Camy Tang's Sushi for One ~ Reviewed x 2

Camy Tang is a loud Asian chick who writes loud Asian chick-lit. She grew up in Hawaii, but now lives in San Jose, California, with her engineer husband and rambunctious poi-dog. In a previous life she was a biologist researcher, but these days she is surgically attached to her computer, writing full-time. In her spare time, she is a staff worker for her church youth group, and leads one of the worship teams for Sunday service. On her blog, she gives away Christian novels every Monday and Thursday, and ponders frivolous things like dumb dogs (namely, hers), coffee-geek husbands (no resemblance to her own...), the writing journey, Asiana, and anything else that comes to mind.

Sushi For One?

by Camy Tang

Published by Zondervan

ISBN-10: 0-310-27398-6

Description:

Lex Sakai's family is big, nosy, and marriage-minded. When her cousin Mariko gets married, Lex will become the oldest single female cousin in the clan.

Lex has used her Bible study class on Ephesians to compile a huge list of traits for the perfect man. But the one man she keeps running into doesn't seem to have a single quality on her list. It's only when the always-in-control Lex starts to let God take over that all the pieces of this hilarious romance finally fall into place.

Kelly Klepfer's Review:

I always feel a little nervous when I crack open a book written by someone I know, someone I've bantered with and traded wise cracks with and someone I really like as a person.What if I don't like the book?What will I say?Fortunately, Sushi for One?, will not leave me scrambling to be gentle yet truthful.

Camy Tang is adorable, funny and sweet, and those qualities come through loud and clear in Sushi for One?. I love the cultural feel with unfamiliar language, customs, scents and tastes. I'm a big fan of Amy Tan and am currently reading Memoirs of a Geisha. Tang takes the culture and adds a sassy Americanized spin with Lex, her thirty-year-old heroine.

Lex is obsessed with volleyball, and though I don't even come close to caring about that sport, I didn't get pulled away from the story or annoyed with the many references. The Chick-Lit third person feel of the story created intimacy with Lex and made it easy to cheer her on.Spiritually, Tang tossed in some very real-life situations exploring religion vs. authentic Christianity.

The drama of dating and girlfriends/cousins brought loads of "yuck" moments and chuckles. In the end, I felt certain that Lex was on the road to recovery in many different ways.I recommend Sushi for One to those who love cultural reads, Chick-Lit, and light, fun humor packed with truth.

I’m looking forward to Only Uni, due out in February 2008.

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Ane's Take:

Being of the Baby Boomer generation, I’m not a huge reader of chick lit. It’s not easy for me to relate to twenty-somethings. But Camy Tang has written a unique tale. And I found I enjoyed it.

Germane to the Asian American community, it exposed me to another world. Not only that, but to the unmarried female Asian American culture. Wow. If I had a grandma like Lex’s, I’d have ... well I don't know what I would have done. But what I did do was laugh ... a lot.

Lex’s family is wild, very large and very opinionated. Her grandma is determined to marry Lex off. To whom, it didn’t matter. She just wanted more grandchildren. But Lex stubbornly clung to her list of qualities she wanted in a Christian husband.

To find out what happens, you’ve got to buy the book. Or leave a comment and win it.

Either way, you’ll be glad you did.