History, Science, Personal Triumph

~ Title: The Immortal Life of Herietta Lacks


~ Penned by: Rebecca Skloot


~ How did this piece find it's way to your nightstand?: Kevin (my bro) gave it to me for Christmas.  Thank You!


~ Number of pages: 328


~ Time passed from start to finish?: A week


~ Describe the cover: Orangish-red cells with a picture of Henrietta in the top corner


~ In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this?: Biography, Science, Bestsellers


~ Summary of the basic plot: A background on the what are probably the most important human cells in biomedical history.


~ Background information on the story/author:  Henrietta Lacks was a woman that died much too young of cervical cancer.  A researcher at Johns Hopkins developed a cell culture using her cancerous cells which led to countless discoveries which have saved millions, probably billions of lives.  The author is a science writer whose articles have appeared in The New York Times Magazine; O, The Oprah Magazine; Columbia Journalism Review; and in numerous other publications.  She has taught non-fiction in the creative writing departments at the University of Memphis and the University of Pittsburgh, and science journalism at New York University.  This is her first book.


~ What did you think of it? (your general response, what you liked or didn't like, what you learned, anything else you want to share about it): Awesome!  This book combines science, history, family, and incredible writing.  It reads like a novel (though non-fiction) and I couldn't put it down.


~ Which page was your favorite? Share why: There's a page (somewhere) that Zakariyya receives a gift from his sister.  It moved me reading about a hardened, embittered individual softening, if only for a moment.


~ If the story was made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters? Henrietta - Viola Davis, Rebecca - Erin Cummings, Deborah - Octavia Spencer


~ Share a quote that was worth reading twice. Explain why: one of many, this is a book that I could see myself reading a number of times: "In February 1954, Southam loaded a syringe with saline solution mixed with HeLa.  He slid the needle into the forearm of a woman...then pushed the plunger, injecting about five million of Henrietta's cells into her arm."  

In today's world where everything must receive informed consent, it is appalling to me that this ever happened.

~ Choose your rating:
          - Changed. My. Life.
          - I laughed, I cried, I want you to read it
          - A definite page-turner
          - Good to check out but don't spend the cash.
          - Why did I waste my weekend on this?
          - A disgrace to paper everywhere
Definitely one of the best books I've ever read, in this case the rating is more of a, "I laughed, I cried, You HAVE to read this"




~ Flip to page 2, 22, or 202. Share the 7th sentence on the page.  (Page 2) "I first learned about HeLa cells and the woman behind them in 1988, thirty-seven years after her death, when I was sixteen and sitting in a community college biology class." A book 22 years in the making is destined to be great.

Before Liz Lemon...

Tell us the title: Bossypants

Who penned this work?: Tina Fey

How did this piece find it's way to your nightstand?: While listlessly roaming through Costco, I saw this book and snuck it into the cart, under some bread.

Number of pages: 275

Time passed from start to finish?: About 3 seconds

Describe the cover: A lovely picture of Tina herself with hairy man-arms and a nice blue background.

In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this?: Biography, humor

Summary of the basic plot: Tina Fey's life story, essentially... told with the tone you would expect...utter hilarity.  On a more serious note, however, I was actually really impressed with the honesty she presented in terms of herself as a mother and a woman in the showbiz industry, an industry where it is hard to be either of those.

Background information on the story/author: Bossypants essentially explains how Tina Fey got to where she is, the dues she paid, the awkwardness of who she really is, and the underlying reasons why we all love her :)

What did you think of it? (your general response, what you liked or didn't like, what you learned, anything else you want to share about it): I loved it!  Except maybe for the outbursts of laughter in public places while reading it, but that's just because I don't like when people think I'm crazy.  It provided a good amount of *dishing* that we all desire from celebrity biographies, plenty of humor, and a nice dose of honesty that was refreshing.  Also, I'm just fond of women who curse a lot, because it makes me feel less alone in that tendency.

Which page was your favorite? Share why: Actually, the entire 3-page chapter entitled "The Mother's Prayer for Its Daughter", including the stanza: 

"And when she one day turns on me and calls me a Bitch in front of Hollister, 

Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends,

For I will not have that Shit.  I will not have it."

If the story was made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters?: Sarah Palin clearly would have to play Tina Fey.  Otherwise, since most of her friends are celebrities anyway, let's just have them play themselves.

Share a quote that was worth reading twice. Explain why: Oh please, where do I begin?  

1. "As weird as the night's events had been, I couldn't help but be excited by the fact that I had climbed a mountain.  I never would have thought I could do that.  I think someone should design exercise machines that reward people with sex at the end of their workouts, because people will perform superhuman feats for even the faint hope of that."

2. "So my unsolicited advice to women in the workplace is this.  When faced with sexism or ageism or lookism or even really aggressive Buddhism, as yourself the following question: 'Is this person in between me and what I want to do?' If the answer is no, ignore it and move on.  Your energy is better used doing your work and outpacing people that way.  Then, when you're in charge, don't hire the people who were jerky to you."

3. "I feel about Photoshop the way some people feel about abortion.  It is appalling and a tragic reflection on the moral decay of our society...unless I need it, in which case, everybody be cool."

Choose your rating:
          - Changed. My. Life.
          - I laughed, I cried laughed some more, I want you to read it
          - A definite page-turner
            -Good to check out but don't spend the cash.
            - Why did I waste my weekend on this?
            - A disgrace to paper everywhere

Flip to page 2, 22, or 202. Share the 7th sentence on the page: "Did we dare disappoint Frank the Doorman and Robert De Niro?"

A memoir of survival in Darfur

Tell us the title: 

Tears of the Desert

Who penned this work?: 

Halima Bashir (with Damien Lewis)

How did this piece find it's way to your nightstand?: 

It was a Christmas gift from my lovely sister

Number of pages: 

313

Time passed from start to finish?: 

About a week

Describe the cover: 

An earthy deep red frames a pensive and reflective picture of the author.

In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this?: 

Memoir/Biography

Summary of the basic plot: 

This is the memoir of a young woman and her unique childhood and life experience with the war in Sudan.

Background information on the story/author:

Halima was the daughter of a cattle herder in the Zaghawa tribe in the Sudanese desert.  Her family was relatively wealthy, and she therefore had the opportunity to receive a formal education and become a doctor.  Having to flee the country because of her involvement in the conflict, she now lives in England with her husband and son. 

What did you think of it? (your general response, what you liked or didn't like, what you learned, anything else you want to share about it):

You can't read a story like this and not be moved by it, in my opinion.  This woman was born the same year as my sister, and in her lifetime she experienced a brutal war, vicious rape, discrimination, the loss of family, isolation, and the emotional trauma of being a refugee.  I'm constantly amazed at the way people like Halima, who have experienced such intense situations at such young ages, continue to persevere, and their ability to present their stories without self-pity.  She is many things worth admiring and standing in awe of: a woman, a doctor, a mother, a survivor... 

Apart from this, there were a few things I found interesting.  First, as always surprises me, is the way that the local people from these small villages and remote areas treat each other.  Halima's father had a vehicle, and as he was driving her to town to attend school, he *of course* gave as many people as possible a ride so they would not have to walk.  This seemed to be pretty customary, to offer help like that.  On one such trip, they got a flat tire.  Halima tells how before they could even make a move, the male passengers were removing the tire and replacing it.  They wouldn't even allow Halima's father to help.  I always have to wonder: would that happen here?  I'd say no for the US as a whole, but yes for the town/state where I'm from.

Another fascinating part of Halima's story was her journey to become a physician.  In her village, people believed very strongly in traditional medicine, spiritual healing, and medicinal herbs and plants.  It was very interesting to read about her experience in blending these traditional treatments and beliefs with the traditional hard science of modern medicine.  There were things she realized weren't valid, and other beliefs she held to very strongly.  I can see how the combination of these approaches could make her a very good physician both in her home country but also abroad.  Medicine in the US is very hard, angular, and ruled by logic and science, leaving little room for the spiritual, natural, mystical.  Perhaps that is a pitfall? 

Which page was your favorite? Share why:

I didn't appear to mark the page or pages involved with this part of the story, but when Halima was in school in the city she experienced a lot of discrimination for being a black African in a school primarily filled with Arab girls.  One particular instance, she was punished unfairly for something another girl was responsible for.  Despite extreme punishment, verbal attacks, physical lashings, and much condescending talk, she stood up for herself.  I loved the visual of this young girl standing up for herself in the face of adults, with no one to back her up at the time.  That took amazing strength and resoluteness of character, and perhaps those traits helped prepare her for survival later in life.  

If the story was made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters?

I have No. Idea.  Stories like this I can't really make those calls.  The only person I see as the main characters are the people themselves.  It's hard to cast a person in the role of a real individual.

Share a quote that was worth reading twice. Explain why:

I have two of them:

 "'If it wasn't for us black Africans the Arabs couldn't feel so superior,' I fumed.  'They need us -- they need someone to keep down, to keep under them.'"

This is something Halima said, and I was struck by the truth of it.  Not just in the context of the conflict in Sudan, but world-wide.  Go to any country and you will see groups of people cast into conflict over superiority of one race or religion or appearance or background over another.  Why humans do this I'm not sure, but it happens the world over, in every different dynamic possible.  We appear to feel some need to not only define ourselves by different groups we fit into, but then to rank those.  Is it possible we're all just horribly insecure? 

[upon returning to her village after it was suddenly raided and her family members were either killed or had fled]  

"I returned to our yard as if I were in a dream.  I dug up the valuables from where I knew they were hidden and stuffed them into my pocket.  I took a black plastic carrier bag, loaded into it a handful of dried dates, a spare tope, and a thick robe.  Then I said my goodbyes to Kadiga's uncle.  I took one last look at my childhood home, turned away, and started walking.  I knew in my heart that I would never be returning to this place again."

This is all Halima took with her as she said goodbye to her childhood home for the unforeseeable future.  I felt it was such a striking moment, as she set off all alone, with no idea where she would end up or if she would ever see her family again.  It makes that bad day at work not seem like such a valid complaint.

Choose your rating:

Changed. My. Life.

I laughed, I cried, I want you to read it

A definite page-turner
  Good to check out but don't spend the cash.
Why did I waste my weekend on this?
A disgrace to paper everywhere

~ Flip to page 2, 22, or 202. Share the 7th sentence on the page. 

"There's no way we're leaving empty-handed."

One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia.

The title: 

Eat Pray Love

Who penned this work?:

Elizabeth Gilbert

How did this piece find it's way to your nightstand?:

Well, I first started reading it when I picked it up at Powell's for my boyfriend.  Then I got addicted to it (and half way through it) exactly at the time when I had to send it to him.  Luckily, my sister also received it as a gift for her birthday, so I may or may not have sneakily swiped it from her room for a week.  Pretty sure she had no idea, although now she knows. And now she'll say she knew the whole time. 

Number of pages:

334

Time passed from start to finish?:

About two weeks
 

Describe the cover:

'eat' written in pasta, 'pray' written in prayer beads, and 'love' written in flowers.  Not much else going on.

In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this?:

Based on my experience, Travel Writing.  Also sometimes in biography.
 

Summary of the basic plot:

(from the back): In her early thirties, Elizabeth Gilbert had everything a modern American woman was supposed to want - husband, country home, successful career - but instead of feeling happy and fulfilled, she felt consumed by panic and confusion.  This wise and rapturous book is the story of how she left behind all these outwards marks of success, and of what she found in their place.  Following a divorce and a crushing depression, Gilbert set out to examine three different aspects of her nature, set against the backdrop of three different cultures: pleasure in Italy, devotion in India, and on the Indonesian island of Bali, a balance between worldly enjoyment and divine transcendence.

Background information on the story/author:

Um, pretty sure the summary covered some of that.  The author is an award-winning writer, and in 2008 was named by Times magazine one of the one hundred most influential people in the world.  Basically, everyone loves her book and wants to be her friend.  And I don't blame them.
 

What did you think of it? (your general response, what you liked or didn't like, what you learned, anything else you want to share about it):

I understand why this book has been so popular, I really do.  The author is honest and open with us and herself, sometimes brutally so.  There's nothing preachy or didactic about this story...it truly is HER story and that's the reason she wrote it. I think the appeal is that she speaks to undeniable truths we all struggle with and want to understand.  She also speaks to the imperfect person we all feel like we are.  I love the way the book was laid out (with purpose and meaning), as well as the way she realized retrospectively some of the significant meaning behind numbers and letters involved in her journey.  I definitely want to read it again.  And of course, I'm now trying to figure out what My Word is.  (you'll see)
 

Which page was your favorite? Share why:

Page 274.  This is where we realize (or rather, the author realizes) the largest lesson of them all (a very cyclical one at that)...and someone else has to point it out to her.  By setting out to help yourself, you end up helping Tutti.  (you'll see)
 

If the story was made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters?

Kinda beat me to the punch there, didn't ya, movie industry?  I haven't seen the movie so I can't really speak to how well they cast the characters.  I can easily see Julia Roberts being a good fit, however. 
 

Share a quote that was worth reading twice. Explain why:

"Sofie is Swedish and in her late twenties and so damn cute you could put her on a hook and use her as bait to catch men of all different nationalities and ages."  (made me laugh)

"How many people have I heard claim their children as the greatest accomplishment and comfort of their lives?  It's the thing they can always lean on during a metaphysical crisis, or a moment of doubt about their relevancy -- If I have done nothing else in this life, then at least I have raised my children well."  (reminded me of many significant people in my life)

"There's a cat who lives here who is enormously affectionate to me for the half hour every day before I feed him, then moans crazily the rest of the time like he's having Vietnam War flashbacks.  Oddly, I don't mind this."  (made me laugh)

"Before dawn the roosters for miles around announce how freaking cool it is to be roosters ('We are ROOSTERS!' they holler.  'We are the only ones who get to be ROOSTERS!')"  (made me laugh)

"And then I remember a story my friend Deborah the psychologist told me once.  Back in the 1980's, she was asked by the city of Philadelphia if she could volunteer to offer psychological counseling to a group of Cambodian refugees - boat people - who had recently arrived in the city.  Deborah is an exceptional psychologist, but she was terribly daunted by this task.  These Cambodians had suffered the worst of what humans can inflict on each other - genocide, rape, torture, starvation, the murder of their relatives before their eyes, then long years in refugee camps and dangerous boat trips to the West where people died and corpses were fed to sharks - what could Deborah offer these people in terms of help?  How could she possibly relate to their suffering?

'But don't you know,' Deborah reported to me, 'what all these people wanted to talk about, once they could see a counselor?'

It was all: I met this guy when I was living in the refugee camp, and we fell in love.  I thought he really loved me, but then we were separated on different boats, and he took up with my cousin.  Now he's married to her, but he says he really loves me, and he keeps calling me, and I know I should tell him to go away, but I still love him and I can't stop thinking about him.  And I don't know what to do...

This is what we are like.  Collectively, as a species, this is our emotional landscape.  I met an old lady once, almost one hundred years old, and she told me, 'There are only two questions that human beings have ever fought over, all through history.  How much do you love me? And Who's in charge?'  Everything else is somehow manageable."  (made me think, plus an interesting return to the start of my learning about people and the world through books)

           Choose your rating:

          - Changed. My. Life.
          - I laughed, I cried, I want you to read it
          - A definite page-turner
          - Good to check out but don't spend the cash.
          - Why did I waste my weekend on this?
          - A disgrace to paper everywhere

Flip to page 2, 22, or 202. Share the 7th sentence on the page. 

"My thoughts have become like old neighbors, kind of bothersome but ultimately rather endearing -- Mr. and Mrs. Yakkity-Yak and their three dumb children, Blah, Blah and Blah."

Meditations on Mortality from the Human Anatomy Lab

~ Tell us the title:  Body of Work

~ Who penned this work?: Christine Montross

~ How did this piece find it's way to your nightstand?: It called out to me from the shelf at Book Warehouse.  For only $4.99, I couldn't NOT get it...

~ Number of pages: 292

~ Time passed from start to finish?: I'd say about 3 days

~ Describe the cover: A strange vaguely tinted shade of greenish blue and a faint image of a cadaver covered in gauze.

~ In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this?: Biography/memoir, maybe medical or health

~ Summary of the basic plot: A woman who went to medical school reflects on her experience with human cadaver dissection and what she learned from the process.

~ Background information on the story/author: From the inside: Dr. Christina Montross is a resident in psychiatry at Brown University.  She received her master's of fine arts in poetry from the University of Michigan and has had several poems published in literary journals.  While compiling this book, she traveled to anatomical theaters, sought out holy relics, and dissected three arms, a leg, and an entire human body.  She lives in Rhode Island with her partner, Deborah, and their one-year-old daughter, Maude. 

~ What did you think of it? (your general response, what you liked or didn't like, what you learned, anything else you want to share about it): I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I found it really interesting that she had a fine art degree and then went on to medical school -- I think it gave both her experiences in medical school and the stories she shared about them a unique perspective for the reader.  This wasn't a woman who was all about science her whole life, she was about as sensitive as they get (a poet, I mean, come on) and yet she survived dissecting a human being. 

~ Which page was your favorite? Share why: Page 121.  The author shares how strange it is that even a few weeks into medical school, people automatically assume she can answer every question about every ailment they have, friends and family members included.  How so quickly, with just putting on a lab coat, people completely expose themselves physically and emotionally to these 'doctors', not realizing that they know little more than their patients at that point.

~ If the story was made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters? No. Idea.
~ Share a quote that was worth reading twice. Explain why: "Dissection, we discover, is in part a process of beginning to name parts of our own bodies whose names we have never known.  We find a structure beneath our skin, a place we have toweled dry perhaps ten thousand times and never noticed, and then we uncover it in our cadaver, feel the shape of it, learn its purpose."  I just found this interesting (as something I can relate to, having done dissections), but also rather poetically put.  There were a lot of quotes like that in the book. 

~ Choose your rating:
          - Changed. My. Life.
          - I laughed, I cried, I want you to read it
          - A definite page-turner
          - Good to check out but don't spend the cash.
          - Why did I waste my weekend on this?
          - A disgrace to paper everywhere

~ Flip to page 2, 22, or 202. Share the 7th sentence on the page."Two types of forceps are available, one with thin, blunt ends and one with a 'rat tooth' -- a metal V on one end that fits into a corresponding notch on the other -- to grasp and pick away extraneous matter."

Memoirs of a boy soldier

~ Tell us the title: A Long Way Gone

~ Who penned this work?: Ishmael Beah

 
~ How did this piece find it's way to your nightstand?: My sister gave it to me for my 25th birthday.  It got lost in boxes during my packing and moving, and patiently waited for my eyeballs to see it again.  

~ Number of pages: 229

~ Time passed from start to finish?: Three days

~ Describe the cover: A small boy walks, staring at the ground, on a dirt road, wearing green flip flops with holes in the soles and a gun slung over his shoulder.

~ In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this?: Memoir, Biography

~ Summary of the basic plot: From back cover: At the age of twelve, Ishmael Beah fled attacking rebels in Sierra Leone and wandered a land rendered unrecognizable by violence.  By thirteen, he'd been picked up by the government army, and Beah, at heart a gentle boy, found that he was capable of truly terrible acts.  At sixteen, he was removed from fighting by UNICEF, and through the help of the staff at this rehabilitation center, he learned how to forgive himself, to regain his humanity, and, finally, to heal. 

~ Background information on the story/author: From inside: Ishmael Beah was born in Sierra Leone in 1980.  He moved to the United States in 1998 and finished his last two years of high school at the United Nations International School in New York.  He graduated from Oberlin College in 2004.  He is a member of the Human Rights Watch Children's Rights Division Advisory Committee and has spoken before the United Nations, the Council on Foreign Relations, the Center for Emerging Threats and Opportunities (CETO) at the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory, and many other NGO panels on children affected by war.  He is also the head of the Ishmael Beah Foundation, which is dedicated to helping former child soldiers reintegrate into society and improve their lives.  His work has appeared in VespertinePress and LIT magazine.  He lives in Brooklyn. 

~ What did you think of it? (your general response, what you liked or didn't like, what you learned, anything else you want to share about it): Wow. Yet again, a memoir written by a child of war has blown me away.  This book, like many others, includes a map in the front, which really helps to put the story in context for me.  Only 4 years older than me, I can relate much better to the timeline and cultural references as well.  There is also a list at the back of the book with a succinct history of the country.  I have learned more about world history from reading memoirs such as this than I ever learned in school.  Several things stand out to me that I wasn't expecting.  First, the writing is clear & concise, yet beautiful & evocative.  Much of the story is written with the voice of the child he was at the time, which I find notable.  He didn't write the story as an adult looking back, but rather as the part of him that's still that child, remembering things as they happened.  I was blown away by the things Ishmael experienced.  It's incomprehensible, especially when you consider the parallels in time.  It's easy to think of these stories as happening far in the past, in a wholly different place and time, but Ishmael was killing his first person when I was learning about Lewis and Clark in 4th grade.  He was completely robbed of his childhood, and the unfairness in that is striking.  For some reason, I assumed that his rehabilitation had taken place in the US (shame on me for that), and was surprised that it took place in his own country.  After the joy of realizing that he had an uncle in Freetown that would take him in, I was furious with what became of the situation a few years later, feeling that Ishmael had simply been through too much already.  I also felt slightly angry at the intro, where it calmly states that he moved to the US in 1998, when in fact he fled from war for the second time, constantly in fear and unsure whether he would survive. 

~ Which page was your favorite? Share why: Page 200.  Ishmael was selected to come to the United States to speak about his experiences, and found a group of fellow children and adults who cared for him and became very close with him.  As he is leaving, everyone bursts into tears and says goodbye.  The closing to the page weighed on my mind.  He said: "I was sad to leave, but I was also pleased to have met people outside of Sierra Leone.  Because if I was to get killed upon my return, I knew that a memory of my existence was alive somewhere in the world."

~ If the story was made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters?  I have no idea. 

~ Share a quote that was worth reading twice. Explain why: "I walked behind the coffin, the sound of my footsteps clinging to my heart."   During the time period when Ishmael was a soldier, the children soldiers were drugged with cocaine and other drugs (another thing I was completely shocked by) to keep them energized and numb their emotions.  The contrast between that time of his life and how much he FELT when this quote happened was astounding.

~ Choose your rating:
          - Changed. My. Life.
          - I laughed, I cried, I want you to read it
          - A definite page-turner
          - Good to check out but don't spend the cash.
          - Why did I waste my weekend on this?
          - A disgrace to paper everywhere

~ Flip to page 2, 22, or 202. Share the 7th sentence on the page: "But on the first day of school in Freetown, all the students sat apart from us, as if Mohamed and I were going to snap any minute and kill someone."

Truth is more fascinating than fiction

~ Tell us the title: Louder Than Words: A new teen memoir series (sampler)
~ Who penned this work?: Several girls. This sampler contains excerpts from the stories by Chelsey Shannon, Marni Bates, and Emily Smucker
~ How did this piece find it's way to your nightstand?: Picked up from the library convention
~ Number of pages: 44
~ Time passed from start to finish?: About an hour
~ Describe the cover: Photos of the books by these three authors. Each book has a picture of the author on the front.
~ In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this?: Memoir/Biography or Teen
~ Summary of the basic plot: These are excerpts from three teen girls' stories of their unique lives. Chelsey's father was murdered. Marni has a disease where she compulsively pulls out her own hair. Emily learns she has West Nile.
~ Background information on the story/author: See above.
~ What did you think of it? (your general response, what you liked or didn't like, what you learned, anything else you want to share about it): These excerpts were incredibly well-written and conveyed emotional accuracy. I am very eager to read the full stories. These are three from a series that contains at least 4 other books I believe.
~ Which page was your favorite? Share why: That's difficult to say without getting to read the entirety of each story. Perhaps the first page of the sampler, because it caught my attention enough to take it.
~ Share a quote that was worth reading twice. Explain why: (from Marni's story): "Eyelashes have a completely different feel to them." She is talking about her disease (where she compulsively pulls out her own hair, eyelashes, eyebrows..) in great detail. I found such a fascination in this honest discussion. When I was in highschool, I knew a girl who had this disease. It was never talked about, however, which I always found frustrating because I wanted to understand it, to know what it felt like to her, and why she did it.
~ Choose your rating:
- Changed. My. Life.
- I laughed, I cried, I want you to read it
- A definite page-turner (and I want you to read it)
- Good to check out but don't spend the cash.
- Why did I waste my weekend on this?
- A disgrace to paper everywhere
~ Flip to page 2, 22, or 202. Share the 7th sentence on the page. "It was sort of like deforestation."

A memoir

Tell us the title:

A Common Pornography

Who penned this work?:

Kevin Sampsell

How did this piece find it's way to your nightstand?:

I got the book for free from the awesome library convention!

Number of pages:

218

Time passed from start to finish?:

About 36 hours

Describe the cover:

A chair stands alone in the corner of a room of uncomfortable brown shades.

In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this?:

Biography

Summary of the basic plot:

This is the biography/memoir of Kevin Sampsell. It details his life really from childhood to present day.

Background information on the story/author:

Kevin Sampsell works for Powell's Books here in Portland. He grew up around the Spokane area, lived a few other places, and wound up in Oregon.

What did you think of it? (your general response, what you liked or didn't like, what you learned, anything else you want to share about it):

I have to say I loved several things about it! The layout was wonderful. Each 'chapter' was essentially a different memory from his life, and lasted 4 pages at most. It made for a quick read, but it also felt like I was watching family videos, seeing just the highlights of what someone sees as the defining moments in their life. If I ever wrote a memoir of my own, I would want to do it in this style. He did a wonderful job carrying us from his childhood to his adult life with his manner of writing as the book progressed. His blatant honesty was shocking and refreshing, and added so much depth to the story, notably accenting his innocence as a child. His story shows that every family has some dirty little secrets, and sometimes the family itself doesn't know them.

Which page was your favorite? Share why:

Page 31, The chapter called Car-Mull. Whereupon him and his brother convince a neighbor boy to eat bird poo. It takes some guts to admit to doing such a thing.

If the story was made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters?

Mmm, that's the thing about a memoir...I can't see anyone but him playing...himself. His dad would definitely be Jon Gries though.

Share a quote that was worth reading twice. Explain why:

(Describing his experience at his dad's funeral): "I hadn't brought a jacket and I was pretty cold. I could barely hear the last formulaic words of the priest and I just wanted to get back in my car. I saw the backhoe behind the crowd, behind a tree, like it was an animal trying to hide from us." To me, this is heartbreaking yet relieving, which I believe the funeral was for him. He's not focused on memories of his dad, and he just sees the blunt honesty of death (the backhoe 'hiding'). He's not listening to the priest, and he just wants to leave. It speaks to the poor relationship he had with his father, which is sad, but also to his acceptance of the loss.

Choose your rating:
- Changed. My. Life.

-I laughed, I cried, I want you to read it.

- A definite page-turner
- Good to check out but don't spend the cash.
- Why did I waste my weekend on this?
- A disgrace to paper everywhere
Flip to page 2, 22, or 202. Share the 7th sentence on the page.

"It was the first time I gave up."

"...on the third, you join our family..."

Title:
Three Cups of Tea
Who penned this work?
Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
How did this piece find its way to your nightstand?
My friend Cindy gave it to me for my birthday and then I put it there.
Number of Pages: 349
Time passed from start to finish: Less than two weeks, although the last 80% was consumed in about two days.
Describe the cover: Calming tones of stone, blue and red support a photo (taken by the author) of three young girls adorned with headscarves and books unfolded on their laps. There is nothing flashy or presumptuous about the cover, even as it boasts being a #1 New York Times bestseller and the Kiriyama Prize Winner as well as being graced by an inviting quote from Tom Brokaw.
In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this book?
At the store I am in right now, the book is placed in “world history”. However, I feel it could be placed in the biography, non-fiction, inspirational or the “this is one of the most amazing stories ever” section.
Summary of the basic plot/Background information on the story/author:
A young man who has already seen and endured much in his life survives a failed attempt at climbing K2 and mistakenly makes his way into a Pakistani village that has never seen a foreigner before. By the time he leaves, he is in love with these people and has promised to build them a school. Climbing the worlds highest peaks takes on new meaning as he pursues fulfilling his promise while living in his car and renting a typewriter to seek additional support. As time unfolds, this one man proves education an effective tool for peace as he returns time and again to a land where injustice and unrest are commonplace for people with golden hearts and emerges as a true hero in more ways than one.
What did you think of it?
Where do I start? I expected this story to be encouraging. My expectations were WAY too low. I have been moved beyond words. I didn't expect a thrilling survival story on one of the worlds highest peaks. I didn't expect a sudden love story that challenges the greatest I've ever heard. I didn't expect to learn so much about Pakistan, Afghanistan and India and want to learn so much more. I didn't expect to cry during every single chapter. And more than anything, I didn't expect to be shocked by the relevance of this story to the war we are "fighting" against terror. This book has fueled my passion against ignorance and for community, increased my desire to be educated and changed me forever. So, what did I think of it? I think it is one of the most amazing stories ever lived and shared.
Which page was your favorite? Share why.
I tagged about 30 pages in the process of reading, so the choice is not easy, but I think I will choose the last page as my favorite. Not only was I balling my eyes out for the millionth time as I read the poignant last sentence, but the realization that this was not the end of this amazing story flooded over me and sealed all of the hope, humility, frustration, passion, challenge and inspiration I had experienced through every page.
If the story was made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters?
Hmmmmm……the main character would have to be able to scale mountains, keep promises and fall in love in an instant. He would need to posses massive amounts of both gentleness and strength. An Indiana Jones of sorts perhaps? I can't think of anyone besides Harrison Ford right now that could take on the role. (I just have to note that I did not notice the commentary on the back cover calling Mortenson a "real-life Indiana Jones" until about five minutes after writing this.)
Share a quote that was worth reading twice. Explain why:
"The Enemy is Ignorance"
I want to share handfuls of quotes, the whole text, really, but I am going to choose just one. The title of the 22nd chapter is quoted above and it is a phrase I will remember forever. Several pages into the chapter, the context presents itself:
"...You have to attack the source of your enemy's strength. In America's case, that's not Osama or Saddam or anyone else. The enemy is ignorance. The only way to defeat it is to build relationships with these people, to draw them into the modern world with education and business. Otherwise, the fight will go on forever."
-Brigadier General Bashir Baz of Pakistan, during a conversation with Mortenson in 2003.
Rating: Changed. My. Life.
The 7th sentence on page 22:
"Zindabad! Good! Mr. Gireg," Mouzafer said after the third cup, pounding Mortenson delightedly on the shoulder, clouding the tiny cave with more of Mortensons surplus of dust.