August Books

Distant View of a Minaret and Other Stories

by Alifa Rifaat, Denys Johnson-Davies (Translator)

Stumbled on this thanks to the inimitable Mona Eltahawy. Incredibly vivid and powerful stories from someone who seems to understand life in Egypt for a muslim woman.

Much Ado About Nothing

by William Shakespeare

Come for the hilarity of mistaken identity; stay for the fantastic puns and wordplay. Read it in advance of the OG's company's performance, and was glad to have done so.

Nowhere to Run: The Story of Soul Music

by Gerri Hirshey

Disappointing. A little hagiographic, and I didn't learn much. Really expected to like it.

The Salterton Trilogy (The Salterton Trilogy #1-3)

by Robertson Davies

Thought I was going to like this more than I did. The characters were a little twee, and though I enjoyed the third book significantly more than the first two, a couple of plot developments at the end were implausible. Not his best, but saying that sets the bar quite high.

June/July Books

Thought I'd read more this summer, but I seem to have spent an abundance of time at the wheel. Full list for 2015 and links here.

Cakes and Ale

by W. Somerset Maugham

Got better towards the end. The points are well made about writers and the people they actually are, but the story moves slowly, despite its brevity.

Bel-Ami

by Guy de Maupassant

Thoroughly entertaining tale of an amoral rascal's ascendancy in French society. Enjoyed this much more than I had expected to. A gift from Pat.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing

by Marie Kondo, Cathy Hirano (Translator)

Disappointing after all the hype. Should have been an Atlantic article; could have used some decluttering of its own.

The Run of His Life : The People versus O. J. Simpson

by Jeffrey Toobin

Fun to look back at how race and the media sabotaged this investigation and trial. Enjoyed learning that OJ was a very bad speller and a wholesale fraud. First of two in my ongoing book exchange with Pat.

Headscarves and Hymens: Why the Middle East Needs a Sexual Revolution

by Mona Eltahawy

Life ain't easy for a muslim woman who asks questions and thinks about stuff.

I Want to Get Married!: One Wannabe Bride's Misadventures with Handsome Houdinis, Technicolor Grooms, Morality Police, and Other Mr. Not-Quite-Rights

by Ghada Abdel Aal

Very funny stories of life as a young woman in Egypt. Sex and the City for the Caged Virgin. Glad she found the humor in it.

True Grit

by Charles Portis

Great story, with a lead character who stands alongside Huck Finn and well above the others in American literature. A pleasure to read.

Nomad: From Islam to America: A Personal Journey Through the Clash of Civilizations

by Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Largely repetitive after the first two books. But I am nonetheless glad that she keeps speaking out.

Real Men Do Yoga: 21 Star Athletes Reveal Their Secrets of Strength, Flexibility and Peak Performance

by John Capouya

That's what the retired army guy, now personal trainer told me as we hiked down Mount Monadnock this month, and I vowed to look into it. I've been doing one of the the no nonsense thirty minute routines in the book every other day for a week now, and I quite like it, especially for balance and flexibility.