Sunday, April 20, 2008

Five Men Who Broke My Heart by Susan Shapiro

It's very therapeutic, jotting down your memoir, that is. Susan gives all the details of the 5 men who broke her heart and ends the story with the one who didn’t break her heart – her husband Aaron.

I liked Susan’s comment about Jewish parents. She said they are not passive/aggressive, but aggressive/aggressive.

I’d like to know why they place such pressure on their children to get married, have children, etc. Is it because the bible says be fruitful and multiply?

Anyway, Susan got married to Aaron. His father is a judge and he officiated the ceremony. His father also displayed is aggressive/aggressive nature by questioning if his son has brought along the wedding rings.

So after the 5 men broke her heart, she found her prince charming and is living happily ever after. The interesting thing is that Susan also realized that she had something to do with the failing of those relationships, it all wasn’t on the men.

Sunday, April 6, 2008

REMEMBER ME? by Sophie Kinsella

Sophie Kinsella is the author of the entire Shopaholic series: CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC, SHOPAHOLIC GETS MARRIED, SHOPAHOLIC AND SISTER, ETC...

This story focuses on a new character, Lexi Smart (Gardiner), who has an accident and develops a type of amnesia that has blocked out the last 3 years of her life. She doesn't remember that her husband is rich, she drives a fancy car, she had dental work done or that she is on a no-carb diet. She is a bright young woman who doesn't give herself half the credit she deserves.

If you liked any of the Shopaholic books, you will enjoy this one too. Everything works out in the end for her characters, but not before a little bit of soul searching. Sophie does write some funny plots and she gives her characters vibrant lives and her writing is smooth and easy to read. You definitely can finish this in a weekend or one day if you really want to know what happens!

WHEN A CROCODILE EATS THE SUN by Peter Godwin

I enjoy reading memoirs, biographies and the like. This memoir is more about the authors parents who lived in Africa and how he unearths his fathers Jewish past, a past that was never talked about.

This memoir is a story about a family triumphing in a country where they lived and raised their children and are not wanted by a group of people who take other peoples homes by force. The Godwin family was harassed, but never to the point that they were forced to leave. They watched their neighbors and friends homes be burned down by the rebels in Zimbabwe.

Peter Godwin is an award winning journalist and filmmaker, born and raised in Zimbabwe. He was once assigned by the London Sunday Times, then he went to work for the BBC in London making TV documentaries around the world. He has also written for The National Geographic. Peter currently teaches at the New School in New York City. He begins this memoir by returning home to Zimbabwe when his father dies.

Zimbabwe, under the presidency of Robert Mugabe, has drastically changed since Peter was growing up there. Mugabe’s presidency comes with tales of cheating. His men used intimidation and bribery to get votes. In some areas, the votes were more than the constituency. How could this be?

The author had death threats imposed on him when he exposed the government-led massacres that occurred in Zimbabwe. He was considered an enemy of the state. For many years he could not go home. When a friend of his became the Minister of Home Affairs, he made sure Peter could return without being arrested.

In Zimbabwe, white farmers were producers of much of the crops that fed Zimbabwe. This was a benefit until the rebels came and ousted the farmers from their land. It wasn’t like they took over production to feed their own people. They burned everything down and that was the end of production. I can’t quite figure out the reason for that. The rebels prevented Zimbabweans from getting food. Was it because the producers were white? It would have been better if the rebels at least continued production so its own countrymen could still eat.

The economy of Zimbabwe was halved in size within 5 years and 70% of the black middle class has left. Tourism suffers in places like Victoria Falls where there used to be droves of people waiting to buy merchandise and see the Falls. Yet mansions were being built for government officials, generals, judges, etc.

When Peter’s father dies, his sister cannot attend the funeral. She hosted a radio show that was critical of the government in Zimbabwe. It was raided in 6 days after she went on air and ever since she left, she can no longer return for fear of her safety.

Prior to the death of Peters father, he discovers that his dad is Jewish and his real name is Jerry Goldfarb, not George Godwin. He took this name to conceal is ethnic. His father never talked about his past until he was close to death. Peter tries to find his grandmother and Aunt who were separated from his dad as they tried to escape the Holocaust. He never found any reason to think they were still alive.

Its ironic that his father wanted to conceal his Jewish heritage so that he could not be the subject of any racial targeting and instead he became a racial target as a plain white man in Africa.

BLAZE by Richard Bachman

Clayton Blaisdell Junior (Blaze) grew up in an institution for boys. He is the kind of character that you end of feeling sorry for and crying about, even though he did some bad things in his life. Most of them were under the coercion of someone else.

This story is about him kidnapping a baby and the odd thing is that even though Blaze is considered a “slow learner”, he realized that he will have to buy baby stuff so the he can take care of the baby until he returns it for ransom money. He has a friend helping him with the kidnapping. What he hasn’t fully realized is that his friend is dead, and he keeps hearing his voice telling him what to do.

I was a little teary eyed at the end and the late Richard Bachman wrote a good story. By the way, the author is actually Stephen King writing under a pseudonym.


A good quick read!

NOT ON OUR WATCH - Don Cheadle & John Prendergast

This is the story of how actor Don Cheadle got involved with the crisis in Darfur. In the book, 6 action items are mentioned on how you help:

1) hold fundraisers

2) write your congressman

3) divest from companies participating in Sudan.

4) raise awareness

5) lobby congress

6) start an organization

In 1983, the government of Sudan turned its back on a signed treaty (the Addis Ababa agreement). As a result civil war broke out.

Oil exploitation financed the arms that the Sudan government used to terrorize its own people. They uprooted families just so it could do what it wanted with the oil. The US was forbidden to sell arms to Sudan, so they got them from other countries, including China. China actually had factories in Sudan where they built weapons.

Throughout this book one theme resonates: the politicians need to hear the constituents tell them loud and clear what we need them to do- force them to care about our issue. The “people” must propel the issue. If we get together and rally the politicians, then and only then will something be done. We the people must rally congress who can then rally the President.

If we don’t make an attempt to do something now, we are leaving this issue as an inheritance to our children, along with other similar tragedies that are to come in the future.

Below are 2 websites mentioned in the book. If you want more information, check them out.

http://www.notonourwatchbook.com/

http://www.enoughproject.org


I highly recommend this book!