Time to Read Books

School is out, Tom had his 4th chemo treatment this morning, it's Allison's birthday, and we are at Starbucks waiting to meet her. ( It is now two weeks later and Tom is having his 5th treatment, but what the heck, I'm slow getting these book reports done.)    For a while there, I was posting at least twice a week, but things are happening in a slowed down pace these days.  Tom is still feeling well. We both read lots of books and magazines.

The photo in one of the previous posts showed Tom reading on an iPad.  I downloaded the Tom Petty biography so that we could both be reading the same thing. We both enjoy rock biographies.
Actually, I enjoy all kinds of biographies and have found some  great graphic biographies at the library. Here are some of the books we have been reading.

In The Arab of the Future: growing up in the Middle East (1978-1984): a graphic memoir,   Riad Sattouf draws and writes about his nomadic childhood growing up in rural France, Gaddafi's Libya, and Assad's Syria. His bookish French student mother is as modest as his father is flamboyant. Riad is a big eyed blond child that all adults adore, but middle eastern kids consider him the outsider and insult him with the ultimate insult by calling him Jewish!  His dad is always chasing paradise just around the corner.  Food is scarce, local kids kill puppies for sport, and because locks are banned, the family comes home one day to find another family occupying their apartment.  Riad is a master cartoonist and I thoroughly enjoyed this story of his eccentric family in an absurd Middle East.

The Arab of the Future by Riad Sattouf

A Chinese Life is an autobiography in graphic novel form.  It traces the author's remarkable personal journey from the creation of the People's Republic of China in 1949 to the present. It is wonderfully drawn and the author tells the intimate story of his family through the rise of Chairman Mao Zadong and the often cataclysmic changes and visions he had for China. The author, Li Kunwu has spent more than 30 years as a state artist for the Communist Party.  Some people know I have a fascination   for China and Chinese history.  This book gives one a fresh perspective from someone who lived and experienced all the changes.  As I read about the devestation caused by the Great Leap Forward and the suffering of the Chinese people in the late 1960's, I kept thinking about my life at that time and my problems concerning boys, school and what shade of Yardley lip gloss to buy.  

A Chinese Life by Li Kunwu and P. Otie

Rosalie Lightning by Tom Hart

Rosalie Lightning is a touching graphic memoir by Tom Hart about the untimely death of his daughter Rosalie. This is a tearful, painful book that describes the experiences of grieving.  It is powerful and heartbreaking and seems to be a way for the author to process his feelings. At the end of the book he ( or his wife) says that even if he had known that his daughter's life would end the way it did, he still would have wanted to experience her joy and life for the almost two years she was with them. This is a touching, emotional read.

The Lost Tribe of Coney Island: headhunters, Luna Park,
and the man who pulled off the spectacle of the century.

The Lost Tribe of Coney Island by Claire Prentice is the story of the Igorrote tribes people who were brought from the Philippines by Truman Hunt to be displayed at Coney Island in the early 1900's. Amusement parks were huge at the turn of the century as was displaying humans. Forty-nine Igorrotes were chosen to come for one year and make enough money to live the rest of their lives well off.  Well, that was the plan. At first things went as planned and they were treated well, but Truman's lust for money and sensation soon unhinged things. He kept them in the country, seperating them and exploiting them while he collected all the money promising them that they would get it when they returned to the Philippines.  I'm sure you know how that turned out.  The author documents Truman's descent from impresario to shameless promoter to petty criminal. You get to know the tribes people well and find out what became of them at the end of the book.  This was a worthwhile and entertaining book.

This is a taste of what is being read at the Gorman residence.

( along with countless newspapers, magazines and other books and ebooks)

We have the time!