Wife of the Gods by Kwei Quartey

Wife of the Gods by Kwei Quartey of Ghana was an intriguing murder mystery. The novel kept me engaged, throughout. The most interesting part for me, again, was my introduction to a piece of the Ghanaian culture and customs...specifically the religious custom of fetish priests and trokosi (Wives of the Gods)which is the practice of marrying teenaged virgin daughters to these priests to atone for sins against the gods. The novel brings in the concern about AIDS in Ghana and the efforts to educate the people to end the spread of AIDS in Ghana.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

The genre of The Hunger Game books is definitely not my favorite and is usually very difficult for me to get through. I enjoyed this series, very much, even though the violence is so hard to get past. I know that Collins is making a statement about war, killing, power, etc., but it was a difficult thing to witness as you came to love the characters of the novels. I was specifically disappointed with the way Collins kills Finnick with no real honor or glory...it is almost an aside that he is killed as they flee the mutts that are chasing the rebels through the tunnel. Perhaps it is another statement that, in the end, death is a common thing and there is no real glory or heroism in it. I am just not sure.

I noticed a motif of flowers throughout the novels that I have also not figured out. Many characters names suggest flowers, real or fictious (Katniss, Gale Hawthorne, Prim [Primrose], Rue, Buttercup,and others. Then, there are Snow's roses, Katniss burying Rue under the flowers, the flowers of the meadows, daisies in the song, and a dandelion in the final paragraph of the last chapter. I am not sure if the flowers are significant and symbolic or much more simply there and should not be overanalyzed.

I look forward to the movie version of this series, although I cannot imagine how I can enjoy the gory violence that will have to be a part of this.

Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy

I really enjoyed this tragic story by Hardy! I definitely agree with those who say to skip the first 50 pages or so...losts of description of the heath that I cannot figure out how it was so important to the development of the story and characters. The description, itself, is poetic and thorough in its description, so if you are interested in that, you will love the first part of the book. I nearly quit reading, but plowed on because it is listed on one of the lists I have of the best 100 books of all-time. The development of the characters in the novel are fascinating. Descriptions of everything from the people to the locations are so well-done that it is easy to visualize the entire story and feel such a part of it.

Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev

I had been very nervous about getting into this book because I have often found the Russian authors so complicated in their writing. I enjoyed this novel very much! Turgenev's development of Bazarov as a character was amazing. The novel was interesting to me because it deals historically with a transition time in Russia from a more authoritarian society to one where people question the past and what is really truth. Sets up the situation of why people of Russia would later embrace communism.

Small Kingdoms by Anastasia Hobbet

I really enjoyed reading this book set in Kuwait between the Gulf Wars. It is a interesting look at the contradictions that occur between faith, politics, and culture in the Middle East. This novel is especially interesting because of the many different cultures from all over the world that come together in Kuwait...especially for impoverished people who come there to work as domestic help and are treated less than humanely.

I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced by Nujood Ali

While the topic was fascinating, this book was not as well written as many which have portrayed life as a woman (and this case, girl) in a conservative Muslim culture. Nujood was given to a man in his 30's to be his wife. The laws of Yemen and the Islam faith allow for such a marriage, but do not allow the marriage to be consummated until after the bride has passed puberty by a year. The courage and wisdom of this 10 year old girl to go to the authorities and ask for a divorce is inspirational...and has helped many other girls in the same situation to seek the same help. A very quick read.

Don Quixote by Miguel Cervantes

Probably the longest book I have ever read. I expected the story to be much more similar to the familiar "Man of La Mancha." The novel is clearly a historical masterpiece. Considered by many to be the first real novel in any language, Cervantes also standardized and unified the Spanish language. Even within the novel, Cervantes' characters continuously run into problems caused by people not being able to understand the various dialects found in 14th century Spain.

What an endearing character Don Quixote is. Even more so, I came to love, so much, his squire Sancho Panza. "Man of La Mancha" changes his character (and makes Dulcinea an actual character actively involved in the story--not true in Don Quixote). He is a simpleton, but so extremely wise and praiseworthy. For me, he is the real hero of the novel as he philosophizes about people, government, and what is really important and of value. Truly one of the most memorable characters of all-time in literature.

The novel just seems to go on and on with not a lot of progression of characters and storyline. I think that a person wanting to read Don Quixote should simply find a good abridged version of the novel. I am certain I would have enjoyed the book much better that way.