Category Archives: Non-Fiction

Book Review: The Devil in the White City

Posted by Ayesha in Non-Fiction

For years, I have walked past this book in the bookstore. It always sits on the Noteworthy Paperback table at Barnes and Noble and I finally decided to add it to my nook library last month. The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson is non-fiction written so compellingly that it feels like fiction.

image via bn.com

There are actually two stories told in this book about the 1893 World’s Fair held in Chicago. The first is the story of the architects and their challenges and triumphs when it came to building the fair. The second is of the entrepreneurial serial killer who used the fair to his advantage to attract young women to his hotel. I found both stories very interesting, but I was probably more intrigued by the story of Dr. H.H. Holmes, the serial killer. I wonder if we’re always generally more intrigued by the darker story. Larson did lots of research to piece together a narrative on Holmes, and it didn’t feel like there were major holes in his story. It was so creepy that, at times, I wouldn’t read it before bed.

There is more documentation on the designing and building of the fair, because, well, those people weren’t engaged in illegal activity. What’s interesting about the 1893 World’s Fair is how much influence it had on America in the turn of the century. From Shredded Wheat to the Ferris Wheel to the Roman and Greek influences in some of our historical landmarks, the Fair certainly left its mark on America. When reading about the Fair’s inception to its completion, I could only relate it to the Olympics. Cities vie to host a spectacular event, where there will be plenty of opportunities for marketing and a surge in tourism. The event will give the city a place in history, whether it’s warranted or not. And then, the city scrambles to top the city before them, to stage something grand and unforgettable. They go into debt, displace people, all to appear amazing on a world stage. It’s all very similar.

I do have one gripe about the book, though. When I say there are two stories in the book, I mean that. I was always expecting the paths of the two main characters to cross, to have some effect on each other, but there was none. Each story could have stood alone as a book, but I think perhaps Larson had a lot more information on the Fair than he did on Holmes, so he wove Holmes’ story into this one in order to break up the monotony of Fair building. Since the story is non-fiction, Larson couldn’t make Holmes meet Burnham for the heck of it, but if there was a fictional take on this book, I think that should be the first “fix.” Overall, I did enjoy the book, but was hoping for a more obvious connection in the stories.

3/5

Book Review: Paris, My Sweet

Posted by Ayesha in Non-Fiction

I have a minor obsession with Paris. I’m lucky enough to have been there, but unlucky to have spent most of my one day there underground in the Metro trying to figure out a one-way passage on the EuroStar to London. What I did experience above ground, I loved, and it is currently Number 2 on my travel wish list. Around spring time every year, at least one book is released about an American living in Paris.  Sometimes it’s two. And I will usually pick them up. This year, it’s Paris, My Sweet by Amy Thomas.

image via bn.com

Amy Thomas was lucky enough to get transferred to Paris for work with a famous luxury brand. A self proclaimed “sweet freak,” Thomas was ready to explore not only the city she was totally enamored with, but also the best of the perfected chocolates and pastries Paris is so well-known for. But Thomas really does know her stuff. While on her mission to find the sweetest bites, she weaves in stories of New York’s best cupcakes, cookies, and even macarons. Her knowledge is extensive and at the end of each chapter, she provides a list of where to go in both cities for a delectable treat.

The story isn’t just about sweets, but about how one woman navigates through life on a different trajectory than the life her friends lead in New York, but not exactly on par with the lives of her new friends in Paris. Essentially, in a curious limbo, Thomas spends much of the book trying to figure out where she fits. Her journey is interesting and her point of view is fresh. She doesn’t say what she thinks she should, but what she truly feels. And sometimes, even if your dream becomes reality, it may not always be smooth sailing.

I enjoyed this book. I really felt like I had an understanding of what it can feel like to be an expatriate alone in a new city for a long time. And I certainly liked all the descriptions of sweets, but I felt like some of the transitions into the dessert descriptions were rough, and the segue out didn’t always make sense. I recommend this book if you will be traveling to New York or Paris and have a sweet tooth. She mentions tons of great spots that had my mouth watering. And warning: Her description of the Parisian croissant will forever ruin the American version of the breakfast food for you. It sounds so good that it hurts to not have one available immediately.

I give this read a 3/5.

Also read: Lunch in Paris by Elizabeth Bard,  My Life in France by Julia Child, or The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

the-happiness-project

The Happiness Project

I just finished The Happiness Project  by Gretchen Rubin in time to apply a project to my new year. Rubin approaches the question of her own happiness by working to improve her daily life in little ways. I enjoyed the book, found it informative and applicable to my life. Rubin is a very informative writer. … Keep reading →

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Stories from the Science Whiz Kids

A fourteen year-old nuclear physicist. A seventeen year-old horse whisperer. A young Navajo in need of a warmer home. A teenage fashionista interested in bees and pollination. What do they all have in common? Curiosity, follow-through, and science fairs. Science Fair Season by Judy Dutton was recommended to me by BF Fermata. She and I … Keep reading →

The Five Love Languages

Note: I have also posted this on Adventures to the Altar. I felt it was appropriate for both blogs because it does involve a book. Apologies for the redundancy in the event that you follow both. And also, thank you for following both! E and I are not associated with any specific house of religion, … Keep reading →

To Improve Myself?

Posted by Ayesha in Inspiration, Non-Fiction and tagged with

I cannot read self-help books. I read books to escape life. Not to face all the problems that I have in mine. Plus, I feel like I read several blogs and analyze myself often enough. I tried to read this one self help book, and I couldn’t get past the intro, even though I love the author and her work. I couldn’t get through it. Self help books are not for me. I am a pro-active person. I know my shortcomings. I know that thinking positively is better for everything in general. But, I can’t read a book about it. I would rather get lost in someone’s fictional problems and compare them with my life than try to figure out my own? Denial? Maybe. But if I spend so much of my day facing myself and my problems, then why read a book about it? Reading is an enjoyable part of my day, and trying to give myself therapy won’t be that enjoyable. BTW, the diet and self-improvement sections are crammed full in our store. So many ways to tell someone how to live life better.

Seriously.

There is nothing wrong with liking self-help books. More power to the person that finds them helpful! I’m glad they work for you, and I hope your life is much more enriched because of them. Maybe, one day I will need one. But right now, I can’t seem to get into them, and will stick to what works for me: Exercise, ice cream, a good read, the occasional shopping trip, wedding planning, laughing with the FH, and a job that I like.

Women are Funny

Posted by Ayesha in Non-Fiction and tagged with , , ,

And not in a bad way, like “This cheese smells funny.” In a good way, like “Ohmigosh, that movie was so funny!” That movie was probably written by, or probably starred, Tina Fey.

This book is hilarious and gives me twenty-five new reasons to love Tina Fey! I have been a fan of 30 Rock for a long time now, and was so excited to see that she was writing a book.

The book reads as a collection of essays in a somewhat chronological order of her life, but a couple of times she inserts a story about a teenage party or about her ill-fated honeymoon with her husband. She never talks about meeting or falling in love with her husband, but we gather from this story that they met, fell in love, got married, and ended up on a cruise.

Mostly, Fey lets us in on the world of sketch comedy writing and the frenzy that can be Saturday Night Live, and what it’s like to be a woman in a boy’s playground of comedians. But she doesn’t have a deep-seated need/ambition to prove herself, just ambition to write something funny and to collaborate with other writers to continue with comedy. And this is a testament to her parents and the loving environment she grew up in. Not some weird Lifetime melodrama, just suburban Pennsylvania, with a strong father and nice mother who avoids “the talk” by slipping her daughter a “kit.” (My mom slipped me a book. No discussions afterward.)

She answers some fan mail. That’s pretty good. She gives us the lowdown on those magazine cover shoots. And she tells us the story of getting Oprah on 30 Rock, deciding to return to SNL to portray Sarah Palin, and get her daughter’s birthday party planned and executed all in one weekend! Phew. Are you tired? I am. And she talks about being a working mom that can’t really quit because about 200 other working parents depend on her to keep her job so that they can keep theirs. And don’t offer her an award for being a working mom. She’ll say no.

What?! TWO funny women?

In all honesty, Fey’s book is hilarious, but I feel like it’s geared more toward women than men. Which works for me, because I am a woman. I’m not particularly funny, but Tina’s got that covered. Someone might believe we only need one funny lady, so I’m out of luck.

Oh, and if you’ve ever wondered about her scar, the legitimate story behind it kind of makes her a badass, in my opinion.

Globetrotting, “Cookery-bookery,” and Smiles All the Way

Posted by Ayesha in Inspiration, Non-Fiction, On Writing, Romantic Comedies and tagged with , , , , , ,

I just finished My Life in France by Julia Child and her great nephew, Alex Prud’homme.

FYI, they used that image for homemade Valentine’s Day cards to their friends! This was way before Shutterfly, people. How cute are they?

It took a while to read this book, mostly because I took a break to read The Weird Sisters in the middle of it. But I loved it. If you loved the movie version of Julie and Julia, I’m guessing you loved it for the Meryl Streep/Julia Child parts. Um, duh. Amy Adams is great, but her character is not Julia Child, and therefore, is not as fun.

The best part of reading this book was realizing that the fabulous Ms. Streep was not making up that character at all. Julia was like that, in her life, in her writing. Her passion and zest for life was so apparent in this book. The book mostly follows the writing of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, much like the film does. Except that the writing of this book took something like 10 years, and the journey only began in France. The movie severely condenses the story to fit into France only.

Anywho, back to the book. Julia really just tried everything. Paul was a supportive husband, an artist, photographer, and great lover of food and wine. Their love for each other seeps out of everywhere. Paul helped Julia every step of the way. And Julia moved wherever Paul needed to be for his thankless job. She made accommodations to work on her book from everywhere. And they made the best of every situation. They lived a life so different from my original idea of post-World War II life. I found out through my Cold War class that the suburban life was actually unavailable to most Americans immediately after WWII.

But what really gets me is that they lived a lifestyle so different from the one I think I will live, not because I don’t want to, but because we can’t do everything. While I would love to live abroad for a year or two, between school and prospective child-rearing, it’s just not in the life plan. But it’s fun to read about people who did, and continue to do. Carrie in Boston, AKA Weddingbee’s Mrs. Octopus, recently talked about having to make life choices. I was right in the middle of reading MLIF, and she perfectly summed up how I was feeling.

“Life itself is the proper binge”- Julia Child

Julia Child is so fascinating to me. She was an optimist and lived life to the fullest. She took advantage of every opportunity, and became one of the most famous chefs in American history. Have you heard of the James Beard Award? (That’s right, Top Chef fans, I’m talking to you!) She was buddies with James Beard! She called him Jim, and people called them Gigi when they were cooking together. She was legit, and she just started cooking so that she could enjoy the food around her. Look what that turned into! She lived to be almost 92. I have no doubt her happiness for life kept her alive that long.

“Find something you’re passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.”- Julia Child

Mom Knows Best…And She’s Always Thinking

Posted by Ayesha in Family, Non-Fiction and tagged with , ,

I’m sure every mother could write a book on parenting. Every mother is different. Amy Chua may have had a crazy strict parenting style, but she has beautiful daughters who love her to show for it. And actually, it’s not like she hasn’t had to adjust along the way. This is what Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother is all about. This book is pretty controversial because it is a direct criticism of other parenting skills mixed within Chua’s story of bringing up her daughters. Most of their story revolves around music and music training. Chua never claims to be perfect and with her second daughter struggles by competing in huge standoffs with few positive endings. But her daughters are poised, trained musicians, and achieving students. And in the end, Chua is adjusting to a new outlook. She’s not done raising her daughters. I mean, does it ever end?

I’ll tell you I was skeptical of this book. Being raised in an Bengali-Filipino household, my sister and I were held to high standards and we always sought to achieve them. I was drilled in geography and math, and always read at a higher level than my actual grade. But it’s true that the “Western” style of parenting is very different, and within my classroom, I could see where my upbringing was different. My parents were pretty lenient as far as Asian parents go. We played, we watched TV, and we weren’t forced into piano. Actually, my mom tried to force me to play piano every six months or so for four years. I had a new teacher each time, and I would get to a certain point, and my fingers and brain would hit a wall, and I wouldn’t go on. That was my stubbornness, and my mom’s disgrace. I stink at piano. I decided at nine years old that I wanted to stop. And by then, my little sister was actually pretty good. But I think she might have stopped because I did. My bad.

I thank my parents for setting a high standard for me. Maybe I haven’t done exactly what they wanted me to do, but they have instilled in me a work ethic, a respect for elders, and a sense of pride in my heritage. Once, one of my bosses told me that she wanted to speak to my mother to tell her how she had done such a good job raising me. And I was mentally grabbing for my phone. I told my mom later, and I could tell she was proud.

A lot of people will disagree with Chua’s parenting style. I wasn’t raised just like Chua’s daughters, but I can understand the difficulties my parents faced and how much they had to adjust after reading this book. It was an easy read, by the way. Chua is an honest story-teller, and the story flows easily on the page. It took me one day to read this book. And it has made me question what path I will take when I raise my family. You may think it’s too harsh and possibly insane, but I can’t think of any parenting style that is perfect. Chua’s is just one more way to go in the several ways to parent a healthy, happy child.