Book Worm
Anne Lamott: Why Writing Matters
"So why does writing matter, again?" they ask.
Because of the spirit, I say.
Because of the heart. Read more.
Ira Levin -- Reinforcing Fear of the Dark
I discovered Ira Levin when my English teacher put his name on the list of books to read for our exams. Our teacher was a bit fed up with the standard English classics like Shakespeare the Brontë sisters, and wanted to expose us to something different. Read more.
Julia Cameron -- If She Can't Get You Inspired...
There are times when we are so worn-out and empty that nothing seems to get us inspired. Every little act, no matter how small, can seem insurmountably difficult and can eat away the last bit of our energy. When you feel that drained, I advise you to read one of Julia Cameron's books. Read more.
Paul Theroux's Traveller's Tales
I have always loved books about travelling, whether fiction, fact or a combination of the two. How else besides reading would I be able to enjoy all the wonders of the world, since in life there are only a handful of souls blessed enough to wander every corner of the globe? It was in seeking to expand my mind's horizons that I first encountered Paul Theroux. Read more.
Seriously Funny Reading from Botswana
In my quest to find something authentic and not so everyday average to read, I stumbled upon some serious literature in Botswana. "Why Botswana?" a friend asked me. "Why not?" I replied. I think the further away the country is located from where I live, the better the chance that the book will be outside my realm of experience. Also, because of its history and its political and economic situation, I suspected that most literature in or about Botswana would be what is known as "engaged literature", that is, literature committed to making a change. Engaged literature is right up my alley. Read more.
Kamila Shamsie--Spice Up Your Reading with Something Exotic
Recently I was looking for books that were out of the ordinary and not so mainstream. I was looking for something more exotic. It is very difficult to find a read that is not being pushed forward by the book industry or to resist a bestseller that's been on the top-ten list for years. I think every single person in my circle of friends has readThe Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. The majority of the books one comes across in the western world are from authors who are either English, American, or French. Sometimes the shelves are spiced up selections with a touch of magical realism from certain South American writers, but that's about as exotic as it gets. This time I wanted something completely different, which led me to Asia. Read more.
A Versatile Writer with a Passion for His Country
Chenjerai Hove was born in 1954 in Zimbabwe, near Zvishavane (187 km from the capital Harare). He grew up under the colonialism that ended only recently, in 1980. Hove studied literature and education and his writer's career started out with poems. His first book of poems was written in Shona, a language (or a group of languages) spoken in the southern parts of Africa and especially in Zimbabwe. It is classified as a Bantu language, as are Ndebele and Xhosa. Later, Hove also wrote in English. His first collection of Engslih poetry was Up in Arms. Read more.
Anchee Min - Talent of China
Since China seems to dominate most of the economic and political discussions these days, I thought it would be interesting to focus on its literature in this edition of Mosaic Minds. It would have been easier to weed out the Amazon rainforest with my bare teeth than to choose one Chinese author to focus on. Such a gigantic country with more than 1.3 billion people offers a gigantic field of literature. I had many, many authors to choose from and I even had a choice between Chinese authors who stayed in China and Chinese authors who left--sometimes fled--the country. The latter seemed more interesting to me since China heavily censors the works of authors living in the country while refugees are in countries where they are free to speak their minds. The books by the migrants are more daring and truthful. Read more.
Michel Houellebecq - Enfant Terrible of French Literature
The French author Michel Houellebecq has been referred to as an enfant terrible because of the controversial books he writes. His writing has been referred to as "the book of evil" and he is widely regarded as a reactionary. Read more.
Marianne Fredriksson -- A Latebloomer (but Not Too Late)
There is hope for us young aspiring writers who sometimes feel we aren't going fast enough or that we need more time to develop our skills and fear that we will never make it. Don't panic just yet; instead, look to Marianne Fredriksson as an example of what can happen if you keep on keeping on. Something of a latebloomer, she was over fifty when her first book, Eva, was published in 1980. Read more.
Paulo Coelho: A True Literary Alchemist
I heard a lot about one of Paulo Coelho's books called The Alchemist and decided to read it. I thought it would literally be a book about an alchemist, a person who tries to turn metal into gold. Who could describe my surprise that the title of the book was a mere figure of speech? From the moment I started the book I was captivated and devoured it in no time. When I finished it, I beat myself on the head for not having prolonged the reading. Leaving the world Coelho had created was a major let-down. When I finished the last page, I spent hours contemplating this literary gem. That's what's so wonderful about it. This book makes the reader think. Not only does it make the reader think about dreams, but it makes the reader think about all the big and small questions of life and the magic that comes with simply living. Read more.
Never Too Young for Feminism
I happened across Erica Jong's name quite a few times in various places before I ever thought of reading her work. I knew that she was a feminist, and even today it seems that the word "feminist" is a bit of a dirty word with strange connotations for me. During my studies I never had the opportunity to read any of her writings, so it was not until recently, after a few years of professional life, that I sat down with one of her books. Read more.
Gabriel García Márquez - King of Magical Realism
For years I have been putting off reading something by Márquez. First I told myself I should learn Spanish so I could read the books in their original language. When I gave up on that idea, I still put it off by telling myself I needed to find a big chunk of time to read all of his writings in a row. Eventually I realized I was just plain putting it off. There was always something else I could read or do, but his name kept lingering in my subconscious and it was just a matter of time until I did something about it. Read more.
Iris Murdoch
Iris MurdochDespite huge advances in the treatment of women these past few decades, I still believe that in general female writers are underappreciated, especially female philosophers. One writer whom I believe does not get enough credit for her extensive and prolific writings is Iris Murdoch. Read more.
Anatole France - Book review
Always on the lookout for interesting novelists, I received the advice
to read something of Anatole France because his books were anything but average.
As I studied a little of this man's history, I learned something of his life. A novelist with the last name "France" can only hail from one country: France, of course. Born in Paris in 1844, Jacques Anatole Francois Thibaut grew up in his father's bookshop
called "Librarie de France." All the time spent in the bookshop inspired his pseudonym of Anatole France.
Read more.
Isabel Allende
The first time I heard of Isabel Allende was when I saw the movie The House of the Spirits, based on her first novel. Before the movie I had never heard of her and now realize how much movies compete with books for our precious time. Read more.
Necking Gets a Whole New Meaning
I first noticed the book, Undead and Unwed, while I was surfing Amazon one day. I liked the cover art and thought it looked really spunky. I took a closer look since I am a Chick Lit junkie and discovered that it was about vampires. For some reason that I now cannot remember, I continued browsing and decided I didn't need any new books that day. Read more.
Chaim Potok
Chaim Potok's given name was Herman Harold Potok. Chaim is his Hebrew name which means "life" or "alive." Giving an additional Hebrew name is a tradition in Jewish culture. Potok's origins lie in Poland but he was born in New York City and this city plays a central part in most of his books. His Orthodox upbringing and education shows throughout his novels as well as some personal experiences like being stationed in Korea. He died in 2002. Read more.