Where Is Your Bookmark? (07/21/2015)

It was nice to get away for a little while last week. The weather was perfect; I got to enjoy the best macaroni and cheese I have ever had; we took in a lot of sights and sun and enjoyed playing in the water. We were all spoiled by our vacation, my daughter especially. There were lots of tears on the drive home. Mouse did not want her vacation to end. And truthfully, I wasn't quite ready for it to end either.

We came back to rain and thunderstorms, which weren't exactly unwelcome. The rain is always welcome here. Although, we could have done without the flash floods.  Fortunately, we weren't one of the areas affected by power outages.

I did not get any reading done this past week. None. Zilch. Our entire vacation was full of activity and very little down time. When we were resting, we were eating or sleeping. I am still reading Kirsty Larson's The Gracekeepers, which I fell right back into when I picked it up again after my vacation.  I hope to finish it in the next day so so. I haven't decided what I will pick up next. I am kind of in the mood for a romance, but a mystery sounds good too.

I thought I would share a the opening of one of my all time favorite books with you today, one I feature below as part of the Top Ten list for the week.  Here is the opening of Lisa See's Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: 

I am what they call in our village "one who has not yet died"--a widow, eighty years old. Without my husband, days are long. I no longer care for the special foods that Peony and the others prepare for me. I no longer look forward to the happy events that settle under our roof so easily. Only the past interests me now. After all this time, I can finally say the things I couldn't when I had to depend on my natal family to reaise me or rely on my husband's family to feed me. I have a whole life to tell; I have nothing left to lose and few to offend.

Random teaser from Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: 

“When I knew I couldn't suffer another moment of pain, and tears fell on my bloody bindings, my mother spoke softly into my ear, encouraging me to go one more hour, one more day, one more week, reminding me of the rewards I would have if I carried on a little longer. In this way, she taught me how to endure--not just the physical trials of footbinding and childbearing but the more tortuous pain of the heart, mind, and soul. She was also pointing out my defects and teaching me how to use them to my benefit. In our country, we call this type of mother love teng ai. My son has told me that in men's writing it is composed of two characters. The first means pain; the second means love. That is a mother's love.”

What do you think? Would you keep reading?  

What are you reading at the moment?  Is it anything you would recommend?

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely ladies at Broke and Bookish.

This week's  Top Ten Tuesday theme is Ten Books That Celebrate Diversity/Diverse Characters (example: features minority/religious minority, socioeconomic diversity, disabled main character, neurotypical character, LGBTQ, etc.). Today I thought I would share with you some of my favorite books featuring diversity/diverse characters that I have read over the past ten years. All of these books received either 5 paws or 4.5 paws from me. There are others, of course, and it was hard to narrow down to just ten. All of the books I mention still resonate with me in some way, even those I read years and years ago.

1.

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie ~  From the beauty of the writing, to the all too real characters and the difficulties they faced and endured. Set in Nigeria, this novel focuses on a number of characters, touching on class and race struggles.

2.

Haunting Bombay by Shilpa Agarwal ~ I love this book for many reasons and am still recommending it to friends years later.  Set in Bombay, this novel gives readers "a taste of Indian culture as [the author] takes us into an upper class Indian family as well as deep into the city’s underbelly, where crime runs rampant. The reader gets a sense of the injustices that existed during that time period, including the corruption and prejudices." [Excerpt from my actual review]

3.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie ~ This one was first brought to my attention as a banned book.  Tell me a book is banned, and, of course, you give me a reason to read it.  This wonderful book is about a Native American boy who lives on a reservation and decides to attend an all white school. Alexie's book is both humorous and sad, touching on several very serious issues, including poverty, alcoholism, bullying, prejudice. This book might appeal to those who like graphic novels as well because of the occasional artwork throughout the novel.

4.

Moloka'i by Alan Brennert ~ Having lived in Hawaii for a short time during my childhood made me forever interested in the Hawaiian Islands and their history. I can't say enough about Moloka'i and how much I loved it. The island of Moloka'i was once a leper colony where people were exiled and sent to die.  Missionaries and doctors cared for them, but it was a while before treatments were found that were successful in treating the illness--and in understanding exactly what leprosy (Hanson's Disease) was. There is a lot of Hawaiian folklore woven throughout the book, which I especially appreciated.

5.

Beasts of No Nation by Uzodinma Iweala ~ If ever there was a character I wish I could have reached into a book and saved, it would be Agu, a West African boy.  He is enlisted as a child soldier at a young age. The writing is raw and authentic, the story heartbreaking. This book made quite an impression on me, and is one I will likely never forget.

6. 

Out by Natsuo Kirino ~ Out is a Japanese crime thriller that delves into cultural and gender issues. It is the story of one woman  who murders her abusive husband and is aided by coworkers to hide the crime. This complex novel was not only intense, but also a harsh study of human nature.

7.

Push by Sapphire ~ Precious is a black young woman, living in the Bronx with her mother who is collecting welfare. Discrimination is nothing new to her. She does not trust the authorities nor most white people. She spends much of her time wishing she was lighter skinned and thinner. She's also pregnant. What follows is a heart wrenching story of one young woman's struggle to survive and make something of herself. This story is as inspiring as it is heartbreaking.

8.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See ~ Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is set in nineteenth century China, and is the story of two lifelong friends, laotongs, who have their own langage, as they navigate through their lives. Lisa See's novel is rich in culture and history, capturing the hardships of the time, including the role women played in a society. I loved everything about this book, and it's one of my all time favorites.

9.

The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar ~ This was my first Thrity Umrigar book, and she's become one of my favorite authors. The book broke my heart and yet it is so beautiful. The Space Between Us is about an upper-middle-class Parsi housewife and the woman who works as a domestic servant in her home. From GoodReads:

Thrity Umrigar's extraordinary novel demonstrates how the lives of the rich and poor are intrinsically connected yet vastly removed from each other, and how the strong bonds of womanhood are eternally opposed by the divisions of class and culture.

10. 

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters ~ Fingersmith is a modern classic set in the Victorian era that delves into the cultural view of women, the divide between the poor and the wealthy and the institutional side of the time period. It is also the story of the two women who love each other. This is a beautiful book, rich in history and intrigue.  

Have you read any of these books? What are some of your favorite books celebrating diversity/diverse characters?

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