Bookworm

I read three more books this past week. Now, before you hate me too much for having that much free time and being that fast of a reader, let me tell you that two of them are young adult novels.

Anyway...first was Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez. In a nutshell, the book is Deborah's true story about starting, and continuing to operate, a beauty school in Kabul to train women (post-Taliban) to cut and color hair, give manicures and pedicures, and wax, among other things. The school gave Afghan women training needed to run their own salon, which could be a very lucrative job for women in a society where working outside the home and earning a decent wage can be quite the challenge. The book also offered insights into the lives of Afghan women. I am humbled by their strength and courage and incredibly thankful for the opportunity to be a women in Ameirca. The story was eye-opening and inspiring. I highly recommend.

Next was The Giver by Lois Lowry. This story takes us inside a community where everything has been made to be as close to perfect as possible. "Sameness" is the goal. On the surface, it seems like a good idea, but when 12-year-old Jonas receives his adult work assignment (given out to all new 12-year-olds), we start to see a different picture unfold. Jonas has been given the honor of being the new "memory receiver," the person whose job it is to "know" the memories from before near-perfection had been achieved. I'm really not doing the plot justice. The story will entertain you and cause you to think about the "big questions" in life. Again, this is a winner. An easy read that I highly recommend.

Finally I read I Have Lived a Thousand Years by Livia Bitton-Jackson. I'll be teaching this book to freshman at Millard West at some point next year. It's Livia's survival story during the Holocaust. I cannot stop thinking about how strong that 13 year-old-girl was. I wouldn't recommend it for pleasure reading, but if, by chance, you need to read something on this subject, it's well-written and easy to read.

I'd like to say that Scott has been reading "fun" books as well, but then I'd be lying. These days he reads textbooks: algebra, typography, layout, and design. He's also been reading info about rock-n-roll for a mock newsletter that he's designing for a class. The Doors have been the music group of choice at the Mac house these days for inspirational purposes. He only has one month left of summer quarter, though, at which time we will both breath a big sigh of relief. Perhaps then he will have time to read for pleasure.