It’s Ramadan. I’m not Muslim, but I spend most of my time with Muslims, and Ramadan always kicks my butt. I spend my day doing normal things–helping a young woman get registered at college, taking my kids places–and then I go over to a family’s house at about 7:30, eat about 10, drink Turkish coffee, get home about 1. So here it is, 10 a.m., and I’m rocking a good headache and drinking coffee and I missed my gym class and I haven’t written my post yet. Unfortunately, since I’m not fasting, Ramadan is NOT a good time for me to miss the gym. Tonight promises to be more of the same.
But enough about me. Let’s talk about books.
This month, I read:
The Voluntourist: After the sudden death of his father, writer Ken Budd decides he’s wasting his life and he wants to give something back. He decides to participate in “volunteer tourism,” which is when you pay to go volunteer somewhere. He ends up going six different places, from helping autistic children in China to working in a Palestinian refugee camp, or working at an ecological camp in Ecuador.
Year Zero: This one was really fun, you guys. Apparently aliens LOVE Earth’s rock music, and they’ve been listening to and downloading our music since 1977, the year they date their calendars from now (i.e. year zero). They also have a law that they must respect the laws of whatever (primitive) society produced the artwork they enjoy. Now they’ve suddenly realized they owe every man, woman and child on Earth (except North Korea) billions of dollars. What are they going to do? Year Zero is a clever send-up of the music industry, science-fiction, and more. The bit about Microsoft had me in stitches. A fun, quick read.
Where We Belong: Marian got pregnant the summer after high school, deferred college for a year and gave the child up for adoption, and told no one–not even her own father. Now, 18 years later, the child is standing on her doorstep. How does keeping secrets change the kind of people we become, and how does it affect our relationships with others? This book about keeping secrets is told from both Marian’s and the daughter’s points-of-view. Enter to win a copy yourself here and read my interview with author Emily Giffin here.
Bullying Decoded: A most unorthodox take on how to deal with bullying. His writing style made me laugh as he dealt with this serious subject.
The Soldier’s Wife: I really like Joanna Trollope’s writing–she writes of ordinary people dealing with ordinary things, and she does it really well. The Soldier’s Wife deals with the impact of war on an ordinary family. Dan has just returned, physically at least, from a 6-month tour in Afghanistan. His wife Alexa is dealing with the fact that while he’s gone, she makes all decisions unilaterally, but when he returns they need to discuss things. Their marriage is in trouble and their friends and family gather round to try to help, or in some cases hinder. But it’s ultimately up to Alexa to figure out how far she’s willing to let duty carry her.
Shadows of the Workhouse: This was an incredible book that you should go read right now. Author Jennifer Worth worked as a midwife in East London in theย 50s, and although the workhouses had officially been closed, she met many people whose lives were irrevocably shaped by them. Worth writes their stories almost as fiction, in the sense that she includes lots of descriptions and motives, and she brings these people to life on the page. I feel richer for having met them, if that doesn’t sound too pretentious. The stories are heart-breaking (I totally cried) but Worth is a very balanced writer, presenting a little of the history of the workhouse and the good motives behind them initially. An incredible book, one that stands out in the myriad of books I read.
I’m currently reading:
Double Time: How I Survived—and Mostly Thrived—Through the First Three Years of Mothering Twins: I’m enjoying Jane Roper’s account of her twins’ early lives, because it reminds me of my twins’ early years. Although I have to admit, just to you and no one else, that I privately think she’s a wimp because I had twins AND a 20-month-old AND I didn’t get the occasional nights and weekends off that she does, thanks to generous in-laws. I took all 3 to the store and playground all the time! But I really am enjoying the book, mostly because it’s reminding me of the joy of twin toddlers. And yes, they are a joy–especially in hindsight. They were so cute! I miss their chubby little cheeks and sweet hugs. Sigh.
Immigration and Adaptation: How Immigrant Families Excel in North America: This is turning out to be a book written for immigant families, to walk them through various aspects of adjusting and provide them practical tools to help them. I’m hoping to incorporate some ideas into my day job.
Skios: a Greek island, a big foundation which sponsorsย a huge, boring lecture every year. This year, when demure, discrete Nikki is picking up the lecturer at the airport, instead she mistakenly takes home a grifter who thinks she’s cute. That’s how far I’ve gotten. It’s a farce and so far is shaping up just fine.
To Read:
The Jane Austen Guide to Life: Thoughtful Lessons for the Modern Woman: I’ve got to have the review posted in 4 days so I guess I should get going on this one ๐ It’s about how all you need to know in life you can learn from reading Austen. I’m hoping to get Ilsa to read it too, since she’s just starting out and all.
What You Wish For: a novel about those who become parents in non-conventional ways–IVF, adoption, etc.
Some Kind of Fairy Tale: another one where I read the first chapter and was totally hooked. A family is confronted by their daughter who disappeared in the woods 20 years ago. She claims to have been in fairy land. Was she? Or not? (I’m hoping she was, personally, but I’ll let you know next month).
So, what about you? What have you been reading? And are you affected by Ramadan at all?
12 comments
July 24, 2012 at 3:44 pm
mrs. bacon
Thanks for stopping by my blog. The Soldier’s Wife looks interesting having met my hubby while he was in the service and then dating during his overseas tour in Iraq. It was hard for many wives back home and several marriages did not make it.
July 24, 2012 at 3:51 pm
Cassandra
Thanks for increasing my reading list by 3! ๐ I’m adding The Voluntourist, The Jane Austen Guide to Life, and Shadows of the Workhouse to my list. All sound like really good books.
Happy reading!
July 24, 2012 at 4:22 pm
Amy @ Hope Is the Word
I don’t think I’ve heard of a single one of these! The one about the given-up-for adoption child appearing on the doorstep 18 years later sounds intriguing.
Nope, Ramadan doesn’t affect me at all. :-). (I still need to go to the gym, though.)
Thanks for stopping by my blog!
July 24, 2012 at 6:08 pm
Jennifer Wylie Donovan
Tried to leave a comment twice ๐ฆ
It looks like I have some reviews coming ๐ Some good ones! Gotta love those deadlines. We can post that one later Saturday if it will help.
July 24, 2012 at 7:14 pm
bekahcubed
I’m definitely going to be watching for your upcoming reviews this month. Quite a few of your current and up-next books are striking my fancy.
I’m not affected by Ramadan except that my mind is all out of whack with it coming in the middle of Summer this year. I’d gotten used to it being in the fall and winter (which it was when I was in college and paying attention to the Muslim calendar), and I’m having a hard time adjusting.
Your review of “Au Revoir Crazy European Chick” was one of the primary ones that had me checking it out of the library–yet I failed to link to it in my little synopsis. I should really correct that! (Off to do that now.)
July 25, 2012 at 7:34 am
Hellen
I haven’t read any of these, but Year Zero sounds good. Like a sci-fi comedy.
July 25, 2012 at 8:13 am
LIB
Reading (enjoying and HIGHLY recommend) ‘The Night Circus’ by Erin Morgenstern. Also reading the MSS for Leslie’s (Christy Winner!) latest.
I’ve put ‘The Jane Austen Guide to Life: Thoughtful Lessons for the Modern Woman’ on hold at the library.
July 25, 2012 at 8:14 am
Nicole
Can you imagine Ramadan at this time of year in, say, Finland? Or the Northwest Territories? When would you eat? Or imagine Ramadan falling in December in those places. You would only have to fast for like an hour a day. This is one of those things that boggles the mind.
July 25, 2012 at 8:45 am
Carrie, Reading to Know
๐ <– to your comments on Some Kind of Fairy Tale. I'll be looking forward to your thoughts on that one!
July 25, 2012 at 2:35 pm
Barbara H.
The Jane Austen Guide to Life sounds interesting!
July 25, 2012 at 4:35 pm
Gigi Ann
Haven’t heard of any of these books, but the “Jane Austen…” one sounds interesting, since I loved her books.
Thanks for your visit today.
August 4, 2012 at 8:33 am
gold account
Overall, The Soldier’s Wife is a good read that puts real human beings behind the headlines about post-traumatic stress disorder and other problems related to the return of soldiers to civilian life. That’s a topic that will become increasingly important as Nato troops gradually withdraw from Afghanistan.