Beastmomma

From goodreads: 

From Louisa May Alcott's beloved classic Little Women, Geraldine Brooks has animated the character of the absent father, March, and crafted a story filled with the ache of love and marriage and with the power of war upon the mind and heart of one unforgettable man (Sue Monk Kidd). With "pitch-perfect writing" (USA Today), Brooks follows March as he leaves behind his family to aid the Union cause in the Civil War. His experiences will utterly change his marriage and challenge his most ardently held beliefs.

Pages: 280 (paperback)

Rating: 10 out of 10

Source: checked out from the public library

When my book club selected March by Geraldine Brooks as the June book, I felt lukewarm about the pick.  I read Little Women and watched a film adaptation, but was not very excited to read about Mr. March.  When I finished the first chapter, I was concerned that getting through the rest of the book would be painful.  I put the book away for a bit and took it with me on our week long vacation to MD.  I got the chance to read a lot of the book while I was pumping since my parents were able to keep the Little Lady.  Two pages into the second chapter and I was hooked! 

**Caution strong language ahead**

Mr. March is a badass! Wow!! I really loved how he was constantly challenging his peers and working to bring his hope for equality into a reality.  Through his story, we see how simple things can be revolutionary.  Simple things like viewing all people as equal and teaching someone to write.  I also loved that he was a man of deep faith who challenged other believers to extend those principles into every aspect of their lives.  Even though I knew that the Civil War was not simply a battle of good versus evil, the point was brought home as I realized that not all Union soldiers believed in Emancipation and that not all Southerners believed that slaves were less than human. 

** Mild spoilers ahead **

In addition to Mr. March, my two favorite characters were the women who occupied his heart.  First is Grace who is a slave that embodies many of the ideals that March admires-- education, compassion, and strong work ethic. Her beating is a big wake-up call to March and his encounter with her, in my opinion, deepens his resolve to work as an abolitionist.  The second is Marmee March whose dialogue and speeches were some of my favorite in the book.  I love her discussion with Mr. March about the education of women when they first meet.  I was nodding vigorously and wanted to cheer, "PREACH!" Instead, I kept turning pages.  When she returns to March's bedside and the story continues in her voice, I loved her insight on how she held her tongue and the different perspectives on her sacrifice versus her husband's.  

The contrast between Mr. March and these two women illustrates the differences in how men and women are activists.  It seems that March was more easily able to risk and sacrifice everything-- he left his family because he had a wife at home to look after the kids, he could risk teaching a slave to read because he could leave the house. Grace had to be more measured.   She received physical scars as a result of her choices and the consequences were more immediate and severe.  Marmee March was more acutely aware of what would happen if her husband died.  She asks questions about the necessity of his sacrifice.  Both Grace and Marmee bring to light the point that you can support and work for revolution without being entirely self-sacrificing and that advocacy work is not done by people in isolation.  

In addition to book club, I am counting this book for the following challenges: 

2012 Global Reading Challenge: The author was born in Australia and still spends some time there. I am counting the book for the Australia continent. 

What's in a Name Five: The title March fits into the category of something you would find on a calender. 

From TLC book tours: 

Narcopolis opens in Bombay in the late 1970s, as its narrator first arrives from New York to find himself entranced with the city’s underworld, in particular an opium den and attached brothel. A cast of unforgettably degenerate and magnetic characters works and patronizes the venue, including Dimple, the eunuch who makes pipes in the den; Rumi, the salaryman and husband whose addiction is violence; Newton Xavier, the celebrated painter who both rejects and craves adulation; Mr. Lee, the Chinese refugee and businessman; and a cast of poets, prostitutes, pimps, and gangsters.

Decades pass to reveal a changing Bombay, where opium has given way to heroin from Pakistan and the city’s underbelly has become ever rawer. Those in their circle still use sex for their primary release and recreation, but the violence of the city on the nod and its purveyors have moved from the fringes to the center of their lives. Yet Dimple, despite the bleakness of her surroundings, continues to search for beauty-at the movies, in pulp magazines, at church, and in a new burka-wearing identity.

After a long absence, the narrator returns to find a very different Bombay in 2004. Those he knew are almost all gone, but the heights of the passion he feels for them and for the city is revealed.

Pages: 304 (hardback)

Rating: 6 out of 10

Source: Received a copy as part of TLC book tour

When I was invited to join the TLC book tour for Narcopolis by Jeet Thayil, I was excited.  I am Indian-American and have read a fair amount of South Asian literature.  I have also been to India quite a few times to visit family and even spent some time in Bombay.  When I read the description of the book, I knew that the story I was going to read would be very different from the world I know in India which includes visiting the homes of various relatives with a few dining excursions and tourist destinations thrown into the mix.  My knowledge of the "underworld" was limited to reading news articles about the rise of addiction and seeing one dimensional depictions of addicts in Bollywood movies. 

As I got into the story, I was definitely transported to a different world.  The narrator made me feel as though I was in a drug induced haze.  I was frequently confused about who was speaking and whether I was reading about reality or a hallucination.  I frequently had to stop in the middle of chapters to tend to my infant daughter who did not always respect my desire to read for a good stretch of time :)  My frequent starting and stopping contributed to my difficulty with getting into the story. 

Another thing which made it tough for me to get into the story was that I did not feel much empathy towards many of the characters.  The exception to that sentiment is Dimple.  I found her to be a bright spot in the story. I could relate to her trying to make a home in the place where she was abandoned.  I loved the moments when we have a glimpse into her childhood, particularly the interactions she has with her mother. 

Even though the subject matter and writing style were tough for me to follow, I was glad to read the book and happy that it exists.  When books are from a certain region or written by an author of a particular gender or race, I think there can be an expectation that a story will have a certain tone or point of view.  It is awesome when a piece of work comes into the world that illustrates that the experiences of a people or a region are diverse and complex. 

You can see what other tour hosts are saying about the book by visiting here. 

I am counting this book for the following challenges: 

• 2012 South Asian Reading Challenge: The author is South Asian
• 2012 Global Reading Challenge: I am counting it for the continent of Asia. 
• World Party Challenge: Way late (or early), but I am counting for the September book from India. 

From goodreads: 

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, the shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before--and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love

Pages: 374 (paperback)

Rating: 9 out of 10

Source: Borrowed from my sister-in-law

I had been hearing about The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins for quite awhile, but did not really have much interest in the books.  With the movie out, the number of recommendations for the book increased.  The Partners and Professors book club selected the first book for the May meeting. I was excited for a chance to see what the fuss was about and was also happy that I could borrow a copy instead of adding my name to the already long wait list at the library. 

My sister-in-law predicted that I would finish the book in a few days. I was skeptical given that I am with my daughter all day and during her naps I fill my time with fun things like eating, getting dressed, and napping.  I was surprised and excited to discover that all of those things fell to the side.  I grew completely absorbed with the Games and wondering what would happen next. Thanks to extra helpings of caffeine and a daughter who slept relatively well during those days, I finished the book in two days. 

The premise of the book is incredibly sad and fucked up-- kids fighting to the death in Games that are meant to entertain the masses.  In the first few pages, I was not sure if I was going to enjoy the book.  However, another, more powerful and positive , story emerged.  I LOVE Katniss Everdeen.  She is smart, brave, and just.  I appreciate that the story is about how she questions authority, works to figure out how to navigate this unfair circumstances to have a just outcome.  While there is romance, I appreciate she is not a damsel in distress.  She uses her brains to survive.  She is conflicted about her feelings for the two important men in her life, but that uncertainty is not the only piece of her personality that we get to know. 

I have already borrowed the other two books in the series. In addition to the book club discussion, I am counting the Hunger Games for the following challenge: 

 2012 Global Reading Challenge: I am using it to fulfill the category of Seventh Continent. 

From goodreads: 

One miscarriage too many spelled the end of Max and Zoe Baxter's marriage. Though the former couple went quite separate ways, their fates remained entangled: After veering into alcoholism, Max is saved in multiple senses by his fundamentalist conversion; Zoe, for her part, finds healing relief in music therapy and the friendship, then romantic love with Vanessa, her counselor. After Zoe and Vanessa, now married, decide to have a baby, they realize that they must join battle with Max, who objects on both religious and financial grounds.

Pages: 496 (hardback)

Rating: 9 out of 10

Source: Checked out from the public library

The only thing I had been reading since the beginning of the year was bar exam study materials; one of the many reasons I was excited to be finished with the test was the chance to read again.  While we were on vacation, Partner's aunt and uncle were able to watch the Little Lady while I pumped.  As a result, I got to read! 

Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult is the selection for the March meeting of the Partners and Professors book club. The book is a good read for when you are hungry for a good story. I did not know much about the plot before I began. I watched an interview that Picooult did with Ellen Degeneres about how some of the proceeds from book sales were going to the the Trevor Project.  

My favorite thing about the book was how the lives and relationships between the characters illustrated that love makes a family.  The contrast between what is assumed for heterosexual couples and what must be proven for same sex couples is striking.  Instead of being preachy, the point is made simply by getting inside the characters' heads as they grapple with various hurdles.  

I also appreciated that none of the characters were one dimensional. When I think of religious zealots who attack homosexuals, picket abortion clinics, or who constantly try to push their religious world view on others, I get VERY upset.  One thing I learned from the novel is that even within the religious community there are different degrees of how to practice, judgment, and methods of making a point.  While it is not my world view, I could relate to Max grappling with wanting to belong to the church community and accepting their beliefs while feeling a connection to his ex-wife. 

I wish that the ending had been a bit stronger. I love sweet and happy endings, but the ending of this book did not fit as well with the rest of the novel.  I wanted the story to be unpacked a little more.  Although, I think that would have made a pretty hefty book much longer.  I am looking forward to our book club discussion to see what everyone else thought. 

This is my first full read of 2012 and I hope that enjoy the rest of the books I read this year as much or more than this one! 

I am counting the book for the following challenges:

• Chunkster Challenge: The book is 496 pages
• 2012 Global Reading Challenge: The book takes place in the United States and I counting it for the continent of North America.
• What's in a Name Five: I am counting it for the house category.