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Lea's Reading

"I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library"-Jorge Borges

Summer 2008

Yes, it's sadly been three years. So I'll just say that my favorite author of this year is Jodi Picoult. Intriguing storylines, always with a twist. Subject matter is always something new--from Amish to witchcraft. And in depth characters. Also have read John Adams, a fascinating and educational book about Adams and the time period. Fun chick-lit authors with a little bit of an edge--Faye Weldon, Julie Kenner (soccer-mom demon hunter), Marian Keyes (a bit more to her characters than first meets the eyes--not fluff). For pure fluff and fun--Emily Griffin and Kinsella. 

May-July 2005

I finished off the Cazalet series with Confusion and Casting Off. Both were quite good.  I re-read, for the upteenth time, Persuasion by Jane Austen--another favorite. I also thought that Night Fall, by Nelson DeMille, was a fantastic mystery/action book with good characters. I read The Red Hats Rise Again, by Haygood Smith, a sequel--not very good because the plot was too far-fetched and I didn't believe the characters this time.  Other books included The Queen's Fool, by Phillipe Gregory, a fictionalized account of a "fool" who works for Queen Mary, the Empress Orchid by Anchee Min, a fictionalized account of the Empress of China in the late 1800s, Cuba by Emily Barr and For Matrimonial Purposes by Kavita Deswani.  Obviously, I was enjoying books that take me to different places and periods. For children's books I read Absolutely Normal Chaos by Sharon Creech, The Holiday Concert by Andrew Clements, and The Third Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares.

January-April 2005

Quick recap--Quentins and Nights of Rain and Stars by Maeve Binchy, Light Years and Marking Time by Elizabeth Jane Howard, Daughter of Fortune and Portrait of Sepia by Isabel Allende, The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom, Surviving Aunt Marsha (children's book) by Sofie Laguna, Sea Glass by Anita Shreve, and Red Azalea by Anchee Min.  I love the Cazalet series by Howard as it follows a family during WWII in England--great characters with some history. The Hiding Place was an inspirational book of a family (focusing on the two middle age "spinsters") in The Netherlands during WWII.  They helped hide Jews and run an underground system to help them. The two sisters ended up in a German concentration camp but never lost their Christian faith.  The book's them was forgiveness.  Allende's books were interesting as they were set in Chile and San Francisco during the mid to late 1800s--these books brought the Gold Rush and what life was like in California during that time to life.  The perspectives were  from Chilean, English, American and Chinese characters.  

April-July 2004

I've managed write and read during Grace's naptime and after she goes to bed. I've read quite a bit, so much that I will only list the books and expand upon a few. For children's books, I've read Senior Year by an author I cannot remember, A Week in the Woods, The School Story and Landry News by Andrew Clements, Theres a Girl in the Boys' Locker Room by Jerry Spinelli, Mary Bloody Mary by Carolyn Meyer, All American Girl by Meg Cabot,  Anne of Avonlea and Anne of the Island by Montgomery, Vegan Virgin Valentine by C. Mackler, The Story of an Innocent Bystander by Ian Bone, Platform 12 by Eve Ibbatson and Thunder of the Sea by Joan Harlow.  My favorites were all the books by Andrew Clements. His stories are full of humor, real characters and capture elementary school life. Ian Bone's book was captivating and well-written, but I could not enjoy it. It was a book about a girl, now nineteen, trying to deal with her memories of being in a hostage situation 10 years earlier. Her complex feelings and how she deals with them are interesting, but it was hard for me to read because of the subject.

As for adult books, I've read Land Girls by Angela Huth, Last Girls and Family Linen by Lee Smith, Fragrant Harbour (set in Hong Kong) by J. Lanchester , Brothers and Sisters by Joanna Trollope, Still Life with Rice by Helie Lei, and Folly and Glory by Larry McMurtry.     Trollope's skill at writing about complicated relationships and characters shines through in Brothers and Sisters. 

January-March 2004

Now that we have Grace, I'm still reading although at a slower pace!  I read at night after Grace is asleep. Actually, I do read a lot of board books with Grace during the day. :)  My favorites are those by Sandra Boynton.  Her drawings and words are quite funny.  The adult fiction books I've read are Village Affair by Joanna Trollope, Southern Girl by Joanna Trollope, Davinci Code by Dan Brown and Digital Fortress by Dan Brown.  The Trollope books are my "chick" books that focus on women and their personal lives.  I did not like Southern Girl as I found the main character too weak and indecisive.  I loved the DaVinci Code--it's combination of religion, cryptography and action packed chases held me captive.  After starting it, I could not put it down. The book opens with a murder in the Paris Lourve.  The main characters are the murder victim's granddaughter, noted cryptographer Sophie Neveu, and Robert Langdon, a famed symbologist.  Together they attempt to solve Sophie's grandfather's murder by untangling a series of codes that he has left behind.  In addition, they must evade being murdered themselves.  They soon find that his murder is linked to the Holy Grail.  In this book, the Holy Grail is papers that tell the true tale of Jesus.  The papers are supposed to show that it was Mary Magdalene who was Jesus' true disciple and also his wife.  Sophie soon finds that her grandfather was a member of a secret society that for over a thousand years has protected the location of the Holy Grail with the intent of one day revealing its contents.  Working against this society are religious sects who want to destroy Holy Grail because they believe that if the truth is revealed Christianity will be shaken.  Aside from being an exciting read, the book was thought provoking and has made me want to know more about the basis of the Holy Grail theories that Brown used to create this fiction story.  Digital Fortress was all about cryptography and is set at the NSA, where I once visited while in the Navy.  A quick-paced action book.  For children's books I read The Slippery Slope by Lemony Snicket.  

October-December 2003

I hosted book club this month and chose an old favorite--A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.  This book always gets me into the Christmas spirit, reminding me it's not about the presents, the cards, the cookies (although I love these!), but it's about the true spirit of giving that Jesus taught us.  I never tire of the story.  As a child, I thought it was the fear of ending up like Marley that causes Scrooge to change his ways, but as I've reread it as an adult, I realize I was wrong.  Scrooge changes because he sees that as a young man, when he was giving, he was happier and made other people happy.  Then he learns that by giving to others he creates joy in all.  I love the ending when he sends the turkey to the Marleys and Tiny Tim, gives to the poor and especially when he shows up at his nephew's house and is welcomed.  It is a simple and wonderful tale.

Starting with children's books, during these months I read The Upstairs Room by Johanna Reiss, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson, Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer, The Second Summer of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares and Frindle by Andrew Clements.  The first two were childhood favorites of mine. The Upstairs Room is a fictionalized account of a Jewish girl who hid in the upstairs of a Dutch farmer and his family's house for two years.  This was as powerful to me now as it was then, showing me both the evil and kindness of mankind, ultimately showing that kindness and goodness prevail.  The latter two books were recommended by my writing group and both were good reads. Hope Was Here followed a sixteen year old who lives with her aunt because her mother has never been able to take care of her.  She and her aunt move every few years, this time to Wisconsin as her aunt takes over a diner and Hope waitresses. It is a book of "hope" and dreams.  Frindle was a funny story about a boy with imagination who learns that he can make things happen.   As for adult books I re-read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens for our book club that I hosted. As always, a good Christmas tale reminding me about the true spirit of Christmas.   During our vacation in St. John, I absolutely loved Up Country by Nelson Demille. It followed a Vietnam vet as he went back to Vietnam to solve an old crime that occurred during the war.  It was really about his emotions as he dealt with Vietnam War memories.  Great characterization and development.  The Return of the King by J.R. Tolkien was fantastic-such a wonderful trilogy full of themes of hope, faith, taking risks for the good of humanity.    For a bit of light fun I read House of Elliott by Jean Marsh, following the lives of two English women as they become women with no monetary means after the death of their father in the 1920s.  They become independent and "new women."  A lovely Christmas story--another Mitford series book--Shepherd's Blessing by Jan Karon.  It follows Father Tim as he and the town of Mitford prepare for Christmas.  Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks was an excellent book set in the Middle Ages, about a village during the plague.  The main character is a young woman who loses all her family to the plague, but whose strength helps save many others. 

September 2003

This month I read one more of the Lemony Snicket Series, The. Ersatz Elevator--still love his series.  As for other children's books, I read The Princess Diaries and Princess in the Spotlight by Meg Cabot.  They were light and fun about an awkward girl who finds she is a true princess of a country smaller than Monaco.  Also read Artemis Fowl, The Eternity Code by Coulter.  I'm not as big into this series as Artemis is a bit too emotionless for me.  I found another book by one of my favorite children's authors, Karen Cushman.  She wrote Rodzina, which followed an orphaned girl as she journeys on the orphan train during the Depression.  This is based on the true "orphan train" where orphans were taken west in an attempt to find them homes.  Rodzina is a tough heroine and as strong as an ox, but with a gentle side and a good sense of humor.  As for my "older books," I loved The Concubine's Children by Denise Chong a true account of the author's grandfather and his life in both Canada and China.  For five years of more, he would work in Canada and save money while living with his concubine and her children.  Then he would return to China where he would live with his wife for a few years, using the money he made in Canada to buy land.  He continued this cycle many years and the book follows the lives of him and his children on both sides of the world, taking the reader through the Cultural Revolution up through today's more "open" China.  After this I read a book that Megan suggested. The Magic Years by Selma Fraiberg, a child psychologist, is an excellent child development book.  Rather than tell you "if x happens, do y," this book goes into the emotional and mental development of children, explaining the why's children do certain things, then giving ideas for dealing with their fears, problems and mental development.  I am a "why" person so I liked this insight.  Keith read it too and we both felt that the author's ideas for raising children are on target with ours.  She is for boundaries and discipline, but boundaries and discipline that take into consideration a child's age and their ability to understand and control their urges.  To raise an independent child, you cannot constantly be saying "no" and stopping what they are doing.  For fun, I read Virgin, Prelude to the Throne, by Robin Maxwell.  It was fictional account of Elizabeth the I before becoming queen.  it was full of intrigue and plots, and based on actual accounts.   

June 2003-August 2003

In July, I read Twenty Things Your Adopted Children Want You To Know, written by Sherry Eldridge, an adult adoptee.  I was a little leery to read this as many on my online adoption boards said that she did not have a great adoption experience and to take her words with a grain of salt.  However, after reading it I am glad that I did. She  stipulates that what she wrote was based on her experience. Obviously, just like biological children, adopted children do not all have the same experiences growing up.  Secondly, Eldridge makes it clear that she does love her parents and always knew that they loved her.  The reason she wrote the book is that she did not feel that she was raised in an open atmosphere which led to certain difficulties in her life.  She feels these difficulties can be avoided if parents are more open with their children about adoption and both their children's and their own feelings about it. 

Eldridge never felt comfortable speaking to her own parents about being adopted because she could tell it made them uncomfortable. This led to her feeling guilty for the grief and loss that she at times felt when thinking of her birthparents. She wants adoptive parents to know how important it is to be aware of what their children may be feeling and to maintain an environment where their children know they can talk about their feelings. She writes of what specifically was hard for her growing up.  For example, she said writes that many birthdays were difficult because they reminded her of how her birthparents relinquished her.  She also writes about how doctors' visits were hard because it was distressing not to know her medical history.  She writes about how the majority of adopted children think about their birthparents at some time and want to know more about them, but this does not mean the children do love their "real" parents (real=the adoptive parents).  Eldridge stresses that no matter how much love a child receives, she, even if she was adopted as a baby,  will likely feel grief at some point in her life about the loss of her birth parents.  Eldridge believes that the best way to deal with the grief and feelings of abandonment is for parents to let their children know that discussing their feelings about adoption and their birthparents is okay.  

Eldridge's main recommendations are to be honest with your child (good advice for parents of adoptive and biological parents) and to ensure your child knows that she is "your own," "natural" and that you are her "real" parents.  (Language in adoption is very important as words are powerful) .  She also recommends bringing up what you know (and don't know) about your child's birthparents so that your children know it's okay to ask questions. Additionally, in the case of international adoptive parents, she recommends showing that you respect your child's birth heritage and that being from China (in our daughter's case) is not something to be ashamed of but something to be proud of. To do this, she recommends learning some things about your children's birth heritage (good thing Keith loves to cook Chinese!) and incorporating aspects of your child's birth heritage into your entire family's heritage (going to a Fourth of July parade in the summer and a Chinese New Year parade in January!) .

I think that this is sound advice.  Keith and I think that honesty is best and we will try to establish an atmosphere where our daughter feels she can talk about anything with us.  We hope that we can raise our daughter to be both proud of her birth heritage and her Currie and McGhee heritages.  One subject I would have liked Eldridge to discuss is balance.  Although I agree we should talk about adoption and birth parents with our child, and celebrate both her U.S. and Chinese heritages, I don't think that adoption issues should always take center stage. First and foremost we will be a family.  That being said, I highly recommend this book to adopting parents as, at the very least, it starts you thinking about different adoption issues and how you plan to raise your child.  

It has been a summer filled with reading. Here are the children's books that I have read: Star Girl by Jerry Spinelli, The Bed Beginning, The Reptile Room, The Wide Window, The Miserable Mill, The Austere Academy, The Vile Village, The Hostile Hospital and The Carnivorous Carnival by Lemony Snicket, The Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling, and Artemis Fowl by Coulter.  Of these, I highly recommend the Lemony Snicket books. They crack me up! They are for 9-12 year olds and so different from anything that I've seen out there. Dark humor, but in an outrageous way. Everything bad that could happen to the three orphaned siblings (14 year old Violet, 12 year old Klaus and baby Sunny) does. The premise of this series is that the three children are orphaned after their parents die in a fire.  The fortune is to go to Violet, the eldest, when she comes of age.  Until then, they must be raised by a guardian.  However, their guardians turn out to be either evil or murdered. Behind all the evil is Count Olaf who will do absolutely anything to obtain the orphans' fortune.  Each book has the same premise-bad things happen to the orphans, they get out of the jam in the end, but you know the next bad thing is just around the corner. It's a formula that  works!  

I also really loved Rowling The Order of the Phoenix, but I was going to know matter what. I so respect the world that J. K. Rowling has developed. Her imagination is amazing. I can see and feel everything that happens in the magic world. In this book, I was impressed with her development of characters, particularly Harry. He is a teenager now and after what has happened to him over the years including the last book (watched a friend killed in the last book by Voldemort), he is an angry teenager. This book is much darker than the others and its apparent in the characters, setting and the plot.  The plot is more complex than the others and personally I think could have been more tightly written.  Some aspects of it were confusing (such as the prophecy) and a bit hard to follow.  However, overall I loved the book, especially because I think Rowling is subtly teaching a lesson about evil and how ignoring evil (such as that displayed by the Fudge as the Minister of Magic) can be just as bad as doing evil.  

I've read some "adult" books.  The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn by Robin Maxwell was a fiction account of Anne Boleyn's diary. I learned a bit about Henry VIII and Anne, his second wife (out of six!) before he had her head cut off. It was told from the perspective of his daughter, Elizabeth who would become queen, as she read her mother Anne's diary.  It was an enjoyable read and I liked learning about the English monarchy.  After reading it, Keith and I watched the miniseries Elizabeth and learned even more!  Another fiction book, Ties that Bind, Ties that Break by Lensey Namioka, was set in China during the early 1900s after the last emperor was removed. It was about a woman whose feet were not bound during childhood after she severely protested and her father acquiesced (a rebellion against the old ways) and the independent life that this act led her to.  Wild Swans, by Jung Chung, a non-fiction book, was a fantastic account of three generations of women in China. Jung Chung wrote about her, her mother's and grandmother's lives in China. The toughness of these women and their determination to survive and care for their children was inspiring.  As always I was struck by the cruelty of the Cultural Revolution.  Stone Monkey by Jeffery Deaver, was a mystery/thriller set in New York's Chinatown and a quick, interesting read.  We read Big Stone Gap by Andriana Trigiani, a fiction book about an Italian American single woman living in a small Virginia town.  I didn't feel the emotions or relationships in this book rang true. Pavilion of Women, by Pearl Buck, was another winner by Buck.  Her writing has a lyrical quality and she seems to capture the atmosphere of China and the inner thoughts of its people. It is about a women who has turned 40, right around World War II, and how she begins to concentrate on herself and find who she is.  For a bit of fun I read an old favorite author, Fannie Flagg, and entered a small town by reading Standing in the Rainbow, a feel-good read.  For book club I learned about Lance Armstrong through his autobiography, It's Not the Bike.  Although I respect his fight of cancer (and success), his fight to win the Tour de France (and his success) and his determination to do just what he wants to do, I do think I'd really like him as a person.  He seems too much of a hothead and confrontational.  Based on my librarian's recommendation I read Ordinary Grace by Kathleen Brehony.  The author is a PhD who was tired of reading bad news and the evil that people do. So she found thousands of people's true stories of ordinary grace.  For example, she spoke with a couple who adopted 5 children from Romania, each child afflicted with HIV.  She met a woman who suddenly felt a call to feed the homeless in the city and has now fed thousands over the years.  It was definitely a heart warming book. She also asked the people why they did these acts and it was because they believed in the goodness of people and that we are on this earth to give to others. I love that thought!     

February 2003-May 2003

I have been very lax about reviewing the books I've read. So I'll just list them here and comment on the ones that really struck me.  For adult books I've read Boone Lick by Larry McMurtry, Walk On (book about U2's spiritual journey) by Steve Stock, Red, White China Blues by Jan Wong, In the Mountain by Jan Karon, Heart of a Woman by Maya Angelou, The Empty House by Rosemunde Pilchmunde, Odd Girl Out by Elizabeth Jane Howard, Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson, The Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie for our book club (my choice!), Winter Solstice by Rosemunde Pilcher and Quentins by Maeve Binchy.  Thoughts about these: I read Red, White China Blues years ago and still found it fascinating.  It was written by a Chinese Canadian who longed to live in China during Mao's Revolution because she truly believed in his Communist ideals.  She was among the first Westerners they let in China during Mao's reign and she lived there 6 years.  During this time she slowly saw that the ideals Mao preached and what was really happening were two different things.  She met many people who became dear to her in China and learned much about the country, but also discovered the lies between Mao's regime.  I learned much about the daily life in China during the Cultural Revolution and about the hopes and dreams of the people.   Dianne sent me the Little Chinese Seamstress, also set in the Cultural Revolution, but it was fiction and about 2 teenage boys who were sent to the country villages to be "reeducated." While there, they meet a beautiful seamstress and find a source of illegal foreign books which the three read together.  Their readings change the three of them as they learn more about the world and themselves.  And I loved Heart of a Women. Maya Angelou is such a strong woman and her life is so incredible, from being an editor at a paper in Egypt to dancing and singing on Broadway to writing her poems and so much more.  She's strong, independent and true to herself.  

These months I've also read a lot of children's books because all accomplished writers recommend reading as much in your genre as you can and because I love children's books!  They've included Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares, Trixie Belden Mystery in Arizona by Julie Campbell, Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle, There's A Boy in the Girls' Bathroom by Louis Sachar, Longer Letter Later by Paula Danzinger, Snail Mail No More by Paula Danzinger, A Year Down Under by Gregory Peck, Gathering Blue by Louis Lowry, What Would Joey Do and Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos and My China Year by Emily Neville.  Of these my new favorites are the Joey books by Gantos.  Joey is a kid with ADD, "wired" as his grandmother says, with a crazy family.  He is a kind kid, and except for his "wired" incidents, he is sane and calm unlike the rest of his family.  These books follow him as he grows into himself and learns to become the person he is inside.  I also loved Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, a light-hearted story of four friends and their first summer, at age sixteen, away from each other.  To keep connected they send each other the same pair of "magic pants" that they each wear for 2 weeks in the summer.  When they wear the pants, each girl is changed by some incident in her life.

Now that I have read Lost Daughters of China, by Karin Evans, my whole family is reading it!  I picked it up when Keith and I were making our final adoption country and agency decision.  Both Keith and I felt in our hearts that our daughter would be in China.  After reading this book, I knew it.  Karin is a mother of a daughter from China.  This book is partly her tale of adopting her daughter, but it is much more than that.  It is an in depth look into why there are so many abandoned girls in China, plus a look at China's history and culture.  I learned much I did not know before.  For instance, there is no social security in China so farmers depend on their sons to take care of them when they grow old.  Daughters normally leave home to live with their husbands' families.  Also, the emphasis on the importance of men dates back thousands of years.  I learned that it is illegal for women to relinquish their children for adoption, so they must 'abandon' them.  Many do so in very public places to ensure their daughters are found.  Karin did a wonderful job in showing empathy for the birthparents.  She stressed that adoptive parents must try to love, respect and understand the situations of the birthparents.  Keith and I take this to heart.  I cannot imagine the pain many of the birthparents must feel when they make this decision.  It would have been easy for these women to have abortions, but they chose instead to bear their children.  Karin also explains that China is about the size of America, but with 4x the people and much less cultivatable land.  The fact that China has opened its doors to international adoptions shows to me that they truly care about their children.  Karen shows  the many positive aspects of Chinese culture and heritage and how she hoped that she could instill in her daughter some sense of history and pride in her birth country.  I fell Karin helped both Keith and I learn a little more so we can do the same for our daughter.   

January 2003

Our book club picked a bestseller, Lovely Bones by Anne SeBold.  Because of its premise, I initially did not want to read it.  The story begins with the narrator, a fourteen year old girl, telling us about how she died.  She was raped and murdered by a neighbor.  Despite the gruesome premise, the book is actually a moving, hopeful story told by the narrator looking down from heaven--where she can eat ice cream all day.  It is about how her family deals with her loss over the next 20 years and how she grows in heaven.  I definitely am glad we read it.  Keith and I reading lots of books about China or set in China since we are now officially adopting from there.  I want to learn as much as I can about our daughter's homeland.  I read the fictional story of Pei in The Language of Threads by Gail Tsukiyama.  This is the sequel to Daughters of the Silk, which is about Pei working in a silk factory and becoming sisters with the women there.  The sequel was not as captivating.  Pei did not move me as much this time--I felt her emotions were forced as she dealt with World War II while living in Hong Kong.  Of course I am continuing to read my children's fiction.   I have discovered that I love the author Karen Cushman.  She is so funny and her characters are sarcastic.  She also is great at putting you into a different time and place.  I read The Ballad of Lucy Whipple (set in CA during the 1849 gold rush) and The Midwives' Apprentice, set in medieval times in England.  They were hilarious!

Fall 2002

Starting with children's books:  As research for an article I wrote, I read Grace Hopper by Charlotte Billings.  This was a non-fiction middle grade about Grace Hopper, computer pioneer and Navy admiral until she was eighty!  I first remember learning about her as a kid when I looked for women in the Navy to admire.  Dad pointed her out to me.  The book was good, full of personal anecdotes (the author met Grace) and told the story of a smart, determined woman ahead of her time.  I had lots of fun reading more magical and middle age stories such as Ella Enchanted (a new twist on Cinderella) by Gail Levine and Catherine Called Birdy by Karen Cushman.  Both were quite funny.  Additionally I liked A View from Saturday by E. L. Konigsburg, another 'different' children's book.  The characters were all unique and competing in a quiz bowl like contest.  I filled my Little House longing with By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  For a mystery I turned to Callendar Papers by Cynthia Voigt.  I liked it, but as with her others I lost interest towards the end.  For some reason I don't love her characters.  They are well-done and very real, but I'm not personally drawn to them.  They seem a little cool.  I picked up a book by my favorite children's author, Madeline L'Engle.  This was Meet the Austins. Good, but did not have the uniqueness of A Wrinkle in Time. 

The adult books:  Another Larry McMurtry which did not disappoint.  A Desert Rose, set in Las Vegas is the bittersweet tale of an aging showgirl.  He writes women so well.  And his emotions are so real that I could feel the pain his main character Harmony felt whenever she was rebuffed by the daughter she loved.  I read an book about multicultural families--Are Those Kids Yours, which had a lot of interesting points and anecdotes, written by a mother of two adopted children from Korea.  In St. John I read I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb. Not a pleasant book, but I could not put it down.  It followed the psychological healing of man dealing with the death of his mother, loss of his daughter and suicide of his schizophrenic brother.  Not easy, but so real.  For something lighter I went onto Black Coffee, a novel based on an Agatha Christie play.  Then I traveled to Latin America as I read Moving Heaven and Earth, by Birdsey, about her quest for her daughter in El Salvador.  I enjoyed following her, but at times thought she was so naive in her dealings with the other countries.  I had wanted to read a story about the Cultural Revolution so I checked out Niu Niu, the true story of a girl who grew up in China during this time.  The harshness of the government and poverty is hard to read about.  Good people were beaten.  Children died of starvation.  Her life was harsh and when the Cultural Revolution was over, it was hard for her to deal with a 'normal' life again.  An excellent book came next--Lost Daughters of China, by Evans.  She goes into depth as to why so many girls are abandoned in China and what abandoned really means.  Told with brutal honesty mixed with sympathy and understanding.  Then, for my gun control activities I read Gun Violence in America by Alexander DeConde and Guns Crime and Freedom by Wayne LaPierre.  Two books on opposite sides of the fence of the gun control issue.  Very illuminating and shows how far the chasm between the two groups is.  There is so much rhetoric on both sides.  Gun Violence in America however gave a more unbiased view.  he is for gun control, but attempts to show the other side.  Wayne LaPierre is less biased.  He calls the other side 'anti-individual rights' people.  Then to learn more about multicultural families I tried Dim Sum, Bagels and Grits by Alperson.  An easy read that showed how different families meld their cultures. For fun I read Backpack, a light comedy-mystery about a British woman backpacking through Asia.  Onto Falling Leaves, the true story of Adeline Yen Meh growing up in China with a cold stepmother and father.  Interesting to learn more about China, but certainly not a happy family to read about!   I finished up the month by listening to Amy Tan's Bonesetter's Daughter and reading her The Kitchen God's Wife.  She is great at taking you back to China of the 1930s and then showing modern mother-daughter relationships today in Chinese American families.

August 2002

First of all, the best was Twelve Again by Sue Corbett.  Sue is a writer in a critique group I am in and this is her first published book (Publisher is Dutton).  She is also a children's book reviewer with a background as a reporter.  This book is so unique, its characters alive and told in an engaging humorous way.  It's about a mother who actually becomes twelve again and must find her way back to adulthood.  There's a lot of Irish folklore and modern day computing mixed in! :)  Sound interesting?  It is!  

I read a book I remembered loving from childhood- How to Eat Fried Worms.  Reading it again, I still found it pretty amusing.  Also, even though dated I feel the pressures of friendship are shown in a humorous and still relevant manner.  I loved Everything on A Waffle, which was totally different than I expected.  A girl's parents are lost at sea and yet it is a comedy.  I went through a bunch of Ramona books by Bevery Cleary.  They still crack me up though sometimes I wish the parents didn't always turn out to be right. 

After re-watching the series I Claudius, I finally read the book by Robert Graves.  It was outstanding.  Such intrigue!  It brought alive the Roman Empire time period and, in addition to enjoying a story full of politics, debauchery and plots, I learned some of the happenings during that time period. Because I love Navy stories I was very excited when I found First Class, the fiction based on true stories of the first women at the Naval Academy.  It was written by one of the first who ended up in the Civil Engineer Corps (where I served!).  Those women went through a lot paving the way for future women.  This book showed what it was like for many of them.  I recently finished Washington at War a non-fiction by David Brinkley about the political and social scene in DC during WWII.  The first half was quite interesting.  I never knew how many were opposed to WWII and Roosevelt in general.  This showed that partisan politics were just as rampant then as they are today.  This also showed some of the earliest civil rights movements.  Towards the last half, it dragged, but I learned a lot.    And during our weekend away at the Eastern Shore I re-read Pride and Prejudice (again!) after re-watching its BBC series.  Sigh...it's wonderful.

March 2002-July 20002

I've been negligent about listing my books.  So here are the children's books I've read or listened to these past months: 

 I read Stuart Little because of all the hype with his second movie.  To be honest, this did not grab me.  I wasn't too fund of Stuart!  He was a bit stuck up to me.  Mathilda, Witches and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory but Robert Dahl.  His wicked humor cracks me up.  Homecoming and Dicey's Song by Cynthia Voigt.  With each I loved the first half, but tired of Dicey by the second half.  From the Mixed of Files of Mrs. Basil...forget the rest of the title... a funny Newberry book about what I dreamed of as a kid--sleeping overnight in a museum.   Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea by Montgomery.  I want to visit her to see her world.   Anastasia and its sequel by Fitzgerald,  4 Ramona books by Beverly Cleary (Ramona is still a favorite character of mine but I don't like that the adults always are 'right' in these), River Runs Wild (in Brazil.  Didn't get too into the character but the setting was great), Chrysallis (I'm not too into Christian fiction but this is nicely done), The Long Secret and Harriet the Spy by Louis Fitzburgh (still great characters after all these years), and a Caribbean mystery by Nancy Drew (did not like.)  I listened to Because of Winn Dixie but could not get into it.  It's well written but the main character did not strike me.  The Westing Game -- a cool mystery.  I loved Holes by Louis Sachar as it was such a unique tale with lots of twists centered on a likeable character who grows.  I did not really like The Third Eye by Louis Duncan (a mystery/supernatural combo) or The Secret Ingredient, a chapter book that was too cute. Absolutely loved The Seesaw Girl and A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park.  She is great at developing such a real setting and real characters.  I learned much about 13th century Korea just through the main characters lives.  I read Harriet Spies Again, a well done sequel by Erickson who caught the original author's voice.    Keith and I both loved The Watsons Go to Birmingham 1963 by Curtis.  Extremely funny and real family, with a dramatic ending.  By the same author I read Bud, not Buddy and liked Bud so much I had to follow his life.  I through in Sarah, Plain and Tall, a good 1800s story.  And  some more Judy Blume--I plowed through Deenie and Tiger Eyes.  Her plots are so simple and real.  She makes me feel 13 again which is not always a pleasant feeling!   

As for 'adult' books:  There was Rules of Engagement by Gordon Kent and the action, if not the characters, was good.  Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier was a well done story about a girl working for Veneer and the fictional story behind his painting.  Daughters of the Silk by Tsukiyama was excellent--I loved the China setting.  I read the autobiography of the Dalai Lama's mother, Dalai Lama, My Son, which I felt was lacking in real emotion.  The stories of what happened to her were interesting, but I was not emotionally drawn to them.  Wishing Well by Baldacci and Time of Butterflies by Alvarez were both 'book club' books.  Wishing Well was easy to read, but I did not like the neat way the ending tied up.  Time of Butterflies I really enjoyed with the sisters and the setting of the revolution in Dominican Republic.  I read two Paul Scotts- Time of the Scorpian and Staying On.  Liked the first a lot but not the second.  Sometimes he runs on and I get bored, but their are certain characters I latch on to so I read to find out about them.  I needed a mystery so I went for Caribbean Mystery by Agatha Christie--so much better than Nancy Drew.  Both Keith and I loved Three Daughters by Pearl Buck and learned more about ther Cultural Revolution.  After watching (for the third time) I, Claudius, I finally read the book by Robert Graves.  I do not know how much is based on fact, but I found the intrigue and excess of the Roman Empire fascinating.   

February 2002

I picked up Neither East, Nor West by Christine Bird because I find Iran fascinating and mysterious.  This book was about her three months of travel there.  An American, Christine lived in Iran for three years as a child before the Revolution.  This book accounts her first visit to Iran over twenty years later.  The book pushes back the veil surrounding Iran and shows more than the government and chanting crowds that Americans view on TV.  She finds many people who profess to like Americans but not their politics--Keith and I also met many people like this around the world.  She also finds the Iranian people are  very interested in their rich tradition of literature, the arts and history.  What is interesting is the two lives she sees in Iran.  There is the outside life, where people abide by the Islamic laws and there is  life in the home where women wear jeans, where people rent black market videos, and where people speak their minds.  Some of the really good things she finds in Iran are that the people are very family oriented and a social life means family gatherings, and she discovers many Iranians are religiously devout not in the fanatical way that some Westerners think, but in a quiet, prayerful way.  Of course she also discovers because of lack of access to the outside world, many Iranians live with the belief that America is unsafe, full of gangs, filled with racial riots and without freedom.  And she sees women's lack of equality.  Although there are women lawyers, doctors and teachers (because women and men do everything separately, women are needed in these professions to represent, administer to and teach other women) they lack personal rights.  Any man can accost them in the street for not wearing the proper clothing or acting proper.  This was just a taste of life inside Iran.  After I read it, I wanted to know more.

Samurai Garden by Gail Tsukyama was this month's book club read.  It is about a young Chinese man recovering from an illness at his father's beach house in Japan.  The time period is the late 1930s as Japan was invading and taking over China.  The book is all about relationships - with his grandfather's servant, with a village girl, with a woman who had leprosy.  When I think of this book I think of the ocean, not because it was the setting, but because both the characters and the actual words of the book flowed.  It was so lyrical.  Normally I only notice characters and some plot, not the way sentences are constructed or which words are chosen.  But I did here.  It was lyrical, almost hypnotizing.  Definitely a winner.  

 I loved going back through A Witch of Blackbird Pond, still an outstanding book.  It really brings the Puritan New England times alive with a character, Kit, who manages to adjust to the harsh life while still maintaining her free spirit.   I never read any Robert Dahl so I decided to try Matilda. Her characterizations of bad adults are so funny.  Matilda's revenge is sweet but not so revengeful that you lose your liking for her.   I didn't think Witches was as funny. I continued with Judy Blume with my favorite Are You There God, It's Me Margaret. I think this is her best character - a real preteen.  As for adult books I read Brad Newsham's Take Me With You.  He is a fellow RTW and graciously sent me a complementary copy of his book after seeing our site.  It is a very unique take on travel memoirs set up with his decision to treat one person he meets to a trip to the States.  As he talks about who he meets on the trip, I wondered who he would pick.  Aside from that, it was fun to relive some of the places we visited.   I read a Mahfouz, the first of his Cairo Trilogy.  As before, events in his book often result in tragedy, but I still enjoyed it.  He really brings Egypt and its people alive.  This is set when they are protesting for British independence.  He does particularly well giving the women depth.  Then I read a Newberry winner, Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt.  This is one of the best YA novels I have read.  It's about Dicey, a thirteen year old, who is trying to keep her family together after her mother leaves.  It's written in third person, but after I read it I swore it was in first because I felt I knew Dicey.  After that I re-read The Diary of Anne Frank.  This included even more passages than the version I read before - more of her thoughts on sex.  As always I was astounded by the insight of this young girl and reflected on a life in hiding.   While in Florida Dad gave me Rules of Engagement   by Gordon Kent.  A good Navy adventure.  What I really liked was that the main character a LTJG was very real -- unsure, but driven.  

January 2002

One of the great things about writing for children is that it is highly recommended to read children's books.  I've never stopped and now I'm going full blast.  I re-read Blubber, by Judy Blume.  It is not one of my favorites but is definitely an insightful look at how harsh and clique-ish kids can be.  Also by Blume is Here's to You Rachel Robinson, one that was after my time.  Rachel is a neurotic smart girl dealing with an older brother who wreaks havoc on her life.  I tried two of Ann Martin's Baby-sitter Club books.  The books seem formulaic (it is a series) but still had pretty good characters with some growth in each.  As for 'adult' books I read Dune by Frank Herbert.  I read it years before and thought it boring, but decided to give it another shot.  It still did not capture my interest.  Some interesting thoughts on religion through a futuristic viewpoint, but still not my favorite.  I preferred Poisonwood Bible which was very different.  It was written from five different third person viewpoints.  The viewpoints were the 4 daughters and wife of a Baptist missionary who takes them to the Congo.  We learn about how the Congo changes them and their relationships in a very dramatic way.  This also taught me much about the Congo's violent history 

December 2001  

With The Lord of the Rings trilogy movie coming out in December, I decided to read The Fellowship of the Rings.  This is Keith's favorite book and he convinced me I needed to read it.  For some reason, I remember not really enjoying J. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and did not have a great urge to read more of the series.  Well,  I loved Lord of the Rings.  I thought the characters, the plot and the descriptions create a great epic novel.  Frodo the Hobbit, Gandalf the wizard and Striker the man are examples of Tolkien's mix of unique and interesting characters.  I like that his characters are not one sided; each have flaws and are sometimes torn over doing what is right versus doing what they want (eg Bilbo does not want to give up the ring though he knows he ought) .  In addition to the characters, the story is intriguing.  I love the fantasy and fight of good against evil.  The idea of a ring having so much power is unique without seeming improbable.  The way Tolkien describes the world of the hobbits makes magic such as the ring entirely believable.  He creates a new world.  After this book, next on  the list is The Two Towers, second in the Lord of the Rings series.  

In Bath it was absolutely necessary to read a Jane Austen book so I re read Northanger Abbey.  I liked being able to follow the walks of Catherine and actually see what she saw in the novel.  I really enjoy Jane's sarcasm and teasing of society.  There is something about England that makes me want to read mysteries, not my normal taste.  Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie and The Hound of the Baskervilles by Conan Doyle filled my longing.  I enjoyed both but Agatha Christie is still my favorite mystery writer.  And though I enjoyed Murder on the Orient Express, I prefer her Miss Marple character to Hercule Poirot.  Actually, most mysteries that I have ever enjoyed usually have a female as the lead character.  Even as a kid, I liked Trixie Belden much more than the Hardy Boys.

November 2001

Back in Scotland I completed Jewel in the Crown by Scott; this is an interesting first novel about the turbulent time period when British rule of India finally ended.  The characters, both Indian and English, seem very real with their conflicting emotions.  It is a good way to learn some history in addition to an intriguing storyline.  I liked how the story was told from different viewpoints - first person of an Indian wealthy woman, third person about a British missionary and others.   For some fun reading I tried Angela Huth's Land Girls.  The Land Girls were British girls who volunteered to work on farms in WWII while all the farmhands were sent to war.  This followed the life and loves of four friends during their year of service.  In Ireland I re-read Emma by Jane Austen, another of my favorite all time books.  I decided to read one of my favorite British authors, Joanna Trollope while traveling in England.  The Choir did not disappoint with interesting characters.  I also really liked the descriptions of the cathedral and close, since we have visited many that are similar.  While in York, I enjoyed And the Lord God Made Them All by James Herriot.  I have loved all of his other vet books about his experiences with Yorkshire's residents and their animals.  As always the stories were warm.  I am embarrassed about another book I read - so much I forget the name.  It was a true story about an English woman who married a man from Yemen in the 1960s and essentially became a baby making machine for him having 7 children despite resenting his authoritarian style.  Eventually he sells their 2 oldest daughters to men in Yemen.  It sounded like it could be an interesting story, but it read like a National Enquirer article.  To start the month I read No Room in the Ark, by Morehead. This was a true story about his adventures in Kenya.  Initially I liked it, but then I got tired of the descriptions and he seemed to have a bit of a superior attitude toward the Africans.  He respected their customs and culture, but did not seem to see them as equals.  After this I read The Carousel by Rosemande Pilcher and it fell flat.  I could not get interested in the main character and I thought the plot was very contrived.

I never realized how many great writers were (and are) Irish.  We visited The Writers Museum in Dublin and I learned that the Irish have a great literary tradition.  James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, Bram Stroker, George Bernard Shaw, W. B. Yeats and Jonathan Swift were Irish.  So while in Ireland I read Gullivers Travels by Jonathan Swift.  I tried to read this long ago and remember stopping after three of four pages because I found it "boring."  This was very short sighted of me.  This time I read and found the story itself imaginative, and the underlying satire of religion and politics quite interesting.  Swift's story was often billed as a children's book because of the adventures Gulliver experiences on the different lands where he is shipwrecked.  He meets a nation of little people on Lilliput, a land of giants in Brobdingnag and several other different types of people and animals.  What I particularly liked in the book is that Swift was meticulous as he explained Gulliver's daily life in these strange lands.  He includes details such as  how they could provide Gulliver enough to eat on Lilliput or how small clothes were created for Gulliver on Brobdingnag.  Swift uses this creative story to criticize his home government and human beings in general.  Swift was a pacifist and used Gulliver's Travels to get his point across in a unique way, by contrasting Gulliver and his life at home to those he encounters on the trip.      

October 2001

After visiting Anne Frank's house I decided to read Anne Frank Remembered by Miep Gies.  Miep was one of the people who took care of Anne and her family during their two years in hiding.  I have read The Diary of Anne Frank over 20 times since I was ten, and was happy to get to learn more about her life.  Reading about life outside of the hiding place and what went on to take care of Anne and her family gave me a fuller picture of Anne's life and how her friends were affected by the Nazi regime.  Through Miep I learned how terrible it was for all Dutch people as Germany overtook the Netherlands.  Miep tells of the great courage of everyday Dutch people who resisted and protested against the Germans' atrocious treatment of the Jews.  Those who harbored Jews were sent to concentration camps.  Even so, Miep did not once hesitate when her boss, Mr. Frank, asked her if she would help take care of his family while they were in hiding.  From Miep I learned what happened outside of "the Annex" (what Anne calls their hiding place in her diary) and how she and the others took care of the Franks.  One aspect of her life was obtaining food for the eight in hiding when food was scarce for all in the Netherlands.  Miep also writes a lot about what Anne was like as she watched her grow from a young girl to a young woman.  Having seen Anne from the inside (through her diary) it was fascinating to read about her from another perspective.  Miep felt a great amount of affection for her and paid special attention to her.  Miep wrote of the great pain she felt when the Franks and the rest in hiding were found; Miep was not imprisoned for her part, but two of those helping the Franks also were sent to concentration camps.  Of the eight in hiding only Mr. Frank survived the concentration camps.  He returned from Auschwitz knowing his wife had died, but with hopes his daughters survived.  He soon found that both Anne and Margot died of typhus in Bergen Belson.  He stayed with Miep and her husband for seven years after the war and they remained close throughout his life.  Miep writes that she is not a hero and just one person in a long line of good Dutch people.   She may not want to be called a hero, but after reading her book I describe her as courageous and heroic.     

I started out with Cats Eyes by Margaret Atwood.  This was an interesting look at a woman, an artist, revisiting her childhood home.  Atwood intertwines two stories, one is told by the woman in her fifties and the second told by the same woman but as from her ten year old self through thirty year old self.  The voices of these two stories are very distinct, but you can still see the same person in the ten year old and the fifty year old.  I then started Great Expectations by Dickens.  Keith had picked this book out, and I was not too excited to read it.  Dickens was one of my least favorite authors in school as I thought he was too wordy.  For this reason, I was extremely surprised how much I enjoyed this book.  And interesting plot with some good twists and an exploration of an individual's struggle with morals versus wants (such as wealth).   Because I enjoyed this I then read A Tale of Two Cities.  It took me quite awhile to get interested in this, but once I did I really liked the plot.  The setting was London and Paris during the turbulent years of the French Revolution.  In Prague I found a great little used book store and picked up The Choir by Joanna Trollope.  This was a quick, enjoyable read.  I also found The Loop by Nicholas Evans.  This was about a woman who was sent to a Montana town to help save some wolves that the townsmen wanted to kill.  I liked this mainly for the setting and not the main character.  I thought the main character was too wimpy, but I loved the descriptions of the woods, the wolves and their lives.   In Amsterdam I read The Past is Myself by Christabel Bielenberg.  This was about an Irish woman who married a German man in the early 1930s.  They lived in Germany through WWII and Hitler.  Her husband became involved in the Resistance while she took care of their 3 children trying to survive the bombings, the scarcity of food, and the general danger of living under a madman.  This was interesting to me to read what an everyday's German family was like during the war.    While visiting my cousin I quickly read Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  As a child, her books never captured my interest but today I love reading them.  I like being taken to a completely different time period and enjoying Laura's life.

September 2001s

In Greece Dad gave me a book, They Might Be Gods, by Richard Powell.  This was a perfect book for reading in Turkey and Greece because it was a fictional account of the Trojan War.  Powell uses the characters and story lines from Homer's The Iliad and The Odyssey, and adds his own character- Helios.  Helios is only briefly mentioned as a sun god in Homer's works, but Powell uses him as his central character.  He is a boy, possibly an illegitimate son of the Trojan king Priam, and we watch him grow up and experience the 10 year war.  What is interesting is that at the end Helios discovers that many worship him as a God based on exaggerated tales about his life.  Powell also gives normal lives to characters like Achilles and Paris, and gives a realistic basis for the god-like stories about them.   After reading this I switched to an old favorite of mine - Marge Piercy with Three Women.  Piercy has written an interesting range of novels from science fiction to political to historical.  This was a look at the loves of a grandmother, mother and daughter and their relationships.  Piercy seems to be very much into left wing politics and every book she writes has at least one character with similar views.  In this case it is the grandmother who is an extremely interesting character.  But, what I like more is that Piercy can write characters with entirely different viewpoints than her own and make them real.  After this novel I went for pure action with Trainman by P.T. Deuterman.  I discovered his books while I was in the Navy and really liked them because he is retired Navy and his books are often mysteries with the Navy involved.  In this case it was not the Navy but the FBI.  It was a good action read, though I was disappointed in his female character.  She was very flat.  After action I went back to some "women's books" with This Year it Will Be Different by Maeve Binchy and City of Gems by Joanna Trollope.  Both were one day, enjoyable reads.  I then switched to Virigina Wolf's Mrs. Dalloway.  I did not find this book very intriguing.  It was, for the most part,  stream of consciousness and lacking in plot.  Some of the characters' insights were interesting, but for the most part I was not captivated.  Perhaps it was just the genre, as I have never liked stream of consciousness. 

Immediately after September 11, Keith and I were constantly watching CNN to monitor daily events.  I found myself longing for an escape.  I wanted to read a pure escapist book and one about good versus evil.  In a second hand bookstore I found a favorite book of mine that fit the bill - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.  

In the second Harry Potter book, Harry again encounters the evil of the Dark Arts and Lord Voldemort.  And again, he with his friends, defeats this evil.  If I had children, I think this book would help them understand what has recently happened in the world.  In this book, like the other Harry Potter books, there are characters who commit terrible acts. And there is no reason for these acts, except for the fact these characters are purely bad (Lord Voldemort) or who are drawn to the bad side as a way to gain power (Lucius Malfoy and his father ).  

Additionally, this book explores racism. Rowling shows how  wrong it is to unfairly  discriminate against people because of their ethnic background.  Characters like Lucius Malfoy hate good people like Hermione because she is born of Muggle "non magic" people.  Malfoy and his friends believe only "pure bloods" can be wizards and treat those without pure blood with hatred.  This is reminiscent of the Nazis' theory and their belief that anyone with Jewish heritage was impure.  The Harry Potter books teach children how wrong this belief is by showing them the goodness of Hermione and how unfair it is to treat her differently with such meanness.     

The lesson I love most about this book is that the good guys' power is greater than the evil doers.  With perseverance and some sacrifice the good guys will win and defeat evil.  Which is what I believe.  

August 2001 

On this trip I have been able to read autobiographies of some truly great people. A Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela is my top recommendation. He is an amazing man. He fought for freedom for South Africans and as a result served 27 years in jail. During this time he did not give up the fight and due to his and the ANC's efforts, South Africa is a democratic country today; in fact it has one of the most liberal constitutions in the world. Today, by law, all South Africans regardless of race, gender, or creed are guaranteed equal rights.

This is the story of Nelson Mandela's life from birth to when he became South Africa's first freely elected president. Through his words I learned the history of South Africa and specifically about his experience. He was born in a village and during much of his early years he was not affected by white oppression. It was when he began to pursue an education that he experienced and saw the unfairness in his country. Just a few small examples: Black Africans had to carry passes to travel, only a few advanced schools were open to them, they (70% of the population) could only live on 13% of the land. And so on.

As Nelson Mandela grew older and worked to obtain his law degree, the situation grew worse. An Afrikaner (White South African with German Dutch origins) of the National Party became South Africa's prime minister. Although the previous leaders of British descent by no means promoted equality, the majority of Afrikaners considered themselves a superior race with much harsher thoughts about the native South Africans. Apartheid was established and everything separated - blacks could only live in certain homes (often in townships with no electricity), could only attend schools (receiving far less funds than white schools), could only hold certain jobs, had essentially no legal rights, and could be kicked out of their homes if their neighborhood was declared "white only" Black Africans could not vote or provide any voice in the system. This caused Mandela, who became a lawyer, to fight for a democratic country with the ANC. The ANC was for "one man, one vote" and along with black Africans, white and Indian South Africans were members.

Originally he was for non violent actions, but after decades of no response from the government to sit ins, strikes and such, Nelson Mandela believed the black South Africans were being forced to turn to some forms of violence to achieve results. He was for sabotage, because it was violence that harmed the least people but damaged vital infrastructure. 

The ANC and almost all parties in opposition to the National Party were eventually made illegal. Nelson Mandela went through a 2 year trial and was sentenced to life imprisonment. He served 18 of his 27 years on Robben island. Much of his imprisonment was harsh - hard labor, small amounts of food, being able to receive letters once every 6 months and more. Even with all of the hardships he continued to pursue freedom for his country in whatever way he could. While he was inside the freedom movement outside flourished. Toward the end of his imprisonment, the government finally realized that South Africa needed to change its ways. The government initiated talks between Prime Minister Botha and then Prime Minister de Klerk and Nelson Mandela.

By 1993 the result was a new constitution and the first free election. In his 70th decade Nelson Mandela became a free man and the leader of a free country. 

Egypt was the hardest country to find English books! Every other country had lots of secondhand books available, but not in Egypt. Still, I was able to find the latest Maeve Binchy, Scarlet Feather. As with every Binchy I enjoyed it. After that I read some Agatha Christie's Final Cases of Miss Marple, a collection of short mysteries.  I never enjoyed her books until the past few years; now I really enjoy her story twists. After these I purchased another Mahfouz - The Beginning of the End. This was about an Egyptian family who loses everything when their father dies. As the last book it was quite depressing and many of the characters tragic, but I found it a very interesting portrait of a family in Cairo during the 1940s. In the mood for something a bit lighter, I picked up another Agatha Christie, this time a non-mystery book (she wrote some under another pen name); it was about 2 sisters and obsessive love.  I was surprised to find that the book's characters were very well developed as I thought all her novels were mainly plot centric. Once in Greece finding English books became pretty easy. I bought Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham. This was an enjoyable light read for children and adults. It followed the adventures of a water rat, mole, toad and otter. In Nafplio our pension had a library of used books so I was able to exchange. In return I picked up Taltos, by Anne Rice, an author I do not normally read. I was surprised to find an intriguing plot; the only problem was it was the third book in a series of three about witches. It would have helped to understand the history as it involved quite a bit of "supernatural" beings. Meeting my parents brought a whole new set of books.  I started with a book of my Mom's by the author of Bridges of Madison County.  It was a love story of a bit of a rebel, a professor, who ends up falling in love with another professor's wife. She is a bit mysterious with a past in India.  In fact, what I really enjoyed was that part of the book is set in India and I could relate to his travels through the country.  After that I read the book I gave Keith for Christmas, Around the World in 80 Days, by Jules Verne.  It was about a man who bet he could cross the world in 80 days during the 1800s. The escapades he encounters along with his French assistant are very amusing and a quick read. However the ending was a bit trite and not following the rest of the book's voice.

July 2001

When we visited the District Six museum in Cape Town, I bought the book Sala Kahle District Six by Nomvuyo Ngcelwane. District Six was an area of Cape Town that was mainly inhabited by blacks, coloreds (In South Africa, the term colored is used for a race where there is a mixture of black and other races) and Muslims. Although there was much poverty, there was a great spirit of community and it was a vibrant area of town. Generations of families lived here. That is, until the 1960s. In the 1960s the government decided that District Six should be a "white only" zone. The next years were spent forcibly removing all non-whites to the townships. This book is not about the forcible removal, but a celebration of an African woman's life in District Six. She takes us through the joys of childhood as she grows into a young woman. Her life is filled with community activities - church, music, theatre, school. Her family and friends form a tight knit group and are always there for one another. In contrast to the joys of Nomvuyo's life, she also dealt with the harsh reality of discrimination.  On a daily basis she and all in the community dealt with incidents such as badgering by white police, separate schools for each race, having to obtain and carry 'passes' when going to different parts of the country. It was sobering to read that these incidents were just a typical part of her life.  What this book is really about is the human spirit. Though the residents of District Six were poor and subject to intense racism, they thrived and got everything they could out of life. They formed a community where people looked out for one another. As I read this I enjoyed dances, picnics and movies with Nomvuyo. But the whole time I was enjoying with her, I knew the hard ending - District Six would only live on in memories and books like hers. By the mid 60s, she and her family were evicted and forcibly removed, along with the entire community.

I started July with a very light and fun book - the Persian Pickle Club. It was a fiction book about a group of women in a quilt group during the depression. A day's read and very enjoyable. I moved on to Keith's recommendation - The Man in the Iron Mask by Dumas. My grandmother loved Dumas and gave me a whole set of his books that she had for years. I never could get into them until this one. Lots of action set in France during King Louis the XIV reign. I now want to read the predecessor - The Three Musketeers. On the safari I took a book I have been holding onto - Streets of Laredo, the sequel to Lonesome Dove. Yet again, McMurtry does not disappoint. This book was filled with intricate characters - it was particularly interesting to see how Woodrow Call's character developed. In the previous books it was hard to know him, but with Gus dead, McMurtry concentrated on Call. I feel I have met these characters, which seems a sign of a great book. Once in Egypt I read a Mahfouz book, Autumn Quail. This was set immediately after Egypt freed itself from Britain and had self rule. It is the sad tale of a government worker who lost all he had by the change of regime. 

June 2001

In preparation for South Africa, I read a book from high school - Cry the Beloved Country. This is a simple and poignant novel which follows a Zulu parson on his journey to Johannesburg in search of his son. The setting is the 1940s and it gives great insight into South Africa's history of racial and social problems, yet it is not without hope. Next was an extremely light and amusing book, Fielding's sequel to the Bridget Jones Diary - Edge of Reason.  I then was lucky enough to pick up another McMurtry, his most famous, Lonesome Dove. This makes my list of favorite books. Toward the end of Australia, Keith and I found a sale of books - 5 classics for $10.  Sense and Sensibility, Tom Sawyer, and Huck Finn were like old friends - they didn't disappoint. However, the Picture of Dorian Gray, did. I disliked Oscar Wilde's portrayal of a man who wished a portrait of him  would age but he would not. He gained his wish and as a result lived a life of vanity and selfishness. I did not like any character within the book, so I found it difficult to remain interested. 

May 2001

Tonga gave me time to read a lot of books. During our stay I read another McMurtry - The Last Child, a book about a mother who has just discovered her estranged daughter has died. Again, I really enjoyed it, though not as much as his others. I read a love story, The Bridges of Madison County, and it was all right, but I read it after I finished The Notebook which was a much better love story. I read a non fiction account about life on the Vavau islands in Tonga. This was written by Pat Matheson, titled 'Utulei, My Tongan Home. She moved there in her twenties as a teacher, married a Scottish doctor already living on the island, and then stayed for her life. It is a great account of life on Tonga, and the Tongan people. I really liked it because you could tell she loved and respected Tonga and its people.  I started May with one last Indian fiction - Raj. This was about a woman who was first the daughter than the wife of a Rajasthan maharajah. The book followed her and India's changes as India went from British to self-rule. After Raj I read Dead Man's Book, the prequel to Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. As always, I loved McMurtry's book. Great plot and in depth characters. In between the next Larry McMurtry book I read Madame Bovary. I never read this in high school and thought it might be interesting - it was. The  setting is France in the 1700s and Madame Bovary is a woman with a vision of how she wants her life; she is unhappy because her life does not live up to the vision. She is married to a man who loves her, but she considers him dull and coarse; as a result she has two affairs and spends all of their money; she does not come to a good end.

While on this trip, I have read a lot of books about the countries we visit (both non fiction and fiction). I also am trying to read some classic literature that I missed in high school. The Notebook, by Nicholas Sparks, falls into neither category. But it was wonderful. The Notebook is a love story. It begins with an 80 year old man reading from a notebook to an old woman. The story he reads is about two young people who were separated as teenagers and find each other fifteen years later. The woman then must make a choice between the man she finds again or the man she is about to marry. The end of the book returns to the 80 year old man and woman. I will not tell anymore of the story, but just say it is a beautiful account of true love and friendship. The love is not all wine or roses, nor is it tragic - it is an enduring, lasting love of two people. Reading this book even made me cry - and not many books do that. Anyone reading this book will come away from it appreciating and cherishing each minute they have with the person he or she loves.     

April 2001

After visiting the Tibetan influenced villages of Kagbeni and Jharkot, Keith really wanted to read a book about Tibet and Buddhism. He found Freedom in Exile and after reading it, recommended it to me. I now would recommend it to everyone. This is the autobiography of the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet. Tibetan religious leaders determined that he was the reincarnation of the previous Dalai Lamas when he was 2 years old. In his youth, in addition to becoming Tibet's spiritual leader, he became their head of state. He led Tibet during the time when China forcibly took over their country. Eventually he was forced into exile and since then has led Tibet's government in exile from India. This book is his story of his life, Tibet's current history and his thoughts on politics, religion and life. My main feeling after reading this book is that I would love to meet the Dalai Lama - his words are intelligent, compassionate and at times quite funny. He is very open minded and dedicated to humanity. Since exile he has worked for peace and freedom in Tibet and throughout the world; he was the recipient of the Nobel Prize for Peace.  In addition to learning more about the Dalai Lama and gaining a better understanding of Buddhism, I learned more about Tibet's current history.  I knew that China forcibly took their country, but I did not know the atrocities the Chinese inflicted on Tibetans. The Chinese government not only destroyed many of Tibet's religious structures, but also has physically harmed and killed thousands of Tibetans over the years. And this includes Buddhist nuns and monks. They have attempted to destroy the Tibetan culture and their religion. Given China's human rights history that I am more familiar with (eg Culture Revolution) it is not hard to believe this.  Even though it has been nearly 50 years since the Chinese took over Tibet, the Dalai Lama does not give up hope for his home country. What will remain with me most from this book is the Dalai Lama's optimism for the future and his belief in mankind. In his words, "In the end, people's love for truth, justice, freedom and democracy will triumph. No matter what governments will do, the human spirit will always prevail." 

In India I picked up a few good Indian fiction books. One, Inside the Haveli, was about an educated Bombay woman who, through an arranged marriage, married into an old fashioned family in Udaipur. The book is about her life and marriage - both Keith and I found it very interesting because it is a life so different from our own. The family lives in purdah, meaning the men and women live separate lives in different areas of the haveli, and the women wear veils and lead very closed lives. However this book is not a condemnation, but a realistic (as far as I know), look at a  woman's life. Geeta is often frustrated with the closed life, but also respects the haveli traditions and actually enjoys a good marriage with her husband.  I then read Feast and Famine, another book about a woman, a 'spinster' who lives with her parents after they lost two dowries trying to marry her off.  Herman Wouk is one of my favorite authors so I was quite pleased to find one of his books, Inside Outside, in a Pokhara used bookstore. I wrote my high school term paper on Wouk and have re read many of his books since then, but I had never read Inside, Outside. I believe Wouk is a great writer because he follows the golden rule of writing - Write about what you know. For this reason his books always seem to ring true. Having experienced World War II and served in the Navy, he wrote great novels such as Winds of War and The Caine Mutiny. Wouk is also devoutly Jewish and has an great understanding of the Jewish experience both in the US and Israel. Inside, Outside is a fictional story of a Jewish lawyer working for Nixon, but the story focus is on his childhood and then young adulthood. Israel David Goodkind grows up in New York with parents who immigrated from Russia; this story is both about being Jewish in the "New World" and just being a young man growing up. Wouk's stories about Goodkind's life are sometimes funny, sometimes romantic, sometimes heartbreaking, and always are honest in terms of emotion. Wouk is great at bringing people alive and making me care about his characters. Once I care about the characters I learn from them and their lives. In this book I gained a better understanding of Judaism and Israel's history in addition to just enjoying a story. After our second trek I read Annapurna Circuit, a journal of one man's travels on the both the Annapurna Circuit and Annapurna Sanctuary trek. It was fun to read because we just trekked to many of the same villages and I could relate to his observances. The only item that irritated me about the book was his attitude, at times, about other trekkers and tourists. Occasionally he seemed to portray Westerners and its culture as ruining parts of Nepal, when he is a tourist and a trekker. I agree that tourism, particularly in the mountains, needs to be managed, but that definite gains can occur with the modernization that tourism brings (e.g. better health facilities, more money for families) and culture still can be retained.  Overall though, his book was not preachy and was a fun read. Prior to the trek I read Passage to India by E.M. Forster. This was an interesting portrayal of Indian - British relations during colonialism. The book focused on an Indian doctor, Aziz, and his relationships with the British. From these relationships I gained an understanding of some overall feelings - the superiority many British felt over the Indians, the misunderstanding the Indians had of the British and their customs, the efforts of some on both sides to be friends and the many obstacles hindering that.

March 2001

I started the month with a book set in the good ole USA, Zeke and Ned by Larry McMurtry. McMurtry is one of my favorite modern writers. He is great at creating an exciting plot and developing interesting, in depth characters. This was no disappointment. Zeke and Ned are Cherokee warriors and it is about their lives in the 1800s, specifically dealing with a white America and maintaining their Cherokee culture and heritage. Next I read a book my brother and sister in law sent in a care package, Left Behind. This is a Christian action apocalypse series that is very popular. Basically it is the fulfillment of the book of Revelations set in today's world. I definitely found it thought provoking as the authors (written by two) hold different views than my own. From there we went on the trek, where it was hard to concentrate on my books at the end of the day because I was so tired. I read No Full Stops, a book Keith recommended. This was written by a BBC reporter who lives in India and is a compilation of different stories about India. They ranged from Hindu Muslim relations to a story about a village wedding. The stories had interesting starts, but the author would go off on a tangent and I lost interest by the end of each story.

February 2001

In Vietnam I enjoyed Blind Man's Bluff after Keith completed it. This detailed much of the US naval sub history compiled from interviews with both Russian and US former officers. I found this extremely interesting as it told a lot of behind the scenes Cold War secrets. After that both Keith and I read a short book about Nostradamus. This was definitely written by a believer that he was a true prophet. Some of his arguments were compelling, but I would like a more unbiased book. I then read Zeke and Ned, a fiction novel by Larry McMurty, one of my favorite authors. He is great at personalities and bringing a time and place alive. Zeke and Ned are Cherokee warriors and it is about their lives in the West. I loved it! A quick read after that was Are You Experienced by Sutcliffe. This was a funny, fiction novel about a British guy on his year off before university. He travels to India because he wants to get this girl in bed while she wants to experience India. It was really funny as it made fun of backpackers who pretend they know all about the world and life...we meet some like that! While in Bangkok I swapped books at our guesthouse and read Southern Cross by Patricia Cornwell. This is the second in her new series with a female cop and this time it was located in Richmond. At first I thought it was a bit silly (she includes the main characters' pets' thoughts) and jumped from one plot line to the next, but then it started to amuse me. Overall, a good quick read. Next up was a bad choice - Going Down Fast by Marge Piercy. Normally I enjoy her books - they are very different one to the next. Some are futuristic with a bit of sci fi, others more historical, and all normally contain her left wing views (I don' t agree with all of them, but they are interesting) and rich characters. Not this one! I did not like a single character. It was set around the 60s/70s with characters who I just did not like. I almost tossed this book out, but ended up finishing it because of a long train ride. 

January 2001

Gap Creek, another book about a strong woman, I highly recommend. It was a quick read and kept me busy during a long bus ride. After Keith finished Hitchhiking in Vietnam, by Karen Muller (a Christmas gift from me) I read it. Extremely interesting account of a woman who took seven months to basically find the "real" Vietnam by traveling to the Mekong villages, the hill tribes up North and other non tourist areas. Her tales of the affects of 20th and 21st century innovations in their lives are captivating. The only thing I did not like was that she was a bit condescending. Next I read Erawana Shrine and Brahma worship in Thailand - all about Buddhism and its link to Hinduism in Thailand. Buddhists in Thailand worship the Hindu God Brahma. Pretty interesting stuff - very much helped me understand Theravada Buddhism and Hinduism better. 

Mom started me reading The Independent Woman by Howard Fast and I enjoyed it as a fun read until the end (which I won't reveal). It is a fiction novel about Barbara Lavette, a strong feminist and political woman. In this book, apparently it is a series, she is in her late 60s and discovers love with a Unitarian minister. I really liked this aspect of the book because Keith and I have occasionally attended a Unitarian and this gave some good insight into that religion's philosophy (focus on the goodness of man and treat others in this manner).

I finally read The Autobiography of Malcom X, as told to Alex Haley (another of my favorite authors - Roots and Queenie) and it was great. Keith is reading it now and it gives us such interesting conversation topics. In school we never learned much about Malcom X, I vaguely thought of him as an angry and violent leader. I was right about the angry, but not the violent, and there is so much I did not know. Malcom X was a great leader. I do not agree with many of his beliefs, but respect what he did. To start the book goes through his childhood - his father was killed by Ku Klux Klan, and 4 of his uncles died unnaturally due to similar people. In the 8th grade, when he was top of his class, Malcolm was told to do something with his hands rather than be a lawyer. He then went into a life of crime until the inevitable - jail. Jail was a turning point. For 8 years he read and educated himself - he read the dictionary, philosophy and more. He became Black Muslim, believers in Islam, but a sect of Islam not approved by the Islam of the East. The Black Muslims believe all white men are evil and the white man is an "unclean" descendant of the black man. Malcom X became a Black Muslim minister preaching separatism, and that all whites were the devil. Being a white person, I cannot agree with this, but I see where his voice was needed. He provided an angry voice that pushed the white man to think about his actions. As one person put it, "He was a man." He let black people know they should not fight racism for equal rights, they should demand it and be proud of themselves. What makes him a truly great leader, in my mind, is that he did change. After realizing some of the faults of Elijah Muhammad, leader of the Black Muslims, Malcolm went on a Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca. There his entire viewpoint changed - he found "colorless" people, white people he believed were without racism. He then decided there could be brotherhood, and that is evil was not born in the white man, but comes to him by society and upbringing. But just as Malcom X was starting his own group, with this enlightened belief, he was murdered, reputedly by Black Muslims. I learned so much from this book, and it has really made me think, which makes it a great book.

December 2000

This month's recommended book is The Red Tent but Anita Diamant. I never would have picked it up except it was chosen by the book club - and I am so happy it was. This book is all about Dinah, who only receives a brief paragraph in the Bible. Ms Diamant combines her imagination and great knowledge of biblical times (this is her first fiction, she has written several non fiction Jewish books) and customs to create a complex, rich look at Dinah's life. I enjoyed it because it brought to life women in the bible. I have always wanted to read a study of woman in the bible because I believe there are some strong women whose whole stories were not told, as the Bible was scribed by men. This helped me think about what their spiritual, and everyday lives may have been like. The story was also so interesting because it explored the great love between Dinah and her "mothers", and in  a way compared to the great romantic love she experienced. In this book Dinah and her mothers are brought to life through their feelings. Combine this with a plot of biblical twists and turns, and the history and geography of the Old Testament, and you get a novel you cannot put down.

To end the month I read a non fiction book - Don't Let Goats Eat the Loquat Trees by Thomas Hale. This is about the 12 years Thomas and his wife (both surgeons) spent as missionaries in Nepal. Much of this book was too preachy for me, and to be honest though he was very giving I did not take to Thomas personally. The good aspect of this book was the account of the Nepalese people and their lives, particularly those in rural (most of the country) areas. For that reason, I am glad I read it. I decided to try another Agatha Christie - Death on the Nile.  I am still not a big fan, but enjoyed it for a quick read. I gave Keith The View from a Monastery by Brother Benet Tvedten for his graduation. After he read it, I read it and thought it was great. It is vignettes from Brother's Tvedten's life at the monastery. From a section on their animals, to a chapter on the books the read to the changed over the years, it was a simple and interesting book to read. I never knew what life was like for a monk and this gave a glimpse of everyday life and I could feel some of the reasons for choosing such a life.For fun I decided to read a lighter book by Diane Mott Davidson - The Grilling Season. I was quite disappointed...the plot moved very slowly and was not nearly as humorous as previous seasons. Also for fun, I re-read The Firm, and it was as good as I remembered. Another Maeve Binchy review, this time the book is The Glass Lake. I love her books and cannot put them down. Unfortunately, I just read she is writing her last novel. This novel began in Lough Glass, Ireland and followed the life of Helen McMahon who leaves her husband and 2 children to flee to her true love. Due to odd circumstances her family thinks she died and by the time she finds out, she realizes it is too late to let them know the truth. She must live her new life. The books follows her life and perspective and parallels with the daughter she left behind. Their lives intertwine. Many emotions are explored in this book and, as always, great insight into the many types of love and relationships in this world. The ending was sad, but not. Another Maeve Binchy review, this time the book is The Glass Lake. I love her books and cannot put them down. Unfortunately, I just read she is writing her last novel. This novel began in Lough Glass, Ireland and followed the life of Helen McMahon who leaves her husband and 2 children to flee to her true love. Due to odd circumstances her family thinks she died and by the time she finds out, she realizes it is too late to let them know the truth. She must live her new life. The books follows her life and perspective and parallels with the daughter she left behind. Their lives intertwine. Many emotions are explored in this book and, as always, great insight into the many types of love and relationships in this world. The ending was sad, but not.

November 2000

Despite our busy three days in Bahamas, I still managed to read two books. The first, Sleeping Murder, by Agatha Christie. I never have been a mystery book reader, but found this very intriguing. For some reason when the holiday season approaches, I feel an urge to read mysteries. I then read A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks. I read this on the plane and was immediately drawn into this coming of age book about a young man in North Carolina. Through an unexpected love, he learns the meaning of compassion and selflessness. After that I read Growing Up which was for the book club. While at Mom M's I read Patricia Cornwell's Black Notice, this is her darkest Kay Scarpetta novel and it was quite good. From there I read another Maeve Binchy, Echoes, and everyone can just read all my other Binchy reviews because I loved it for the same reasons I loved the others. I also read a book by Joanna Trollope about two older men and their much younger wives, however I cannot remember the name. Trollope, Binchy and Pilcher are my "British" authors; I enjoy their books not only because of their relationship studies and character depth, but also because I learn more about Great Britain - customs, geography and the people. Over the holidays, I read Travel Journeys by Janet Anderson. Janet is an RTW traveler and this book is from when she and her husband camped across the world; when I sent a survey to RTW travelers she responded and sent me her book, which was a really cool thing to do. The vignette about her trek through Nepal is my favorite, as we will be going on a similar trek. For the book club (which I missed again) I read Growing Up by Russell Baker. This was an autobiography of his childhood with a focus on his relationship with his demanding, yet loving (to him) mother.  

October 2000

While visiting Sheila and Ron at their new home in Vienna, VA, Sheila gave me Breathing Lessons to read by Anne Tyler. This was about a husband and wife and a day trip they take to a funeral. Through their conversations and thoughts, I gained an understanding of their 28 years of marriage. I liked the book, but found it sad. Though they loved each other, both seemed a bit sad, as though life did not provide everything they thought it would. It took me forever, but I finished Coming Home by Rosemunde Pilcher.  I checked this book out from the library and because it was a heavy hardback I did not take it on my trips. I was interested in it on and off. Basically it followed the story of a British girl, from when she was 14 until she turned 24. The time period was WWII so there were some interesting settings and historical events. As for the storyline, sometimes it was interesting and other times left me bored. Between reading this I read Mama Flora's Family by Alex Haley. This book I really enjoyed. This was a fictional book about the life of Mama Flora, a black woman, and her family. The story began in the 1930s as Flora is trying to raise her child; her husband was killed while trying to steal cotton to feed the family. The story continues to followed her and her children's lives as they migrated North for a "better life." Included are the civil rights movements, and Black Power and how Flora grows and learns about life.  But the basis of the book is family. Light a Penny Candle, by Maeve Binchy, was a perfect book to read after visiting my friends. This book is about the friendship of two girls, one English and one Irish, and their lives as they grow up. Though the live apart after age of 15, they maintain contact via letters, phone calls and occasional visits. There are times they were very close revealing intimate details of their lives and other times more distant. No matter what, they always remained there for one another and the strength of their friendship never diminished. I loved this book because it reminded me of my close friendships and belief that they will be with me all my life.

September 2000

My last 4 weeks has consisted of constant travel both for fun and for work, so books have been read in cars, planes and in airports. For the book club I am in, I read Saving Graces, a story about 4 close friends. Erin told me she read this book in the summer and she was right, that it was very insightful.  The one friend was battling breast cancer, which was a major part of the book but the main focus was the strength of their friendship.  To keep myself excited about our trip, I re read One Year Off, the true story of a family (three kids!) who traveled around the world for a year. It was inspiring to read that this couple could accomplish and actually enjoy a RTW with a 9, 7 and 2 year old in tow. T  I enjoyed Perfect Storm so much, that I decided to read The Hungry Ocean by Linda Greenlaw.  This is the true story of the woman fisherman, one of the best, featured in The Perfect Storm. This book is about one of her 4 week trips sword fishing and her crew. Though I found some of the detailed fishing information a bit mundane, I really enjoyed the stories of their lives on the boat and the interactions between she and the crew. In New York, I picked up Paper Daughter, the memoir of M. Elaine Mar. She emigrated to American with her mother and father to Denver when she is five. Though she achieves, and goes to Harvard, the memoir is about the difficulties of being poor and a minority living two worlds where the people in one do not understand the people in the other. She is her parents link to the American world and often resents their not understanding her hopes and dreams or the more simplistic things, like why she wants a t-shirt with her school name. It was not a happy book, but an interesting one. I read another Maeve Binchy's-Tara Road, about a Irish woman's life and marriage.  I always love Binchy's books as they give great insight into women's thoughts. Toward the end of the month I read Michael Chrichton's Timeline, a quick sci-fi/adventure read that also had a bit of Middle Ages history thrown in.

August 2000

I saved the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, for vacation and it was worth it. This is by far the best of the series, and I love the series.  

The beginning chapter does not involve Harry, but instead describes a murder in a small town. From this episode we learn that Voldemart is beginning to regain power. After the first chapter, Harry enters his fourth year at Hogwarts, starting the year with Ron and Hermione at the World Quiddich match. When school begins, he and his friends soon learn that Hogwarts is hosting the Triwizard Championship, where a champion from each European wizardry school (we meet several witches and wizards from other countries) compete. Of course Harry is somehow involved in all of these events along with our beloved characters. Mystery, adventure and even a little romance (he is 14 now) combine to make a fantastic read. 

While many have found the length of this book surprising, I believe it is more surprising that Rowling has delved deeper into the Dark Arts in this book. The fight with the Dark Arts is much more intense and we are given a glimpse of Voldemart's true power and the number of his supporters. Rowling also gives us more insight into the history of Voldemart, the dark arts and the results of his initial downfall. Rowling continues to show how Voldemart's supporters are vehemently against "Mudbloods"-those born of normal and not magical parents. Whenever I read this, I think of Hitler and his supporters as they attempted to eradicate what they deemed an impure race. I believe Rowling is trying to teach children a lesson at an early age. A child reading this would come away mad at those who harass mudbloods because it is unfair and wrong. This is a lesson I believe I would want my children to learn.

In previous books, Harry has dueled against supporters and ghosts of Voldemart, won, and then world was safe again. This book does not end as tidy end as those; I believe this will result in a continuing series of interesting books where there are significant battles against evil. As Harry grows older, we see him growing and maturing emotionally, and as such Rowling has him face more difficult challenges that not only can harm him, but friends, family and innocent bystanders. She continues to weave exciting plots and still give her characters depth and allows them to grow with each book. I will re read this book again soon.

During my many travels for work, I picked up the The Perfect Storm and read it in Illionois and on the plane. I enjoyed the book even more than the movie (not unusual). The book went into much more detail about the lives and work of fisherman. I never realized that career is one of the most dangerous. The book was quick paced as it involved much action from the storm (though it did not try to make up details of the lost boat) and events leading up to the storm .I read another "candy" type book-Sex and the City by Bushnell. This is the book the HBO show of the same name is based on. It is pretty funny as it is a collection of vignettes about the relationship and sexual activities of a group of mid-30s New York City women. I finally read Hearts of Atlantis by Stephen King and enjoyed it. His books always have that touch of "weirdness" and "other worldness", yet this really was about the people. The book was divided into 4 different sections and each was about a period in the selected character's life with references to the others. To keep in the travel spirit I am reading Peter Jenkins, Along the Edge of America. Peter first wrote, Walk Across America, about his walk across America when he was in his twenties. Now he is 20 years older, a successful writer, yet finding himself restless. He has divorced and remarried since his last book, Walk Across China. He decides to buy a boat and journey across the Gulf Coast. I enjoyed the first half of it where he was both learning how to drive his boat and meeting interesting people along the way, but now it is a bit boring. He is adept at the boat and in the past 50 pages the people he has met have not been as intriguing as in the beginning (example-he met a former drug runner who served his time and is now an IT executive). 

July 2000

I am excited about the latest Harry Potter, but have yet to read it. I am traveling a lot this month so I do not want to carry a heavy book. Instead I read The Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing; this was a light book following different stories of one woman's relationships. Through them you see her evolve...more or less a fun read. I also read another Diane Mott Davidson book. Her books are mysteries with the main character as a caterer. I continued with the kid's stuff and read Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I did not like this as much as a kid because it was not like the show (corrupted by tv!), but this time I enjoyed it. Her writing is very simple and from a child's point of view, yet I could picture the 1800s living. I also completed The Giver by Lois Lowry, this is a Newberry Award Winning book. The book is about a potential future and there are similarities to 1984; at first the people's lives seems very normal though much more structured by the government. Soon, you find they really are not allowed to feel true emotions. That is was the giver and receiver do; the giver  holds all memories of the past along with real emotions and he passes these to the receiver, the child who is picked to be the next giver. In this book the main character, a 12 year old, becomes the receiver and learns the truth about their society and learns to feel. 

June 2000

Because I enjoyed Hannibal so much I read Red Dragon, the first in his series. In this Hannibal was only a side character, but his personality is as memorable as in Hannibal, if less complex. The focus is on another serial killer-the Red Dragon. It was a very interesting psychological study as Harris "rounds" his characters out. The good guy is not pure good and the evil guy is not pure evil. 

I just completed Hannibal by Thomas Harris. This was very intriguing and disturbing, the end took me by surprise. This book is the sequel to Silence of the Lambs and in it we are reacquainted with Clarice Sterling and Hannibal Lector. It is 8 years later and Hannibal is living as an art curator in Florence. He is being pursued by a former victim, who himself is a sadist and plans to have Hannibal eaten alive by pigs. The disturbing part of this book is that I found myself emphasizing with Hannibal. Though a murderer, Harris gives him a sense of dignity and justice along with his brilliance and genteel tastes (except for his taste for human liver). The end (don't read ahead if you do not want to know it!) is that Hannibal escapes both the FBI and Mason is killed (not by Hannibal), but most surprising is that Clarice and he go off together. As unrealistic as it sounds as you read it, some portions make sense and are understandable. Hannibal redeems himself through Clarice and finds his humanity whereas as she finds herself. This book left me with an odd feeling.

 For our book club I have continued to read some children's books. I continued with C.S. Lewis with Prince Caspian  and Voyage of the Dawn Treader-the Christian symbolism was again apparent. I borrowed Niki's book, Little Alters Everywhere by Rebecca Wells. This book had the same characters from Ya-Ya Sisterhood and was more of a collection of stories from the characters. I completed another Maeve Binchy-The Lilac Bus.

May 2000

Lately I have been on a kid's kick. After reading The Copper Beech by Maeve Binchy ( a good Ireland tale of a village and its interesting people), I started both The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis and Many Waters by Madeline L'Engle. Reading these today is so wonderful because not only can I enjoy the fantasy, but also some of the themes I may not have recognized as a child. I remember as a kid feeling melancholy as I read the C.S. Lewis books and I now realize that though his stories are very interesting, the kids characters are flat. They do not seem like real kids, whereas L'Engles books combine great fantasy tales with real life kids. Also interesting is that both authors have spiritual elements in their stories. Lewis's spiritual influence is evident in his characters and the story lines. Aslan represents Jesus as he saves his kingdom by sacrificing himself and then returns from death to life. Edmund betrays Aslan, as Jesus was betrayed, and then realizes his sin and repents. L'Engles spirituality if not tied to a religion, but through her characters she encourages her readers to think about a greater spirit and how all the universe is tied together through unknown forces.

Yo by Alvarez was a story of a Dominican Republic author who grew up in America. Her life is told entirely from everyone's else's perspective-her mother, sisters and even her landlord. Through these stories I could hear her life and see her as a person. But without her own words, I felt something was missing. I could not really know who she was.

I finally read Mansfield Park, the only book by Jane Austen I had never read. It was good, but my least favorite. Her main character was too "good" and did not have much life to her. I much preferred Emma, a strong character. In this novel, characters with any flaw did not obtain a life of "perfect felicity". 

I re-read Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean Auel; it is as good as I remembered from when I was 12 or so.  I felt she portrayed a potentially accurate picture of evolving humans.  Ayla, one of the modern others, was adopted by the Clan, the more primitive group and represents the bridge of life between them.  Auel does a great job of bringing emotions and personalities to "primitive" humans while maintaining the limitations of their lives.  Who knows what our ancestors really felt and thought, but this book allows you to easily imagine.   I only wish she had continued such quality in her subsequent books.

April 2000

The best and most thought provoking book I have read this year is Warriors Don't Cry by Melba Beals.  This is her memoir of being one of the first nine black students to integrate at Central High in Little Rock, Arkansas.  This book opened my eyes to true hatred.  Hatred because someone looks different.  I cannot imagine living her life.  Each day she faced physical and emotional torment from students, parents and even teachers. Some of the National Guard stationed in Central High to maintain order would stand and watch as she was tripped down stairs or threatened with a knife.  Her mother's job was threatened, they received hostile and violent calls from morning until night, and mobs chased her each day.  She was 15.  How can people hate so much? What scares them?  With great courage and insight for her age, Melba survived that year.  She recognized her part in the struggle for a future. And amazingly, after all of this, she did not hate.  She harbored anger and pity at those who called her pain, but she thanks those few who helped them and seems to forgive those who did not. So she won. 

Street Law is up to John Grisham's early book quality and really intriguing.  It has caused me to really question what I am doing to help the homeless. The story line is that this affluent lawyer suddenly finds his "soul" after being held hostage by a homeless man in which the man is shot and dies.  The lawyer decides to really learn about the homeless; He visits the shelters and learns that they are real people with more problems then people realize.  And many freeze because there are not enough shelters.  Others starve. He realizes that he can actually do something as a lawyer to help. He gives up a $150,000 job to be a street lawyer at $30,000. As much as I volunteer to help this world, reading this makes me think that I can do more. 

For the book club I re read Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy, unfortunately I ended up traveling on the night of the book club.  But I did enjoy re-reading it.  I just finished High Fidelity which the John Cusak movie was based on. This was light, irreverent, from a man's point of view, about relationships; all in all, pretty amusing and 'cheeky'-it's a British book so I can say that. 

March 2000

In order to keep my excitement up for the trip, I am rereading a book We're Outta Here by David Wooten .  This is the memoir of a 19 month around the world trip by a young husband and wife.  His stories of their adventure are both funny and exciting. From the drunken Midnight Oil concert in Australia to their rainy trek through Nepal, each country brought a new challenge and good story.   It is interesting that I can feel his excitement and can glean that his wife was not too excited about the trip.  This time reading this book is more meaningful because we have decided to visit some of the same places so I am keeping in mind specifics.  Hopefully I will have a memoir with as many exciting tales.

Because I have been traveling I have been reading some lighter books.  I re-read Rose Madder by Steven King which was about a woman leaving an abusive husband.  He goes mad and attempts to find her as she gains strength by entering a picture she bought at a pawn shop (well, this is Steven King!) in which  she meets a woman a great power.  I also read Map of the World by Jane Hamilton which was about a woman and her husband as she undergoes a sexual abuse trial for a crime she did not commit.  I was so disturbed by this I actually read the last page to ensure it was not a terrible ending.  I enjoyed the book even though I did not particularly like the characters; it was a good psychology study.  While on the beach in Florida I enjoyed Some Can Whistle, by Larry McMurtry, another book in his saga of interweaving characters from other books.  McMurtry is a fantastic character writer.  Also on the beach I read The Honk and Holler Opening Soon by Billie Letts.

February 2000

In February the most significant book I read was Jewel, by Brett Lott. This is about a woman in the 1940s who has a husband, 5 children, and at age 39 discovers she is pregnant. This is a happy event, because she feels blessed to have one last child. Her own childhood was without much love as her parents both died and she grew up with a grandmother who disliked her. Jewel is a strong woman, and has found her own way through life. The first few months after her new baby, Brenda Kay, was born are happy for the entire family, but soon they all realize something is wrong. Brenda Kay is then diagnosed as a "Mongolian Idiot" (Down's Syndrome--cannot believe that phrase is what people called Down's Syndrome. Very cruel.) and given no hope for a life. Jewel's blessing is a smile and a hardship.   What I loved about this book was that Jewel remained true to her daughter, but the remainder of the family still stayed strong.  She sacrificed for her daughter, but it was a true family in that the others remained close and understood the sacrifice. 

During February I also read Girl Interrupted, a memoir a young woman who voluntarily committed herself to a mental institution in the 1960s and Braided Lives, by Marge Piercy which is a fiction account of a very strong young woman in the 1950s.  February I was into books where the central characters are strong woman.  All of Marge Piercy's books are like that so I can always turn to her. 

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