Lightly Toasted

The place is Tokyo, Japan — the land of the rising Sun. The era: 1960s, a time during which a lot of Japanese students protested established order. Japan was going through a change, resistance, aftermath of the horrifying nuclear holocaust. Toru Watanabe, the narrator who is often called Watanabe by his peers has a strong voice and is a very likeable character despite his highs and lows and his scholastic mediocrity. I particularly like his interest in American literature given Japans past with the US in that timeframe.

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The Line of Beauty , appropriately named or not, or am missing the link still, sure makes for an enthralling story that takes place in the Thatcherian UK — early 80s when Britain is experiencing the winds of change. Reading the reviews in the newspapers the other day I wondered if this would go wayside but soon caught my attention as I started watching the drama on ABC last night. The story starts with Nick Guest(Dan Stevens) moving in with Toby his best mates family — the wealthy Feddens. All through his graduation years at Oxford Nick has fancied Toby but moving in with the affluent Feddens at their London home brings about a sea change in the young heart of Nick. He experiences his sexual urges, falling in love head over heels after losing his virginity, drug induced highs and lows… dysfunctional and dramatic living, till things start to heat up. Amidst the euphoria of the champagne and parties, Nick witnesses political scandal, the deception and hypocrisy of the rich and desperate tragedy of the outbreak of AIDS. It truly makes for a gripping family drama. I’d say its a must watch if you’re reasonably broadminded. Here is a review from The Guardian Unlimited.

I’m reading an amazing book at the moment. It is the biography of Michel L’Herpinière. Bittersweet memoir of French Indochina. I have only finished the first three chapters and it is terribly exciting to say the least. To a point that I find it hard to put this book down…. It is reminiscent of our holidays there last year. The little boys journey traversing though the landscapes of Paris, Morocco, south to Madagascar, Khenifra and then on to Ho-Chi-Minh City and finally the enfant d’Empire — french quarters of Hanoi. 1936.

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I haven’t read any of Kiran Desai’s books but something tells me this is going to be a damn fine story. Alright truth be told… I’ve been reading reviews of this lately and gave in to my book-lust tonight. I probably would have thought twice if there were more copies strewn around the new arrivals section of Borders. Given, this was the only one left, I saw myself pace up and greedily snatch it off the rack. It was coming home with me. And like a few other books I started to read this year, hope this doesn’t add to my growing list of utter dreary and tedium. Well, a part of that is possibly just me… have you sometimes felt, no matter how good a book you had in hand, it was hard to do justice, be it time, frame of mind, the hormones in your body or just sheer boredom. Lethargy. Admit it, I know its not just me.
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I couldn’t have been happier when Nancy (lovingly Nan) called to tell me that she joined the Follette International Library Resources. It was a long sequel of events that led her to meet Chuck Follett, at Follett International in McHenry, Illnois. Nan’s primary reason to get in touch with Chuck was to see if some help be available from Follett Library for her Rotary International project in Dhanbad, India. Nan is also the president of Maysville Rotary, in North Carolina, USA. Subsequent weeks that followed led to an exciting trip to Chicago to get inducted to the Follette resources and the workings of the group. Even though she has put up an entry about her jottings of the Follettes and pics on her flickr I thought this needed a worthy mention. Educating the future, gratis, without seeking any in return is a very noble and worthy call and seen far and few between in this day and age. In fact its reaching out beyond ones social scene and cultural peripheries — that in itself is a call very few can answer. Well done Nan! Very proud of you!

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THE FIRST THING I was ever told about Jews was that every Christmas they would take a Christian toddler, put it screaming in a barrel, run knives between the slats, and drain the child of its blood. While christians celebrated the birth of Jesus, Jews had a mock ceremony at midnight in their synagogues, before images of their horned God, where they drank the blood of the sacrified child.

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…and it is making me bleed with passion, delirious with admiration, sad with sorrow, frightened of the bleaky unknown and carried away with a million unworded emotions that gnaw, stifle, and lacerate me unceasing! There is joy, elation, at times estatic and there is that emptiness in the stomach that makes me squeamish and queasy and weak at my knees. What a graceful journey! What an intense masterpiece. Charismatic!

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A very big thank you to Ruth for lending me such an inspirational book. It is a touching experience, something that makes you look deep within yourself and how and where you want to head. Following is an excerpt from “The seven habits of highly effective people” by Steven Covey — I was reading on my way home on the train. A small portion of the talk about proactiveness versus reactiveness in peoples lives and how often peoples actions and/or reactions are so passive. Read on…

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Good books are so hard to find thesedays… Among the lines of what I do enjoy reading, I certainly think Iyanla Vanzant has carved a niche for herself in my heart. Her books are downright honest and realistic, her messages simple and clear. Who ever said simplicity is not good. In fact keeping things simple is the key to many successful avenues if not the only and most recommended way. In the past I have read Iyanla’s ‘In the Meantime‘ This book will make you cry and tear up in joy.. .well it did to me. I am also reading here ‘EveryDay I Pray‘ … and now… ‘One Day My Soul Just Opened Up‘.

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