Recent Reads

66. My Ideal Bookshelf
I love the premise of this book. Various people, some I had heard of, most I hadn't, where asked to select books for their ideal bookshelf. People interpreted this in various ways - books that changed them, books they would pick if stranded on a desert island, etc. Each contributor wrote a short essay, and the artist (Jane Mount) created artwork that went with each piece. I loved the art, but found many of the essays disappointing. What I wanted to know is why each person put each book on that shelf. What was it about the books? Most of the essays only touched on a couple of books on the shelf. I did however find it an ideal book to dip in and out off while having tea, and found some new books to add to my TBR shelf. Rating: 3 stars.

67. How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia
There is no doubt that Mohsin Hamid is a gifted writer. This is the second book of his I have read, and while I did not love it as much as The Reluctant Fundamentalist, I enjoyed the time I spent with it. Writing a novel in the guise of a self-help book is a clever notion. Much of the writing is so on point as to make you stop and read it again. Did he just really say that? Like pop rocks, there are entire paragraphs that pop and sparkle in your brain as you read. So why not a higher rating? At no time did I feel immersed in the story. I was too busy marveling at the author's skill. This might benefit from a second reading. Rating: 3 stars.

68. The Beggar Maid: Stories of Flo and Rose
The copy of the book I read is so old that the note on the type states: This book was set via computer-driven cathode-ray tubes in ELECTRA .... Copyright 1977, 1978. Seems like the dinosaurs were roaming the earth back then no?

But I digress. I read this book for book cub, and while I have read other books by the author, I cannot recall which ones. What has stayed with me, and what this book confirmed, is that she has a wonderful writing style, and can keenly capture the essence of a situation. This is a collection of 10 interconnected stories about Flo and Rose. We move seamless back and forth through time, and each story slowly builds their world. Like brushwork on an oil painting, it is only when stepping back that you can take in the entire picture. 
So why not a higher rating? I do think the fault is entirely mine. I am not a fan of the short story, and while the stories are good, I missed the narrative arc one gets when reading a novel. Rating: 3 stars.