Sunday, March 31, 2013

Pearls of Wisdom


Book review:

In this book, the wit and wisdom of the ages is condensed into expressive one-liners. They are concise observations and suitable truths for anyone who wants to reflect upon lifes changes. They should be dipped into and savored perhaps, rather than ploughed through in lengthy reading. The book is sequenced alphabetically by topic so that it becomes a useful source for speech markers, or essay writers seeking inspiration. When you go through the book remember: life would be impossible without a sense of humor!"
 
 
Marwa AL-Hajri
*This review is a part of 'A Book in My Life initiative' started by Oman Medical College students.
 

A Book in My Life - students initiative

Oman Medical College students started a campaign called 'A Book in my Life' encouraging students to read and send their book reviews. Their reviews will be posted on Omani Book Mania as well as the college facebook page.
This initiative encourages reading for pleasure as an escape from the stressful world of studies. Please keep checking our blog to read their reviews.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Aj's Reading List


Dear readers and literary addicts, welcome.

First of all, IT'S SUMMER ! I'M DONE WITH SCHOOL FOREVER !

It's been long, REALLY long since I've last read a novel. You see, I just finished class 12, and I was grounded from reading novels since last June, except for one week in February '12. I was grounded because I spent way too much time reading, that my parents dreaded this might affect my marks at school.

Now that we've got that out of the way, you might want to have a peak at my reading list for this summer.

1) Beautiful Creatures Series /Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

I read the first two books (Beautiful Creatures and Beautiful Darkness) back in March '11, which were mesmerizing. However, due to the long time it had been since I last read them, and the fact that they are really amazing, I decided to re-read the first two books, in addition to the new short story Dream Dark and the third novel in the series Beautiful Chaos. It's a series of magic and supernatural beings, with a thread of love linking things together, all while trying not to be cut in the process.

2) Lorien Legacies Series /Pittacus Lore

As in the previous series, I read the first novel (I'm Number Four) last year, but I'm going to re-read it this year, in addition to its new sister The Power Of Six. If you've seen the movie, then you pretty much know what this novel is about. If you didn't, it talks about alien races, and that one crazy race with the will to destroy the universe, and that other race that's protecting all others, after being near extinct by the action of the mad race.

3) Wake Triology / Lisa McMann
I’ve read many great reviews of this series, and an excerpt from the first novel Wake confirmed that.

4) Second Glance /Jodi Picoult


This would be my first time reading one of the works of Jodi. A friend of mine recommended her writings a LOT (YES, I’m talking about Kitten). I read an excerpt of the novel and I really liked it, so expect some positive feedback when I finish it.


5) The Truth About Forever /Sarah Dessen



In one of the previous posts on this blog, a fellow blogger highlighted this novel as being one of the best novels of 2011. I read an excerpt from this one as well, and it was pretty attractive.

6) ...
I have yet to decide here, I’ve been thinking of reading either Vampire Academy series or The Maze Runner series. What do you think ? Which would you recommend ?

List written by: Aj.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

What's On Your Summer Reading List?


What better way to escape this heat than lying back and enjoying the company of a good book?

With the temperature increasing horribly during summer, we find ourselves trying to engage in any indoor activity as long as the heat doesn't get to us.. So tell us what you have been reading or planning to read this summer.

Share your list with us!

Sunday, January 8, 2012

[2011 in Books] By Kifah Al Mahruqi

The past year was a good year for reading. I had originally challenged myself to read 30 books and I managed to read 35. Mainly thanks to owning a Kindle and being in a book club. Here's my top 11:

1. Fall of the Giants by Ken Follet: at over 1,000 pages, Fall of Giants delivers all the elements that fans of Ken Follett have come to treasure: historical accuracy, richly developed characters, and an intimate portrait of a past world. The story follows five families across the globe as their fates intertwine with the events of World War I, the political struggles within their own countries, and the rise of the feminist movement. Stories of love and loyalty, from a forbidden romance between a German spy and a British aristocrat to a Russian soldier and his brother in love with the same woman. This is book one of a trilogy. I highly encourage all book lovers to read this. Don't be afraid by its size.

2. Miss Wyoming by Douglas Coupland: I love this book for its contemporary themes and capturing the absurdities of our modern existences. Susan Colgate, a teen beauty queen and low-rent soap actress. Susan has hit rock bottom and suddenly finds herself the sole survivor of an airplane crash, takes the opportunity to start all over again. Strange bizarre events follow. This could easily be made into a movie or tv series.

3. The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafakby: I loved loved loved this book and its lively characters are so full of little quirks, humor and darkness. The story of two families, one Turkish and one Armenian American, and their struggle to forge their unique identities against the backdrop of Turkey's violent history. Filled with humor and misunderstanding, this dramatic novel is about memory and forgetting, about the tension between the need to examine the past and the desire to erase it. Some parts were shocking towards the end and some characters were redeemed and some were not.

4.The Paris Wife by Paula Mclain: This book follows Ernest Hemmingway first wife Hadely as they first meet, fall in love, get married in and move to Paris in the 1920s. I loved the description of Paris at the time. The second part was a leap from the first.. I couldnt justify their passive actions.. it made me angry.. but that's a good book.. makes you react with its characters.

5. Before I go to sleep by S.J. Watson: the theme of memory and psychology really fascinates and it's a theme I continue to explore in this book. A woman wakes up everyday with no memory of the day before.. her life before.. what happens if she starts to keep a secret dairy? what will she discover? would she rather not know?

6.The Marriage Plot by Jeffery Eugenides: Madeleine is pursued (manically, coyly) by two suitors, fellow soon-to be graduates of Brown University, whose personalities and backgrounds are not so much from opposite poles as they are from different galaxies. Each suitor is a disaster walking but you end up liking one more and rooting for the under dog. As the novel progresses, each suitor learns that in order to love Madeleine, they must first learn to love (or at least tolerate) themselves. Cliché, right? Not in this book. I actually hoped it would end in a cliche happy ending.. but it didnt.. but it made more sense that way. Some choices are life altering..

7. The forgotten Garden by Kate Morton: I have a soft spot for anything Australian and was thrilled when I started to read this ti find out it is set in Australia even if it was just the first part. This is a long book.. the first half is a bit slow and takes time to build up the plot once it starts you can't put it down. This is a story of the past, secrets, family, memory and mystery.

8.Morning in Jenin by Salwa Abulhawa: this is a multi-generational story about a Palestinian family. Forcibly removed from the olive-farming village of Ein Hod by the newly formed state of Israel in 1948, the Abulhejos are displaced to live in canvas tents in the Jenin refugee camp there is always the waiting, waiting to return to a lost home. The novel's voice is that of Amal, the granddaughter of the old village patriarch, a bright, sensitive girl who makes it out of the camps, only to return years later, to marry and bear a child. The story of her brothers, one who is kidnapped to be raised Jewish, one who will end with bombs strapped to his middle. none is more important than Amal's own. Her story is one of love and loss, of childhood and marriage and parenthood. Mornings in Jenin is a deeply human novel - a novel of history, identity, friendship, love, terrorism, surrender, courage, and hope.

9. The help by Kathryn Stockett - Great story about life in the 60s in Mississippi for women and their help. This is the story of three women coming together to tell their story of being a black american maid - the racism, poverty and all their struggles and sacrifices. The characters are really charming and you grow to love them and their humor. Great book.

10. The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell :is the coming-of-age story of one of the most iconic characters of our generation.
Before Sex and the City, Carrie Bradshaw was a small-town girl who knew she wanted more. She's ready for real life to start, but first she must navigate her senior year of high school. the story of how a regular girl learns to think for herself and evolves into a sharp, insightful writer. learn about her family background , how she found her writing voice, and the indelible impression her early friendships and relationships left on her. I read this on a lazy weekend afternoon - short simple and swe


11. Room by Emma Donoghue : Sad book beautifuly written but leaves you slighly shaken. Imagine your whole life is in a room.. a kidnapped has and raises her son in a small room. their whole life is trapped in their room. Will they survive on the outside? if they ever get out? desperation, curiosity, struggle and fear all in one

[Favourite Book in 2011] By Hala

أن أُرشح أفضل أحدَ عشرة كتاب قرأته خلال عام 2011 يبدو مُربكاً قليلاً بـ النسبةِ لي لعدّةِ أسباب ربما لا تهمّ أحد سواي ، عدا ذلك بإمكاني أن أُرشح كتاباً واحداً – واحداً فقط وبشعورٍ شبه مؤكّد أنّ هذا الكتاب الواحد قد يُصبح أوّل عنوان تقرأونه في العام القادم 2012 وبـ ابتسامـة عريضة أيضاً !

 كيفَ أصبحوا عظماء ؟  لـ د.سعد سعود الكريباني


توقفت عن قراءة كتب التنمية البشرية لأنّها لم تكن فعلاً تحقق غاياتها معي ، وعلى أنّني لا أستطيع تصنيف هذا الكتاب ضمن (كتب التنمية البشريّة) إطلاقاً إلا أنّه أفضل بكثير .من كل تلكَ الكتب التي تُخبرك كيف تحرّك طاقاتك نحو الهدف 

هذا الكتاب أكثر بساطة مما تتخيلوا ، قصص جميلة حول شخصيّات عظيمة كان وراء إنجازاتها إلهامٌ ما من شخص أو شيءٍ ما. قرأت هذا الكتاب بشغف ، القصص مُدهشة وتحرّك الضمير الداخلي فينا نحو الشيء الذي أردنا دائماً تحقيقه لكنّ المارد فينا لا يزال نائماً ، هذهِ القصص توقظُ المارد بكلّ سلام ولا تفعل أكثر من أن تذكره بهدفه من الحياة


لا أزال أذكر أغلب القصص ، تلكَ التي جعلتني أندهش ، أبكي ، أضحك ، أبتسم وحتّى أبدأُ يومي بحماس أكثر.. سيكون هذا أجمل خيار لكم لـ بدءِ عام 2012 بتفانٍ ،لكلّ الذين يحلُمون بالكثير.. أمّا الذين لا يملكون حلُماً فلن يكون خياراً مثاليّاً 

Sunday, January 1, 2012

[2011 in Books] By Emma Williams

1.Worth Dying For - Lee Child
I had heard of Lee Child before but never really got into him until this year and now he has become one of my favourite authors so this is proof that trying new things works out! This was my introduction in Jack Reacher, the main character in most of Child's books and he is a force to be reckoned with!

2.Murder on the Orient Express - Agatha Christie
I never get tired of this book. I must have read it over ten times and every Christmas I have to read it again. A true classic!

3.The Watcher - Brian Freeman
My mum recommended this book to me and I am so glad she did because after reading a couple of chapters of The Watcher, I went out and purchased all of Freeman's books!

4.The Coroner - M R Hall
One of my New Year's resolutions this year was to read more books by British authors so my first push into this was M R Hall's first novel The Coroner. I tend to lean towards thriller and crime novels so this was exactly my type of thing!

5.Port Mortuary - Patricia Cornwell
The Queen of crime and thrills, Cornwell never fails to impress me and like Barclay was someone that a couple of years ago I couldn't get into, but now I adore her work and am eagerly awaiting the next one!

6.Never Look Away - Linwood Barclay

I read this book after seeing it recommended on a couple of book clubs that I follow in the UK and was pleasantly surprised as having tried to read Barclay a couple of years ago and struggling to get into his style of work, I was glad I decided to give him a go again.

7.The Tiger Who Came To Tea - Judith Kerr
A childhood classic that I get out every time I am feeling homesick! This book is so British and so quaint that it just cheers you up within seconds.

8.The Point of Rescue - Sophie Hannah
Sophie Hannah is just brilliant. There really are no other words needed for her!

9.Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
A classic that I think is just the ultimate feel good example of chicklit as it works for all ages, all backgrounds and never gets old.

10.The Perfect Husband - Lisa Gardner
Gardner is another one that I just think has such a nice writing style that she keeps you gripped for the whole book and the way they all link in together makes the whole series brilliant.

11.Matilda - Roald Dahl
Everything about Roald Dahl's boos are brilliant and after not reading Matilda since I was a kid, I was reminded of it when I made a chocolate cake one day and someone remarked it looked like the ones the head teacher makes the boy eat in Matilda. That evening I went out and bought it so whether you are a kid or an adult, this book will get you smiling - and craving chocolate cake!

[2011 in Books] By Noor

When it came to books, 2011 was epic. I read 40 books. Give me something new I said, and apparently I got what I wanted. I read classics, which are basically something I can read forever. I read thrillers, enjoyed the ride. I read about history. I read really heavy books, they depressed me but here I am. I read books which made it to my favorites, but I also read really bad ones. Thanks to books, I always had company. I finished a book in a few hours, another in a month. I took my time with some because I didn't want them to end, and rushed others so that they do end. I believe if you love books, it's granted you go through an emotional roller-coaster when you read. I found such a joy in sharing books this year.

I read at college in the summer course, my free time was mainly spent so. I wrote reviews on the books that touched me. I even stayed up till 7 a.m. trying to find the words to describe Shantaram with. I highlighted so many quotes and realized I hungrily looked for a good quote in the pages I read. My reads gave me a huge deal of thoughts to ponder upon. Murakami's puzzling books provoked me. I loved trying to figure out what the author was trying to say in between the lines.

When it came to rereading I reread Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows with OmaniBookMania. That was a new experience. I never re-read books, even the ones I loved. I enjoyed the discussions thoroughly and it made me pay more attention to the details. I also reread an Arabic book I deemed beyond my comprehension and surprised myself that I enjoyed it the second time around.

Here are my top 11 reads, in random order:

1.Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts
Changed the way I view India entirely. One of the most heartwarming books I've ever read. Long but amazing. You go through so much with the main character, you love, fight, learn, dance, and most of all live. Roughly, it's about a fugitive running away from his past, crime and heroin to the enchanting Bombay. The Bombay he falls for, where he falls in love, finds true friends, a brother and a father-figure.He begins a new life, his past always ready to haunt him. He learns so much: acceptance, forgiveness, kindness. You're amazed at the simplicity of the writing. Simple words, simple sentences and unpretentious philosophy. Yet, you're provoked by this simplicity. It's like no other. It's so effortless. You will not be disappointed with this book.

2.The Windup Bird Chronicle - Haruki Murakami
Weird is one word for it. Captivating and mind boggling. Murakami is a genius. This year I've been introduced to him, and he's among my favorite authors. A couple's lost cat that triggers a series of never-ending adventures. This book as it's rightly called a chronicle, isn't just one book. Things happen, new characters show up, and there you are reading something entirely different thinking how can the author so brilliantly write this way?

I feel very strongly about this book, and I can't say what is it exactly that makes me think it a wonder of a book. Is it the characters? The journey of self-discovery they go through? A part of Japan's history opening up to me for the first time? The stories? The beautiful quotes that stared me in the face almost every time I read it? It's definitely a combinaton of all of them together. In addition, it's as if the author is pouring his soul out, so you can't but help be compelled to every page. Must-Read.

3.Let the Great World Spin - Colum McCann
The mother who lost her child in Vietnam and how she's still trying to deal with her loss, the unusual priest who has his own notions and he's doing what he can to make the world he lives in a better place, a prostitute who has all those dreams for her daughter which never materialized, and so much more and in the midst of it all, the brave tightrobe walker who walks in the air between the Twin Towers linking all characters together someway somehow. Brilliant story telling, beautiful language.

4.Matilda - Roald Dahl
A little girl who loves books, very bright and oppressed by her parents from a tender age. Need I say more? I've never read anything by Dahl before so this was the perfect book to get to know him by. I loved it. I just wonder what it'd have been like had I read it at a younger age.

5.The Prophet - Gibran
The Prophet speaks of life. It's not actually what you think it is. It's not full of philosophical ideas you won't grasp. Quite the contrary; it offers insights into daily matters. When you read Gibran speaking of love, prayer and giving you think what kind of life did he lead that made him capable of such wisdom? What did he go through? How on earth can he use such beautiful language to make you feel at peace with the world?

6.A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
I think that this book totally shifts the way I view Dickens. It has the feeling of a proper classic, yet it's different. It's full of raw human emotions. Love and hate. Patriotism. Family. Compassion and brutality. For me, A Tale of Two Cities is about how far we humans go for something we believe in or love. How far would you go for the greater good and how often are you misled in your path? How far are we willing to sacrifice for love and the happiness of the one we love? I'm a sucker for classics, and this one is timeless.

7.The Help - Kathryn Stockett
I loved it. I didn't know what it was about when I picked it up, so with no expectations whatsoever I found myself thrilled with the book. The author is so brilliant with telling the story, knowing just when to switch from one narrator to another. Just when you're absolutely hooked. You find yourself even more so with every chapter. It gets so deep, you hear stories you never even imaged. You feel their anger, their disgust, their submission. You wish it was different for them, you wish you could slap that character who couldn't be more annoying or insensitive, you wish you could tell them things get better. They don't need that though. They've learned how to cope.

8.The Time Traveler's Wife - Audery Niffeneger
Extremely interesting. It's one of the most interesting novels I've ever read, I felt the need to read almost every minute of the day. That's how good the author's style is. It's about a time traveler and his wife, which is obvious from the title. It's really amazing how the author managed to write about time travel which is a foreign topic, and she makes you understand what she's saying but still think about how complicated it all is, till you're exhausted with the 'how' and the 'why. Though this book doesn't mean something special to me, I enjoyed reading it a lot.

9.Half of a Yellow Sun - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
War. The losses the characters suffered, how much they endured, the people who lost their lives in battle fields and those who died because there wasn't enough food. It's all so sad. You keep on thinking how wars are unnecessary, how evil and how they take away so much from a being. Of course, you're also amazed at people's endurance. It's a sad book let me tell you. Sad in a sense that you love the characters, you watch them fall apart, pull themselves back together and live on baseless hope. There's romance, beautiful love but the presence of loss and how they always anticipated it made whatever joys you found within the pages of the novel seem hollow.


10. الحب في المنفى - بهاء طاهر
كتب بطريقة بسيطة جدا تجعلك تحب الكاتب من أول الصفحات. تتعرف على الكاتب مجهول الاسم الذي يعيش في منفى يفرضه على نفسه في دولة أوروبية. تعلمت الكثير عن التاريخ من الرواية، عن جمال عبد الناصر و عما حدث بين إسرائيل و لبنان في التسعينيات.
وجدت اختلافا كبيرا بين الحب في المنفى و واحة الغروب. الحب في المنفى لها شعور اخر تماما ما يجعلني أريد أن أقرأ المزيد لبهاء طاهر.

11.ولدت هناك ولدت هنا - مريد البرغوثي
لا تسعفني الكلمات لأتحدث عن هذا الكتاب لكن لغة البرغوثي قريبة من القلب، بسيطة، غير متكلفة و مشاعره عن وطنه و عن عائلته صادقة جداً.

I'm blessed. Thank you 2011. And may 2012 prove even better, literature-ly at least.

[2011 in Books] By Susan Al Shahri

1."The Help" by Kathryn Stockett.
This story takes place in Mississippi in the early 1960s during the civil rights movement. This isn't a depressing novel about racism, though. The author managed to capture the irony and hypocrisy that defined that era yet still come out with an uplifting story that had me laughing hysterically at times, and in tears at others. One of the best 'first novels' ever written.

2."The Blue Bistro" by Elin Hilderbrand.
This easy-to-red novel takes place on Nantucket Island off Massachusetts. It revolves around the owners, employees and patrons of 'The Blue Bistro', a cozy upscale restaurant that comes to life during the summers. If you love food, sophisticated romance, and would like to know the ins and outs of running a restaurant, this is the book for you!

3."The Postmistress" by Sarah Blake.
Set in the 1940s in the middle of World War II, Blake follows the lives of three women; a postmistress in Franklin, Massachusetts, a young doctor's wife, and a reporter in Europe. The book was beautifully written, but for some reason it was a bit too slow for me. Not one to stop reading in the middle of a book, I finished it after a couple of weeks. It left me feeling heartbroken and empty. Apparently I don't read enough literature with sad endings.

4."The Prince of Mist" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.
I can only find one word to describe this book; magical. This novel for young adults was originally written in Spanish in the early 1990s but was only released in English this year. It portrays the adventures of a young boy, Max, who escapes to a seaside retreat with his family during the war. As a sucker for magical realism and a great fan of Zafon's work, I enjoyed this book very much and would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed Philip Pullman and J.K Rowling's work.

5."Island Beneath the Sea" by Isabel Allende.
Set in the Caribbean island of Saint Dominigue (now Haiti) in the late 1700s during the slave uprising, this heart-wrenching masterpiece of a historical novel will entrance you from the very first page. Definitely the best read of 2011.

6."The Bean Tree" by Barbara Kingsolver.
I first discovered Kingsolver's books when I read 'The Poisonwood Bible', her brilliant award-winning novel. This short-read which takes place in Arizona is hilarious and the characters come alive from the very first paragraph.

7."The Trouble with Islam Today: A wakeup call for honesty and change" by Irshad Manji.
This nonfiction book caused uproar in the Muslim world a few years ago when it was first released. After reading it, I honestly don't see what all the fuss was about. Irshad is simply a young woman who grew up in a fundamentalist Pakistani community. She has some very valid points and reserves the right to express her own opinion. Definitely an interesting read.

8."Bridget Jones' Diary" by Helen Fielding.
Ultimate chick literature. I read this on a long haul flight across the Atlantic during the summer. Deeply amusing and perfect for long flights or a day at the beach when you're feeling mindless.

9."The Diviners" by Mararet Laurence.
I first read this novel ten years ago. It follows the life of Canadian feminist writer, Morgan Gunn who lives in a log cabin in Eastern Ontario. We are taken through flashbacks of her childhood, painful marriage to a Native Canadian Indian, and difficult relationship with her teenage daughter. Published in the early 1970s, this book is about a woman's search for meaning and identity. It's the kind of book I like to re-read after a few years because it touched me on a deeper level.

10. "Committed" by Elizabeth Gilbert.
I enjoyed reading Gilbert's bestselling novel 'Eat, Pray, Love' but for some reason I was able to identify more with this sequel. This non-fiction book is basically a skeptic's take on marriage and commitment. Witty, wise and hilarious. It's on my list of books to re-read at some point.

11. "The Book of Negroes" by Lawrence Hill.
This award-winning novel had me in tears from the very first chapter. It follows the story of Aminata Diallo, an eleven-year-old who was taken from her village in West Africa at the peak of the slave trade. When I first picked it up, I wasn't able to put it down for four hours. It's one of those books you should never pick up on a week night because you'll be sleep deprived at work the next day. I lost and regained faith in humanity a hundred times while reading this book. Heartbreaking, uplifting, and eye-opening.

Saturday, December 31, 2011

[2011 in Books] By Fatma Makki

2011 has been quite a year. To be completely honest, I can't tell you how glad I am that we're at the tail end of it right now. I've experienced the extremes of every emotion, and that can wear a girl out! But ever the optimist (ha!), I'm going to choose to highlight the bright side, and that it, without a doubt, that I have read some really phenomenal books this year. If you're reading this post, you're definitely a bibliophile, and may have been on Twitter and recently seen a hashtag trending for: a book I have read this year. Of course this made me and several other book-loving Tweeps incredibly happy! @_MaryamB and @Noor17 had the great idea of getting us all to write a list of our year in books. So, without further ado, here is my manifestation of the past 364 days in books:

It was a year of Questioning Everything:

If ever there was a year dedicated to questioning the status quo, I believe 2011 is definitely it. I don't think it's surprising that as a young Arab female, this thought would be on the forefront of my mind. I remember the day: February 11 2011. I remember the moment. 4:00 pm GMT. I was in London, in the middle of the City (London's financial hub), and I had just completed my Wills & Administration of Estates exams. I was incredibly sleep deprived because my friend and I had pulled an all-nighter studying for this exam. We had heard of rumblings from the Middle East, but us being in the middle of an incredibly stressful exam period, we were living in our special corner of hell, very selfishly ignoring everyone and everything else. It was 4:00 pm, we were being herded out of our classrooms into the foyer, and I was on my tiptoes looking for my friends in the middle of the seething mass of revelling students. Little did I know that a continent away, thousands of miles away, was a crowd whose numbers multiplied ours by thousands, and for the intensity of their emotion we might have been on different planets. I found my friend at the other end of the room and although her expression seemed too happy to be pleased about a simple exam, I just chalked it up to the lack of sleep. But it wasn't lack of sleep: we met in the middle of that hall, and as I was screaming out 'It went great, hamdillah!', she yelled 'Husni Mubarak stepped down!'. The rest of the day was a daze. We wandered back to Moorgate Station, stopping at the windows of some fancy law firms or banks or other money meccas that make up the City, and would press our faces against the windows, watching the news on the LCD screens that would inevitably be propped up somewhere in the lobby, which were all switched on to BBC News or Sky News. We couldn't hear what they were saying, but we didn't really need to. The expressions on the faces of the people in the crowd said it all. My friend and I were now talking a mile a minute, and I realized that most of what I was saying came out as a question. What does this mean? What's going to happen? What should we do? What CAN we do?

As the weeks passed on, we watched several autocracies, like big lumbering behemoths, toppling down and disappearing into the desert. As exciting and wonderful as it all was, I would always end the day questioning everything. It's funny that I was in the City when my story begins, because the first book that's going to top my list is called
The City & The City by China Mieville. It's what I was reading during those whirlwind days in February. The story is a weird and wonderful fantasy mystery novel, set in a fictional city called Beszel, which co-exists very tentatively with its 'twin city' called Ul Qom. The main character is a detective called Borlu, and the book starts, as any self-respecting mystery would, with a murder. This book is so much more than a mystery though. I would say that the book is a layering of genres, and that mystery is the outer layer, the one that draws you in. As you read on, you get sucked into the world of Beszel, it's unusual politics, the weird lives they are forced to live because of the politics of the day, and the astounding truths that come out in the end that make Borlu: question everything. It's a genre I'm not used to reading, but Mieville is the master of his plot and although the story could easily have been extremely confusing, I was riveted to my couch till the very satisfying end.

The second book under this heading would have to be The Sunset Limited by Cormac McCarthy. This one leads to a much deeper (I believe) series of questions, and despite its brevity (I read it in less than a day), is very unsettling - in a good way - and extremely thought provoking. McCarthy knows that with words, less is usually more. There's a saying I have posted up in front of my desk at the office, a quote by Robert Louis Stevenson, "The only art is to omit". By that logic, McCarthy is a true artist. The book is in fact 'in dramatic form', i.e. a play, and there are only two characters who don't have names, simply referred to as Black and White (because, duh, one is black and one is white). I really don't want to ruin it for the reader, but it starts off with them sitting down in a kitchen, and the whole play takes place in that sparse little room, but the conversation they have is about as deep and meaningful as you can get without breaking out your copies of Aristotle's Metaphysica. The main themes in this book center around death, dying, religion and the afterlife. Don't be fooled by it's 120 or so pages... this book is as heavy as they get and will leave you: questioning everything.

My third book is by a writer I would never dream of completing any book list without. It's called PopCo by Scarlett Thomas. I've reviewed her on this blog before, so I'm not going to say too much more about it .Suffice it to say I've written fanmail to the wonderfully smart and amazing Scarlett Thomas, because yeah I'm lame like that and no I don't care who knows it. This book is phenomenal just like her others, and I think the book yells out at every page for you to QUESTION EVERYTHING.

It was a year of Being Connected in a Fragmented World

Anyone with a pulse will know that social networking is the talk of the town these days. You can't walk into a bookstore, open a magazine, look at the news, or even go to the cinema (seen The Social Network yet?) without those two words popping up. And truly it's been a marvel. I won't say that it's started revolution, because revolutions were and always will be in the hands of the people no matter where we are or when or how far technology advances. But without a doubt it has provided a huge catalyst for revolutions. The amount of information that's out there it boggles the mind. I joined Twitter this year, and I'm so glad I did. I'm connected to people all around the world. This year the world population reached 7 billion, and that's a pretty huge thing to think about. Usually that depresses me because my egotistical self feels so small and worthless and whatthehellamIaloneinthisworldwith7billionsoulsandthatsnotevencountingtheanimalsandbugs
didyouknowthere'smorechickensintheworldthenpeopleholycrap! But Twitter's great, and so is Facebook and all those other awesome concepts that are out there. In keeping with the theme of books, I've discovered a number of book-related sites which have revolutionized the way I read and choose books: there's BookMooch, LibraryThing, BookRiot, etc. And OF COURSE Omani Book Mania! Most of these, I found through Twitter. And so if I may get all mushy for a moment, I'd like to say that it's heartwarming to know that somewhere in that vast blue and green expanse, you will always find someone, somewhere who will get what you're saying. If you say it on Twitter, you'll be aware of that someone because they'll RT or favorite your comment!

And so this leads to my fourth book which is very appropriate for this year and theme:
Ghostwritten by David Mitchell. This guy has a serious knack for bringing completely disparate stories and then linking them together in the most natural way. He did it with Cloud Atlas, which is his more popular book, I believe. But I liked Ghostwritten more. They story is split into 9 parts, 9 different places in the world, and somehow all connected in the most ingenious ways. They're never obvious or glaring, just subtle little sentences, slipped into the paragraphs as smoothly as a bribe in a crooked cop's hand. The main characters of each little bit of story is not even necessarily someone you would like: a terrorist, a mistress, a crooked banker, or even an unearthly spirit. Nevertheless, somehow you understand them, you can occupy their life the way the noncorpus occupies other people's bodies. Oh wait, you don't know what a noncorpus is right? You'll have to read the book to find out. Nya nya! Throughout the stories, I never ceased to be amazed at how much these people lived in their own little bubbles, never truly aware of the extent of their reach, and how closely connected they were with the lives of people they would never meet, and even how those lives will affect
theirs. We truly are connected in this fragmented world.

It was a year of Sorrow, and Learning how to Say Goodbye

This year, after 5 years of living in Southampton, England, I had to up and leave behind a whole life I had built for myself. I knew this day would come, I knew it was inevitable. Nevertheless, it was one of the most difficult things I've ever had to do in my life. Saying goodbye to the unbelievably amazing people I've met throughout those years, to the little apartment I've turned from a shell into a real home for 3 of those years, and all of my favorite local haunts in Southampton, and in the UK in general. I know that saying goodbye is an inescapable part of everybody's life, but I believe it's something that I will never master, and it will always carry that malicious little sting with it. As for sorrow, I believe
that goes hand in hand with saying goodbye, and I think the world has experienced it's fair share of sorrow this year. As I mentioned in the last heading, we are connected in this fragmented world, and nothing connects us quite like sorrow. So although I experienced my own solitary sadness, I was also connected to the sorrow of the people who have lost loved ones all over the world, whether over natural disasters like in Japan or Pakistan, or whether it was because of the hubris of men, like in Bahrain, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and always Palestine.

In the midst of the sorrow, the tears, the fits of rage and the passionate entreaties, I found the time to read the fifth book on my list, a wonderful, wonderful book which is very well respected but I still don't think it has the recognition it deserves. That would be Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. It's narrated by Janie Crawford (a black woman living in the deep South in the states in those difficult years after abolition but before the civil rights movement), as she recounts the story of her life to a neighbor. The language used in the book lends itself to the story she tells, and she speaks in that simple-yet-profound, soulful way that seems to come naturally African American writers of that period (sometime in the '30s I think). By the end of this book, I was moved to tears, by the way Janie expressed her sorrow, but also the way she pushed through it. I really loved this book.

As for my sixth book, I'm going to put it under this heading, although at first glance it may not seem like the right place, but bear with me! This is The Bad Girl by Mario Vargas Llosa. I found out later that Vargas Llosa is a Nobel laureate, which usually brings to mind dense and over-literary books. But this book is so easy to read, and one of the most enjoyable I've ever read in my life. The story's protagonist is Ricardo, and starts off with his 15 year old self, in a small town called Miraflores in Peru. That summer, he meets and falls into a love that will define the rest of his life.

As I hate spoilers, I will try not to say anymore, but at the end of the book, I sat thinking about what I just read. Ricardo spent his whole life anguishing over an elusive girl (the Bad Girl, as she is known throughout most of the book). As I read the book, his sorrow over her was always apparent. But only after I finished did I understand (in my own interpretation at least) that this is in fact a book that talks about a man who is learning how to say goodbye, and this is a journey of a lifetime. W
hat a book.

My seventh book has sorrow pouring out of every page, but in way that is bittersweet and tender, and with a style that is unique to this writer. I'm talking of course about Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami. I feel as though this is his best so far, but I plan on reading every single one of his books and am open to being proven wrong. The story is about a man in his 30's who hears the song Norwegian Wood by The Beatles, and this sends him on a trip down memory lane, about the women who influenced his life during his student days, Naoko, Reiko and Midori. Even the way the story begins, with that churning pain that only nostalgia can bring, is a perfect precursor to a story that talks about loving and losing, and everything in between.

It was a year of Laughter

It's not all gloom and doom. I've always loved laughter. I'm a huge fan of comedy in all its forms. I love stand up comedians, and I love watching documentaries about stand up comedians (plug: you should watch a documentary called I Am Comic! Hilarious). I believe every cliche about laughter: that it's the best medicine, that it gives you a longer life, etc. But this year I've needed it more than ever. I needed to know first of all that I don't have to take myself so seriously all the time, and second of all I don't have to take ANYONE else so seriously all the time either! A little bit of mockery and mirth never hurt anyone!

My eighth book taught me that, which is Summer Moonshine by PG Wodehouse. It centers around Sir Buckstone Abbott, who is a member of the declining aristocracy of England. His country manor is costing him a fortune to run, so he decides to take in guests in order to make a bit of money and ward off total ruin. That summer, the guests arrive, and as is perfectly natural with all of Wodehouse's brilliant books, hilarity ensues. This book has made a Wodehouse lover out of me, and I cannot wait to get my hands on some more of his wonderful books, which I know I'll enjoy just as much. The characters are usually self-important, speaking in the most pompous English imaginable, and Wodehouse has a genius way of creating the most ludicrous imagery imaginable, and scenes that are just unforgettable.

In keeping with the theme of this heading, as well as that of declining aristocracy, I bring you the ninth book on my list, Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol. Well, what can I say about this book? It's never-ending. Literally. Gogol died before he could finish it, so practically ends mid-sentence and also the last ten or so pages are barely intelligible because they skip through a lot of the story because the manuscript was damaged before it got to the publishers all those centuries ago. I can't tell you how frustrated I was! But the book is still worth a read. Here, the main character, Chichikov, makes his first entrance into a normal sized town somewhere in Russia, and we soon find out that his aim is to buy up all the 'dead souls' that the landowners have (landowners used to 'own' the peasants who worked on that land as well, who were known as serfs, colloquially referred to as souls, and were traded and treated as being as marketable as any other property). We, the readers, learn about him at the same time as those villagers do, and it's a great method used by Gogol of keeping this very intriguing character interesting to us. He is referred as 'the hero' throughout the novel, perhaps sarcastically, but there is no doubt that the point of the entire novel is to cast a scathing and satiric glance over the cream of Russian society at that time, and the system of serfdom that existed during Gogol's lifetime. I read a lot of this book in coffee shops, which was a bad idea, because I also spent a lot of time spurting coffee out of my nose.

It was a year of Learning what Home Is

As I've mentioned, I've left my 5-year home, and returned to Muscat, which although is not the city I was born in, it is where my roots are, and am learning every day how to call it home. This last year especially has been a great experience in that sense. I thought a lot about what we mean when we say we 'come from' somewhere. Where do I come from, then? I've lived in Paris, Muscat, Southampton, Muscat again. In about a year and a half I'll hopefully be moving to London for a bit. And after that, who knows? I think society's changed so irrevocably that who we are and where we come from are two things that are constantly changing and evolving, sometimes related, sometimes not.

The first book I read when I moved back to Oman was my tenth book, when I was spending most of my time in bed, or just sullenly gliding around my house, like the most emo ghost on the planet. That is The Shipping News by Annie Proulx. Quoyle is the unlikely hero of this story, described as a big, ugly clumsy oaf of a character, with no particularly redeeming qualities in him. He falls madly in love with Petal, probably the most evil human being that ever exists (in his world) and yet he loves her unconditionally, marries her and they have two kids. After years of marriage and her unbearable cruelty to him, she kidnaps the two girls and tries to sell them to sex traffickers. Fortunately she dies in a car accident and the girls return to him, and with the life insurance money and help from his aunt, Agnis (rough around the edges but kind-hearted), he decides to start a new life for them, taking them from their dumpy little place in Mockingburg, New York to Quoyle's Point, a desolate little corner in Newfoundland, Canada; the home of his ancestors and his namesake. This story is full of wonderful and intricately described characters. I love the hero's courage and his absolute determination to find a better life for his little girls and his family. The home he and Agniss work hard to rebuild is their ancestral home, a creaking lonely beast without a neighbor for miles. The story is full of metaphors about home and where you come from and speaks volumes during the silent moments when I could almost feel the cold winds of Newfoundland blowing through my window, even all the way in hot, hot Muscat during the summertime.

It was a year of Finding the Fascinating in the Mundane, and Embracing the Paradox.

"But Fatamo," you say, "how can you find something mundane to be fascinating? By its very nature, a mundane thing is mundane! It can never be fascinating? Could you find a fork fascinating? What about a salt and pepper shaker on your kitchen table? A bathroom? HA! Fatamo you talk nonsense!" And I would say that you were right; that there is nothing very interesting or particularly fascinating about a salt and pepper shaker, or a fork, or a bathroom... but there is something about those things, and that is where the paradox lies.

No one can teach you appreciation of such things with as much style as the author of my final, eleventh book. I said in the beginning I learned to question everything, and I got some fascinating answers in At Home by Bill Bryson. Why does a fork have four tines? Why do we even have a salt and pepper shaker so confidently sitting there on our kitchen tables? Why do we have bathrooms? Kitchens? Do you think these questions are silly? Bill Bryson will show you why they're not. All I can say is I'll never look at anything the same way again, because I know that behind the most ridiculously dull looking thing, there is the most exciting history ever. His book is the ultimate in confronting your assumptions: it makes you find the fascinating in the mundane. Now I can see this, and a bed is not just a bed to me anymore. I've learned to embrace that paradox and run with it. I'm usually more into fiction than non-fiction, but if I could recommend one book this whole year, this would be it without a doubt.

As I wrote up this list, one word keeps popping up. The memories they bring up are so different. This year I remember, dancing with joy, weeping my heart out, suffering from sleep deprivation, freezing cold in London, sweating bullets in Muscat, soaking up the sun in Spain during the summer with my friends, laughing with my family, fighting with my family, loving, leaving, asking, answering, giving, taking, winning, losing, trying, failing, trying again, succeeding, hugging, fighting, warring, peacing, being silly (like the two non-verbs I just said). But one word keeps rearing its inconspicuous little head all over the place: learning. That's what this year has been for me, and that's what these books have been for me: a learning experience. You might have gathered from my first paragraph that I hated this year. But in the spirit of embracing the paradox, I've got to say, I've loved every second of this year.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

نسيان com | أحلام مستغانمي

نسيان com | أحلام مستغانمي 
 
By: عايدة الحراصي

نسيان com هذا الكتاب الذي يحوي بين دفتيه 234 صفحة هو نبع من النصائح و الكلمات الدفاقة التي تهمسها أحلام مستغانمي في أُذن كل فتاة خاضت تجربة الحب وتلوعت بهجر الحبيب لها. الكتاب بمثابة دليل نسيان لكل الذكريات الأليمة.. واللحظات العصيبة.. هي محاولة من الكاتبة لتأخذ بيد كل من تعذبت بسبب الحب!
رأيي بالكتاب:
نسيان com . ليس كأي كتاب آخر قرأته! لطالما وددت أن أقرأ بعضا مما تخطه أحلام مستغانمي . لم أتوقع أن يكون أسلوبها بهذا الرقي و لم يخطر ببالي ان تأسرني حروفها!
أحببت نسيان بكل ما فيه .رُقيّ الحرف في نسيان له معنى..
راق لي كثيرا نبض الحروف . وشغلني التفكر بما وراء الكلمات..
رائع لكل من أرادت أن تنسى. أحلام حصرت كتابها في نسيان كل حبيب خائن. لكن بريق كلماتها أضاء حولي طريقا لأنسى أشياء أكثر من ما أرادت مستغانمي! نصائح ذهبية لتَنْسى, وتَنْسى كل شيء..
سأنسى.. فلا نعمة تعدل النسيان
من الكتب التي راقت لي كثيرا
لكوني لم أخض تجربة حب . فسأعتبر ما قرأت نصائح من باب معرفة الشر ليُتقى!

تقييمي للكتاب : 8.5/10
تزكيتي للكتاب: الكتاب مناسب لكل من خاضت تجربة حب وترغب بالنسيان . للنساء فقط فوق سن ال19 برأيي!

من بين دفتي الكتاب انتقيت هذه الكلمات :

وحده الوفاء يمتلك عدَّادا دقيقا للوقت . إنه النخاع الشوكي للذاكرة.

نحن نحكم على وفاء من نحب بحسب منسوب وفائنا!

ما ينتظرك اجمل مما يحيط بك. اشتري أحذيه لأحلامك وستصبح كل الطرقات إلى الفرح سالكه.

صبرت حتى يعلم الصبر اني,,,,, صبرت على شيء أمرُّ من الصبر

بالصلاة وحدها نستطيع أن نحقق بين الجهد و العقل و الروح اتحادا يكسب العود البشري الواهي قوة لا تتزعزع.

كلما أقبلتَ إلى الله خاشعة صَغُر كل شيء حولك وفي قلبك. فكل تكبيره بين يدي الله تعيد ما عداه إلى حجمه الأصغر.

لقد حررني الله فليس لأحد أن يأسرني.

يُعرف موت القلب بترك الطاعة , وإدمان الذنوب ,وعدم المبالاة بسوء الذكر , و الامن من مكر الله.

الذاكرة أحسن خادم للعقل, و النسيان أحسن خادم للقلب!

ينبغي للإنسان الذي يريد أن يعيش  أن يقول نصف الحقيقة و يخفي نصف الشعور .

من غضب منك ثلاث مرات ولم يقل فيك شرا اختره صاحبا

لا تقدم أبدا شروحا لأحد. أصدقاؤك الحقيقيون ليسوا في حاجة إليها!

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

For One More Day | Mitch Albom


For One More Day ~ Mitch Albom

Reviewed by: Kitten
Blog: Abstracted ~

What would you give to spend one more day with a loved one?


Chick's life turned upside down when his mother passed away. He wasn't invited to his own daughter's wedding as he was a 'public embarrassment' thanks to his drinking problems. He wanted to end his misery and that's why he decided to end his life. He drove endlessly to his old town and visited the baseball field of his childhood.. Then drove and drove till he hit a truck.. That's where the journey begins.

He sees his mother, she walks him to their house. There, he gets to feel what he took for granted when his mom was alive, the warmth of her touch, the way she sees him differently, how she can make him feel important.. Even though he kept reminding himself that this can't be happening, he longed for one more day with his mother.

Personal Opinion: For One More Day is a heart-warming story that will keep you hooked from the first few pages. I read it overnight; the language is simple, and I felt like Mitch Albom wrote these words straight from his heart. It will make you think of the things you've taken for granted, of the times you spent away from your loved ones, of how you should take a moment to appreciate what you have and work at being a better person.

My rating: 8.5/10

I recommend this to whoever's looking for a short read, one that will keep him entertained throughout. You'll definitely love it.

Friday, August 19, 2011

To Kill a Mockingbird Discussion: chapters 20-26

Calpurnia waited by the railing to get the Judge’sattention, when she did she delivered an envelope to Atticus. The envelope hada note inside from Atticus’s sister stating that his kids were missing, haven’tbeen home since noon. As he told the Judge about the note, Mr. Underwood spokesaying that the kids were up in the colored balcony and they have been theresince 1 P.M.
Atticus looked up and called for them to get down. At theend of the staircase they met both Atticus and Calpurnia, Atticus sent themhome with Calpurnia to have supper and allowed them to get back to hear theverdict.
Jem, Scout and Dill walked back home with Calpurnia whoscolded them all the way home. Aunt Alexandra was shocked once she heard wherethe have been, and even more shocked upon learning that Atticus gave thempermission to go back and hear the verdict. They all ate silently, and racedback to the courthouse. They waited with Reverend Sykes, who saved their seats,for jury to come with the verdict. Jem and the Reverend discussed the case withJem insisting “we’ve won it.” After that they all remained silent. The silencemade Scout and Dill sleepy; Scout still had enough energy to fight it, whileDill fell asleep on Jem’s shoulder.
The jury is finally back with a verdict; guilty.

As they left the courthouse and met Atticus outside, Jem wascrying and was incapable of saying anything more than “It ain’t right,Atticus.” He couldn’t believe that the jury would convict Tom when it wasobvious that he didn’t rape Mayella. As soon as they got home they all went tobed. On the next morning everyone was surprised when they saw the amount offood in the kitchen from the black community. Calpurnia explained to Atticusthat they were gifts appreciating what he did to Tom Robinson, in spite of theverdict. Atticus’s eyes welled up with tears as Calpurnia talked, he told herto thank them all and not to do it again, times were hard. Atticus then excusedhimself and left the house.

Soon after that Dill came over, had breakfast with Jem andScout then they all stepped on the front porch. Miss Maudie called for them tocome over; she had some cake for them. She talked to them and pointed to a fewthey never thought about before. Like how it was no coincidence that JudgeTaylor have appointed Atticus to defend Tom, and how many people were trying tohelp Tom. The case may have been lost, but only Atticus could have kept a juryout so long to decide. To her that was a baby step towards equality.

As they were leaving Miss Maudie, Mr. Avery, Miss Rachel andMiss Stephanie Crawford waved at them. To be polite Jem, Scout and Dill walkedover to them. Miss Rachel took Dill by the shoulder instructing him to goinside at once, saying danger is coming. Miss Stephanie started to tell themwhat happened just as Aunt Alexandra was calling for them, Mr. Bob Ewell hadstopped Atticus at the post office corner, and spat in his face, and told himthat he would get him if it took the rest of his life.

Atticus passes it as an empty threat, and tries to convinceJem and Scout that. He also assured them that the case was not over; there isstill the appeal, which Atticus thought they had a good chance in winning.
Discussing the case brings Jem and Atticus into a long legaldiscussion with Jem suggesting solutions so that Tom can be a free man again. WhateverJem suggests, Atticus explains why it would not be applicable.

Later on Jem and Scout discuss the people in Macomb County,their ways and lives. Doing so makes Jem understand Boo Radley more, he staysinside all day because he wants to not because he has to.

Aunt Alexandra introduced Scout to the formal tea time thatshe hosts in an effort to teach Scout on how to be a lady. As Scout observesthe ladies, she is lost in the world of pretty and delicate ladies. At last,she decides that she fits better in her father’s world.

Suddenly Atticus interrupts the ladies, asking for AuntAlexandra to step into the kitchen for a moment with him. Scout knew somethingwas wrong, since Atticus never comes home early whenever his sister is havingsome ladies over. She follows her aunt into the kitchen and learns from Atticusthat Tom Robinson is dead. He tried to escape from the prison and was shot bythe guards. Atticus asks Calpurnia to accompany him and help him deliver thenews to Tom’s wife, Helena. Calpurnia agrees and they both leave. Scout, MissMaudie and Aunt Alexandra rejoin the ladies at tea.

Jem and Dill witnessed what happened when Atticus toldHelena about Tom’s death. They were walking back from swimming at Barker’s Eddywhen they saw Atticus driving by. Atticus didn’t have to say anything to her,she understood from the look on his face what happened, and fainted. Atticusand Calpurnia gently lifted her up and took her inside her house.

Jem tells Scout that he heard that Mr. Ewell had threatenedthem again, saying that there was one down and two to go. Jem believes that itsan empty threat and warns Scout not to worry, and not to breathe a word toAtticus, if she did he won’t speak to her.

School starts and Scout rarely sees Jem since he attendsHigh School now. She’s in third grade now, and sometimes she has to pass theRadley house alone, but she is no longer afraid as she used to be of the place.Passing the house made her think more about Boo Radley and regret tormentinghim the way they used to.

Scout is confused by her teacher, who strongly feels thatAdolf Hitler’s prosecution of the Jew is wrong, while she heard her at thetrial saying ugly things about Tom Robinson, and how this should teach them alla lesson.

Later Scout asked Jem about it, why Miss Gates hates Hitler, feelswhat he does is wrong, and yet feels Tom Robinson's verdict is justified becausehe's black, Jem gets very angry and yells at her and not talk about that trialto him ever again.
When she goes to Atticus for comfort he tells her that Jemis just trying to come to terms with something in his head, and when he doeshe'll start being himself again.


 Questions


- Do you think that if Tom Robinson was alive till the time of the appeal, would he win it? could he ever be a free man again
- Miss Maudie said that Atticus made the jury stay out for a long time and that alone was a baby step towards equality, do you agree?

Review and questions by Ateka.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

To Kill a Mockingbird Discussion: Chapters 11-20

As we enter the second set of chapters for our book discussion, pressure is growing on Jim and Scout in Maycombe as their father continues to defend accused black laborer Tom Robinson. The prejudice of many of the townspeople appears in mean, spiteful comments by schoolchildren towards
the two children about their father's work. In the case of Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose, her mean attack on Atticus is enough to send Jim over the edge, cutting and hacking at the old lady's Camellia flowers. Partly as punishment, Atticus sends Jim to read to Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose every evening as she lies in bed, every evening growing quieter and quieter until she sends Jim (and Scout) away. When Mrs. Dubose passes away Atticus reveals that reading to her was a lesson for Jim in true bravery, as Mrs. Dubose had been trying to break herself of a morphine addiction the whole time Jim was going to read to her.The summer wears on, and Calpurnia takes the children to her church while Atticus is away - they have a chance to see how the black community of Maycombe lives, far away from the rest of the society they know, and hear more about Tom Robinson's family, who suffer as tom is unable to work while in jail. Soon afterward Aunt Alexandra appears, in an attempt to "teach the children some manners" and have a mother figure around the house. Aunt Alexandra has very specific ideas of the Finch family's place in society, and how they rank among the different social classes of the town, ideas that Scout rejects.

Dill reappears, having run away from his parents. Atticus arranges for Dill to stay the summer as he has in the past. Though happy to see Dill, the children are worried by the darker turn the Tom Robinson case has taken. First, a group of men from town appear at Atticus' door to get him to drop the case. Then, Atticus leaves home for the county jail, to keep Tom Robinson from being lynched by a mob of angry townspeople unwilling to let the case come to trial. They back off only when Scout appears with Jim and dill, and reminds the men that they are individuals after all, with children of their own, and not simply a senseless mob. Scout struggles to understand how people she knows, like Mr. Cunningham, would be willing to kill another person without a trial, or threaten Atticus to do so.

One day not long after, the children notice a commotion all around town- it seems that anybody and everybody is coming to Maycombe. Talking to their neighbor, Miss Maudie, they find out that the trial of Tom Robinson is taking place, and they rush to observe the events. Finding a place with the black church community upstairs, they watch as the prosecutor, Mr. Gilmer, and Atticus examine the first witness, Sherriff Heck Tate. Tom Robinson stands accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a member of the lower class Ewell family who live out in the back woods and whose patriarch, Bob Ewell, is a notorious drunkard. Atticus gets Sherriff Tate to admit that Mayella was beaten up all on the right side of her face - her right side. It is very unlikely Tom Robinson beat her up, as his left arm is useless following an accident with a piece of farm machinery.

Bob Ewell takes the stand, treating Atticus with contempt and asserting that Tom Robinson raped his daughter, as though his word alone is enough to condemn Tom. Atticus points out that Bob did nothing to help his daughter after the alleged rape, such as calling a doctor, and tricks Mr. Ewell into showing that he is left-handed - and thus more likely to have beaten up his daughter than Tom Robinson. Mayella Ewell follows her father to the stand, telling a story of Tom Robinson taking advantage of her after she asks for his help in breaking apart a chiffarobe, a kind of wardrobe. Atticus, while treating her with all politeness and kindness, shows how flimsy her testimony is, riddled with contradictions. When Mayella breaks down and runs off, a brief recess allows the children something of a break in the proceedings.

Finally, Atticus Finch calls Tom Robinson to take the stand. Tom tells his own version of the story: As he was passing by the Ewell residence, Mayella asked him for help busting up a chiffarobe, and he gladly helped her without asking for money. This wasn't the first time though - she asked for his help again and again on many occasions and each time he obliged. Finally, one day she tried to kiss him, and he pulled back, aware of the dangerous position this would put him in, and had to flee when bob Ewell arrived. Atticus leaves it to the court's imagination what Bob Ewell did when he saw his daughter trying to kiss a black man. Sickened by the proceedings, Dills feels he has to leave to court, and Scout goes with him.

They return just in time for Atticus' closing statement. His damning statement asserts that not one shred of evidence has shown that any rape took place, while laying out an alternate series of events: Mayella Ewell, neglected by her father and constantly beset by her many younger siblings, longed for any kind of escape, and so took to inviting Tom Robinson over just to have some kind of company. When she tried to kiss
him, though, her father saw and beat her terribly for the offence. The story of Tom attacking her was made up later to cover up what Bob Ewell had done. Atticus calls on the equality of men before the law guaranteed in the Declaration of Independence as a guideline for the jury in carrying out the truth of the law rather than the easy way of following what society already expected. Asking the jury to do their duty in the name of God, he then finishes his statement just as Calpurnia appears in court.

Review written by Andrew Leber, State Dept.

Question: What do you think of Atticus's ways of dealing with his children? Throughout he's criticized about how he raised them, do you think people are justified with their criticism?

Question by Noor