Title: When You Are Engulfed In Flames
Author: David Sedaris
Pages: 323
(NON-SPOILER INFO)A collection of short stories from author David Sedaris’ life with subjects that include a parasitic worm, an encounter with a dingo, the buying of a human skeleton, and attempting to learn Japanese in Tokyo.
(SPOILER INFO)It’s Catching: The story of germs and how some people see them everywhere.
Keeping Up: A fight between a couple on the street reminds David of his relationship with Hugh and how Hugh always walks ahead of him.
The Understudy: An experience with a horrible babysitter named Mrs. Peacock.
This Old House: David’s obsession with old fashioned things leads him to an old house with a like-minded roommate Rosemary.
Buddy, Can You Spare a Tie?: David’s experiences and quest for manly accessories.
Road Trips: David has experiences with admitting his sexuality.
What I Learned: David’s experiences with Princeton.
That’s Amore: David becomes friends with his cantankerous neighbor Helen.
The Monster Mash: A fascination with the dead.
In the Waiting Room: Unable to understand French, David ends up in a hospital waiting room in nothing but his underwear.
Solution to Saturday’s Puzzle: While on an airplane ride, David encounters a pushy passenger.
Adult Figures Charging Toward a Concrete Toadstool: David’s parents become interested in art.
Memento Mori: David buys Hugh a skeleton for his birthday and later regrets it.
All the Beauty You Will Ever Need: David buys marijuana from a trailer home.
Town and Country: A story of how a person looks and how the act differs greatly.
Aerial: Birds begin to attack the Sedaris home.
The Man In the Hut: David befriends the neighbor suspected to being a child molester.
Of Mice and Men: David practices for conversations with articles from the newspaper.
April In Paris: David starts studying and the loving the spiders in his window.
Crybaby: David must sit next to a Polish man on an airplane who was just lost his mother.
Old Faithful: What being in a monogamous relationship means.
The Smoking Section: David tries to quit smoking by moving to Tokyo for three months.
(MY VERDICT)
My favorite story was definitely The Smoking Section, as I related to it so much. Overall I gave the entire book 3 and ½ stars.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Moloka'i
Title: Moloka’i
Author: Alan Brennert
Pages: 400
NON-SPOILER INFO:
In the 1890’s at the age of seven, Rachel Kalama is diagnosed with leprosy and forced to leave her family and friends behind for the island of Molokai, Hawaii.
SPOILER INFO:
The year is 1891 and Rachel Kalama is a seven year old Hawaiian girl who lives with her father Henry, a sailor; her mother Dorothy, her two brothers Ben and Kimo, and her sister Sarah. At the tender age of seven, Rachel is diagnosed with leprosy and forced to leave her family behind for the island of Molokai. Upon arrival at Molokai, Rachel finds a new family including Haleola, a native healer who becomes her adopted auntie; Sister Mary Catherine, one of the nuns charged with caring for the children of the island; Leilani, Rachel’s best friend, who is hiding a secret from the world; and Kenji, a Japanese boy who will eventually become Rachel’s husband. As Rachel finds herself loving a new family and creating a life despite the disease, Alan Brennert inserts historical moments including, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and the overthrowing of Queen Liliuokalani, the invention of airplanes and movies, and the introduction of electricity to the island. All the while, Rachel lives her life to the fullest, including her first kiss, her first dance, her first drink of alcohol, her first friend, her surfing, her job, her marriage, and her eventual daughter. But sadly Rachel is forced to give her daughter Ruth up for adoption so that she does not come into contact with the disease. And so Rachel lives 50 years of Moloaki, until the day sulfa drugs release her from Molokai and she is free to search the world, not only for her daughter Ruth, but for her former Kalama family. In the end Rachel learns that home is where your heart is and family is not always defined by blood.
MY VERDICT:
3 ½ stars out of 5.
Beautifully sad and wonderful.
Author: Alan Brennert
Pages: 400
NON-SPOILER INFO:
In the 1890’s at the age of seven, Rachel Kalama is diagnosed with leprosy and forced to leave her family and friends behind for the island of Molokai, Hawaii.
SPOILER INFO:
The year is 1891 and Rachel Kalama is a seven year old Hawaiian girl who lives with her father Henry, a sailor; her mother Dorothy, her two brothers Ben and Kimo, and her sister Sarah. At the tender age of seven, Rachel is diagnosed with leprosy and forced to leave her family behind for the island of Molokai. Upon arrival at Molokai, Rachel finds a new family including Haleola, a native healer who becomes her adopted auntie; Sister Mary Catherine, one of the nuns charged with caring for the children of the island; Leilani, Rachel’s best friend, who is hiding a secret from the world; and Kenji, a Japanese boy who will eventually become Rachel’s husband. As Rachel finds herself loving a new family and creating a life despite the disease, Alan Brennert inserts historical moments including, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and the overthrowing of Queen Liliuokalani, the invention of airplanes and movies, and the introduction of electricity to the island. All the while, Rachel lives her life to the fullest, including her first kiss, her first dance, her first drink of alcohol, her first friend, her surfing, her job, her marriage, and her eventual daughter. But sadly Rachel is forced to give her daughter Ruth up for adoption so that she does not come into contact with the disease. And so Rachel lives 50 years of Moloaki, until the day sulfa drugs release her from Molokai and she is free to search the world, not only for her daughter Ruth, but for her former Kalama family. In the end Rachel learns that home is where your heart is and family is not always defined by blood.
MY VERDICT:
3 ½ stars out of 5.
Beautifully sad and wonderful.
March Reading
What should you read for March? Well if you are anything like me, you are totally excited for Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. So this month, let's get back to our roots, and read "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass" by Lewis Carroll. Besides what better time is there to read about the March Hare? So go my dear readers!
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