Book Club: What are you reading?

[Sunshine]

I just finished Practice, by Michael Rotberg MD. He is an MD who has been diagnosed with serious, life threatening very rare type of cancer. He is the type of doctor we all wish we had, and many of us do find. There are two reviews on amazon that say it better than I can.

[stillstANNding]

I sent my mom Pachinko via Amazon as her birthday is coming. An extra gift.

ANN

[Lazarus]

I sent my mom Pachinko via Amazon as her birthday is coming. An extra gift.

ANN

It will be great to see what she thinks. The PBS/NYTimes book club also has book questions. On facebook people reading it are answering those questions.

[Sunshine]

I just finished Practice, by Michael Rotberg MD. He is an MD who has been diagnosed with serious, life threatening very rare type of cancer. He is the type of doctor we all wish we had, and many of us do find. There are two reviews on amazon that say it better than I can.

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[Lazarus]

Barrack Obama’s reading list for the summer

This week, I’m traveling to Africa for the first time since I left office – a continent of wonderful diversity, thriving culture, and remarkable stories.
I was proud to visit sub-Saharan Africa more times than any other sitting President, and I’ll return this week to visit Kenya and South Africa. In South Africa, the Obama Foundation will convene 200 extraordinary young leaders from across the continent and I’ll deliver a speech to mark the 100th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s birth. Kenya, of course, is the Obama ancestral home. I visited for the first time when I was in my twenties and I was profoundly influenced by my experiences – a journey I wrote about in my first book, Dreams from My Father.
Over the years since, I've often drawn inspiration from Africa's extraordinary literary tradition. As I prepare for this trip, I wanted to share a list of books that I’d recommend for summer reading, including some from a number of Africa’s best writers and thinkers – each of whom illuminate our world in powerful and unique ways.

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
A true classic of world literature, this novel paints a picture of traditional society wrestling with the arrival of foreign influence, from Christian missionaries to British colonialism. A masterpiece that has inspired generations of writers in Nigeria, across Africa, and around the world.

A Grain of Wheat by Ngugi wa Thiong’o
A chronicle of the events leading up to Kenya’s independence, and a compelling story of how the transformative events of history weigh on individual lives and relationships.

Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela
Mandela’s life was one of the epic stories of the 20th century. This definitive memoir traces the arc of his life from a small village, to his years as a revolutionary, to his long imprisonment, and ultimately his ascension to unifying President, leader, and global icon. Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand history – and then go out and change it.
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
From one of the world’s great contemporary writers comes the story of two Nigerians making their way in the U.S. and the UK, raising universal questions of race and belonging, the overseas experience for the African diaspora, and the search for identity and a home.

The Return by Hisham Matar
A beautifully-written memoir that skillfully balances a graceful guide through Libya’s recent history with the author’s dogged quest to find his father who disappeared in Gaddafi’s prisons.
The World As It Is by Ben Rhodes
It’s true, Ben does not have African blood running through his veins. But few others so closely see the world through my eyes like he can. Ben’s one of the few who’ve been with me since that first presidential campaign. His memoir is one of the smartest reflections I’ve seen as to how we approached foreign policy, and one of the most compelling stories I’ve seen about what it’s actually like to serve the American people for eight years in the White House.

[Sunshine]

Which one are you planning to read Laz? Thanks for posting this.

[ssusan]

I have Americanah as my next book.

[agate]

I started a bestseller, The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn (real name: Daniel Mallory). I gave up on it after a few chapters. It takes the idea of the movie Rear Window but with a different situation. I just couldn't get especially interested in the characters, and besides I have magazines to catch up on.

Has anybody read this book?

[Virginia]

I plan to read the one that Ann sent to her Mother. Also, I heard a couple that were recommended on TV. One was The Other Wife and I can't remember the other one. I know it ended in Souls, but I can't remember the first word or the author. They said that one was very soothing. The Other Wife is supposedly a thriller that is a page turner. One you can't put down.

Edited to make a correction re name of the book:
The correct name of the book was The Wife Between Us - it was not the other wife as I had said. I want to remember the name of the book that was something Souls. Maybe I will remember it someday.

[Lazarus]

Which one are you planning to read Laz? Thanks for posting this.

The book (PAchinko) is long so it will take me a couple more weeks. After that I might reread Things Fall Apart.

[Lazarus]

I have Americanah as my next book.

What is this book Susan?

[Sunshine]

Laz, I ordered Pachinko and Everything Falla Apart. They will arrive shortly :)

[Lazarus]

Ok...warning...I am bragging.

Remember I wrote about the book club of the NYTimes and PBS NewsHour? They assigned the book .
“PAchinko” for this month. On the PBS Newhour there will be an interview with the author so they asked readers to submit questions for her. I wrote a question and look at the email I got today:

.......
Hi Linda,

Elizabeth Flock here from PBS NewsHour. Thanks for being a part of our book club "Now Read This" and for submitting a question for author Min Jin Lee. Your question was especially thoughtful and has been selected as one we may pose on air for our segment on "Pachinko."

As a result, we'd like to have you record a video of yourself asking the question. If you're able to do this, you will need to submit the video by end of day tomorrow (Tuesday July 23rd)

[Sunshine]

Ok...warning...I am bragging.

Remember I wrote about the book club of the NYTimes and PBS NewsHour? They assigned the book .
“PAchinko” for this month. On the PBS Newhour there will be an interview with the author so they asked readers to submit questions for her. I wrote a question and look at the email I got today:

.......
Hi Linda,

Elizabeth Flock here from PBS NewsHour. Thanks for being a part of our book club "Now Read This" and for submitting a question for author Min Jin Lee. Your question was especially thoughtful and has been selected as one we may pose on air for our segment on "Pachinko."

As a result, we'd like to have you record a video of yourself asking the question. If you're able to do this, you will need to submit the video by end of day tomorrow (Tuesday July 23rd)

Wow! Can we say we knew you when?! Are you allowed to tell us the question?

On your rec, I ordered Pachinko. I am about 1/3 in and am enjoying it. It’s painful, though , to see the oppression and cruelty of govt and also of social mores.

[agate]

Linda, you'll be ON the PBS News Hour? We can watch for you?

I try to watch that every day and have been noticing that they do those "Now Read This" segments in connection with their book club, and they are always interesting. I'll be on the lookout for you! Congratulations on being selected!