Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death & Hope in a Mumbai Undercity

Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I'm still thinking about this book.

So much poverty. So much corruption. So much sadness. I am so glad I read this book. I am glad I live in America, and I feel a little guilty for the easy life I lead. I hadn't stopped to consider that so much of your start in life depends on your birthplace. The people chronicled in this book started out on the wrong side of luck and never found their way out. It's hard to believe that so many people live like this in Mumbai. A powerful story.



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I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban

I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


It is a miracle that Malala is alive to tell her tale. She shares her story, from growing up in Pakistan, living through the Taliban, and her life now in England.

Talk about a reality check. This book really helped me to realize how much I take for granted in America. I can't imagine living in a world where so many things are dictated to me: how I dress, who I leave the house with, even my education. I found myself shaking my head as I read, unwilling to believe the world I was having described.

Stay in school, kids. Appreciate your precious freedoms. Argue, explore, and live life!



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Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book is lovely. Simply lovely.

We follow Snow Flower and Lily, pledged in a lifelong laotong friendship from the early days of their foot binding. Through growing up, betrothal, marriage, children, love, war, and loss they share their lives and their secrets, until misunderstanding and pride tear them apart. It's a novel about friendship, but it's also so much more. It's a reflection from an old woman on her life and the decisions she has made along the way. Did I mention it is beautifully written? Because it is. And sad, and happy, and moving. Just like life.



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The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


You know how some books are emotionally draining to read, yet you end up glad you read them? That's this book for me.

Frequently on banned and challenged book lists, the Kite Runner is filled with violence, sexual situations, and extremely unlikeable characters. It's not a happy book. It's the story of an flawed, privileged boy growing up in pre-war Afghanistan who searches for forgiveness and redemption for the mistakes made in his youth. Some scenes were extremely difficult to read. Some scenes made me sad for the characters. Some scenes left me indigent to the violence in the world--the stadium scene specifically. It's a story about how secrets can shape our lives, and it's a story about relationships.

If you can't take dangerous, violent situations involving children, give this one a pass. You will not be uplifted by the end, but I think it's worth reading. Just be sure to have something funny and sweet ready to read immediately after you are done to restore your faith in humanity. Maybe a good Dave Barry book, or The Princess Bride.



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