What are you reading?

[Maria_H]

What are you reading? How has it informed and moved you? Are there other books on your reading list?

[Lauras1887]

I am readinf Snowflower and the Secret Fan. I just passed the first four chapters and am learning about an asian culture unlike my own. The book is interesting in that the story is well written. I am enjoying the relationships being fromed between the girls, women, men , and boys. Arranged marriages and the special way the women have developed nu shu or how to relate to each other after their wedding days is intimately written. i started the book this morning and just have to get back to it tonight to know where the girls in this particular family will be going and how the ones that are already gone are being treated.

[ande]

Do you like reading about women in other cultures, in general?

Message Edited by ande on 09-01-2007 11:53 AM

[kiakar]

---

ande wrote:
Do you like reading about women in other cultures, in general?

Message Edited by ande on 09-01-2007 11:53 AM

---

I also love reading about other cultures. I have read Snowflower and the Secret Fan and now am reading Peony in Love. Lisa See is a very fine and thorough author of Chinese customs.

I never knew even half of these customs before I read these books and I have read alot of Pearl Buck's also. The binding of feet was so compelling to me. The anguish I suffered just reading of it. How all of those girls endured that pain, can you imagine when your feet hurt, and having them bound to break bones? Ohh!

Also I have enjoyed "The Kite runner and "Many Splendid Suns" . Books of another entirely different culture that I knew little about. But we all should since that country is clearly in our thoughts and minds.

I feel we understand people better if we understand each culture to a certain point.

Also the woman who wrote "Reading Lolita " can't think of all the title or the author. But it told so much about Iran and their customs and government.

Women, are of interest to me also in learning about cultures, they have endured so much pain over the centuries and even decades and certainly still do, that interests me also. I think to learn of all this, could help some day or someone learn peaceful resolutions to some of our cultural problems in this world.

[Rhayvon]

I'm not really reading anything I just ordered a bunch of books though. Have any of you read anything buy Ellen Hopkins? Here books are cool or the book Go Ask Alice..... The Perks of Being a Wall Flower? Those are really good to... Hope to here from you.

[ande]

Have you read Monique and the Mango Rains? Since you and other club members are interested in other cultures -- and women in other cultures -- I think you'll love this book about the deep friendship between the author and a young midwife in Mali. It was a book club selection in the spring and we had a terrific month-long conversation with the author about all sorts of topics having to do with Africa, cross-cultural friendships, international healthcare, midwifery etc.

[Maria_H]

---

ande wrote:
Have you read Monique and the Mango Rains? Since you and other club members are interested in other cultures -- and women in other cultures -- I think you'll love this book about the deep friendship between the author and a young midwife in Mali. It was a book club selection in the spring and we had a terrific month-long conversation with the author about all sorts of topics having to do with Africa, cross-cultural friendships, international healthcare, midwifery etc.

---

Great book, Ande! Come join us for further discussion of this book here.

[KrisH]

Hello -

I just had to jump in, seeing that the conversation was veering into female friendship territory and specifically mentioned my book "Monique and the Mango Rains". It's been amazing to see how the word about the book (published by a small academic press) has spread from woman to woman, book club member to book club member. It's because readers can identify with our wonderful friendship; everyone has loved someone like Monique. The response reinforces my belief that strong friendship between women is universal, and exists despite differences in profession/race/class/culture/time zones, despite busy lives, partners, children, and high need pets. I think it just might be the glue that's holding the world together. And, I too am currently reading "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" and loving the voices and interaction of the two girls.

Kris

[IBIS]

I also finished reading MONIQUE AND THE MANGO RAINS. What a wonderful read... it was a window for me. It opened up new vistas of the universality of friendships between women -- despite wide differences in social status, economic backgrounds, nationalities and ages.

I also finished a wonderful B&N bookclub discussion on A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS.
It was an amazing look into the harsh lives of 2 women in Afghanistan during the Taliban reign.

Another book that I highly recommend that deals with an American woman who decided to travel to 3 countries to discover herself: EAT, LOVE, PRAY by Elizabeth Gilbert.
She takes a year out of her life to visit Italy, India and Indonesia, and finds out so much about herself. It's a lovely written book by a woman who is amazingly likeable.

[ande]

It's so great that you read and enjoyed MONIQUE AND THE MANGO RAINS. Now there's a word-of-mouth book that caught fire. I'm curious: how did you hear about it?

[IBIS]

__________________________________________

ande wrote: It's so great that you read and enjoyed MONIQUE AND THE MANGO RAINS. Now there's a word-of-mouth book that caught fire. I'm curious: how did you hear about it?
_____________________________________________________________________________________

I had read a review of MONIQUE AND THE MANGO RAINS in A NY Times book review section, and was intrigued by the story.

I'm always looking for good reads about women living in different cultures.
Some other books that I've recently read, and highly recommend are:

A Kiss for Maddelena by Christopher Castellani
It takes place in a small Italian village, Santa Cecilia in 1943 during WWII. It's about a poor young shopkeeper boy who falls in love with Maddalena, who comes from a rich family. The entire village is filled only with women since all the men have gone to war. Reading about all these women's friendships in a time of war is very satisfying.

What the Body Remembers by Shauna Singh Baldwin
This story takes place in Punjab, India, in 1937. Its about Roop, a poor village girl who becomes the second wife of a wealthy Sikh landowner, Sardarji, twenty-five years her senior. Her relationship with his first wife is a wonderful story.

Waiting by Ha Jin
This takes place in China during the 1960's. its about a doctor who wishes to divorce his village wife and marry a modern nurse. But his wife refuses to grant him a divorce. He has to wait 18 years to marry the nurse. Interesting and well-written about life in 20th Century China.

[penguins]

I am reading "The Worlds Religions" by Huston Smith. It is a very informative book on answering many questions I have about the many religions of the world. The author also compares the different religions he talks about in his book at the end. I am researching the Jewish religion so I am also reading the conservative Torah, which is also very interesting to read.

[ande]

Tell us more about what you've learned from this book. And how timely: Rosh Hashana and the first day of Ramadan fell on the same day this year.
Have any others found that -- given the state of the world -- you've been drawn to books that teach you about religions around the globe (fiction and non-fiction)?

[CrystalVan]

I just finished Eat, Pray, Love this morning.  What a moving and honest book.  What struck me was that she never gave up on finding the Divine within her, in spite of her personal pain.  After finishing the book, I loaned it to a friend who was visiting.  I told my friend that Elizabeth Gilbert is someone with whom we would enjoy sharing a glass of wine and swapping stories.

[IBIS]

---

CrystalVan wrote:

I just finished Eat, Pray, Love this morning.  What a moving and honest book.  What struck me was that she never gave up on finding the Divine within her, in spite of her personal pain.  After finishing the book, I loaned it to a friend who was visiting.  I told my friend that Elizabeth Gilbert is someone with whom we would enjoy sharing a glass of wine and swapping stories.

---

I agree with your assessment.... Elizabeth Gilbert comes across as a very likeable person who has a healthy sense of herself. One can so easily wallow in self-pity, and destroy any sympathy a reader can have for your sad lifestory. But Gilbert does not fall into that trap. Traveling with her through her journey of self-discovery and self-healing through Italy, India and Indonesia is a refreshing trip.

I truly enjoyed reading this book.

IBIS

[ande]

Am I the only person on earth who hasn't read Eat, Pray, Love yet?

Ande

[FrankieD]

Don't worry Ande...you're not alone because I too am guilty of never having read Eat,Pray,Love...sorry  I just spent last week in Newport,Rhode Island and my wife gave me a book...The Gods of Newport by John Jakes...and although it is a book I would never have chosen I did read it and being in Newport made it an interesting read...and I managed to finish it while I was there while it was pertinent. Now I'm getting ready to read The Sister by Poppy Adams in the First Look book club...

                                                                       Frankie D 

---

ande wrote:

Am I the only person on earth who hasn't read Eat, Pray, Love yet?

Ande

---

[CrissAngelObse…]

The book I most reccomend is Mindfreak: Secret Revelations. Criss Angel is actually a good writer. Google him.

[TomJoad1]

I usually read 3 or 4 books at a time. Right now I am reading The Book Thief by Markus Zukas, Lisey's Story by Stephen King, River Town by peter Hessler and Takeover by Charlie Savage. All very different books but all very satisfying reads

David

[Trillian-Lali]

I also read multiple books at once; not exactly a habit I am proud of, but as a product of an ADD culture, I don't think I can help it.

I just finished - as in less than an hour ago - Brief Encounters with Che Guevara by Ben Fountain which was absolutely fantastic. I am also reading Lost and Philosophy, Teaching Composition, and Kozol's Savage Inequalities.