My guess is that many of you will recognize that Jeremy and Britnie's website is where I got my inspiration for this posting. It is, in fact, the homepage on Jessica's compuer. I have decided to take the 52 books in 52 weeks challenge, so here's my report of the first three books:
Book 1:: This is Not Chick Lit: Original Stories by America's Best Women Writers by Elizabeth Merrick
I originally thought this book might just be angry responses to the modern Harlequin-type smut in their cotton-candy covers that adorn bookstore shelves these days, but when I picked it up in the bookstore and really enjoyed the first story, I decided to buy it and check out the rest of the contents. For me, this was a very entertaining read, and the stories were varied, interesting, and mostly smut-free. I don't know about "America's Best Women Writers," though. Talented, to be sure, but "best..." I'm not quite convinced.
Book 2:: Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri (writer of The Namesake)
I actually loved this book. I didn't realize when I first bought it that it is a collection of short stories, but it was fascinating. Indian culture is not something I am extremely familiar with, so there were some references that I didn't fully understand, but this is a book I would easily recommend regardless of that fact. Lahiri's style was very familiar and engaging, and it made the cultures of her characters very accessible.
Book 3:: Train Go Sorry: Inside a Deaf World by Leah Hager Cohen
This book was sort of a mix between memoirs and relaying the personal accounts of others. The author is a woman who grew up as a part of--or surrounded by--the deaf community because her granparents were deaf and her father was the superintendent of a school for the deaf in New York City. She (and her father) are both hearing individuals, but she gives very personal and detailed insight into the culture of the school and the politics of the larger community that her family was so involved in. She shows in detail how individuals were/are affected by legislation, stereotyping, and conflict between hearing people and deaf people.
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3 comments:
May I borrow the book of short stories about Indian culture? It sounds like a great read.
Of course. Just remind me before I come over one day, and I'll stick it in my humongous purse.
Thanks for sharing. I need to start a list of books to look for in the library.
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