Summer Reads

To say it has been busy around here would be a gross understatement. It’s been downright chaotic. Between summer camp and travels (both of which deserve their own posts), and sickness and renovations (neither one of which I want to write about), I’ve had hardly a spare moment. Add the 90 plus degrees we’ve been having around here and I’m plumb worn out. BUT, in the spirit of keeping up with at least one topic on my blog, I do want to share a few other books I’ve read recently.

#16 Little Bee by Chris Cleave

This book deals with the very powerful and complex issues surrounding culture and culture clashes, specifically between white European culture and that of war-torn Nigeria. It’s a book that makes you uncomfortable, and while we normally try to avoid those discomforts (mostly because I think we don’t know what to do with them), I feel like it’s necessary to move out of that comfort zone. BUT, despite the book’s powerful story, I am running into the same problem with this book as I have with others recently: I don’t like that a white dude is writing a story of violence and oppression (in this case violence and oppression against women of color) in the first person. And I’m torn because on the one hand I think that people need to know about Nigeria and what’s happened there and surely a book that hits the NY Times bestseller list helps people at least HEAR about it. But on the other hand, it grates against everything in me because, dude, you Just. Don’t. KNOW. You just can’t just take these stories and make them your own! For those that might be reading this that maybe don’t understand why this is a problem for me, I can only liken it to women who are uncomfortable seeing a male gynecologist because how on earth is he going to give you advice on dealing with PMS and childbirth when his plumbing is so very different? No, I know it’s not exactly the same, but perhaps that will help illuminate a little bit why these questions of race and the writing of racially charged stories gets my panties in a twist.

#17 Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel

The title characters are taxidermied animals, a donkey and a howler monkey. That should give you an idea about how very bizarre a read this was. The story follows the a writer, Henry, who befriends a taxidermist and…well, not a whole lot actually happens, you know? I enjoyed it. It was challenging and interesting, but I have to be honest, it felt way too…modernist for my liking. It reminded me a great deal of Waiting for Godot, which again is so very interesting, but the style just isn’t to my liking. If you’re looking for something challenging, definitely pick this up, but you’re going to need a lot of patience and mental fortitude to work through it.

#18 The Italian Secretary by Caleb Carr

I have long been a fan of Caleb Carr who writes historical mystery novels set in the late nineteenth century. This particular book was just as kick-ass as his previous ones. It’s a Sherlock Holmes novel and has the added bonus of being written under the commission of the estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, which is a pretty awesome gig, if you ask me. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are written convincingly (at least to my memory, and I’ll admit it’s been quite a few years since I last read Doyle), and it’s a fun, fast read. If you have any interest in Sherlock Holmes or 19th century murder mysteries, you’ll surely enjoy this.

#19 Better: A Surgeon’s Notes on Performance by Atul Gawande

I’ll preface this review by saying that I love, love, LOOOOOOOVE reading medical non-fiction, especially medical case studies, which I know isn’t for the faint of heart or the squeamish among you. Gawande is a well-known and well-regarded surgeon who in Better writes about how to be a good and competent doctor when every moment of every day you’re surrounded by the possibility of screwing up in any one of a number of spectacular ways. He explores ways in which the medical profession can improve based on documented research as well as his own experiences. Because of how I feel about the practice of medicine, books like this make me want to finish up my coursework and apply to medical school. I’m fairly certain most people won’t be left feeling that way, but nevertheless, I think it’s important even for non-medical types to understand the field in order to help themselves receive better care, and an engaging read like this one will definitely help.

I’ve got about 7 more books to share, but I’ll have to save them for another day. Happy reading, friends.

© 2010, OneShoeOff. All rights reserved.