Two books to report on........

Two blog entries for the price of one??? Say it isn’t so... but it is. I love to write, and in fact I love to read... almost as much as I love to eat, but THIS is a whole other topic. I have been a little busy; and while I had drafted a post for Terrorist, I hadn’t published it, and in the meantime also finished reading, Mornings in Jenin... so yes, you get one post for two books. Funny enough, while these stories are nothing alike, they similarly do deal with religion. One looks at the true faith and the true belief of a youngster; pure belief. The other examines how religion has played a key component in warfare. Note, both books are fictional, but both could be real... at least that is how I felt when I read these books.

Terrorist
Where do I begin? Given what occurred on September 11, 2001 people are very sensitive on the terrorist topic... and rightfully so. I won't get political or religious or go on a rant, but we do know that when we utter the mere word, "terrorist" people may get their back up. This book gets you from the very beginning. At the end of the day, read into it whatever you will. Among quite a few mixed messages I noted some of significance that I will share. The first is (and I have said this before reading this book), that many faiths out there are quite similar, and yet are at war with one another. The second is that a believer's pure belief, and misguidance can still lead to destruction and despair. I think that this book does just that. Lastly, as strong as we think we may be, we can still be brought to extreme weakness that is beyond our own view. By this, I mean that you may wholeheartedly believe in what you are doing, and miss it's blatant consequences. You want to judge every single character, but at the end, you really learn the meaning of naive. A quick, yet satisfying read! Enjoy!

Mornings in Jenin
WOW! What an amazing book! It chronologically captures the life of Amal and her ancestors. It captures the grief, the joy, the love, the determination, the pride and the beauty in the language of a Palestinian family and their friends and relatives. It is a one-sided story; it is told from the perspective of Muslims originating in Palestine and eventually Lebanon. That said, you don’t leave this book with bitterness or spite. You read this book and you leave with a little more perspective and an appreciation and sadness for people who lose their loved ones and have their relationships severed in the face of war. Regardless as to the side you would be on, war severs families and friends... nothing could repair that loss. This truly was a wonderful story; I urge you to pick it up and give it a read!!

Never a bad thing to say...

OK - I must have recently jinxed myself as I indicated to someone that I will read books to their entirety...... but every reader has their limits. I attempted to read, The Children's Book by A.S Byatt, but failed miserably. It might have been the smaller font and full pages. It might have been that I wasn't in the right mindset for reading this tale. It may have even been the fact that I am dealing with mommy brain right now. This I know, I read 70+ pages of this 615-page book and yes, it's true................. I gave up! This doesn't mean that you won't like it, but I had a hard time getting into it. Alas, the book is back in my return bag to the infamous librarian... perhaps a high school student will enjoy this book more than I did. Who knows...... perhaps I will try to re-read this another day... but folks, after a few days of trying, I failed. So sorry, but I do not have a review for this tale. Until the next time...

Details, details...

The Archivist is a great book. Simply put. It really is. I started reading this book and wasn't sure if I would enjoy it. I must have been about 40 pages in, and yep... I knew that I had to keep reading. Not to go too far off topic, but I have a slight neurosis myself... that is, I HAVE to finish reading what I pick up. I am trying to get better at this though; since come on... I want to ENJOY what I am reading. My rule of late has been to get through the first 65 pages. If at that point, I cannot go on, I am forced to put the book down. It doesn't mean that I might not start it again, but I need to move on. The "spirit" isn't there... and I want to be in the right mindset when I read a book. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was one where I hung in there... past the first 50 pages... and, "BAM!" I was hooked. I think it is fair to say, The Archivist didn't take me too many pages. The book is well written. Throughout it, I didn't know if I should feel worse for Matt or for Judith. I wondered about their relationship. I LOVED that the poetry so perfectly matched the emotions that went through the characters. It is a thought provoking book that hints of a romance, yet speaks of ultimate sacrifice and love. It talks about all the things you aren't supposed to at a fancy dinner party... sex, politics and religion. Etiquette manuals/articles everywhere will tell you to avoid these topics... but in a fictional setting, these topics are anything, but inappropriate! Great read!!

Little Bee - Anything, but Small...

A very compelling tale about a young woman's journey from Nigeria. I had to remind myself that I was reading fiction... and while I am somewhat knowledgeable about history, I ended up researching whether or not the information within this book was in fact "based on a true story." That, I leave up to you... what I can tell you is that this story is a quick read and one that makes you want to keep going and going. Not sure if I have mentioned this in previous posts... but I do like when stories flip between past and present. That being said, it is not something just any author can pull off. In this particular case, it is very well executed. The characters who you think you like, may not be characters you like at the very end of the book. And, when all is said and done, you are left with one very simple, playful, yet realistic thought... "are you a goodie or a baddie?" If you need a story that is very real, sad, inspiring and a story that restores your faith in mankind (well to an extent), pick this up!!

Bold Face Names

I read an article about Shinan Govani in Toronto Life a few months ago, and thought... what an interesting guy, and a Torontonian!! I was impressed at his wit and also found he was a pretty interesting guy... but aside from that, I didn’t really know much about him, nor did I really remember him, or follow his column or anything. Talk about coincidence!

As you know, my good friend, “the Librarian” leant me a number of books that I am in the midst of reading while she travels (remind me in my second life that the summer off is totally worth the crazy stress of being a teacher!)... Bold Face Names was one in the bag she left for me. I chose this (I have chosen 9 books total) because of its quick synopsis on the back cover... I thought... looks like a fun, quick read. One that doesn’t have a depressing storyline, and also a book that I could read and enjoy without feeling like a small bit of my intelligence just died!

Turns out – yes – it was written by Shinan... wonder if I can call him that? Anyhow... Shi is a great author... I have to say, I like his style... it’s easy to follow and a fun little read. This book won’t provide you with a different outlook on the world and will not introduce you to any overly profound thoughts... but it’s a great read and a good tale. I wonder if there are THAT many stars trotting around Toronto on a daily basis? What I do believe is that people invite “gossip” columnists to their parties with the expectation that they will be mentioned. Yes. Great read, especially for the summer!

PS - You will love it when "Mummy" calls to check in on him! Reminded me of a few old friends' parents... sigh.

The Mysteries of Pittsburgh left little to wonder about...

Wow. Michael Chabon's, The Mysteries of Pittsburgh confused me, intrigued me, and at times left me with my mouth gaping open in shock. While it had many twists and turns, like a curvy woman in a low-cut dress that is two sizes too small, there really wasn't much left to the imagination. I asked myself whether or not this was an appropriate high school student read (remember... this came from a high school library)... and then realized that it was published in the late '80s and I am a 62-year old, trapped as a 34-year old... so I am sure that it's not too racy for teenagers.

There were a couple of different plots within the book, but the focus was really around Art Bechstein, the main character. This guy struggled so much with his identity, his father's identity and the loss of his mother at such a young age, that his actions truly spoke louder than the words on the page. Wow. Is that the second time I am saying this? Yes.

Worth a read... but if you're an old woman like me, brace yourself... lots of sex and lots of "okaaaaaaay" moments. You may be left saying more than "wow," but you will definitely be surprised as each moment within the book unravels. Enjoy! 2 books down -- what, whaaat?!

The Effects of Light

The first book from my Librarian friend I cracked open. The verdict is........................................... WINNER/GAGNONS! Yes. This was a truly amazing story. The book is written in two voices and takes place in two times... the far away past and the very real present. There are serious details about art that the author either really searched for, or has an amazing interest in. When I read the book, I felt like it should have had the tag line, “based on a true story,” and yet, it has such sad elements in it that I was glad it wasn’t.
This would definitely be available at the library or any book store for that matter. It really is worth the read. It was a quick read too... one that is nice for those hot summer days where concentration may not be at its finest. It’s an easy read, without being flaky. Really. Check it out. If you have a sister, it makes you appreciate that you have that bond with someone. If you don’t have a sister (like me), it emphasizes the fact that your relationship will never be perfect, but it’s a lifelong bond that you will miss once it’s gone.