This small paperback book by Julia Leigh was given 3 stars in a Good Reads book review and the author is praised by Toni Morrison for her "deft prose." I would agree with the 3 star assessment. "Disquiet" was a quick read but I found it a little depressing. It is a book about abusive relationships and is filled with loss -- loss of missed opportunities, loss of relationships, and loss of life.
Julie Leigh has also written "The Hunter" which I may or may not decide to read. The San Francisco Chronicle calls "The Hunter" "a memorable debut...."
pazt
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
"I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced"
I recently read this paperback book that I picked up from my library's "Best Bets" shelf. I think I expected that it might be a hard book to read but I found it very uplifting due to Nujood's spirit and determination.
I suspect a group of people or book club members could debate the morality of what may be typical in Yemen where Nujood lives but I try to remind (and caution) myself that cultures are different and I try to suspend judgement (not always an easy thing to do).
In Nujood's world it is not unusual for girls to be married at the age of 9. What is unusual is for a girl of that age to decide she will no longer put up with the abuse she is suffering at the hands of her husband and his family and she begins to reach out to find ways to get out of the situation. It is due to her determination and the assistance of an able female attorney and some sympathetic male judges that she became the first child bride in Yemen to win a divorce. She comes from a very poor family and education is suspended early in most families -- particularly for females -- but she is receiving assistance to continue her education and wants to become an attorney. Despite the anger of her father and brothers at the "shame" she has brought to her family, she continues to live at home.
There is a Reading Group Guide in the paperback version I read as well as some information on donating to help fund education for girls likes Najood.
On November 10, 2008, Nujood (at age 10 the youngest divorcee in the world) was named a Woman of the Year by Glamour magazine - a well-deserved honor she shares with Nicole Kidman, Condoleeza Rice, Hillary Clinton as well as others.
pazt
I suspect a group of people or book club members could debate the morality of what may be typical in Yemen where Nujood lives but I try to remind (and caution) myself that cultures are different and I try to suspend judgement (not always an easy thing to do).
In Nujood's world it is not unusual for girls to be married at the age of 9. What is unusual is for a girl of that age to decide she will no longer put up with the abuse she is suffering at the hands of her husband and his family and she begins to reach out to find ways to get out of the situation. It is due to her determination and the assistance of an able female attorney and some sympathetic male judges that she became the first child bride in Yemen to win a divorce. She comes from a very poor family and education is suspended early in most families -- particularly for females -- but she is receiving assistance to continue her education and wants to become an attorney. Despite the anger of her father and brothers at the "shame" she has brought to her family, she continues to live at home.
There is a Reading Group Guide in the paperback version I read as well as some information on donating to help fund education for girls likes Najood.
On November 10, 2008, Nujood (at age 10 the youngest divorcee in the world) was named a Woman of the Year by Glamour magazine - a well-deserved honor she shares with Nicole Kidman, Condoleeza Rice, Hillary Clinton as well as others.
pazt
Thursday, September 9, 2010
"The Titan's Curse"
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief / The Sea of Monsters / The Titan's Curse / The Battle of the Labyrinth (4 Volume Set)
"The Titan's Curse" is Book 3 in author Rick Riordan's "Percy Jackson & The Olympians" series. Although these are "teen" books, I have found them to be fun and fast reads. As in Book 2 ("The Sea of Monsters"), new characters are introduced and a "cliff hanger" of sorts at the end leaves me wanting to read on to Book 4. To learn more about Rick Riordan and these books as well as his adult mystery series, visit his web site at www.rickriordan.com.
12/05/10
Dear Readers,
Despite posting about having read this book, I totally forgot I had read it and just re-read it because I felt I was missing something. As I read it, parts of it seemed like I had read them before and parts felt like I'd never read them so.....is my memory going? Whatever, it was an even better read the second time around!
pazt
"The Titan's Curse" is Book 3 in author Rick Riordan's "Percy Jackson & The Olympians" series. Although these are "teen" books, I have found them to be fun and fast reads. As in Book 2 ("The Sea of Monsters"), new characters are introduced and a "cliff hanger" of sorts at the end leaves me wanting to read on to Book 4. To learn more about Rick Riordan and these books as well as his adult mystery series, visit his web site at www.rickriordan.com.12/05/10
Dear Readers,
Despite posting about having read this book, I totally forgot I had read it and just re-read it because I felt I was missing something. As I read it, parts of it seemed like I had read them before and parts felt like I'd never read them so.....is my memory going? Whatever, it was an even better read the second time around!
pazt
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
"The Yiddish Policemen's Union"
This large novel by Michael Chabon (chosen by my book club as the September read) is one of the ten books he currently has authored. He is also the Pulitzer Prize winning author of "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay" which one of my fellow book club members had read and she said it is a completely different read from "The Yiddish Policemen's Union" and she did recommend it.
As another book club member commented, "The Yiddish Policemn's Union" is a novel rich in detail. I found it a good read but I sometimes had difficulty keeping up with all the players as well as all the clues to the mystery (or mysteries within mysteries)because there was so much detail. I had clues throughout the book that could have helped me solve the murder mystery but, because they were scattered throughout the book and amidst all the details, I sometimes lost track of the clues. If they came up again, I had to search back to read about how they were first referenced.
I did like it well enough that I got halfway through the book and pulled my trick of skimming ahead to see how it ended then returning to read it in detail and fill in the gaps I'd missed by skimming. I didn't find it a particularly quick read -- maybe because of all the details -- but I would read more by this author. He took liberties in this novel with historical data and did an excellent job of setting up an "alternate world" that I found so believable that at times I was asking myself (and my spouse) if it were really true - Did it really happen that way!?
pazt
As another book club member commented, "The Yiddish Policemn's Union" is a novel rich in detail. I found it a good read but I sometimes had difficulty keeping up with all the players as well as all the clues to the mystery (or mysteries within mysteries)because there was so much detail. I had clues throughout the book that could have helped me solve the murder mystery but, because they were scattered throughout the book and amidst all the details, I sometimes lost track of the clues. If they came up again, I had to search back to read about how they were first referenced.
I did like it well enough that I got halfway through the book and pulled my trick of skimming ahead to see how it ended then returning to read it in detail and fill in the gaps I'd missed by skimming. I didn't find it a particularly quick read -- maybe because of all the details -- but I would read more by this author. He took liberties in this novel with historical data and did an excellent job of setting up an "alternate world" that I found so believable that at times I was asking myself (and my spouse) if it were really true - Did it really happen that way!?
pazt
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
"The Last Child"
The latest novel by John Hart (Steel Dagger and two-time Edgar-Award winning author of three New York Times bestsellers)is one I didn't want to put down once I started reading it. When I got sleepy, I reluctantly put it down but found myself wide awake at 4:30a.m. ready to start in on it again. In order (finally!) to get some sleep, I skipped through the remaining book to see what happened but still went back the next day to finish reading it line by line to fill in the details I'd missed. Thank goodness for a three day holiday weekend! The plot has well developed characters and is full of twists and turns that all come together at the book's conclusion and, if you've been reading my posts, you'll know this is one of my favorite type of reads.
The Washington Post has this to say about the book: "A magnificent creation, Huck Finn channeled through "Lord of the Flies."
Other sources compare Hart and/or his characters to those of Salinger, Dickens, John Grisham, William Faulkner, and Cormac McCarthy. Otto Penzler writing for the New York Sun suggests "If you value Harper Lee, James Lee Burke, Truman Capote and Michael Malone, you'll want to add John Hart to your bookshelf."
If you would like to learn more about John Hart and his books, go to his web site at www.johnhartfiction.com. I definitely want to read more of his work! I picked this book up at my local library on the "Best Bets" shelf but it is available in paperback if you prefer to own a copy.
If you decide to recommend this to your book club, discussion guides are available at www.readinggroupgold.com.
pazt
The Washington Post has this to say about the book: "A magnificent creation, Huck Finn channeled through "Lord of the Flies."
Other sources compare Hart and/or his characters to those of Salinger, Dickens, John Grisham, William Faulkner, and Cormac McCarthy. Otto Penzler writing for the New York Sun suggests "If you value Harper Lee, James Lee Burke, Truman Capote and Michael Malone, you'll want to add John Hart to your bookshelf."
If you would like to learn more about John Hart and his books, go to his web site at www.johnhartfiction.com. I definitely want to read more of his work! I picked this book up at my local library on the "Best Bets" shelf but it is available in paperback if you prefer to own a copy.
If you decide to recommend this to your book club, discussion guides are available at www.readinggroupgold.com.
pazt
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)