Random Family - Adrian Nicole LeBlanc

Wow. I just finished this book. It was captivating. The author spends ten years with several families (really one big extended family - everyone is connected somehow) that are struggling to survive in the Bronx, overcoming poverty, crime, teenage pregnancy, drugs... it's heartbreaking and devastating and sad and seems impossible even though it's 100% true. I'm hoping there will be a sequel to tell how the story ends, after going through ten years of these people's lives, you are attached to them, and want them to succeed despite the odds that they will not.

I like the style that the author writes in - it's not too flowery or descriptive, and the dialogue is from actual conversations, very factual. The background information is from her observations or her research.

While reading this book, I thought about how lucky I am, and I feel so much gratitude for my own life. I feel so much compassion and heartache for those less fortunate, and this book paints such a vivid picture of some of those who are constantly struggling. I'll never forget this book or the lives of the characters... nor do I want to.

Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides

This was an epic novel that I'd heard of because of course it was an Oprah Book Club pick, but I had no idea at all what it was about until I started reading it. At first I wondered if I would like the book, because I'd never read anything like it. But I soon became very interested in the story of three generations of Greek Americans and how every decision and choice they made all affected the life of the storyteller, Calliope/Cal. Even though the subject matter was foreign to me, it was still intriguing and well-written, and I was curious to find out how things ended up as they did. I enjoyed this book a lot and am almost sad to have finished it (but not really, because I have 3 new books waiting for me to read them!)

What is the What -- Dave Eggers

I started reading this book on a plane two days ago, and although I haven't had much time to read (being on a business trip and all), I find myself daydreaming about getting back to this book pretty much constantly. I can't wait to finish it -- but wanted to go ahead and share my experience so far. There's a lot of "celebrity coverage" of the crisis in Darfur, or the genocide resulting from Sudanese civil war over the past decade. But this is my first encounter with a survivor's story, and it is incredibly moving.

Dave Eggers worked with Valentino Deng, a Sudanese refugee, to write a book that details his life from the age of 6, when his village was destroyed and his family killed. Valentino, along with thousands of other orphans who came to be known as the Lost Boys, walk for months, across deserts even, to reach refugee camps. They are attacked repeatedly by both rebels and government troops (both sides would rather kill children than risk having those children grow up and be able to fight for the opposing side), and some are even eaten by lions. Even reaching the refugee camp does not guarantee survival, as only a tiny percentage will ever be able to get assistance.

The book is eye-opening to be sure, but it isn't just a depressing story about how hopeless and terrible the situation in Sudan is. The real beauty is that despite the terrible things he experienced, Valentino still loves the country where he was born, and recalls many beautiful memories. Dave Eggers writes with a perfect balance of compassion and humor, and I can't put this book down...

Interpreter of Maladies - Jhumpa Lahiri

When I first started reading, I thought this book was a novel, and I really liked the first chapter. Then I realized that it was a collection of short stories, and I was a bit disappointed, because I wanted to know more about the characters from the first story. My disappointment faded though, as all of the stories were equally captivating and interesting. I have a fascination with India and Indian culture, but I would have liked this book despite that. The themes are universal - mostly based on love, as well as family, culture, life experiences. Everyone can relate to these stories, but they might have special meaning to immigrants or those of Indian descent who are familiar with the particular details that are referenced in the stories.

Overall, I didn't want the stories to end. I think this collection fully deserved the Pulitzer Prize it won, and I am looking forward to reading The Namesake (I've already seen the moviea nd I really liked it.)

Into The Wild - Jon Krakaeur

There's little suspense in this story, as most people already know how it ends. And if you don't, right off the bat the author gets it out of the way. We all know that Chris McCandless died while trying to survive in the wild of Alaska. What Krakaeur attempts to put his finger on is the how and the why. And I think he does a great job of retracing his steps, researching his life. He reveals his personality in glimpses that both make him easy to relate to and frustratingly complex all at the same time. While we may not understand his reasons, you can't fault him for them. And while his adventure was ultimately fatal, he did survive for over 100 days in Alaska, depending only on himself and the land. I thought it was a moving and interesting story, and I was intrigued by McCandless himself. Now I'm interested in seeing the movie.

Eat Pray Love

I came to this book after reading an article describing reader's reaction as split down the middle - you either loved it or you hated it. I have to admit, I suspected I might be in the "hate it" camp, although I couldn't say exactly why. Maybe because it seemed a little too Oprah-ish, a little too "spiritual, but with a dash of humor," a little too precious, too much like a guidebook for the lost women of the world. Whatever it was, I picked up the book prepared for the worst, and ended up really enjoying the journey.

What I liked: Gilbert's writing voice is interesting and fresh and clear. It pulls you straight through the book while anchoring you in her character. Her style is sort of breezy and open but still smart. She doesn't make you read with a thesaurus next to you, but at the same time she doesn't take the easy way out. She makes good writing look easy, I suppose. She strikes a nice balance between her own story and observations and interesting historical facts and tidbits. She managed to express her own search for spirituality without sounding like she's trying to convert you to anything. In fact, I believe that I enjoyed the India section the best, mostly because of the descriptions of her search for God, and what the means. Some of the criticisms I read about this book called Gilbert selfish for taking this year long journey. I disagree. I wish everyone could take the time to think about themselves and how to be a happier person. I think we'd all benefit from a trip to an Ashram.

What I liked less: I'm not entirely sure I believed the character she portrayed herself to be, and even when I did, I sometimes felt manipulated by her portrayal. There were a lot of moments of what I thought were false modesty, where she would say things like, "I know its not a big deal or anything, and its not like I think I'm great, because I totally don't, but, I just saved this woman's life." Iwanted to be like, yeah, its a big deal. Its OK to feel like its a big deal. So just go for it. She describes herself as extremely social and friendly, but she came across to me as more awkward and self-conscious most of the time. The dialogues between her and the people she meets on her travels are supposed to sound light and witty and quick, but to me they sounded false. I kept getting the feeling that she was fighting herself, trying to make herself seem cool but at the same time not brag. Which I have to say is not an easy task. But in the end, I came out of the book with a lot of respect for her, but also thinking I'm not sure I'd want to hang out with her. Which is OK.

Ultimately, I say read it. Its worth your time. And if nothing else, you'll learn where to get great pizza in Naples!

Love In The Time of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

I started reading this book in January. At first I thought it was good. Then I started not looking forward to reading it because it was just soo hard to get through. But I felt like I should keep trying, after all it's very highly praised and beloved all over the world, by millions of people. I felt like something was wrong with me for not liking it. The writing was very flowery and descriptive, and I would find myself bored with all the details, just wanting to know what happened next. But I just read some other reviews of it on amazon.com and I was so happy to see that so many other people felt the same way! Now I feel justified in just giving up on it altogether. I don't mind reading something that is not an easy page-turner, if I am learning something from it, or at least enjoying it. But I just could not bring myself to get excited about this book, and even when it's the only thing laying around to read, I just didn't want to do it. So this is my official review: I am not going to finish it. I do want to hear how the story ends, but I just am not interested enough to keep reading.