Thursday, September 17, 2009

A Guide To The Birds of East Africa by Nicholas Grayson

I personally love the books of Alexander McCall Smith, so when I picked up this book I was pleasantly surprised by the gentle humorous style which reminds me so much of Smith's writing. This is a book about Mr. Malik, a widower, who has a crush on the widow Rose Mbikwa, the woman who leads the weekly bird walk in Nairobi. Anyway as the book progresses Mr. Malik finds himself involved in a competition with an old school mate (his old nemesis) Mr. Kahn, to see who can spot the most species of birds in Kenya within a week. The winner of the competition gets the privilege of asking Rose to the premier social event in Nairobi, the Hunt Club Ball. There are adventures along the way, and Mr. Malik remains a true gentleman throughout the competition. It was a fun glimpse into Nairobi, and the birds of Kenya. If you are a birdwatcher don't miss this book, but certainly even non-birdwatchers will also enjoy it. I really loved this wonderful, light, entertaining book.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

No Shame, No Fear and Forged In the Fire by Ann Turnbull





I've been debating posting these books, since I read them earlier this summer. The main plot is kind of predictable and although enjoyable not particularly noteworthy. But I am posting about them anyway because the subject and setting was fascinating. No Shame, No Fear is about a Quaker girl living in England in the seventeenth century and the persecution that came with being a Quaker at that time. I had no idea about the Quakers and I found reading about them fascinating. Their views were revolutionary. They believed in people being able to feel the Spirit without a paid clergy and that all people are equals despite social class, gender, or any other factor. Quite a radical concept for that time. The book sent me to Wikipedia and many other websites learning about them. The book Forged in the Fire is the sequel to No Shame No Fear and is about the same characters who move to London. The story itself wasn't as interesting to me as it was to read about the Plague and the Great Fire of London, that occured in the same year. I found both topics totally fascinating, learned a lot, and went online to read more.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver


This is the second book by Barbara Kingsolver that I have recommended on this blog. The first being The Poisonwood Bible - still one of my all time favorite reads. But back to Animal Dreams. I first read it about 10 years ago but I recently was in need of good book so I picked it up again. Wow! Ten years later, I read it with a completely different perspective and understanding. I must admit I didn't enjoy it quite as much this time around but I still think it is worth reading. Especially because Kingsolver is such a talented writer. I apologize if this is a copout - but I am stealing the summary from the back of the book:
"Animals dream about the things they do in the day time just like people do. If you want sweet dreams, you've got to live a sweet life." So says Loyd Peregrina, a handsome Apache trainman and latter-day philosopher. But when Codi Noline returns to her hometown, Loyd's advice is painfully out of her reach. Dreamless and at the end of her rope, Codi comes back to Grace, Arizona to confront her past and face her ailing, distant father. What she finds is a town threatened by a silent environmental catastrophe, some startling clues to her own identity, and a man whose view of the world could change the course of her life. Blending flashbacks, dreams, and Native American legends, Animal Dreams is a suspenseful love story and a moving exploration of life's largest commitments. With this work, the acclaimed author of The Bean Trees and Homeland and Other Stories sustains her familiar voice while giving readers her most remarkable book yet.
I would rate this PG-13 for language and adult scenes.