EONS

I forgot about this blog. I sincerely completely forgot!

It is not that I haven't been reading...that would be a travesty! I am ashamed at having ignored this pace for so many years. Myself...I am ashamed of you! This blog is mainly for my own consumption though and it helps or was meant to help me remember the books I have read and what I thought of them.

What I currently reading? I finally got my hands on a copy of Trevor Noah's "Born a Crime". Next on my reading list is "Becoming" by Michelle Obama. I have resisted reading these books for a long time because at some point...it all felt like a reading fad. But I do admire both of them greatly and am glad I am finally coming round to reading the books!

I promise not to be that person who abandons a blog for 6 years!! Gosh damn it....who even does that? I will be back....

Meet Him at the Shack

God.

Almighty. All knowing. Omnipresent. Feared. Revered. Also. Scary. Far off. Full of Wrath. Judging. All powerful.

My views about God are as above and more. Well..not until recently. After reading the Shack by WM Paul Young. My view of God has changed. Suddenly, God was no longer this quagmire in my mind...a God that I could not understand ....who I sometimes... I think... does not understand me either (I don't blame him).

I first attempted to read this book in December of last year but I stopped after a few pages. A few months later, my sister pointed out to me that I was yet to read it despite desperately begging to borrow it...so i started off again .Boy...was I in for a ride!

At the beginning, I paid little attention to what I was reading...reading yet not absorbing much. Until God showed up as a BBW (Big black woman). I sat up in bed and truly paid attention. When the book came to an end, I was ...different. I looked up and had a conversation with God like never before. Yes, I know there has been a lot of controversy over the book with many mainstream preachers condemning it completely and accusing the author of heresy. I don't care for their opinion much.

For me...it was a breadth of fresh air...an epiphany of sorts. Cathartic even. My heart is still moved at the memory of it all.

God .

Approachable. Loving. Warm. Non-judgmental. A friend. A father. Open. Down to earth. Someone I want to know. Someone I NEED to know!

Meet him at the Shack.

High Sprited Arabian Nights

One of my friends handed a copy of this book and simply said "I know you will enjoy it" and I did.

The book is a wonderful read and completely opens up the doors to a world that has been and continues to be mysterious and shrouded in secrecy.

Many of us will know that the treatment of women in the Arab world is..well...different to say the least. I personally had never been exposed to the detail of it. Until now.

The best part of this book is the ability of the author to bring out many of the injustices whilst telling a wonderful story of the Arabian Princess. After reading this book, I will never again take the simple freedoms I enjoy as a Woman for granted. One is left admiring the spirit of Princess Sultana. High spirited...to put it mildly!!

One word for it (may be two)...eye opening! I can't wait to read the sequels.

Once in a life time....

My first thoughts when I laid my eyes on this book were......looks interesting. 15 minutes into the book and I had to stop and glance at the cover again. That's when I noticed " MAN BOOKER PRIZE WINNER 2008". Am not sure what I was looking for when I looked back at the cover...but I did find my answer.

Aravind Adiga is a highly skilled author. He paints a very clear picture of India in it's true everyday realities. Reading this book reminded me of one thing. We are not in control of our circumstances. We certainly are not in control of the world around us. But we are in control of our thought processes....of our dreams....of the goals that we so desire to reach. We can change our lives by changing our thinking...our view of both ourselves......the immediate world around us...and the sometimes imagined limits imposed by the society around us.

I certainly do not approve of how the main character & narrator Bramal achieved his dreams and severed himself from poverty....but I admire the courage it took for him to cut off the chains of such deep set poverty...a poverty of the mind that afflicts many.

One thing I know for sure..I will read it again! Like the White Tiger...I think this is truly a "once in a lifetime" book!

My favourite quotes from the book are: -

“I was looking for the key for years
But the door was always open” 
― Aravind Adiga, The White Tiger

“The moment you recognize what is beautiful in this world, you stop being a slave” 
― Aravind Adiga, The White Tiger

“So I stood around that big square of books. Standing around books, even books in a foreign language, you feel a kind of electricity buzzing up toward you, Your Excellency. It just happens, the way you get erect around girls wearing tight jeans.
"Except here what happens is that your brain starts to hum.” 
― Aravind Adiga, The White Tiger

“You ask 'Are you a man or a demon?' Neither, I say. I have woken up, and the rest of you are sleeping, and that is the only difference between us.” 
― Aravind Adiga, The White Tiger

311 Pelican Court

Debbie Macomber is my solution for romance novels. Typically, I would be ashamed of being caught reading one simply because society has declared that women who read romance novels inadvertently commits a  sin of sorts. Unfortunately, sometimes society is right. Such novels create the kind of relationship illusions that would lead to a woman living in a delusional world. A world where all men are tall, dark and handsome and no matter what, there will be a happy ending that involves a big wedding and some whisking away into the sunset. There very likely will also be a six pack, ruggedness and a wild black horse involved too!

In the world of romance novels, breakups only exist until the one party quickly comes to their senses and discovers that the other party was their soul mate and they could not possibly live without them. If this was reality, the world would be a sorry place in deed. Breakups are a necessary part of life and many times provide an unexpected escape from a life with someone totally unsuited for the other party.

Debbie’s novels are not devoid of such delusions entirely. I find that the levels of delusion are a little less deeper than in most romance novels. When I find myself in need of being rescued from the depths of relationships pessimism….a Debbie Macomber is the perfect rescue indeed.This book does not deviate from the typical structure of her other books. Debbie has the wonderful ability to intertwine many stories into one, yet still leaving the reader with a feeling of one overall story. I love that and would definitely encourage other readers who are not too averse to the world of romance to buy her books. So there you are...another from Debbie Macomber on my growing list!

In the simplicity, Lies Brilliance

Baking Cakes in Kigali was a pleasant surprise.  It is quite admirable to read books with intricate story lines and plots weaving in and out, up and down, east to west and the like. I am always left in awe when I read such books…in awe of the authors’ obviously intelligent and highly complex mind. 

This book is not one of those. Rather, it is a series of stories all centred around one woman who is …you guessed it….Baking cakes in Kigali. The stories are simple, every day stories. The characters in the book, every day characters. People you know…have met…probably live with. People like yourself. 

In my opinion, it takes an even more brilliant mind to tell stories simply... with no bells and whistles. To tell them as they are without any spins, twists & cartwheels yet still managing to keep the interest of the reader.  Brilliance sometimes comes dressed in simple attire. 

Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin..READ IT. 

Baking Cakes in Nairobi

The truth is..I have never baked anything in my life. It has always been one of those things that was just not me...the baking part...not the eating one. However, I think as I grow older the art of cooking is connivingly attaching itself to me and I find myself thoroughly enjoying it and producing wonderful meals to boost! I suppose that means I need to bake a cake soon. Now my family still find it hard to believe I can produce a great meal. Even when they are seated right there eating it! I used to tell my mum that I had no talent for cooking. To prove it was true, I made terrible meals. Not on purpose though :-)..well at least not all the time. Therefore, it became a written rule. Cooking was not one of my chores as I grew up! Yeah!! On the other hand, I cleaned up pretty well. As a child, I was obsessed with keeping my parents room neat. It was so frustrating because neither one of them had any such obsession with neatness. In fact, they were both very good at creating messes and I was very good at cleaning up after them. Eventually, I stilled myself and managed to stop doing it. It seem like a hopeless task. My mum misses it though :-).  Oh yes...back to cooking. So, if I am NOT baking cakes in Nairobi, what is this post about?

Baking cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin

To begin with, I need to find out if Gaile is white because if she is...she is doing pretty well telling the story of a Tanzanian woman who has relocated to Kigali with her husband post the genocide..and you guessed it! She is now Baking cakes in Kigali.

Other than attaching the beautiful photo of the book below...I have nothing else to share because am still reading it. Am on page 76 to be exact, so will be back with a bit more detail!

The Common Lawyer

By Mark Gimenez

I love me some law drama! And this one was no different.

Initially, the books starts off really slow….as in REAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLY SLOW. I almost give up at some point and then suddenly…the pace picks up and it goes up all the way to 200kph till the end. 

 

Andy Prescott is not your typical lawyer. He does not wear Italian tailored suits or drive the larest BMW. He does not work from a posh corner office nor does he live in an upmarket neighbourhood. He does not even handle typical law cases! Andy is just a guy stuck in between college and adulthood…and totally refusing to grow up. He gets by through taking up traffic cases. Andy is brilliant though. 

Bang! One day he lands the case of a life time. Too good to be true...and indeed, it does turn out to be too good to be true. I don’t know how to explain the story….there are surprises all over the place. Once you think you have understood the story…it changes and takes up a whole new life of its own. Brilliant writing…though I found the ending rather bland and predictable. 

In the end, you realise that Andy is no common lawyer in every sense of the word. 

A lost wife’s tale

By Marion McGilvary

Edith has been married for many years…and then one day, she just vanishes from her life with her husband.  She takes up a job as a housekeeper to a divorced publisher…and soon they fall in love.

Little does he know about her past life….She admits to being previously married but lies that her husband passed away. UNTIL…until one day….she is hosting dinner for her boyfriend…when an invited guest comes with her friend….Edith’s husband!

Well ...all hell break’s loose….and she has to run again. From her husband….from her new lover….from everything. It turns out she is really running from her daughter who she gave up for adoption many years ago. That doesn’t make sense to me. Why would anyone do that? i.e. mess up their lives….lie….move around…etc just because they do not want to face their own child? I suppose there are people like that in life..sad. 

I honestly didn’t get that bit at all…but would still recommend the book.

Meanwhile...

I hate starting my posts like this-----> It has been a while...

Am tempted to though, because indeed...it has been a while. And when "it has been a while", it also means it has been busy...it has been crazy...and sometimes it means it hasn't been good either. It is 3 months since my last post and I am deeply ashamed.

The good thing though is I have still been reading and I have managed to read 5 books at least. Not too bad eh?

So let's see how well my memory serves me on the first two...

The Girl Next Door by Elizabeth Noble

The title of the book lies. This book is hardly about the girl next door but more about each and everyone living in an apartment complex in New York's Upper East Side and their lives! I think a more appropriate title would have been "All about the Neighbours" :-) but that not withstanding, it's a wonderful book.

The main focus of the book is Eve who is English and has just moved to New York with her husband who is taking up a high flying job. Soon, Eve finds herself stuck in the house with not much to do (In bloody NEW YORK????). She eventually befriends Violet, one of her elderly neighbours who is originally from England.Violet has lived in the US for a long time.

INTERLUDE: At this point, I rudely discover that a Peanut butter & Jelly sandwich is really just bread with Peanut butter  and JAM...Yes..JAM! Why the Americans call it jelly is beyond me. All these years I have secretly relished having one...even anticipating its deliciousness (otherwise why do they...the Americans.... talk about it all the time?). At this point...I think about Chimamanda Adichie's TEDEx presentation on "The danger of a single story". It takes me reading a book written by an English author and set in America to know this basic fact...that there are no pomp and bells involved in a peanut butter & jelly sandwich! Even recalling this annoys me. Back to the story......

What is the essence of this book then? The Author interweaves Eve's story with that of Violet and all their other neighbours. There is the gay couple (for political correctness I suppose otherwise there isn't much to tell about them) one of whom is a lawyer, then there are the single girls (the introvert, the drop dead gorgeous girl and the diva). There is also the rich boy with a trust fund, the perfect couple with two little perfect children and the imperfect couple who hardly speak to each other any more and are contemplating divorce. There is also the old man who hates the gay couple and would send them to hell himself if he could. He later on dies in his apartment and nobody notices until he has been dead for a number of days. The classic American tale. The book is simply a medley of stories and not a moment of boredom!

At some point in the story, Eve gets pregnant and is happy to have something to focus on. As the story progresses and the readers are busy waiting for the wonderful birth of Eve's baby....the author gives the story a twist. Eve goes into premature labour and delivers a baby girl who lives only for a month. At this point of the story....I have to stop reading the book for a little while because as the story unfolds...it only makes me cry. As a mother, I deeply relate to Eve's anguish and pain. I also like to cry every once in a while for reasons that do not involve my own life. It's healthy. A healthy excuse to cry :-) i.e.! To top it all, the author brings out Violet's own pain and anguish story about loosing her husband and her 5 year old daughter. Am happy when the book finally ends and I can stop crying! YES..YES! I cried about fictional characters Elizabeth Noble created in her head but that right there...THAT is the power of a true author.

All in all it is a good read...though not the kind of book that will keep you up late into the night because you simply cannot put it down.

The Marriage Bureau for Rich People by Farahad Zama

Take a good look at the cover. Take another good look. Not exactly attractive...makes you wonder what kind of book this really is. I picked it up...then put it down again but something drew me back and I decided to give it a try. Boy am I glad that I did!

The book is set in rural India. First problem....rural India? Second problem...Marriage Bureau? Still...something keeps me going. And here is why.....

Bored with retirement, Mr. Ali sets up a desk, puts up a sign, and waits for customers for his new matchmaking business. You would think with all the online sites available, a matchmaking business (its all analogue) wouldn't make sense at all. But this is India and that is what makes a difference. Any Indian family with a daughter looks forward to finding a husband for her. Its not easy though due to the deeply rooted cultural beliefs THAT COMPLICATE EVERYTHING. Perhaps I should have been born there...then that would be one headache off my mind. I would only need to know these things;Where, What time, What do I wear? Is he human?

Within no time, Mr Ali's business is booming and he makes his first perfect match...then a second...and a third. Soon he is overwhelmed and needs an assistant! It may all sound easy but there is a lot of complexity involved due to the caste system, family preferences, financial capability etc. Not once does love come into the equation. Soon, Mr. Ali is able to get an assistant, thanks to his wife. This book is really about her story.

I will leave you to find out more if you so wish. When I finally finish reading the book, I have a big smile on my face...a high... fueled by a renewed hope and belief in love. It only lasts for the remainder of my evening....but while it last....I ride the wave for all its worth.

Blistering barnacles!!! (You know what am talking about if you followed the Tin Tin series)....I have 3 more books to talk about! Till next time....

Happy New Reading!

So, the New Year is here....and with all the expectations that come with the newness and with the fact that it is a Jubilee Year. I plan on NOT getting disappointed and getting all the jubilee I can! If there will be a measure of how much jubilation one has experienced at the end of the year....I plan on being at the top of the list.

I am done with my first book of this year and I will write about it soon..as soon as the pressure from my boss is off for a little while! :-) . Actually, I have to review my last read of 2012..and then get to my 2013 one. Don't worry though...I will deliver :-)

All in all...am grateful for the ability to read. Something we often take for granted. Yes..am very glad that I can read. It is truly... a beautifully PURE gift!! 

Happy Reading in 2013!

An unexpected delight!

Am strolling through the streets of Nairobi, headed to the salon when I came across a street vendor selling second hand books at a more than reasonable price. Of course, I had to stop. I picked up a couple of books for Levi and 2 for myself. The books I picked for myself were randomly chosen. I had not heard of the authors before and I only briefly read the descriptions. One was a love story (I was in need of one) and the other a detective story. Nice balance...don't you think? Between love and crime.  Both of these books set me back Kshs 100 (slightly over 1 USD). Unbelievable especially given the pleasure I derive from reading. WAY WAY More than my money's worth!

I read the love story first. As I mentioned, I was in need of soapy, mushy story and this was to be delivered by one through DAKOTA HOME by Debbie Macomber. Turns out it's part of a whole series based on a little town [Buffalo Valley] in..you guessed it. Dakota. 

Dakota Home, Dakota Born, Always Dakota, Buffalo Valley etc runs the series. After reading Dakota Home, I must say that I wouldn't mind reading the rest. 

The book surprised me simply because it was not based on one love story....but a couple of them between several couples living in Buffalo Valley though one particular story is given prominence. It's a typical story with an unbelievable ending but oh well, what to do. What I liked about the book though was in between one or two love scenes, the author tells the story of the town..its slow death and eventually it's revival. That's the real story actually.

One of the secondary love stories is a story of a single mum who falls in love and the struggles involved especially with regards to her son accepting her new love. The other story I loved is one of reconciliation between a married couple on the road to a divorce. There is also the story of this cocky,  rich, handsome heir who is totally thrown off by this beautiful lady who hardly cares if he exists whilst he is used to women falling all over themselves to get his attention. 

In conclusion...it's not your usual mundane romance novel and I have had my fair share of those...a carton or two full of Mills & Boons and Harlequins and other titles I cannot even remember. 

PLOTS & ERRORS by Jill McGown

Am sure you have all heard of the phrase or cliche' "The plot thickens". Now...in this book....the plot not only thickens, it balloons into a gigantic maze that leaves the reader REELING! 

I simply loved it! It's been a long time since I have been tempted to take a book to the loo cos I couldn't put it down...but to the loo we went!  The book is based on a thrilling plot based on the rich and wealthy Esterbrook family

Pick it up..if you may and you will not be disappointed. That's all I'll say otherwise I will just spoil it for you. I must mention though that Jill McGown is a real detective...thus I believe, why this story or should I say PLOT is really EXCELLENT. The Esterbrooks do not disappoint.

To quote The Times (London) "McGown always manages to people her books with characters who are entirely believable, fascinating human beings. This is a rare skills....Jill McGown is one of the most seriously underrated crime novelists around". I fully agree.

And now...to my next stop by the Street Vendor's corner.

WHAT DELIGHT!!! 

Three choices we make daily.....

I believe I have heard two leadership guru's say this statement in one way or another...."Greatness is not something that you seek out to achieve as an end result to a process...it is something that happens (or you do) daily"

If one was to critically examine the paths and stories behind great people, for sure the above statement would be confirmed. Greatness cannot be attributed to a single event within ones life. Even though to the outside world, it may seem so....the reality is, a lot of work, thought, effort has happened daily in that person's life in order to culminate in that one single event.

Mandela's triumph in the 1990's when South Africa was freed from Apartheid did not lie in that one single day. It was a long journey that included 27 years in prison. Behind every Olympic gold medal won, you will find hard work, determination, self-drive, tears, pain, hurt, sacrifice..... borne over many many days. I believe you would also agree with the fact that not every greatness story makes it to the headlines...not every hero is celebrated or remembered. Where am I leading to? The book. Everyday Greatness. A book filled with the kind of greatness we never get to hear about or see in the headlines. This type of greatness happens in our lives everyday, with the people around us at home, at work, on the street..everywhere but many times, nobody is there to tell the story, take a picture and shout about it from the rooftop. Yet...greatness happens and it will continue to do so. It's rare to find a book that captures these stories all in one....and I can tell you for sure..I found the book! I found it...I say.

The title of the book has two meanings to me.

1. Everyday Greatness - As in....the day to day things that we do, the choices that we make, the values that we choose that culminate in 'Greatness" as I inferred above.

2. Everyday Greatness - As in.... what we can term as "kawaida" (normal) acts that occur in our lives daily and will never be highlighted in the news or papers, yet matters a lot. The kind of greatness that we casually 'walk by" in the streets without a single glance...the kind of greatness that happens in our homes daily.

When you examine the stories in this book...they touch on either one of the above areas....and sometimes both. I treasure this book very much, not only because it was given me as a gift by someone dear to me at FranklinCovey (Stephen Covey's organisation) but because when I started reading it, the stories touched me so deeply, so so movingly that tears come to my eyes when I remember some of them. ITS A MUST READ and here's why.

Everyday Greatness has a foreword and insights from the late Dr. Stephen Covey but really....it's a combination of stories previously published by the Reader's Digest. To quote Dr. Covey's introduction ...

"Occasionally, the world witnesses a heroic feat or discovers a person with rare talent...But most people know there is another type of greatness that tends to be more quiet by nature, one that generally escapes the headlines. Yet it is a greatness that in opinion is deserving of higher honour, even more respect. I call it Everyday Greatness."

Dr. Covey's introduction further goes into breaking down the roots of Everyday Greatness. He reckons that the answer lies in three daily choices, choices that each of us make every day of our life, whether we are consciously aware of them or not. Those choices are: -

1. The Choice to Act - i.e. Will we act upon life or will we merely be acted upon? 
2. The Choice of Purpose - Many of us make the choice to act, only to find that we made poor choices - choices that turned out to be of no value to ourselves or to others, some perhaps even hurtful. So alone, the choice to act is not sufficient. To what ends or purpose will our daily choices lead?
3. The Choice for Principles - Enjoying a life rich in meaning and progress - a life of Everyday greatness - comes only as we live in harmony with timeless, universal principles. Will we live our lives in accordance with proven principles or will we suffer the consequences of not doing so?

Dr. Covey reckons that the people who exhibit Everyday Greatness in today's world - distinguish themselves through their responses to these three choices. The collection of stories he says, is not intended to highlight what others have done or said, but rather to encourage you to examine your own life. What YOU contribute on a daily basis. How you treat people. How you use your time. Whether you are doing good or doing your best. He asks some pertinent questions in ending his introduction.

- Is your life like driftwood being tossed to and fro, or are you instead making your own waves and going in directions you - by choice - want to go? 

- To what ends, or purposes, are your daily choices leading? To what ends, or purposes, would you like them to lead? 

- Is your life in harmony with timeless, universal principles? 

The stories in the book are categorised into 21 different principles like Courage, Humility, Respect, Vision, Innovation, Unity, Empathy etc. 

ITS A GREAT READ! Pick it up as soon as possible.