I can see why so many book groups were reading The Thirteenth Tale. It's a good yarn; it's a frame story, which makes for interesting structural elements; it has an element of mystery without falling into the much-maligned category of "genre fiction"; and it contains more than a few acts of questionable moral judgment. So much to talk about.
Since it is a mystery, I don't want to say too much. But the basic plot is this: a popular but aging writer taps an unknown used bookseller to be the recipient of her life story and future biographer. That doesn't sound particularly interesting, but as the writer starts to tell her tale, all the pieces start to come together - or fall apart, depending on how you look at it.
Ditto with Snow Flower. The discussions are different - cultural traditions, friendship, and betrayal - but this book is chock full of talking points. Lily and Snow Flower are laotong, "old sames," lifelong sworn sisters. But their restrictive culture puts strains on their relationship that they may not be able to withstand.
A movie version of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan came out last year, but I haven't seen it.
Between the two, I'd give my vote to The Thirteenth Tale as more entertaining, but they were both easy listens if you need something to keep you going on a long road trip.
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