Recent Reads

1. The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani

Not sure how I stumbled across this book, but I found it an quick and interesting read. It's told from the POV of a young girl in 17th century Persia who is much loved by her family. Dad dies, and they have to move to the city to seek shelter with Dad's half-brother, and are essentially treated as servants. The girl (who has no name in the book), is fascinated by rug making and is a quick study. The book follows her life, and though at times I wanted it to hurry up already, for the most part it held my interest. I find the entire idea of a short-term marriage fascinating on so many levels. If both parties agree, they can have relations without the legal bindings that go into any long-term support of the woman and her extended family. Creative moral loop-holes are found in almost every religion and culture and I'm always intrigued by them.

2. A Three Dog Night by Abigail Thomas

Another fascinating book that I stumbled upon. We've all read about the heart-breaking stories of what happens to a woman when her husband dies. This amazing gem of a book is a memoir of a woman whose husband does not die, but suffers brain trauma. It is a small, amazingly written book about how she copes and thrives. It takes one's breath away to read her story.

3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7)

The last in the series, and I was really looking forward to it. What a disappointment! I think she simply ran out of story. I have really enjoyed reading most of the books in the Potter series, but this one did not grab me even at the halfway point. I especially disliked the final chapter - the view into the future - a little too Hollywood for me. Ah well, cannot expect every read to be brilliant I suppose.