Book Review: Girl in Translation

Girl in Translation is a great, eye opening book. It is the story of a Mother & Daughter who move from Hong Kong, China to NYC. They viewed NYC and the US as the place where they could have a good life but it wasn't easy for them at first.

The Mother's Aunt had been living in the US and brought them over to NYC. She arranged for an apartment and also work for them....in a factory. They barely spoke English and had to suddenly survive in NYC in a crappy apartment and very hard work at the factory.

This story was eye opening because it talked about sweatshops right in Manhattan. I know there are 'factories' particularly that put together handbags right above Canal St. However, I didn't ever think that people would be paid soooooo little and that small kids would actually work there. I think a lot of us definitely take our freedom for granted and are reminded of this when we hear how others struggle to live here.

The characters in this story definitely go through a lot of growth and development. The book was a pretty quick & interesting read. I'd recommend it!

I did a quick search for sweatshops in the US and found these two articles about one in SF and one in NYC. I think this is a complicated issue...In these articles, it argues that it could or could not be a sweatshop. If you are not paying your staff minimum wage and adhering to labor laws, that could sum up a sweatshop. However, I have read a few articles on sweatshops in other countries and it basically says that the workers are just happy to have a job and make some money, no matter how little it is! For example, GAP and Nike get a lot of shit because their clothes are made in Malaysia or something (where EVERYTHING is made) but if you were to talk to a worker over there, they might tell you they are grateful for the work. So, I dont know - are sweatshops that bad?

Book Review: Kommandant's Girl

The Kommandant's Girl was a book about WWII and what someone will do to survive. To me, this book was similar to Those Who Save Us. It was the story of a Jewish girl, Emma, who wants to escape living in the Ghetto or being deported to a Concentration Camp. To do so, she has to hide her identity and friend the enemy.

Emma has a difficult job of keeping up a new identity and also remembering her past and helping her fellow Jews. This book was a quick read and gave another insight into WWII.

Book Review: Pictures of You

I was reading Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close and honestly, it is a hard book to read. I am not giving up on it yet but I put it down to read something else.

Based on a recommendation, I read 'Pictures of You'. It's the story of two women who are strangers to one another & get in a car crash. One dies, but her son lives and the other woman lives.

The surviving woman is drawn to learn more about the surviving son & his father. They all live in the same town and she begins to try to find out more about the family.

At the same time, the Father is trying to find out what happened to his wife & if she was living a secret life.

This book was an easy read but I really didn't care for it. The story wasn't that compelling and I didn't think it was a 'mystery' like Amazon will tell you it is. I thought that key info was revealed in chunks and it made for an awkward read. With all of the great books out there, you can probably skip this one!

Book Review: A Thousand Splendid Suns

A Thousand Splendid Suns is the second book by Kite Runner author, Khaled Hosseini. This book focuses on two women whose lives intertwine in Afghanistan.

The first woman, Mariam, lives with her single mother and has a father who refuses to accept her as a daughter since she was born out of wedlock. After trying so hard to get her father to accept her & trying to live with him, she is married off at the age of 14.

Laila is a young woman who has a loving family and access to an education. Her family is ripped apart due to war in Afghanistan. After Mariam & her husband take Laila in, they must survive the man they live with and the war that is raging in their own country. They must face the Taliban, hunger, and abuse.

This story started out slow for me and I was bored by Mariam's side of the story. The book definitely picks up in the second half of the book. The women endure a LOT in this book and some parts were hard for me to read - specifically, if they were getting physically abused/beat up. The violence shouldn't seem that crazy to me since I have been reading books about Concentration Camp but I think this book gave too much detail.

While I thought The Kite Runner was an awesome book, this one was a clear 2nd place. What I love about both books is how this is a historical fiction book and puts the political unrest in Afghanistan in perspective.

Book Review: Sarah's Key

Another really interesting & powerful WWII book! Just finished Sarah's Key this week and have to say this was pretty eye opening to read about an event that happened in France that I had never heard about or learned about in school.

The way this story was told was similar to Those Who Save Us; told by two people but the stories intertwined. I'm sure there is some literary word for this but I don't know it! The story is told by Julia, a woman living in France in the 1990's and by Sarah, a young girl living in France in the 40's.

Did you know that France participated in removing Jews and deporting them to concentration camps? I didn't. The Vel' d'Hiv Roundup took place in 1942 when there was a raid of Jews held by the FRENCH police. Why were the French suddenly following Nazi orders? Turns out the Germans began to occupy France in 1940 and gave the French police orders - which they didn't even question! The French Government also did not recognize this event publicly and only apologized for in in 1995!

The Vel' d'Hiv is short for the Vélodrome d'Hiver, a big stadium in Paris. Jews were pulled out of their homes (including children!!!) and brought to this stadium for days. They were barely fed and many people died. After surviving that ordeal, they were then shipped via train to concentration camps. Can you believe they separated the children from the parents? Its just so horrific to think about.

Sarah's Key is interesting because the joining piece of the past & present in the house that Sarah lived in and the one that Julia now lives in. Julia is a journalist given the task of writing about the Vel' d'Hiv anniversary and upon researching the event, she learns about Sarah, the house she lived in/is currently living in, and links together pieces of the past(& present) to find out what happened which in turn, changes Julia's life.

A very moving story...While reading, I couldn't help but think of Hurricane Katrina and how so many people went to the Superdome only to be without food/water. Many people died there, as well. While that was a result of the city not being prepared to deal with the pending devastation, did we have an unintentional Vel' d'Hiv right here in the US?

Definitely recommend this book!

Book Review: Those Who Save Us

I just finished a very powerful book called Those Who Save Us. The book is a story about a German woman during WWII who is living in Germany at the time. This is not a type of book I have read before and actually do not know of many books that show what it was like for Germans during this time; only Jews.

Anna was a young woman in Germany who fell in love with a Jew. After becoming pregnant with his child, she flees her town after he gets taken to the Camps by the Gestapo. On her own, Anna has to figure out her new life and how to get by during the war, raise a child on government rations, and try to stay alive. A German woman in love with a Jew, she begins to risk her life to try to understand what is going on at the Camps & send messages to prisoners.

Being a baker in town, Anna is approached by a Nazi solider about providing for his Army. Anna begins to lead a life that is quite questionable by anyone but throughout the book, it's hard not to ask yourself - what would you have done in her situation?

Anna's & her daughter, Trudy, now live in MN and Trudy is ironically, a professor of German History at a college. Trudy is embarking on a project that she recently received funding for where she is interviewing Germans who lived in Germany during WWII. After failing to get her Mother to tell her what it was like, she turns to strangers who begin to tell their story.

The book is told by both Anna & Trudy and towards the end starts to marry up with the story coming from Anna's point of view, things Trudy learns during her project, and Trudy's memories of being a child in Germany.

The title of the book, Those Who Save Us, truly shows the characters and how they were 'saved' in different ways. The Jewish love that Anna had saved her in a way from her boring life, her next "relationship" saved her from being destitute, and her final relationship saved her from a continuous life in Germany. For Trudy, the project saved her by teaching her about her past, her new boyfriend brought happiness into her life, and her project saved her again by bringing her & mother together.

As I have said before, WWII & the Holocaust really fascinates me. I truly could not put this book down and any chance I get to further hear the stories of that time period keep me energized to read the book. Totally recommend this one.

This is my 3rd book in a row that I just loved. I love it when you fall into a book and hate to see it end!

Book Review: Water for Elephants

I had a love/hate relationship with this book, Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. This story was so interesting to hear about the life of a circus on the road but I didn't like reading about any mistreatment to the animals. We all know I am a huge animal lover! But, I had to remind myself that this story was set in the post-Depression era when there was no Peta or advanced medical technology.

The story is told by Jacob Jankowski who is now in his 90's from is perspective from his nursing home and when he was on the circus tour. As Cornell Student studying to be a veterinarian, tragedy strikes his family and he leaves college. While roaming through town one day, a train comes through and Jacob jumps on, not knowing what the train holds.

Turns out that the train is carrying an entire circus to the next town. He quickly learns the ins & outs of being apart of such a peculiar lifestyle but not without some serious lessons in life. The relationships within the book made the story a very easy read, as well.

It was really fun reading this book and learning about the past. I'm so excited that this is coming out as a movie in April. Check out the movie website, here.


Water For Elephants Teaser

Sara Gruen also has some other books that look interesting. Anyone ever read any of these?

Book Review: The Help

I just finished The Help last night & I absolutely loved it. It is a story told by three people: Skeeter, Abileen, and Minny. It is 1962 in Mississippi and Skeeter is a White, recent college grad who returned home after college. Abileen & Minny are Black Maids who have been working in White homes for years and years.

It is the start of civil rights, before MLK made his speech & march in Washington. The rest of the country is moving forward with equality but Mississippi is a different place and behind in their ways.

Skeeter starts to question why there is still Black & White separation, why Blacks are still waiting on Whites, and segregation is still the norm. An unlikely project brings the three women together for them to work on changing things in Mississippi and for each other.

I couldn't put this book down. This book reminded me a lot of Secret Life of Bees, which was also great.

I realized that I really like stories about civil rights & equality- particularly books about slavery & the Holocaust. One of my favorite Broadway plays is Hairspray, too, because it has both of those themes.

I am super excited that The Help will be coming out as a film in August! Emma Stone(Easy A) will play Skeeter!

Book Review: Harry Potter 3

I finished Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban yesterday. This book was just OK for me. I felt there were a lot of unanswered questions throughout the whole book (like Hermione's schedule!) and it sort of dragged. Then, everything wrapped up in a few pages. It was a long story for a quick payoff.

I thought it was pretty cool when we figured out what was going on with Hermione and how it helped everyone in the end. I like the books because in each one, we learn more about Harry's parents & what happened to them.

I'm going to watch the movie of this one today. I also have Book 4 to read! I couldn't believe all of the people that were dressed up the other day for the premiere of Harry Potter 7. I knew people dressed up as the characters but I also saw grown men dressed in clothes that were subtely HP. A guy had on a soccer jacket that said Hogwarts on the back!

I do think it is really cool how this series of books has brought, basically, The entire world together. I was reading on the bus & a girl asked me what book I was on, if I had read these before, etc. It's something that millions of people have read & can connect through. That theme park at Disney has to be awesome, as well. Out of all of the make believe stuff out there, theme parks like that rarely get made. That has to be so fun for people to go to. And yes, Im sure I will end up there one day, too. (Kimmy, TL - Trip to Disney???) :-)

Book Review: Harry Potter 2

I finished another Harry Potter book last night. That is two books in about a week. These are such quick reads. They are very cute & I just want to see what is going to happen to Harry and his friends. It's so funny to me how I wasn't interested in these books for so long but then I pick one up & can't stop reading!

My coworker and I are reading them. She has read some & seen some of the movies so we are reading all of the books now. I finish one & pass it off to her. I went out and bought the 3rd book yesterday and she has the 4th one that I'll get afterwards. haha.

I have the first movie on my Netflix list and was mad when it was a Long Wait. Then, I found out you can rent movies thru Amazon. I had no idea! If you look up a movie, you have the option to buy it or rent it(like an On Demand movie) for about $3. How cool!

Well, onto the 3rd book - Prisoner of Azkaban!

Book Review: Harry Potter

Well, I have sworn I would never read Harry Potter. This is not my type of book nor did I care to give into the hysteria that is Harry Potter. I finished my book and wanted something to read on the plane so I took Harry Pottery & the Sorcerer's Stone from my Mom. I finished it during my flights!

Harry is pretty cute. I felt bad for him that he didn't know he was a wizard and that he had to live with his family that was mean to him. He does like to get himself in trouble though! The first book was interesting & a quick read. I took the second book, too. I will read that one this week. I think I might watch the first movie, too.

Don't think I will be showing up in Harry glasses to any movies anytime soon but I will admit the book was cute.

Even Silence Has an End

I just finished the memoir, "Even Silence Has An End" by Ingrid Betancourt. Ingrid was a Colombian Senator who was running for President under the Green Party. Ingrid stood for peace and wanted to end the war between the Colombian Army & the terrorist Guerilla army, The FARC.

While campaigning, Ingrid was set to go visit FARC leaders in the jungle. Her seat on a helicopter with security was given away so she took it upon herself to drive out to meet them, instead.

Ingrid was captured for SIX years by the FARC and lived in the Amazon jungle. She endured quite a lot during her kidnapping. She was always allowed to eat & bathe, though. She was stripped of most luxuries. However, the FARC did provide them with requests such as books or radios.

I saw Ingrid on Oprah & had heard about her ordeal. I hoped her book would be riveting but alas, it was not. It was actually pretty boring. For six years, all they did was move camps throughout the jungle and march to different locations. She did try to escape four times and during the captivity the French and the Colombian gov't pursued her release. I was really intersted and hoped to read about what life was like after she got out of the camps. The book drags on and on, I felt like I was reading the same thing over & over. Then, suddenly, they are released and it's over! I have tried to look up additional info on Ingrid to see what life was like after the release.

Her assistant, Clara, and some Americans were also captured. They have different stories than Ingrid. In fact, they have released statements that they do not care for Ingrid and hated her behavior in the camp. So, I am interested to read Clara's book next.

Here is one article that gives some info. You can also find her proof of life videos online. Also, they are making a movie out of this book!

In other news I am reading, & almost finished in a matter of hours, a book I swore I would never read. That is...Harry Potter. I have tried to read him in the past & had no interest. Without a book to fly home with, I thought I'd give him another try. He is a quick read & so cute! haha. So, of course, I'll probably read all of them so that I can know what happens to him.

Book Review: Zeitoun

I just finished Zeitoun and loved it. This true story is set in 2005 in New Orleans, in pre & post Katrina.

Through the story of one man’s experience after Hurricane Katrina, Eggers draws an indelible picture of Bush-era crisis management. Abdulrahman Zeitoun, a successful Syrian-born painting contractor, decides to stay in New Orleans and protect his property while his family flees. After the levees break, he uses a small canoe to rescue people, before being arrested by an armed squad and swept powerlessly into a vortex of bureaucratic brutality. When a guard accuses him of being a member of Al Qaeda, he sees that race and culture may explain his predicament. (NYT)

I was so shocked reading this book that this actually happened...in the US. It was eye opening to the craziness that went on post-Katrina, despite having seen the Spike Lee documentary.

It also reminded me how quickly we are to judge & stereotype when we are undeducated about something. I would bet that most Americans think 'terrorist' when they hear the words Muslim, Islam, Afghanistan, Middle East, Arab. But, how much do most people really know about any of those things. The Taliban is a terror group within Afghanistan, but that doesn't mean that everyone in that country is a part of it. They don't like the Taliban either. It's like how we have the KKK in the US - not everyone is a part of it. Wouldn't you be so mad if someone from say, Australia, thought everyone from the US was in the KKK?

Loved the book. Excited the author is coming to SF in October & hope to go see him speak.

The Kite Runner

I just finished The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. What an awesome book. I could not put it down. It's the story of two boys growing up in Afghanistan: Amir & Hassan. Hassan is the son of his family's servant and they are friends. Coming from different classes has its limits on their friendship. After an unspeakable event happens to one of their boys, their friendship is forever changed.

The story also provides a history lesson to the reader bringing us through the invasion of Afghanistan by Russia, Afghanistan residents escaping to Pakistan & becoming refugees, and the rise of the Taliban.

Amir & his father end up moving to the Bay Area of California which was interesting to read about. I loved reading about another culture, their rules & guidelines about how to handle certain situations.

There are many twists & turns in this book that made me not want to stop reading. Erik actually told me to 'put that thing down' (the book) because I was trying to sneak a read in while he turned his back during breakfast. haha.

Anyway, awesome book. Definitely recommend. I have the A Thousand Splendid Suns by the same author that is a book about two women in Afghanistan which I think I will read next.

The Color Purple

I just finished the book, The Color Purple by Alice Walker. I never had to read this book in school and wanted to read it because I have heard so much about it.

The book is written as a series of letters from the main character, Celie, to God. Then, they become letters to & from her sister, Nettie. Celie & Nettie are separated at a young age but write to one another. The book is set in rural Georgia in the 1930's.

The book started off explaining the abuse that Celie experienced from her step father & the children that resulted from that experience. The first third of the book reminded me of the movie, Precious. I really don't like books/movies like that because honestly, it shows me how bad the world is.

However, once the letters start between the sisters, I started to enjoy the book more. It really is a wonderful story about overcoming tragedy & finding out who you are and what you stand for. I really liked the story between the two sisters. Although they were separated for many, many years, they always knew ea other was alive & could feel the others presence despite not talking.

I definitely recommend this book not only because it is a classic but because the story behind it is one of hope & overcoming obstacles.

Book Review: I'm Down

Well, it took me two months to finish Empire Falls and two days to finish, I'm Down by Mishna Wolff. I love memoirs & have been wanting to read this one for awhile. Here is the synopsis:

Wolff details her childhood growing up in an all-black Seattle neighborhood with a white father who wanted to be black in this amusing memoir. Wolff never quite fit in with the neighborhood kids, despite her father's urgings that she make friends with the sisters on the block. Her father was raised in a similar neighborhood and—after a brief stint as a hippie in Vermont—returned to Seattle and settled into life as a self-proclaimed black man. Wolff and her younger, more outgoing sister, Anora, are taught to embrace all things black, just like their father and his string of black girlfriends. Just as Wolff finds her footing in the local elementary school (after having mastered the art of capping: think yo mama jokes), her mother, recently divorced from her father and living as a Buddhist, decides to enroll Wolff in the Individual Progress Program, a school for gifted children. Once again, Wolff finds herself the outcast among the wealthy white kids who own horses and take lavish vacations. While Wolff is adept at balancing humorous memories with more poignant moments of a daughter trying to earn her father's admiration, the result is more a series of vignettes than a cohesive memoir.

I love reading about other people's lives & liked this book. However, it wasn't very funny. I felt bad for Mishna throughout the entire book. She was blamed for everything, told she wasn't good enough, forced to do the sports that her father wanted her to do, and never really cared for that well. Erik and I were talking about how we grew up & we were never really forced to do anything. The cabinets were overflowing with food. We didn't really have to worry about a lot.

I thought this book was interesting to see how the white family tried to fit into a black community. They weren't black enough to fit in but when it was Mishna's turn to fit into a white school, she didn't quite fit there either. I recommend this book, just don't look for a ton of laughs.

If you are looking for a funny memoir, I highly recommend my favorite: Dark at the Roots by Sarah Thyre. Very funny.

Book Review: Empire Falls

I finally finished, Empire Falls by Richard Russo. It is centered in a small town in Maine and Miles Roby is the main character. Miles runs a local diner, Empire Grill. He is in the process of getting divorced and has a daughter, Tick. We soon find out that there is a powerful family in town that he is connected to in a weird way & that the matriarch of the family owns the diner he works for. His ex-wife is intending to marry one of his regular diner customers. He dreams of leaving ME and moving to Martha's Vineyard but Miles Roby is a responsible guy with deep ties to his little town in Maine.

This book has a lot of characters that are all intertwined. Some relationships are explored thru the book that I felt never had any meaning to the rest of the story. Or, other characters were talked about thru the book that didn't really contribute much to the book.

This book took me a long time to read(mostly bc I gave up my bus ride reading time) but also because it was nearly 500pgs and just not that riveting. There is a TV movie that was made that I am going to rent & see how that is.

This book was OK but I wouldn't really recommend it. I didn't see it as an exciting Pulitzer Prize winner.

Book Review: Cleaving

Just finished Cleaving by Julie Powell. This is the author's second book after writing "Julie & Julia". J&J was cute, fun, and light hearted. Cleaving is not. Now J&J was written back in 2005 so Cleaving takes place after that. In Cleaving, Julie wants to learn how to be a butcher. She becomes a butcher apprentice for six months. This book is also about her strange marriage and how she cheats on her husband for almost 2 years. So she cheats on him, becomes a butcher, tries to go back to him and ends up traveling alone for another six months.

The Butchery description of this book is DISGUSTING. I skipped over so much of it. I do not eat cows, pigs, or lambs so of course I am not reading that. I also do not want to read about someone cheating on their husband. The only part I liked of this book was reading about her travels. It made me want to go to Africa.

If you want to learn about butchery, I recommend this book. If you don't care to learn about chopping up animals, or reading about cheating on your husband, stay away. Overall, I do not recommend this book. Read J&J and see the movie instead.

20th Book of the year: True Compass

I just finished my 20th book of 2009: Ted Kennedy's memoir. It was pretty long but I really enjoyed it. It was very insightful to read about the past such as the 60's and hear what it was like for him to work with Jack & Bobby in politics.

He really fought very hard for healthcare ever since the 70's and social programs. He was also one of the first politicians to stand up for gay rights in the 70's. That was pretty much unheard of. As the youngest from a huge family, he became one of the most successful siblings.

To get an insight into the Kennedy family, the Senate, and Ted's life, check out this book. I recommend it.

My goal for 2010 is to read 25 books.

Handle With Care

I just finished the book, Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult. Here is the synopsis:

When Charlotte and Sean O’Keefe’s daughter, Willow, is born with severe osteogenesis imperfecta, they are devastated – she will suffer hundreds of broken bones as she grows, a lifetime of pain. As the family struggles to make ends meet to cover Willow’s medical expenses, Charlotte thinks she has found an answer. If she files a wrongful birth lawsuit against her ob/gyn for not telling her in advance that her child would be born severely disabled, the monetary payouts might ensure a lifetime of care for Willow. But it means that Charlotte has to get up in a court of law and say in public that she would have terminated the pregnancy if she’d known about the disability in advance – words that her husband can’t abide, that Willow will hear, and that Charlotte cannot reconcile. And the ob/gyn she’s suing isn’t just her physician – it’s her best friend.

My thoughts - This was my 2nd Jodi Picoult book. I loved My Sisters Keeper. I thought this book was too much like Sister's. It was mostly about the lawsuit and it dragged. It was a long book and I felt like the author was just repeating herself over & over. This is only my 2nd Picoult book but die hard fans tell me that all of her books are the same. Even though this was only 2nd book, I can tell you it was very similar to the first. However, I would try more books. Maybe others are more attention grabbing. I do not really recommend this book. It dragged, was a little boring, and of course, had twist at the end that I predicted mid-way thru the book.