the other. At the moment, that's Bren Cameron, a very ernest diplomat who worries that he tends more to sympathize with and trust in the atevi he knows than with his own government back on the island. But then the ship that had dropped the humans on the atevi world in the first place returned -- and seemed as willing to deal with the atevi as with the Mosphei humans. The ship drops two more padhiin, one to each side on the planet, and much of the book concerns Bren's attempts to teach and indoctrinate a young man who not only has no experience of dealing with nonhumans, he even fears the open horizons of a planet, never having experienced any environment except the ship. On top of that, conservative, anti-atevi elements on Mosphei are trying thard to start another war, Bren's mother and brother are being harrased by the government, and the aiji has his own fish to fry. Cherryh posits a species that has no concepts of love, friendship, or trust in the human sense of those words, substituting instead "manchi," for which all lifeforms on the planet are biologically and psychologically hardwired, from lizards and riding animals to the atevi themselves. That's what governs relationships and loyalties, and even Bren, with all his experience, often has difficulty tracing its influence. Keep in mind that the second and third volumes aren't really "sequels." This series is actually a single, very long novel, divided into volumes mostly for marketing purposes; i.e., don't even think of trying to begin anywhere but at the beginning. But if you enjoy highly detailed and convoluted social, psychological, political science fiction, as opposed to shoot-'em'ups (although there's some of that, too), these books are challenging but also very, very enjoyable.

Like one other reader, I had read CJ Cherryh's foreigner series and then later read Ursula K. Leguin's Left Hand of Darkness (actually I am currently reading it). They are interesting books to compare, because they both deal with a human agent trying to relate to an alien culture in which people think so differently that it is hard to follow their meaning, and dangerous misunderstandings can result.
I like Ursula K Leguin's book better. CJ Cherryh's character, Bren Cameron seems to be afraid to be a person. A lot of her characters, for example, her main character in the Faded Sun Trilogy, give up their own souls in order to survive in an alien culture. Also, Tully in the Chanur books. All her characters are always walking on eggshells to avoid offending.
The envoy in Left Hand of Darkness has his own life and agenda, and you begin to think as you read that he is wrong in his assessment of Estraven, but you can respect him. I don't have a lot of respect for Bren Cameron. He is a pain in the neck.
The aspect of CJ Cherryh's Foreigner Series that does fascinate me is the idea of humans getting so far away from Earth that they don't know where Earth is and having the opportunity to start a whole new culture not dependent on Earth. I don't buy the lack of curiosity the Mospheiran's seem to feel for their origins. But the concept is interesting.

An accelerated pace and 3 months have passed since the end of "Invader".

Jase has settled in, the emissary from the orbiting space ship "Phoenix" which, like the bird of legend, returned from the unknown & unexplored reaches of deep space.

For a little history:
Cherryh sets her world with imposing aliens(Atevi) who are united by a single ruler, the aijii, under whom lords & council govern. Humans, lost on a space colonization mission, have settled on the Atevi world and exist in an uneasy truce, co-operating & trading only through one diplomat; Bren Cameron.

As the only contact between two species, Cameron is constantly protected by an extraordinary security force but his family is not so fortunate.
In a turbulent political climate on the human governed island, Camerons' family is endangered by radical factions & Yolanda Mercheson, the ships emissary has been threatened.

Against this background he must somehow train (Jase)the new Atevi ship-human diplomat in the tangled Ragi tongue, which has no word for trust, or love or even like. Yes, human and Atevi are biologically different, and a man alone in an alien culture must constantly rethink his most basic suppositions.

Jase & Cameron have made little headway after the initial friendliness of their contact & arrangements, but luckily Cameron's Atevi security have become his family.

Against the backdrop of the stars, and one alien homeplanet where HUMANS are the alien threat, the `space opera' plays out.

Well written, fast paced & enjoyable, an increasingly involving series. .

Kotori ojadis@yahoo.com

This 3rd book from the Bren Cameron series is actually worse than the first two from the series. The diplomatic minutia reaches stifling heights, making the book virtually unreadable... I ended up having to skim the last third of this book - and I NEVER do that (I read about 4 books a month).

Working my way through this book reminds me of when I was a kid, and was made to force down food I didn't care for... sure it was edible, but it wasn't enjoyable.

There are just too many good science fiction books out there to deal with the sluggish pace found here... and I've still got three more books from this series to go!

Alex Orlando is a Californian house-sitting for her uncle in New York while he's on vacation. Despite her uncle's warning, she has a fling with her (slightly odd) foreign neighbor, Christian, just a day before the man she's been in love with comes to visit.
In the meantime, her `oldest friend', Kyle, who is now living in New York, is obviously involved in something unsavory and is very close to going over the edge.
Then, she finds Christian murdered and New York suddenly starts to feel like a far less welcoming place.

Though it may sound confusing the story is very well-told and these seemingly unrelated and incompatible characters intertwine seamlessly in the absorbing plot.
The ending was a bit of a give-away but a good read nonetheless.

After having read three other books in the MTV series and finding them to be filled with depth, angst, and substance, I expected nothing less from this first novel by Meg Castaldo. I was to be deeply disappointed, I soon discovered after starting it.

The only redeeming quality of this novella is its length. Coming in at just over 200 pages, it seems pointless not to finish it after starting it. Despite the brevity, Castaldo breaks the work into 35 chapters (and an epilogue) spread over three parts, a technique that only increases the cheesiness and self-importance of the book. Some chapters are less than two full pages, scarcely more than a single, brief conversation.

As a general rule, works of fiction need to have either dynamic, three-dimensional characters or a very strong, action-driven plot, or both. This has neither. The entire book shows paper-thin characters that we know nothing about doing (often mundane) things for no observable reason, sometimes completely non sequitur.

Reading the book, I felt that Castaldo knew a lot more about her characters and plot than she wrote into the book, but because it wasn't there, it reads like a police report. The novella is written from the perspective of the main character, but we know so little about her (or any other character), and can empathize with her so poorly, that the entire work feels detached and superficial. While the title given by Castaldo, "The Foreigner," might be a commentary on how little we are meant to know about the characters, I don't credit the book with that much intelligence.

The whole plot comes together, more or less, with a less-than-climactic climax and non-existent denouement, thanks to a poorly contrived master scheme (again, that seems to exist only in the author's head) that pretends to be much more than it is.

The novella also suffers serious timing issues. For example, two characters enter an upscale French restaurant in Manhattan, sit down, and order. They exchange three lines of dialogue, and then their food arrives. To have such speedy service! Add in a gratuitous sex scene that fizzles as much as wet fireworks and you have the sum of the book.

I don't know how many rejection letters Castaldo received before MTV Books said yes, but it wasn't enough. This book is mediocre at its best, and the quality of a high-school freshman English composition at its worst. I generously gave it 2 stars (instead of 1) because it serves as an excellent example for teaching new writers how NOT to write.

Meg Castaldo has an amusingly strange way of writing stalking, mysterious murder stories. Castaldo leaves the reader wondering what really happened in the end.
A young adult girl, Alex, who has just recently gotten out on her own, watches her uncle's place in New York City. She meets many new and mysterious people. Her high school best freind shows up every mysterious moment. Almost like he is stalking her. When Alex's next door neighbor is murdered with Alex's bosses manuscript for his book lying on the coffee table it turns truly strange. Now who is to blame?Alex meets a private detective, along with Jan who is surposidly her boyfriend from Belgium. I love the way Castaldo never lets the reader stop guessing who the killer is. Everything the reader believes it is one, Castaldo turns the table and changes the suspect. This is a truly well written novel and diserves all the reading it can get.

This book is fun and it moves fast, but not because of a weak or light plot. It moves because Meg Castaldo is a creative writer and you want to find out what on earth happens next to these wacky characters. New York by itself, is strange, but when you throw in neighbors in a building and friends-of-friends, it becomes even crazier. The plot twists and turns and a murder is thrown in and you just want to keep reading to see what is going to happen on the next page. This is a fun book to travel with, but not for everyone. It is not rocket-science, don't expect Grisham or Patterson or Hemingway - expect a great, new, fresh writer you hope we will hear more from soon!

With The Foreigner, Meg Castalado has written a fast-paced, intriguing novel full of interesting characters and plot twists. The Foreigner is plainly written with little or no traces of a unique writing style on the part of Castalado. Where she shines is in the ability to construct an even, exciting page-turner. It's exciting and entertaining, plain and simple. Nothing more. But sometimes all you need is a cheap literary thrill ride like this.

Sorry, I have not read this reference book yet but received it on time and it looks to be written well.

Every country has its own laws and knowing them is key to staying out of trouble and becoming a success. "Thai Law for Foreigners" is a book seeking to explain all aspects of Thai Law that an outsider would need or want to know in regards to living in Thailand. Written in a dual language of English and Thai, it helps readers become familiar with the Thai form of documentation. "Thai Law for Foreigners" is required reading for any visiting or pondering a move to Thailand.

Helpful overview of the Thai legal system. Especially useful for those considering a move to Thailand.

A friend of mine gave me this book. I like it so much that I decided to get another copy for another Thai friend. I read it quickly because it's in Thai and I can read the english for refernce. My husband and I are Thai but live in the U.S. We learn from the book about Thai citizenship, marriage, the legal procedures in Thailand. I especially like the chapter about the history of Thai law and the structure of the Thai governement. It reminds me of what I learned in school. I also learn about the court system in Thailand. I never go to court but it's interesting to know the process. I haven't seen other books that explain the procedure as well as this one. The book is easy for me to read. Many law books in Thai are hard to read and they are like text books. The English translation is very good too.

Most of this book appeared to be an attempt to fill space, there is very little useful information contained in it. For a start, the first half is in English, and this is then repeated in Thai - the title suggests this book is aimed at foreigners, I'm sure someone fluent in Thai could find a much better book in Thai. There are pages and pages of pointless lists - kings and prime ministers of Thailand, embassy addresses, lists of the ranks used in the army and navy, the sort of stuff it presumably takes 5 minutes to look up but which is of no use or interest to a foreigner wishing to know something about Thai law.

THE FOREIGNER'S CARESS is the story of Madison Daniels, sister of Kennedy Daniels, whose story readers will remember from Kim Shaw's novel, Soul Caress. Madison was the party girl who had a penchant for getting into relationships with men who were unavailable. Her antics landed her on the front pages of many a magazine and newspaper, further embarrassing her parents. However, after her sister's brush with death, Madison decided to take stock of her life and find her true self. With this new outlook, she vowed to steer clear of romantic relationships; however, that wasn't meant to be when she met Stevenson Elliott.

Stevenson Elliott is the heir to his father's billion dollar business. This young Englishman is enraptured by Madison's beauty, intelligence and strength. He is also willing to go against the wishes of his parents to pursue a lasting relationship with Madison. Things seem to be going well until Stevenson must return to England and there the relationship between the two begins to fizzle, but their love for each other remains steadfast. When Stevenson uncovers some truths about his family and decides to take a stand against their meddling, will it be too little, too late for him and Madison?

THE FOREIGNER'S CARESS has the same fluidity of Soul Caress with likeable and believable characters. Shaw's ability to put the reader in whatever city or country she is describing allows readers to become one with the story. She keeps the intrigue going throughout the book, but she allows the hero and heroine to have weaknesses they must overcome. The bonus was the sizzling romantic scenes invoking sensual thoughts. This story stands alone and remains true to the romance genre.

Reviewed by Cashana Seals
of The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers

Review by Carlo Gabbi author of "An Amazing Story"

Madison Daniels find herself at a time in her life when she meets Stevenson Elliot, a handsome and wealthy man, who has been captivated by her beauty. He also believes that the more appariscent attribute in Madison is her honesty, and he falls in love with her.
But Madison, in the past, was quite a different person than what she appears today. She was well known in the city circle as a party girls, and she needs to create a new fresh reputation.
Stevenson's family are investigating her past and try to dissuade Stevenson of his choice. Stevenson's family creates any possible barrier that can distant their son from her. They influence their son's decision with drastic possibilities for the future, including the promise to disown him, if he doesnt terminate his relationship with Madison. Further more they press him with a compelling alternative to accept a different wife who can brightening up the already prestigious family business.
In the end we come to know, after Madison's heart has been broken in submiting to his family's will, that his Father, in the past, has unscrupulously manipulated the business into ignominious intrigues.
"The Foreigner's Caress" is a good story by Kim Shaw that certainly attracts the attention of the readers. This well written book deserves a vast audience.

Review by Carlo Gabbi author of "An Amazing Story"

I REALLY enjoyed this book! When I first saw it I was like naw I don't want to buy it, but after I read Soul Caress I knew I had to get it!!! This is my second book by Kim Shaw and I am loving her more and more as an author!!!!!!!!!!

If you read Soul Caress you are going to love this book. Madison has grown up to be a beautiful young ladies who has finally learn to love herself. Now don't get me wrong Madison is still the strong young woman we remember in Soul Caress and when put to the test she let Steve know. You talking about Love at First Sight Steve fell hard for Madison who in the beginning didn't want to have anything to do with Steve. Steve is a only child who has always done things to please his parents and in the end it almost cost him the love of his life.

Get the book you will love it.

I don't know maybe I need to read it again but this book did not do it for me like the Soul's Caress did. That one was so beautifully written I just knew this one was going to be just as beautiful but that didn't happen. This one seemed boring to me. Maybe if I read it again I'll have a better review but for now, no I didn't care too much for it at all.

I read this book was because my friend gave it to me as a gift and as a Taiwanese. I thought it would be fun to read a intercultural story which was about to my hometown.

I really have to say this story features a very unlikable character. Emerson, our leading man, has no personality. He said bunch Intellectual stuff and tried to express some emotion here there. However, I never felt authentic about this character and had hard time to have sympathy toward his situation in the story.
Especially, to me, Emerson sounded like a ~~ woman. That made me wonder if Lin was able to separate herself when she was writing about this male character.

Anyway, the biggest problem for me is that the weak characters fail to lead me deeper into the story but I am glad that Lin chose Taipei, my home city as the background for her story.

Thanks very much.

Lin's ability to portray a city with both unflinching realism and sympathy/empathy is exhilarating. But the main character's obtuse naivete was a bit too much, causing the book to drag in the middle. THE Foreigner is definitely worth reading, though.

I've enjoyed Francie Lin's writing for years, in short stories and essays. I don't read many thrillers, but I couldn't pass on Lin's first novel. I wasn't disappointed. Her prose sings--and this novel is no exception. You can read all the glowing reviews on line, so I'll simply add this: if you love great prose that reads like poetry and renews your faith in language and literature, buy this book. The quirky characters, subtle humor, sharp details, and climactic ending are just gravy.

In the simplest terms, The Foreigner is a thriller about a second-generation Taiwanese-American who travels to Taiwan to extricate his brother from the violent criminal underworld of Taipei. It would be more accurate, however, to describe The Foreigner as a sensitive exploration of family relationships--an assimilated son to his immigrant mother, an American brother to his Taiwanese brother--wrapped in the guise of a thriller. This unique blend is fast-paced like a traditional thriller, but far more haunting on a personal level. Likewise, Lin's prose is superior to that of the typical thriller, and her terse yet evocative style is reminiscent of a prose poem:

"A large, warty piece of galangal hung suspended in its matrix like an embryo, while a ceramic plat on the sideboard labored under ten tiers of lucky bamboo."

"The streets looked deserted, loose garbage tumbling in the gutters, the convenience stores like remote white beacons in the chaotic dark."

Although the plot occasionally loses its direction and certain loose ends are left hanging, the powerful ending makes up for the waywardness and delivers something substantial and lasting. Recommended, particularly for those who enjoy thrillers.

In a harrowing novel that plucks a devoted, nearly forty-year-old son from his mother's side in America to the unfamiliar alleys of the Taiwanese criminal underground, Lin delivers a tale that is unpredictable and filled with unnamed menace. Emerson Chang, the dutiful son, has always done his best, attentive to his mother as the years pass, a woman inordinately proud of her motel, the Remada, her livelihood as an immigrant. A reliable employee faithfully devoted to his mother's needs, Emerson has met every demand, except one, meeting for dinner and a scolding every week. But so far, this bachelor has not found "one of our kind" to marry, all his mother requires for contentment. Meanwhile, younger brother, Little P, has gone back to Taipei, where he has remained for the last ten years, avoiding contact with his family in America. After his mother's sudden death, a grieving Emerson receives even more troubling news: the Remada has been left exclusively to Little P, the favorite son.

Emerson is to inherit a piece of property in his parent's home country, a former residence. Further, he is to deliver her ashes to Little P in Taipei for a proper burial. Motel documents in hand, a still-shocked son travels to meet his younger brother, with no idea how the boy might have changed. Their reunion is not propitious, Little P holding a knife at Emerson's throat until he realizes who he is. Little P's face is battered, ragged stitches across his face from a recent altercation, a sign that life might not be as stable as Emerson's years in America. With no language skills save English, Emerson depends on Little P for translation as he meets a variety of shady cousins and a mute old uncle who owns the karaoke bar where Little P works, the club shabby and filled with rowdy groups, gambling, drinking, all of this environment confusing to Emerson as he vainly tries to make a connection with Little P other than a financial transaction. But Little P will not be pinned down, hinting at dark and unforgivable deeds and current danger, always on the move and desperate for money, a world of shadows and lies.

Lin's Taipei is a maze of chattering crowds and unpredictable events, a volatile political landscape and the pervasive corruption of the criminal underground, of which Little P seems to be such a vital part. Clutching his mother's ashes, Emerson bravely follows Little P from one violence-fraught situation to another, appealing to his brother's dormant emotions while Little P evades and dissembles. A charming, if clumsy romanticist, Emerson meets two women on his adventure, the lovely Grace and the foul-mouthed, good-natured Angel, neither of which can solve his particular predicament. In over his head, Emerson accidentally accrues a huge gambling debt, pursued by his cousin, Poison, who demands money or revenge- on Little P, Grace, or Angel, even Emerson if need be. As the danger ratchets up, so does Emerson's determination to help his brother and reclaim their relationship. With brilliant precision, Lin sets the stage for a chilling confrontation, like a train wreck, ugly facts are revealed to a stunned Emerson, an unwelcome acknowledgment of a world filled with greed, ambition and betrayal. Freed from fear, Emerson embraces this truth with renewed will: "Living: that was the only kind of immortality there was." Luan Gaines/2008.

as a forever foreigner born in this country, i could identify with a lot of the stuff in the book and i liked it a lot.

It would be great if she writes another book with the same debate since the make-up of Asian Americans changed quite a bit (at least the ethnic ratio). Majority of her respondents are post-WWII generation Chinese and Japanese Americans in Cali area so their experiences are kind of different from what the younger generation and Asian Americans from other ethnic origins would go through nowadays. for example, most young Asian Americans in college now are not likely identify with the psychological damages of internment.

if she comes up with another book, I'll probably buy it.

It was a very interesting read. In terms of society and personal experiences with Asians, I can say that I have normally assumed that they are foreigners. Though, now thinking back on the relationships and encounters that I have had with Asians, I now realize how incorrect that assumption was.

While the previous poster would be happy in being wrong 34% of the time, I don't see that as an option (using that example, it would say that most of us would have been content earning a D average all through grade school). They clearly missed a very key element of the book. That is, while someone may be American, the overwhelming portion of the population will make a rush judgement based on superficial characteristics (of interesting note, that 66% was down to 45.5% in 2003).

Overall, it was an interesting book, detailing how similar and different growing up "Asian-American" can be. Would have earned 5 stars had it not been dry in some spots.

This is a sound, solid study of contemporary Asian American identity. Lots to learn. Many interesting sociological findings: for instance, the way in which "ethnic" Asian identity is largely optional, and yet the "racial" aspect of being Asian is obviously not optional, and all that means for these peoples lives. The anecdotes and stories are very compelling, and one can really see how race and ethnicity are nebulous, contested, and ever-changing things.
And yet -- one of the main arguments made by the author is that no matter how long Asians have been in the USA (and Chinese immigrants came a LONG time ago!), Asian Americans are still seen as foreigners, as not "really" American. This is a compelling matter - and yet, on page 38, the author makes a rather startling admission: 66% of Asian-Am's are in fact foreign born! 66%!!! hello?! That means that MOST are indeed foreign born -- so if whites assume that Asians are not "really" from the USA, almost 7 out of 10 times, they will be correct. The same is simply not true for Italian or Irish Americans. This was a major deal to me, and the author just kept repeating and repeating how Asians are always seen as not really American. But when 66% are indeed foreign born, well.....?

This is a book I used in Mexico. My students found this book easy to understand in their learning of English. An excellent book for beginners.

When I read Shogun, I assumed that the Englishman, William Blackthorne, was a fictional invention used by James Clavell to tell the story of the history of Japan. I have since learned that the story of the stranded English pilot and the Shogun is a true story. The only variation in the fictional version from the true story is that the Englishman did get back to England and acted as an intermediary between his home country and Japan. This book tells the story of that man and is a pleasure to read filling in some of the blanks in Japanese history.

This book assumes and builds on a knowledge of Finnish equivalent to Finnish for Foreigners 1. It dispenses with the English translations of the example texts, which are quite demanding. The book concentrates very much on the written language, and the language points covered are quite advanced as would be expected. Some are rather obscure, but for the most part not beyond what you would expect to find in a quality newspaper. The chapters are not quite so digestible as those in FFF1, but, again, this is to be expected. Definitely recommended for the serious student.

The course is a good option to do a self-training, especially to read and understand spoken Finnish. The coursebook is accompanied by 2 cassettes with recorded lesson texts and pronounciation exercises. There is also an exercise book for Vol.1 with another 2 casettes with listening comprehension exercises. The course is fairly fast-paced - each few minutes of recorded lesson is accompanied with 4-8 points of grammar. So, there are never enough drills or exercise material and one should rely on memorizing nearly every sentence in the lesson material to make some progress.

Approach of M.Hellikki Aaltio is very practical - vocabulary offers nothing exotic and grammar explanations are simple and only the most essential things are said at each level. The course contents is quite old; it reflects realities of 1980-ies, but it is probably fine for any serious language learner. I still do not know the language well, but Vol.1 of "Finnish for Foreigners" helped me a lot to start reading and understanding Finnish TV. Since Finnish is not an indo-european language, its strange vocabulary (lots of very long compound words with many vowels and few consonants) and difficult grammar (e.g. each noun can have 28 different flexions/cases in singular and plural). So, even looking up words in a dictionary requires quite substantial knowledge of grammar. This course enables one to cope nicely with these challenges.