State of Wonder

Ann Patchett is becoming one of my favorite authors. This is the second book I've read by her and while Bel Canto is still my favorite, she does not disappoint with State of Wonder either. I enjoyed this book from the moment Dr. Singh starts her journey into the Amazon. One of her colleagues has died out there while helping Dr. Singh's former professor conduct research. Dr. Singh is assigned the task of finding out what exactly happens. This becomes a journey of self-discovery, self-reflection, and ethical dilemmas.

I would say more, but I want people to read it so I'm not going to give anything away. There are some significant plot twists and unanswered questions in the book as well that will keep you thinking for a little while after you finish reading. Ms Patchett has left me, once again, wanting more (in a good way). I will be taking a look at her other books now to see what else I can get my hands on.

Every Day is for the Thief

I have been on a roll when it comes to selecting works by African authors. Well, of course that's just my opinion. I've really enjoyed the last few books I read by African authors (Half of a Yellow Sun, Ghana Must Go, and Americanah). Every Day is for the Thief is another one I can add to the list. The prose is beautiful and it really does take you to Nigeria. When I read works by Adichie, I do feel a sense of how Nigeria experiences herself. While I can't quite put my finger on it, Cole writes in a way that makes Nigeria feel more naked and bare bones. I think this is because, for this particular book, Nigeria is a character. Whereas for the other books, the African countries were merely places where the action occurred. That's not a bad thing. I was just more cognizant of Nigeria while reading this book. Another reason that happens is that the main character is unnamed. It's as if the author wants Nigeria to take center stage. The narrator has been in the United States for fifteen years and now decides to take a trip back to Nigeria. Each short chapter talks about what he senses when back in his home country. It's an examination on how we outgrow our childhood.  We can never quite fully escape it, but it doesn't fit us anymore as we become adults. Can you ever find a place that does fit if you feel you belong nowhere? I thought it was a lovely, beautiful work full of honesty and poetry.

Paris Letters

The minute I started reading this book I had the thought that it may change my life. I know that seems dramatic, but I related to everything the author was saying and I was familiar with many of the emotions she felt. It's a true story about one woman who is unsatisfied with her job and decides to start writing in her journal on a daily basis in order to discover what she wants out of life. Turns out she wants to quit her job and live in Paris. She does this and her life greatly improves because it's the life she wants to live on her own terms. It almost sounds cliché but she finds love, happiness and peace. 

Since I am the first to admit that most of us are leading lives of quiet desperation (myself included!) this story resonated with me.  Who doesn't dream of quitting it all and living the life you want to live instead of the life dictated by bill due dates and dogma? Or I could just be delusional and maybe it really is just me who feels this way. Either way, I was deeply inspired to really discover what it is I want out of life and how to go about getting it. It doesn't hurt that Paris is where this author chose to travel. Since it's one of my favorite cities, I was already a bit biased towards this story. 

I really loved this book. I loved what it represented as an idea. It made me really want to make a concerted effort to be happy and live the life I'm meant to live and not a life society says I should live. This was a very enjoyable, light, quick read and I think it's a perfect outdoor book.  Now that the spring weather has arrived, pick it up and enjoy at your local park or outdoor space. 

Behind the Beautiful Forevers

Recently with all the press that India has been receiving because of vicious assaults on women, I've been interested in learning more about the country. I recently saw a documentary on Netflix about the dichotomy between a forward-moving India and the India that still holds on to the beliefs of the past, as it relates to women.  If you're interested seeing it, it's called The World Before Her. But this is a blog about books. I put this book on my list of non-fiction for this year, because I've heard really good things about it and I have a genuine interest in reading more about India. 

 

I may take this for granted, but I think most people know there is a substantial amount of poverty in India, even as it rises as a global power. Regarding Mumbai, the city on which the author focuses, the statistics are there to back that up. I've also heard this from multiple friends who have family there or who have traveled there. Even as it Mumbai advances, there are still millions living in poverty there.

In this book, the author follows a handful of people in one slum in Mumbai. Her main focus is this underlying question: Is it even possible to break the cycle of poverty under these conditions?  She goes deep into how corruption is the name of the game. At the heart of the story is one family who falls apart at the seams because a neighbor blames them for her self-inflicted misfortune. The justice system is a joke. The education system is tragically broken. The living conditions are not even fit for wild animals.

I enjoyed the book because it actually reads like a novel and the writing style is light for such a multi-layered topic. It's the first non-fiction book I've read this year that felt easy even though it was tackling some very difficult themes.

In the end we are left with more questions than solutions, but I think a good book is supposed to challenge you to think differently about the world in which you live. There is no happy ending, and not everyone makes it to the end of the book alive. It was disheartening to read about these broken lives, and even more disheartening to realize that the solutions are not forthcoming. It is worth a read for a candid look at the underbelly of one of worlds fastest growing cities. 

The Sweet Life in Paris

Of course I had to read one more book about Paris before the end of the year. This one was another true story about someone in the culinary field moving to Paris to live out some dreams. The author is a pastry chef who moves from San Francisco. In each chapter he talks about the differences between living in the United States and Paris and discusses his experiences with food in the City of Lights. He also includes a recipe or two at the end of each chapter.  If you are a budding chef or a foodie, you can definitely get some good ideas from here. A lot of the recipes sound pretty mouth-watering.

I think I'm getting used to the American-in-Paris books because I'm starting to notice the pattern in them. The book is a quick read and although it wasn't my favorite book about living in Paris, it was fairly enjoyable.

Walden on Wheels

I count myself as one of those who is frugal.  Some of my co-workers will tell you that I can't go a few days without mentioning how getting out of debt is my top priority in life.  I hate how owing someone money makes me feel.  So when I came across this book and read the brief description I put it on hold at the library immediately. While I was waiting for it to arrive at the library I downloaded the free sample to my Kindle.  Initially, based on the sample, I thought it would be a decent read, but I wasn't running to the library to pick it up once notified about its arrival.  So much for me judging a book based on a free sample, because I should have gone and picked this book up the minute it arrived.  I realized I was hooked this past Wednesday when I spent the majority of my day off voraciously reading the first 200 pages of the approximately 300-page book.

The book is a true account of the author, Ken, who initially has $32,000 of student debt after earning his undergraduate degree. This staggering amount makes him very uncomfortable and he proceeds to aggressively pay it off over the next few years.  In the process of paying everything off, he goes to Alaska and works a variety of grunt jobs that teach him a lot about life, nature, consumerism and capitalism (all of which he discusses very well). He vows to never go into debt again. The story takes an interesting turn when he decides to return to graduate school.  Keeping to his vow about zero debt, he buys a van and lives in the van during his entire graduate school experience. The book covers it all perfectly. A parallel story also develops about his best friend who owes $62,000 in student loans but follows a different, more arduous path in order to pay it off. His friend's story is, in some ways, the typical story that most of us are living but afraid to admit.

I loved this book, because of the inspirational tone.  At this point in my life, it was a message I was ready to hear and open to receiving.  I am motivated to continue to aggressively pay my own debt down as well.  I'm not quite at the point where I would live in a van, but I respect the author for sticking to his newfound values. The book was also pretty funny!  I wasn't expecting that and found myself laughing unexpectedly on several occasions.  I enjoyed the book so much more than I expected. Actually, this is one of the best books I've read this year. Also, if you want to read a book about finances, but don't want a book that feels too much like economics, this is it.

Paris was Ours

I'm starting to think I'm just a little biased when it comes to books about Paris. I'm starting to wonder if I only like them because I loved my trip there so much.  I think moving forward all my reviews about books regarding Paris should be taken with a grain of salt. It's kind similar to when parents think their kids can do no wrong, but everyone else thinks they are brats.  I wonder if I love Paris and books about it, but everyone else thinks it's all crap.  Hmmm....well anyway, I loved this book!

This is a collection of thirty-two essays written by writers who have each had their own varied experiences in Paris.  Each writer makes their essay their own individualized account of Paris as they know or knew it.  What I enjoyed about it was that it wasn't always a love fest. Some writers were not as smitten with Paris as others.  Some longed for home and were only in Paris because of wars ravaging their homeland or politics that had pushed them out. Others were very much in love with Paris.  Nobody was ambivalent about it.  It was interesting to see how a Parisian experience can change someone's view of the world and of himself or herself.  I took my time with this book.  It could have easily been a quick read. The essays are short enough to breeze through, however I suggest you sit down on a quiet weekend with some coffee and maybe a soft flaky croissant and take the time to slowly absorb the stories.

Heads in Beds

I love staying in a good hotel. I like the anonymity of it and, frankly, I like the fact that I don't have to clean the bathroom for a few days. The author of this book was on NPR a little while ago discussing the book and the secrets of the hospitality industry.  More specifically, the secrets of hotels.  I will definitely have a new outlook when I take my next trip and stay overnight at a hotel.  I'll also have a few new tricks to try in order to get upgraded.

I liked the book for two reasons.  First, the author is very candid and doesn't try to make the industry seem fabulous.  It's like he wants you to know that even though you are entering what appears to be the lap of luxury, the people behind the scenes are everyday folks trying to make ends meet. Second, it's funny.  After hearing his interview on NPR, I didn't expect it to be as funny as it was.  The cast of characters and co-workers lends itself to some funny anecdotes. Some stories were so outrageous you just know they have to be true.

If you've ever worked in a service industry where you get to see the underbelly of humanity on a daily basis, you'll enjoy this book. It's also a quick read so I'd recommend it for the summer.  Read it before you go on vacation so you can employ some of the suggested tricks to improve your hotel stay.

Passing Love

This book surprised me.  It took me a few chapters to become interested, but once I was interested, I enjoyed the unfolding of the story.  This is the type of book that should be read in a cafe while sipping tea or coffee and, if you smoke, it would be appropriate to have a cigarette (not that I'm advocating smoking, just saying if you already do smoke go ahead and have one or two ciggies...then call the quit hotline after you finish reading the book).  The reason I say that a cigarette and coffee would go well with this book is that it takes place in Paris and Paris is definitely a place for coffee and cigarettes.

The chapters alternate between the jazz age in postwar Paris (late 1940s-1950s) and the present day.  During the postwar era the story focuses on Ruby Mae, a young woman filled with wanderlust, who has run off to Paris with a musician, both carrying aspirations of stardom and a desire to leave the Jim Crow South behind.  The present day chapters focus on Nicole-Marie Handy who has run off to Paris to keep a promise to a recently deceased friend.  Early on, during her trip, she finds a photo of her father in an antique shop and is determined to learn more about how it got there.  The two stories don't seem connected at the start of the novel, which I think contributed to my slow interest.  Once the stories started overlapping, though, I was very interested and voraciously read the rest of the book.

After finishing the book, I can honestly say I wouldn't change the way the author built up to the "twist" in the story. This is one of those stories in which the voyage was enjoyable.  As I've mentioned before, I'm a bit of a Francophile and really enjoy reading about Paris. I wish I read this prior to my trip, because this book had a lot of interesting information about "Black" Paris in the jazz age.  I really appreciate a book by an African-American author that tells a story we don't often see in African-American novels.  Our stories are so varied, but the works published can seem so limited in plot.  Complex family relationships as well as romantic relationships were explored in Passing Love without being crass or over-simplified. This was refreshing.

Wild

Having read A Walk in the Woods last year, I was hesitant to pick up Wild.  I enjoyed Bill Bryson's book but also at times the historical facts would have my eyes crossing. I was worried that Wild would be more of the same, but maybe not as good.  I had no reason to worry. Wild is only similar to Bryson's book in that there is a long hike involved, nature is appreciated and the author manages to insert some humor into the story. The similarities pretty much end there.  Strayed's impetus for hiking along the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is her mother's death. The death is just the beginning of a downward spiral that she can't seem to escape.  By her own admission, her spiral includes a fair amount of extramarital sex and heroin.  She is hovering over rock bottom when a book about the PCT catches her attention and she decides to hike it and deal with her personal problems.  This is the first book of 2013 that I loved. I highly recommend it and I plan on re-reading it in the future. The story is so well written that I felt like I was hiking with her. I felt like I her demons were my demons.  I wanted so much for her to succeed and become whole again after being shattered. This book reminds us once again that it's not about the destination. It truly is about the journey. I know that's cliché but clichés are usually cliché because they are true so I'm not afraid to use one when applicable.  Get this book and fast-track it to the top of your reading list. 

Cross Currents

Yes, this book does have the feel of a saccharine Nicholas Sparks novel (albeit with some international flavor), but I will admit I really enjoyed it.   What made me enjoy it and overlook some of the obvious plot points and eye-rolling romantic dialogue was the setting.  The author depicts the island of Ko Phi Phi so vividly that you are truly absorbed into the story.  The tsunami that hit that area in 2004 provides the climax of the book and I will admit, I got a little misty-eyed. Even though the book jacket blatantly states that the tsunami will be the climax of the book, when it hits you have come to really care for the characters. There is a lot of beauty in the narrative. For that reason alone, I would recommend it.

 

A Year in the Merde

This is a supposed to be (according to the book jacket) a nearly true account about a British executive who moves to Paris to work for a company there and all the hilarity that ensues.  Well I was laughing out loud in the beginning of the book and then it turned into a never-ending quest by the author to get laid.  There was also a side story about how his boss was seemingly involved in some weird Parisian political scheme, but I never got interested in that portion of the story, nor did I really care at that point.  I thought I would be getting a funny perspective about living in Paris as a non-Parisian.  Instead it's pretty much about a man hoping he can get lucky with the ladies.  I love most things Parisian, but I think I will stick to reading books about the food of Paris and the relationship one has with the city, not with the female inhabitants of said city.  You can skip this one. Try The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry or Paris, My Sweet instead.

The Postcard Killers

Finally!  Of course my old standby, James Patterson, would get me out of this summer slump of books that go on and on when brevity would suffice.  He is notorious for his short chapters that keep you reading because they always end with some quasi-cliffhanger. In high school, James Patterson and Jackie Collins were my guilty pleasure go-to authors.  Who am I kidding; they are still my go-to authors for thrills (Patterson) and trashy lifestyles (Collins).

So naturally when I was in the Denver airport and saw a James Patterson paperback with the Eiffel Tower on the cover, I gladly slapped my ten dollars on the counter.  We know I love all things travel and The Postcard Killers did not disappoint.  A couple is traveling all over Europe killing other couples.  An NYPD detective whose daughter was one of the victims is on the case along with a Swedish journalist.  I started reading it on the plane, but when I got back to Philly I set it aside to read Gone Girl and The Art of Fielding (both of which were borrowed so I had to finish and return them). Finally today was the day I could get back to my thriller!  I finished it in about 7 hours (broken up of course by food, bathroom, internet, and phone breaks).  This is the perfect definition of summer reading.  Action packed, fast paced, and to the point.  No superfluous writing.  If Patterson can use one word, he uses one word. If the sky is blue, it's blue. Blue....one word we all understand.  After my run of books that say too much, this book said just enough.

The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry

I am feeling that old tug of "ditch desire".  Ditch desire is when I deeply desire ditching my life and following my passion.  Of course that would probably mean I have to actually whittle down all my interests into my one true passion, but I digress.  Whenever I feel ditch desire settling in, I grab a book about a person who does actually ditch their life as they know it and go for the gold.  So I was drawn to this book about Kathleen Flinn who was fired from a corporate, rat-race job and decided she was going to attend Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in Paris.  The book tackles several of my favorite themes:  travel, adventure, following your dreams, food, and love.  The book reads quickly and the story has the requisite ups and downs that come along with the uncertainty of a new life.  I enjoyed it as a nice, easy summer read.  I enjoyed Paris, My Sweet more, but this book has just the right amount of inspiration to make me believe that one day I will be able to leave it all behind and pursue whatever dreams may come my way.

A Walk in the Woods

Admittedly, I haven't been on a hike since summer camp circa 1989.  So I don't really count myself as an avid hiker or nature enthusiast, although I do enjoy lazy days in a park or a short bike ride on a trail. A friend of mine is getting married in Wyoming in about two weeks and the upcoming trip has me thinking a lot about wilderness and wide-open spaces.  So I picked this book up because it came highly recommended as a great book about reconnecting with nature.  The author decides to hike the entire Appalachian Trail (some 2,000+ miles!).  The book isn't so much about hiking the trail as much as it is about awe-inspiring nature and our capability to both revere nature, yet foolishly destroy it. What I enjoyed most about the book was the plethora of historical facts woven into the story that gave you food for thought intertwined with lots of laugh out loud moments that gave the story momentum.  Only a great writer could master that skill.  I don't think I would have been able to read a completely dry fact-based documentary about the trail.  This book is a great introduction to nature writing because the story remains interesting until the very end. I highly recommend enjoying it while outside on a beautiful day.

Paris, My Sweet

LOVED LOVED LOVED this book. I don't know if it's because I still think of Paris on a daily basis ever since my December trip or because I love desserts, but this book made me very happy.  Amy Thomas describes the vibe and the feel of Paris and New York perfectly.  She experiences both cities through desserts. It is amazing how food can unknowingly describe a city.  Paris is steeped in history and the dessert and food choices reflect that.  New York is forever changing and the sweet offerings throughout the city continually demonstrate that. If you have experienced both cities and have moments when you daydream about the days you toured, lived in, worked in, or played in either city, this book will capture you and make you smile. It may also make you start counting your pennies to plan your next sweet trip. If you enjoy travel and desserts this is an excellent summer read.

Life is a Trip: The Transformative Magic of Travel

Having read "Happier Than a Billionaire" right before this book, I was expecting another great book about travel, adventure, and zen-like realizations about the world around us.  This book, while similar in some aspects, was not as enjoyable for me as Billionaire.  It is a compilation of personal travel stories from the author's history.  Within each story there seems to be some moral guideline or lesson.  I gave it 3/5 stars on Goodreads.com because I did enjoy it, but the zen-like realizations felt too forced.  It was as though the author was saying quite loudly "SEE THIS IS THE MORAL OF THE STORY!!!" Instead of letting the chapter/essay naturally come to a peaceful conclusion, she spells her point out just in case you missed it.  However, I always feel that if you've made your point with good writing, you don't have to spell it out in the end.  This is a very quick read and can be completed in a day or two, so I do think it's decent reading for a lengthy train ride or a day on the beach.

Happier Than A Billionaire

This book speaks to the adventurous traveler in me.  This is the true story about a woman and her husband (both chiropractors) who decide to give it all up in the United States and move to Costa Rica.  What follows are the, often hilarious, adventures as expats.  I really enjoyed, not only the story, but the subtle lessons within the story.  As I am currently very interested in a simplified life, this book seemed right on time for me.  I thoroughly enjoyed it!  If I could pack my bags and make a go of it tomorrow, I probably would.  You don't really need a lot in this life to be happy, and this book helps us see why that's so true.

Paris to the Moon

This book was recommended to me by a fellow RN when he found out I was going to be traveling to Paris.  I read half of the book prior to my trip and completed it while on my trip.  It was such a different experience for me to be reading a book about a city while I was actually exploring and experiencing said city.  I loved it!  It was almost uncanny how I would spend the day at the Jardin du Luxembourg only to curl up with this book later that evening in my hotel room, remove the bookmark, start reading, and realize that the next chapter was an essay about the exact same garden.  I really enjoyed the book and truly felt that it helped me experience Paris from a more observant perspective.  I recommend the book for anyone traveling to Paris or anyone who considers themselves a Francophile.  It is a book of essays, thoughts and considerations about Parisian life as lived by an expatriate.  The essays are somewhat linear, though, and the prose is easy to follow.  The descriptions are phenomenal and true to reality.  Even if you cannot make it to Paris any time soon, you can easily get lost and travel there through this work.