Monday, September 04, 2006

The Kite Runner and The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency x2

Who says you can't read a book after you just had a baby... what else are you suppose to do if you can't walk around?? Especially now that they have those nifty breastfeeding pillows- just prop your baby on the pillow and you have both hands to read a book. Is it possible to feed your baby too much?

I just finished: The Kite Runner
http://www.amazon.com/-Kite-Runner/dp/1594480001/sr=8-1/qid=1156882077/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-8184958-1487865?ie=UTF8

and the first two books in this series

No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency
http://www.amazon.com/-No-1-Ladies-Detective/dp/1400034779/sr=1-1/qid=1156882161/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-8184958-1487865?ie=UTF8&s=books

http://www.amazon.com/Giraffe-Ladies-Detective-Agency-Paperback/dp/1400031354/sr=8-1/qid=1157382486/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-8184958-1487865?ie=UTF8&s=books

I enjoyed all of these books particularly for their cultural aspect. The Kite Runner is the story on two boys growing up in Afghanistan. Just a few comments. I definitely cried while reading this book. At first I was not sure if the book was fiction or not, but it became evident it was fiction... since too many things come together in the book. I don't know anything about Afghanistan (except a few blurbs I pick up from the news), so I feel a little more educated being transported into the world of these characters. Living in our house in America, it was a good reminder of the war going on in all parts of the world. Our lives are not as safe as we believe and anything could happen to change the course of history. I like being reminded of this through this book rather the watching the news. I get depressed after watching the news because they rarely offer any hope, and I am left with a sense of fear and despair. In this book, there is a glimpse of hope though it is slight, and I feel like in the midst of pain and suffering- healing and progress is possible.

The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency is about a Lady Detective in Botswana. I started reading this book right before I had Hannah. I read a few chapters and did not get back to it until after she was born. I could hardly put the book down and hurried to the library (one of my only outings) to get the second book. I love the main character Precious and her simple yet profound statements. One in particular is a conversation she has with her assistant about whether it is wrong to lie to a bad person or for a good cause. I have often wondered this ever since reading about the honorable Rahab in the Bible. What is she praised for? Lying! Just one quote from the book, "Well, Dr. Ranta... I think that you are a man who has lied to a lot of people, particularly to women. Now something has happened which you may not have had happen to you before. A woman has lied to you and you have fallen for it entirely. You will not like that, but maybe it will teach you what it is like to be manipulated." I enjoy reading about Precious's life, thoughts, and her detective cases. I also enjoy hearing about Botswana and Africa.

I recommend reading all of these books.

No comments: