Card Catalogue: Behind the Beautiful Forevers

I haven't done a book review post in awhile because, well, I haven't been reading as much as I'd like to.  But in the last two weeks I started and finished a fantastic new read.  It was so good, I'm having a hard time starting something new for fear it won't measure up.

Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo is a nonfiction book about the "undercity" of Mumbai -- particularly one slum and its inhabitants.

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Katherine Boo does for Indian nonfiction what Rohinton Mistry did for Indian fiction [for me] with A Fine Balance.  As a person of Indian descent who has visited India, I've always been aware of the slums in India, but have never read a nonfiction account of life in the "undercity."  I've always felt that India is so acutely divided by haves and have-nots, but this poignant book really takes that to another level.  After reading BTBF, I was both amazed at the lives of the slumdwellers and ashamed that I had not taken notice of those same lives in a more substantial way.  India's big cities truly cannot run without these people who are essentially invisible to both the wealthy and the government.

Boo's writing captivated me by giving such a thorough depiction of life in Annawadi, a Mumbai slum, that I had to remind myself this wasn't a fabricated story.  I really felt like I "knew" the characters in this book, and my heart ached along with theirs as they lived through such poverty and hardship that I can't even imagine.  The hardest part of this book was seeing how corrupt India actually is.  My first instinct was to research charitable organizations to somehow help the people of the slums, but after reading Boo carefully point out that even the "Western" charities didn't follow through with their aid, I'm really at a loss of what I can do from here.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes anthropological studies, but also loves a really well written story.  At no point was I bored or tired of this book. Definitely a top contender for my best book of 2012.

What have you read lately?  Suggestions would be much appreciated as I'm at a loss of what to read now.

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Shakespeare in Action: The Diary of Anne Frank

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Last week, my class and I went to see a theatrical version of The Diary of Anne Frank. The show was done by the company, Shakespeare in Action.

I know this story fairly well, having read it in junior high and taught it about 7 years ago to my middle school class in Brooklyn, but seeing it live on stage was still as moving as if reading it for the first time. The actors were so real, taking on the personas of the various characters in Anne's life. The woman who played Anne was amazing! She relayed Anne's innocence and youth so well that you truly thought this 20-something-year old was 13.

The play told the tragic story of Anne's family going into hiding during World War II in Amsterdam. Though the plot is somber and atrocious, the play also showed the personal side of each character, including the sweet first love between Anne and 16-year old Peter, who was also in hiding with his family.

Of course, no amount of lighter material could make the ending easier to digest. The final soliloquy by Otto Frank, Anne's father and only survivor out of the 8 people who were in hiding in that cramped attic, reduced me to a sobbing mess.

I hate that this story was ever written but am so glad that it continues to be told, especially in a world where such evils still plague humankind.

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Card Catalogue

One of my New Year's resolutions was to try and not incur any library fines this year. That lasted about 12 days, but I'm still proud to say that so far, I've only racked up 60 cents in overdue charges -- pretty good for a gal who was regularly paying a couple of dollars each month!

The Toronto Public Library has a great collection, which I take full advantage anytime I hear of another *great read*. I love that I can put a book on hold and then when it finally comes up in my queue I've totally forgotten about it so it's like a surprise as to what I'm going to read next!

Lately, I've devoured a few good reads:

• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.

This book has been on my *to read* list forever and I finally got around to picking up an audio copy for my commute.

I was a bit annoyed that at the beginning and end of every cd the announcer stated "this is disc ___ of The Perks of Being a Wallflower" but in the end this was a blessing in disguise as I realized that after listening to disc 5, disc 4 was starting! Oops! Luckily, it wasn't too hard to listen to the discs slightly out of order.

As for the actual story, I love this book. it is such a great coming-of-age tale of a sweet ninth grader who is socially awkward and brilliant beyond his years. Though it's been a few years since I was in junior high/high school, this book brought back a wave of memories and emotions of a time that was both tumultuous and triumphant. A perfect quote from the book: "So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be."

Definitely read it before the movie comes out next year!

• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

This was our Book Club pick for February, but I was a bit delinquent and didn't get to reading it until after our meeting. My consensus only 50 pages into it was that I was a bit worried it was going to be too gruesome and gory for me. Once I got going, I'll admit it was hard to put down. Even with the brutality, the story was compelling and left me wanting more. I don't think I'll jump right into the 2nd and 3rd books of the trilogy, but they're definitely on my radar now.

• Unbearable Lightness by Portia de Rossi

I really wanted to like this book, and at the beginning, it was fairly engrossing, but by the middle I found myself skipping passages and almost entire pages. I think this would've have been an excellent magazine article, but as a book, I felt it went on a bit too much. I could relate to some of what Portia went through, but again, felt like it was just a really long diary entry that wasn't especially interesting.

• Little Bee by Chris Cleave.

I think I've used the adjective "heart-wrenching" a lot this year when describing the books I've read, and Little Bee is no different. The story was difficult at times, and more than heart-wrenching, it was gut-wrenching. but it was very well written and captivating. I definitely couldn't put it down and often fell asleep with it on my face. I can't really divulge too much about the story because the author explicitly asks that readers let other readers find out for themselves, so you're going to have to pick it up and tell me what you think.

• Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler

I wouldn't have picked this book up on my own, but luckily it was sent to me by the lovely and wonderful, Claire. I loved ending my day with a few pages at the Homesick Restaurant and was sad when it was finished. The story follows Pearl, a single mother, and her 3 children as they grow up in their dysfunctional family in Baltimore from sometime in the 1940s to 1975.

At first, it was really hard for me to connect with any of the characters because I didn't like any of them, but by the end I felt empathy and even a bond with them all. I liked that each chapter was from the point-of-view of a different character, with some overlap so I got to read how each character may have reacted to a particular instance.

I'd recommend this book to anyone...though it is not "beach read", it was fairly quick to get through and very thought-provoking.

Well, there you have it, just an inkling of what's taking up real estate on my night stand. Oh, and at the time of this post's publication, my fines were up to 90 cents and an official block was put on my account! Have to remedy that pronto!

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Snapshot Sunday: week 45

Another week gone already. It's crazy how quickly they seem to be slipping through my fingers.

Have you started thinking about resolutions? Do you do that sort of thing? I don't, but maybe this year I'll start. What do you have in store for 2011?

[day 313: after almost 2 hours of fun at an indoor playground Indy found this sandwich board to be more exciting. go figure.]

[day 314: I couldn't get the camera out fast enough to capture Cassius's nose inside E's slipper. weirdo.]

[day 315: I was trying to distract myself from the pain of my first gym visit in over 2 years(!) with the pretty leaf.]

[day 316: unbelievable fog on the drive home from girls' night.]

[day 317: my latest library acquisition and my fancy new bookmark.]

[day 318: another at-home haircut. wow, he looks like a little man!]

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The Good Stuff: Baby's First Year

Before Indio was born, I scoured bookstores and online stores to find the *perfect* baby book. You know, the one where I would record every milestone of his first year of life, glue in photos for each month, and write funny anecdotes of our little guy growing and changing.

I knew I didn't want anything with a *character* like Winnie the Pooh, Peter Rabbit, Sesame Street, etc. I also didn't want a book with tons of writing space because everyone was telling me I'd have little time to brush my teeth during that first year, leave aside writing my child's biography! I also had planned to put together a photo book of his first year, so I didn't need a record book with space for tons of photos.

I can't remember where I came across the one I finally chose; I think it was Barnes & Noble. [But of course I ordered from Amazon because it was cheaper!] It was Anabel Karmel's Baby's First Year: a keepsake journal of milestone moments.

I loved the colours and the layout. It wasn't too *babyish*, if that's even possible for a baby book. And the front cover title square was an easy-to-remove sticker, which I promptly got rid of once I had the book in my hands.

I diligently filled in the family tree info and pages about mom and dad so that I would be ahead of the game once Indio arrived. I was even on top of things during Indio's first month, but that was probably because babies don't do much during that time other than eat and sleep!
And then it all fell to the wayside! I took photos to be pasted into the book, only to never print them. I recorded mini-milestones on scraps of paper, which were put in a pile whoknowswhere.

Once we moved to Toronto and I wasn't working or packing anymore, I tried to fill in all the months I'd neglected, but honestly, it's still a work in progress. Indy is now 14 months old and his book sits half-empty. Hopefully, I'll get it filled before he turns 2!

But, for anyone looking for a nice baby book, I'd definitely still recommend this one for those on a budget. I still love the one I wrote about here, but it's a bit more expensive.

I'd love to hear how others keep/kept track of their baby's milestones. Maybe there's a system out there for me yet!

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What I loved in January...

I'm a product junky, I will admit that. I like trying new things, whether it be toiletries to easy-to-prepare foods to new electronic gadgets. I can get obsessive about researching new products just to find the best one out there. And I can't pass up a deal!

I love to share my new finds with anyone who will listen because who doesn't love a good thing? Of course, each month I'm also going to share those new found treasures and good ol' standbys with you too! Head on over to the blog, Keep on S'myelin to see K*OS's January list!

Here is a smidgen of the things I heart this past month:

1. Monthly get together with my book club girls, even if I don't finish the book each month. This month we're reading Marion Keyes's The Brightest Star in the Sky. I'm trying really hard to finish it before our next meeting!


2. Last month's book club pick, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.


3. Audio books. My first foray into the spoken book world was with the wonderful story, Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger. Definitely makes the commute to work much more bearable.
   
   
4. Aveeno Baby Wash: so gentle and safe for Indio, but unlike many other *hippie* products, this one also smells great!
   
   
5. Dollarama: The swankiest of dollar stores, Dollarama is fun-tastic! You can find *almost* everything here [I still haven't found any larger-than-address-size labels though.]
   
   
6. Mail! Sending and receiving *real* snail mail.
   
   
7. Clover Leaf Flavoured Tuna. Quick'n'easy when my hands are full of a squirming 1-yr old but my belly's empty! My favourite flavours are sundried tomato and basil and spicy peanut satay. So good over salad or pasta.
   

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Listening to...

...the audio version of Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger of The Time Traveler's Wife fame. 

I have moaned about my commute to work almost everyday since I started back in September and mentioned to anyone who would listen that I miss being able to walk to work each day.  My current commute is anywhere from 35-90 minutes one way, which is made worse by the drivel that emanates from the radio morning shows.

In an effort to curb my complaining and read more books, I decided to give audio books a try.  Well, after a few false starts with missing cds, getting the wrong book, etc, I was finally able to get my hands on Her Fearful Symmetry, a book I've had on my *to read* list since it was released.  This morning I began listening to it and I'm officially hooked!  I've only listened to 1.5 discs out of 12, but the story is great, the woman reading is captivating, and I'm not stuck listening to the same songs over and over between what feels like hours of unending radio talk about nothing.

I think audio books are going to be in regular rotation in the car, especially since I can request them from the local library.  A free indulgence is always a good one! 

And now I'm actually looking forward to driving to work in the morning!

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The Good Stuff: MJM Books

I have recently become infatuated with all things personalized, especially since I can't just go out and buy an *Indio* magnet or sippy cup or keychain or anything for that matter because his name is not common at all. Combine this with my need to read to Indio and my ongoing search for great books for kids, I have stumbled across many personalized books.

There is a much larger market out there than I anticipated, but one company that stood out from the pack was MJM Books, a company made up of three brothers, Mike, Jeff, and Matt. I really liked the story in their book, If I Were Big and since I was looking for an original birthday gift for two separate adorable people in my life, I gave MJM a try.

Though the characters from book to book look the same, MJM allows you to specify skin tone and hair colour for the child and each parent. When I wanted a more complex combination due to the multicultural family of one of the recipients, Jeff at MJM was quick to reply to my email, ensuring me that he would make the necessary amendments.

I was not disappointed! The title page includes the child's name and a message from the book-giver.
They are extremely reasonably priced and the books are great! They are soft cover, so they may not last as long as a hardcover book, especially in little hands [and mouths], but they are wonderful nonetheless! The drawings are simple and cute and the story is sure to become a bedtime favorite!

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Celebrity siting

Well, a celebrity in my world.

Today, R and I were invited to the ethereal world of Tad Hills, author and illustrator of children's books including the adorable Duck and Goose. For the longest time, I used to pass the Hills on my way to school as they walked in the opposite direction of their kids' school. The only words exchanged were a friendly, sometimes sleepy "hello." We never stopped long enough to say anything else. I didn't know who Tad was until R told me one day while we walked to school and passed him on the way.

Yesterday, R ran into Tad and he invited her to preview his upcoming release, Rocket Learns to Read. Of course, being the good friend that she is, she asked if she could bring me along. The book was beautiful. R and I both had a hard time choosing our favorite page. But more than the book, we were interested in the adorable life of the Hills family.

His house is like a cottage situated in the middle of Brooklyn, complete with a tree house out back. His children *run* a week-long summer camp for 4, 5, and 6-yr olds. They are only 13 and 11 themselves. Tad and his mother, *JoNana* [her cute grandma name] oversee the camp operation, preparing Campbell's soup for lunch, and ensuring the treats for the afternoon bake sale don't get eaten before the sale.

Tad was very welcoming, inviting us to *take a look around*, which was hard not to do anyway because of all the teeny clay figurines perched on the bookshelves along with family photos, last year's Hallowe'en costume in a doorway [a replica of their house], and Rocket, the family dog, nestled in his crate. We also got to watch his kids in action, teaching the 9 neighborhood kids how to make sunprints in the backyard.

It all made me giddy and wanting such a camp for Indio when he's old enough. For now, I guess I'll have to settle for Tad's autograph in Indy's Duck and Goose board books. Hopefully, that'll be our ticket to camp in a few years. Can't you just hear me now: "Hi Tad. Remember me? You signed books for my son, Indio right before we moved to Canada? And you promised him a spot at your camp as long as we came back to Brooklyn to visit. Remember?"

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