I traveled and lived in a lot of different places, but they were all part of the western world. I think, for me, moving east would define cultural shock, so I’m always fascinated by stories of people who went through the same. And I love the cover.

Love and Other Moods by Crystal Z. Lee released in December in the New Adult, Multicultural Romance genre.

Love and Other Moods is a coming-of-age story set in contemporary China, about falling in love, learning to adult, discovering strength and finding one’s place in the world. Naomi Kita-Fan uproots her life from New York to China when her fiancé’s company transfers him to Shanghai. After a disastrous turn of events, Naomi finds herself with no job, no boyfriend, and nowhere to live in a foreign country. Amidst the backdrop of Shanghai welcoming millions of workers and visitors to the 2010 World Expo, we meet a tapestry of characters through Naomi: Joss Kong, a Shanghai socialite who leads an enviable life, but must harbor the secrets of her husband, Tay Kai Tang. Logan Hayden, a womanizing restaurateur looking for love in all the wrong places. Pan Jinsung and Ouyang Zhangjie, a silver-aged couple struggling with adapting to the ever-changing faces of their city. Dante Ouyang, who had just returned to China after spending years overseas, must choose between being filial and being in love. All their dreams and aspirations interweave within the sprawling web of Shanghai. This multilayered novel explores a kaleidoscope of shifting relationships — familial friction, amorous entanglements, volatile friendships — in one of the most dynamic metropolises of the twenty-first century.

Book Depository ~ B&N ~ IndieBound Booktopia ~ Waterstones

Meet the Author:

Crystal Z. Lee is a Taiwanese American bilingual writer. She has called many places home, including Taipei, New York, Shanghai, and the San Francisco Bay Area. She was formerly a public relations executive who had worked with brands in the fashion, beauty, technology, and automotive industries. ‘Love and Other Moods’ is her debut novel.

Setting The Scene

I love that Shanghai is a city of contrasts. You can see its history and modernity coexisting everywhere in that metropolis. There are ancient temples right alongside skyscrapers, traditional food stalls outside of fancy restaurants. It’s a city that attracts people from every walk of life, from all corners of the globe. 

A favorite scene you enjoyed writing?

Chinese New Year is probably the most significant holiday in the Chinese-speaking world. In Love and Other Moods, there is a whole chapter that takes place in Nanjing and Shanghai during Chinese New Year, where some major developments happen to the characters. I relished writing this scene, and not just because it’s full of drama. I also enjoyed sharing all the cultural details of this holiday!

There are many, many delicious Chinese dishes mentioned in your novel. Do you have a favorite?

In Love and Other Moods, one of the characters is a magazine food editor, one is a restaurant and bar owner, and one cooks as a hobby. Naturally there are many gourmet meal scenes in the book! Here is a sampling of some of the dishes that appear in the novel: Shanghainese truffle-flavored xiao long bao dumplings, Chongqing style liangfen spicy noodles, glutinous zongzi rice stuffed in bamboo leaves, lotus root pork bone broth, sticky niangao rice, Taiwanese oyster pancake, Peking duck and hairy crab. My favorite would be xiao long bao dumplings!

In your book, you have one chapter entirely in correspondence form. What was your thinking behind that?

I think letters, whether in e-mail or handwritten form, can reveal so much about our character. I also think it’s very romantic. There is just something so intimate about waiting in anticipation for that letter from someone you love.

There are many cities and locations outside of China mentioned in Love and Other Moods. What are some of them, and do you have a favorite city?

The majority of the settings in my novel is in Shanghai. However my characters also travel to a wide range of destinations. Here are some of them:

Albrecht statue in Vienna

Osaka Castle in Japan

Paphos in Cyprus

Houhai Lake in Beijing

Broken Bridge in Hangzhou

Legion of Honor in San Francisco

Shifen and Pingxi in Taiwan

East Village in New York

Yebisu Garden Place in Tokyo, Japan

My favorite cities in the world besides Shanghai: Taipei, Venice, Singapore.

Which films do you think readers of Love and Other Moods would enjoy?

I’ve been told by some of my readers that the mood of my book evokes the following titles: The Farewell meets Lost In Translation meets Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong. Another reader said it was like an Asian version of Emily In Paris and The Devil Wears Prada, but set in Shanghai. I’m grateful for these comparisons because I’m a fan of all of these visual stories, especially the film Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong.

What would be the playlist for Love and Other Moods?

In Love and Other Moods, there are numerous references to songs or musicians that set the tone of the story. Here are some of them:

“Plastic Love” by Japanese singer Mariya Takeuchi

“Memory Loss” by Malaysian musician Fish Leong

“A Waltz For a Night” by French-American singer and actress Julie Delpy

“Windows to the City” by Taiwanese singer Angela Chang

“Flooded” by Hong Kong singer Jacky Cheung

“Shanghai Nights” by Chinese singer Zhou Xuan

“City of Heartbreak ‘n Horror” album by Beijing band Rustic

“Rhapsody in Blue” by George Gershwin

“City of Blinding Lights” by U2

What are some books set in China that you would recommend?

Here are some fiction and non-fiction books set in China that I had enjoyed!

Remembering Shanghai by Isabel Sun Chao and Claire Chao
– Spa Girl by Virginia Gray
– Shanghai Style by Lynn Pan
– South China Morning Blues by Ray Hecht
– Foreign Babes in Beijing by Rachel DeWoskin
– Bury What We Cannot Take by Kirsten Chen
– Above sea: Contemporary art, urban culture, and the fashioning of global Shanghai by Jenny Lin

connect with the author: 

amazon ~ instagram

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This post is part of a Tour. You can find the schedule here: https://www.ireadbooktours.com/blog—current-tours/spotlight-book-tour-love-and-other-moods-by-crystal-z-lee

Giveaway:​

• Win 1 of 3 print LOVE AND OTHER MOODS (3 winners)  (USA only) (ends Mar 17)

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/518e7284137/

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https://www.ireadbooktours.com/blog—current-tours/spotlight-book-tour-love-and-other-moods-by-crystal-z-lee