Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Born in Somalia, raised a Muslim, the author denounced Islam after 9/11 and now fights for the rights of Muslim women in Europe, the enlightenment of Islam, and security in the West.

When Ayaan left Somalia, she went to Holland and she was impressed. She was offered assistance in finding a place to live and to work. However, before she got there, her belief was that Holland was in infidel country. According to muslims, they were to oppose and reject their way of life. But it was run so much better than the place muslims came from, ex. Somalia… shouldn’t the places where allah worshipped and his laws obeyed be peaceful and wealthy and the unbelievers poor and at war? This left the author torn between how she grew up and where she was currently living. She saw differences and tried to understand was what she taught really right?

Eventually, she came to believe that the quran is not a holy document, but a historical record, written by humans. Is it one version of events, as perceived by the men who wrote it 150 years after the prophet Muhammad died.

The author finds herself “on the brink of becoming an apostate”.

She became a member of Parliament in Holland in order to get her ideas across and to help people.

I definitely recommend this book for its first person perspective.

The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger

Both book and movie were good. I enjoyed the book a little more than the movie. There were some book “scenes” that were done a little differently in the movie.

Meryl Streep played her character quite well. Even though she may have been tyrannical, I liked her and I understood her position on certain things. I didn’t understand things like the way she used to fling her coat down on the girls desk when she wanted them to hang them up for her. That was just plain rude.

The movie does bring up the point of how far would you go the get the things you want in life. Amanda, the main character, put her job first before her friends and family. Her job was high pressure and she had to be on call 24-7. So she sometimes missed things like birthdays, etc..

A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon

I read another book (Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night-Time) by the author that I liked very much, so I wanted to see what this new story was about.

The Hall family is just your average family going through lifes ups and downs. George Hall recently retired and to keep himself busy he is building a studio next to his house. His wife Jean works part time as a teacher and at a bookstore. They have 1 daughter who has a small child and 1 son who is dating a man named Tony.

When their daughter tells them she is marrying her live-in boyfriend, the entire family is shocked. None of them like Ray. At the same time, George is having a bit of a personal break down. He discovers a sore near his hip and thinks he has cancer. He doesn’t even believe when the Doctor tells his its Exzema. George also has moments that he blacks out and, for example, has no idea why is crawling on the floor on all fours.

When he discovers his wife is having an affair, his episodes get worse. When he decides to cut off his “cancer” in the bathtub with a pair of scissors, he ends up in the hospital. The family still bicker at one another in the hospital and George regrets having failed the psychiatrist discharge test. He wants to be committed to get away from it all. Fortunately, for Ray, his soon-to-be father-in-law’s hospital stay allows the family to see a different side of Ray and now they all like him.

The wedding gets off with a lot of hitches, including George attacking the man his wife is having an affair with. In the end, everything turns right side up for the family and they are stronger then ever.

Watercolored Pearls by Stacy Hawkins Adams

This was an easy-to-read, well-written story about 3 friends dealing with life’s issues and trying to hold into their faith and beliefs.

I liked the analogy given by one of the characters about how a pearl is formed inside of an oyster and we are being formed by God with the same hardness that we need in order to stand when life throws us curve balls. That hardness during those times helps build our character and faith to keep on keeping on and become the beautiful being that God created us to be. It’s the same way that a pearl is formed inside an oyster.

Light reading that I would recommend to anyone.

The Face of A Naked Lady by Michael Rips

This is a true account of the author’s family, specifically his father, Nick Rip.
Nick was a ladies man. His mother got him out of the war, but not out of the lives of the women left behind as their men went to the war.

When the author goes home to attend his father’s funeral, he comes across a hidden portfolio, which contains paintings that his father did of a naked black women. This piques his interest so he sets out to discover who this woman is.

In 1886, South Omaha had no jail, church or police force. It had 2 whorehouses and many gambling halls. Nick Rip was raised in one of those whorehouses.

Michael did find out who the woman was and the story behind the paintings.
I recommend you find out by reading this delightful tale of compassion!

The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud

I enjoyed this novel! It was a ride to the land of the unexpected. I certainly didn't expect Danielle to sleep with her best friends father! She clearly yearns for fatherly love - she always thinks about how he coddles his own daughter.

This story is about 3 friends, almost in their 30’s, who have shared a close relationship since college. The events that happen and their choices will determine if they remain close.

Julius Clark is a well-known book and film reviewer. He hobnobs with the high and mighty in the entertaining industry. He wears the best when he goes out, but his home life can stand some improving. He lives in a shabby studio and could use a full time job to support his expensive clothing habit. However, he will never mention this to anyone nor will he mention that he works out of a temp agency to make ends meet. Julius’ life takes a downward turn when he begins a relationship with a cokehead that loses his job and they both move back to Julius studio.

Danielle Minkoff begins an affair with her best friends father. She almost kills herself when she finally realizes that it will be nothing more than a secret affair.

Marina Thwaite is confused about what she wants to do with her life. She has been writing her book for years and years and years and has no desire to finish it, until she meets her new boyfriend, Ludovic Seeley. He hates her father and she has no clue about this.

Frederick “Bootie” Tubb is Murray’s nephew. He comes to New York in search of himself. He is a “wanna-be” writer and he feels hanging around his uncle will give him some inspiration. When he arrives on the scene, he affects the three friends in ways they couldn’t imagine.

Marina’s father is a world-renowned journalist. He is not happy with the book his daughter is writing. Her book is on children’s fashion. He thinks this is beneath his family’s stature. Then the fact that she made the dedication to her newly found boyfriend/fiancé doesn’t help either.

I enjoyed The Emperors Children. I liked the way the author's story lines are intertwined. This is a book that you will not want to put down.