I was kind of sceptical about this book because my friend who recommended it described it as ‘the best book I have read in a long time’. Now, when a book comes with such high praise, it is almost always doomed to underwhelm.
Surprisingly, it surpassed her recommendation. ‘My Sister’s Keeper’ is the story of Anna and Kate. Kate was diagnosed with Leukaemia when she was very young. Because of her age and the severity of her illness, doctors believe that a non-familial donor match has a high chance of being rejected by Kate’s body and not working. Her parents make the decision to have a third child and through genetic technology, ensure that she is a complete donor match for Kate. This is how Anna is born; essentially her purpose in life is as a donor body for Kate. All her life Anna undergoes operations to donate bone marrow (and other things which I can’t remember) to her sister and the book begins when at 13, she walks into a solicitor’s office to sue her parents for the legal rights to her body because she is expected to donate a kidney to Kate and she doesn’t want to.
While the book is primarily about Anna and Kate, there are plenty of other significant characters and good storylines. Anna’s lawyer, her legal guardian appointed by the court, brother Jesse, mother and father and her sister; Kate all feature prominently.
The book constantly has you thinking about the moral implications of decisions made; decisions that break an entire family down (even though they don’t notice because they’re all much too busy trying to keep Kate alive) and create a divide between father and mother. I dare anyone that reads the book to try and take sides easily, because quite simply, you can’t. Nobody is wrong. The caption on the front of the book says something like, ‘If you risk one child’s life to save another, are you a good mother or a very bad one’ and it sums up the dilemma quite well.
While the book contains a lot of medical terms and descriptions, it does not get bogged down by them. It is very humorous in parts and the ‘twist’ and the shocking dramatic end had a chill running through my spine. This is in fact one of the best books I have read in a long while; and I don’t give that accolade out lightly. If there is one book I’d recommend everyone reads, it’s this one.
Book info: The Divide. Nicholas Evans. London: Penguin Books Ltd. 2005. ISBN 0-399-15206-7
If you’ve read both The Horse Whisperer and The Loop, then you’re probably used to Nicholas Evans’ unpredictability.
In The Divide, he explores the underlying themes of love and loyalty in a marriage slowly going apart and the effect separation can has on the children. In doing so, Nicholas Evans proves himself capable of delving into the human psyche as Fyodor Dostoevsky, the late Russian master of that genre.
The Cooper family is an otherwise normal family – at least to everyone outside as well as the children. From the onset, we feel Benjamin Cooper’s – sexual rejection from his wife Sarah, the disdain in which he is held by his father-in-law and the near-perfect love his children share with him.
Abigail, the daughter, brilliant, worshipful of her father is devastated when he leaves her mother for another woman while Joshua is completely supportive of him and of Eve, the woman Benjamin left his wife for. His character is perhaps, the most complex of all as Nicholas Evans explores the conflicts between his love interests, drugs and his dedication to his sister.
Sarah, Benjamin’s wife and the mother of Abigail and Joshua is another complicated character. Her moods swing from hurt and blame to the despair at the realization that she is partly to blame for her husband’s desertion as evidenced by the seduction of her husband in an attempt to make up for the rejection and to prove she is not frigid.
Abigail’s death is the catalyst to the reunion of the family – although not in the way expected. While still legally married to Benjamin, Sarah gives her blessing to the union between him and Eve – and gets involved with the sheriff investigating their daughter’s death.
Nicholas Evans blends wit, humor and satire in an original style that can be called his – simple, clear language that converts his hours of long research into a work that can be understood by both the technical and non-technical. Unlike most writers I’ve come across, I always say ‘This guy knows what he’s talking about’ when I read a Nicholas Evans book.
The plot is smooth, and though bizarre in some ways, he manages to convince you. The speech is very realistic and true to life and one recognizes something that could have really happened.
The Divide is a very touching story, humorous in some places and evoking different feelings depending on the side one takes. Nicholas Evans has once again created a masterpiece in a genre that defies classification and can be called his.
I seem to have scared people away. I apologize for going too technical and promise to write shorter and more down-to-earth articles in future. Sorry, Buki.
What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day by Pearl Cleage
Ms May says: About a woman from Atlanta who is HIV positive and decides to return home to Michigan because Atlanta has become too small. I'm currently reading a couple of others by her so I'll let you know about those when I'm done. Pearl Cleage is the woman who wrote the poem for Oprah's Legends Ball called "We Speak Your Names". Great poem by the way.
Tori says: I really liked " What looks like Crazy.."the end was sorta anticlimatic for me, but it truly was a book from a very fresh very unapologetic perspective.
Chill Factor by Sandra Brown
Ms May Says: More on the Romance/Murder Mystery tip. I'm not into those type of books usually, but this was a good one. It grips you from the beginning and you end up rooting for the "supposed" bad guy along the way.
Young, Fabulous and Broke by Suze Orman
Ms May Says: A good one to read/own for 20 somethings.
God's Gift To Women by Michael Baisden
SYNOPSIS: The night before leaving Chicago with his ten-year-old daughter for a job on a late-night talk show in Houston, Julian Payne has a sexual encounter with Olivia Brown, who follows him to Houston, determined to make him hers at any cost.
Anybody read it? How was it?
Be Careful What You Wish For by Cheryl Faye
SYNOPSIS (from this site): How do you measure the worth of a woman? Or determine the value of a man? In this sexy, suspenseful novel, Cheryl Faye takes on the hot-button issues facing men and women as they struggle to build meaningful, lasting relationships.
Who has read it? And what do you think about it?
What is the point really? LOL!!!
Noone has time for it... I think I will blog about this on my main blog and ask people to email me what books they are reading and their views, etc.
I am not going to give up on this blog just yet!!!
About the Book: Identical twins, Georgia and Bessi, live in the loft of 26 Waifer Avenue. It is a place of beanbags, nectarines and secrets, and visitors must always knock before entering. Down below there is not such harmony. Their Nigerian mother puts cayenne pepper on her Yorkshire pudding and has mysterious ways of dealing with homesickness; their father angrily roams the streets of Neasden, prey to the demons of his Derbyshire upbringing. Forced to create their own identities, the Hunter children build a separate universe. Older sister Bel discovers sex, high heels and organic hairdressing, the twins prepare for a flapjack empire, while baby sister Kemy learns to moonwalk for Michael Jackson. It is when the reality comes knocking that the fantasies of childhood start to give way. How will Georgia and Bessi cope in a world of separateness and solitude, and which of them will be stronger?;Wickedly funny and devastatingly moving, 26a is an extraordinary first novel. Part fairytale, part nightmare, it moves from the mundane to the magical, the particular to the universal with exceptional flair and imagination. It is for anyone who has had a childhood, and anyone who knows what it is to lose one.
I haven't read this book but the reviews have been very good. I read one bad customer review of it on Amazon though. My friend went for her book signing at Jazz Hole (I think) in Lagos and bought this book for me and once I get it, I'll let you know what my thoughts are.
26a info:
- Shortlisted for the Orange Prize (2005),
- Shortlisted for the Whitbread Book of the Year Award First Novel Category (2005),
- Winner of the British Book Awards: Writer of the Year (2006),
- Winner of the Orange Award for New Writers (2005)
The thing I've noticed about myself is that most movies that win Oscars are not my cup of tea and most books that win awards don't do anything for me either.
Has anyone read it? What did you think about it?
I have my Super Sudoku(16 by 16 Grid) book in my bag and I can't believe how rusty I've become!!! I used to be so good at Sudoku and Super Sudoku!!! I have to get back to it cos I feel slow!
I'm reading 2 books at the same time! Robert Ludlum's, The Icarus Agenda and I'm ashamed to say... Candace Bushnell's, Trading Up. I am working on saving money so I am not buying any new books... Right now I have about TEN unread books (~mostly chick lit)! This weekend I am going to join the library near home so I can read non-chick lit books!!!
I think i've had enough. Enough of chicklit! i'm currently reading "Bitter is the new black" and its soooooo cliche - same as the other 1 million chicklit books i've read - girl obssessed with clothes, makeup, shopping and guys - same crap different cover. I dont want to be anti-chicklist so i've decided i will not be reading anymore of these books till next year. My mandela Biography here i come. Will keep you guys posted!
From the outside, Vicky Townsley would appear to have it all. Features Director of the hugely successful "Poise!" magazine, she lives alone in London, is single, solvent, and seriously successful. But she'd give it all up in a heartbeat for marriage, children, and a house in the country. Amber Winslow, on the other hand, has exactly what Vicky Townsley wants: a huge stone mansion in Highfield Connecticut, children and a busy charitable commitment for the local Women's League. But Amber isn't happy either. She hasn't found quite the fulfilment she had expected from being a full-time wife and mother, so when she spots a double page spread in "Poise!" magazine asking married readers to life swap with a glamorous, single journalist in London, she sits down and writes a letter. But she never expects to be picked..."Life Swap" is the story of what really happens when two women decide to walk in one another's shoes for one month. It's the story of the grass not being as green as you might think, and of discovering that happiness is not always where you expect it to be.
Book TwoSo I finally finished reading this book...…I don’t think will be buying the sequel I had a good enough dose already.
So Rachel sleeps with Dex her best friend’s fiancé…..as if that is not enough she catches feelings and starts having a secret affair. All the while her best friend Darcy is oblivious of the whole thing and the Dex is playing along telling Rachel he can’t live without her blah blah….gosh talk about scary.
This book freaked me out – is this what human beings can do? that a girl can sleep or be sleeping with her best friends fiancé and not feel guilty in the least!....
Ok so….. they carry on with their secret affair only for Darcy to confess that she was having an affair and is now pregnant…for a guy that Rachel was kinda sorta dating, this same guy happens to be good friends with Dex…..
talk about feeling sorry for best friend Darcy only to find out that she was doing her own undercover stunts. LOL…
and this best friend Darcy still has the nerve to freak out when she catches her fiancé Dex at Rachels house . All in all everyone ended up with who they wanted to be with……
I’m surprised there is no karma backlash here.. this happy ending is too good to be true. Moral of the story. Watch your man
Ok. I’ve not done a book review as yet and I’m starting to feel guilty. I’ve finally managed to put down the sudoku books, and resume reading. The transition was difficult though, and made worse by the fact that the first thing I saw upon opening the book was a long list of notable (and un-notable) names, all basically saying Read this book – it’s great!’, or ‘You won’t be able to put it down!’, or ‘The author is a master of suspense’. Should I take this as a sign to buy the book? Enough of that for now though.
The book I’m currently massacring is The Sigma Protocol by Robert Ludlum. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because he’s also the author of The Bourne Identity and Supremacy. It took me 4 weeks to get started on reading this book – that’s how disinterested I was. But a friend had been kind enough to lend it to me, and I didn’t want to return it without at least skimming through it. Though I’ve always been an avid fan of books and movies in the thriller genre with a central theme of espionage, this book has helped me realise a sad truth: I’m tired of government conspiracies. The world has only just begun recovering from an overdose of the Da Vinci code so I personally wouldn’t mind if I didn’t see or read anything conspiracy related for a long time.
I reluctantly opened the book and began reading (as bedtime material). Looked like my assumptions were right. From what I’ve read so far, the book revolves around some rich kid – Ben Hartman. Of course, he didn’t ‘choose’ to be rich – he didn’t even want it, but he had to perform his duties as a son when his twin brother died, and also because he had promised his mother on her deathbed (and you know no one ever lies to their parents!). Ben doesn’t like being rich – no, he’d rather work with inner-city children (who might pull a knife on him without warning). Oh pur-lease – Is this some kind of ploy to convince the reader that Ben is actually a normal person trapped in a spoilt rich kid’s body? That is Ludlum’s first mistake. Ben hates the trappings of a rich life, yet he’s chosen to stay at the most expensive hotel (in order to schmooze his stakeholders). Anyways, a brief synopsis:
Ben Hartman is concluding a business trip in Switzerland when he sees an old school friend he hasn’t seen in 15 years. Far from having a friendly reunion, the old school friend pops out a gun and shoots at him. Ben runs into a shopping mall (he’s extremely athletic, dontyouknow), and the now-former friend follows, unsuccessfully shooting at him and killing a lot of innocent shoppers instead. Ben eventually manages to kill this friend, and, in shock, goes off to look for the police (who believe he’s the killer, of course). He takes them back to see the body, but by the time they get there, wa-hey, the body’s gone, along with any trace of a fight. Predictably, the Walther PPK used in the shooting is found in his luggage. Some massive government conspiracy which will no doubt be revealed in the last chapter.
Of course, such a book isn’t complete with only one central character, so a woman is thrown in – she will no doubt prove to be Ben’s love interest (I’ll let you know if that is indeed the case as I progress into the book). Now, I am sure that this is going to be a typical book where some male author decides he knows how a woman would feel and act. The clueless author makes her into some kind of man – devoid of emotions, a loner, and full of psychological problems which she’s never ready to deal with. But of course these unstable women allow the lead male character into their lives. I suspect this is how the author is clueless when it comes to women.
The woman, Anna Navarro, is a government agent, works for a sexist boss, and has to put up with a lot of crap from him because she’s rejected his advances. Thinking it will harm her career chances, the misogynistic boss proclaims her to be ‘not much of a team player’, but this sparks the interest of a top-level government agency. The old stuffy powerful boss of this agency (known as The Ghost), summons her, informing her of some high-level secret organisation that was formed even before the CIA. Apparently, all its members have been found dead, supposedly by accident. He wants her to ascertain whether their deaths were really accidental. She begins investigating, but is soon dragged off, the case, attacked, and declared rogue (Why, we don’t as yet know).
Why do I sound so sceptical? Virtually all of Robert Ludlum’s books have a similar theme. Check out some of the titles:
The Janson Directive
The Aquitaine Progression
The Holcroft Covenant
The Chancellor Manuscript
The Matlock Paper
The Prometheus Deception
The Bourne Ultimatum
The Cassandra Compact
Can ya begin to see a pattern here?
Furthermore, I fail to be impressed by promises of shock and intrigue. What next can the government conspire about? Killing babies and eating their limbs? What horrible scenarios and conspiracies have we not seen in books, movies, and real life, no doubt?
Till the next instalment - has anyone read this?
I am a yoruba girl, and I truly enjoyed all the Igbo culture that was peppered in as one would with fresh suya [plenty, but never too much] .
The story is a coming of age tale of a young girl who slowly sees the dysfunction in her family through the beauty of her cousins family. She lives with her overbearing catholic father who makes his entire family miserable under the burden of schedules and order while running a newspaper that still manages to tell the truth while democracy and free speech in Nigeria are coming to a standstill. Kambili and her brother are allowed to visit their cousins and finally see what family should be like.
Purple Hibiscus is a beautifully written book, and I remember having a very strong desire to meet Adichie [the author] after I was done. To me, that is what good writing does to you.
Something borrowed: Chapters 2 - 5, Onada's review
3 comments Posted by Onada - Fashion and Photography at 12:41 PM
I am sure I complained about this guy's previous book sometime in April... Thieves' Paradise... You know what my main problem was...? The sex scenes... the way he described sex between a man and a woman... I was thinking, "Where is this man from?"
Anyway, back to "Genevieve", pronounced a different way in this book - In the author's words "Not JEH-neh-veev but ZHAWN-vee-EHV"
I am only on page 103 but I have a couple of lines from different sex scenes in this book:
- I licked her like I was on trial and her orgasm, or lack of, was the verdict.
- She's not as wet as a river but her vagina isn't a desert.
I know, I know, It seems like I am reading a porn-like book right? Well I am not, there is a story amongst all the sex...LOL!!! Serious though, I am not one to read African American books, this is like the 4th I am reading and I am yet to be impressed.
You know what? I will share more of the interesting sentences as I go along.
Something borrowed: Chapter 1, Onada's review
2 comments Posted by Onada - Fashion and Photography at 12:39 PMSo we have rachel who's about to turn 30. She's not too excited because her best friend, Darcy has it all, the fiance, the nice ring, the cool job. She has a great job that she hates, she though she would be married by now but here she is turning 30 feeling not to great about it and her best friend is stealing her shine at her party by dancing on the bar......
Kinda depressing in my opinion. Is turning 30 really that bad? She's got a great job as a lawyer as in geezz she's probably making a good amount... but then again. Money isnt everything right?
So party ends, best friend leaves, rachel ends up hanging out with best friends fiance. Best friend left because she got too drunk and started embarassing herself. Fiance stays behind at the party.....
why? why didnt he leave?
Rachel and best friends fiance end up leaving after having a bit too much to drink and end up having sex !!!!
Talk about drama in the first chapter!! As in i was stumped. i almost didnt feel like reading the book anymore. How could she have slept with her best friends fiance ?? As in i thought about me. what would i do if i slept with my best friends fiance - this would never happen but just imagine. thats it. Book should be over LOL.
What kills it for me now is that she has feelings for the fiance, Dex....... what is wrong with this girl??
what do you guys think? I'm annoyed. I hate rachel now and she's the main character. I hope this doesnt kill it for me
Onada and ToyinE have read this book.
Very short summary - There are 2 best friends, One's had it easy throughout life, now she has a PR job and a gorgeous fiance. The other, has had to go through lifeworking hard with her best friend getting it all right in front of her eyes
Then, the unthinkable happens.... I won't say too much.
I think you should read this if you can get access to it. It is not the best book out there but it is interesting, it is not exactly chick lit....
a way to go about this?
We are all over the place, if I am not mistaken, and It might be hard to get the same books to read at the same time. An idea would be for each memeber to write a review of any great books they have recently read and anyone who reads the book can leave their comments at the end of the specific book post. Its kind of a way for us to know of good books to read, without us all having to order books online and all that. If you can access the book, great...if you cant, you know to look out for it for whenever.
OUR FIRST BOOK - What should we read ladies?
6 comments Posted by Onada - Fashion and Photography at 8:13 AM
I'm so excited about our book club! i think this is an excellent idea. So what will we be reading first? Has any one read Terry Mcmillians "A day late and a dollar short?" what about "The da vinci code?" Those are two books i'm yet to read. So ladies what are your suggestions?
