A Thousand Splendid Suns

Last year I read The Kite Runner by the same author. It was great, minus a couple of icky parts that dealt with rape of a small child. The Kite Runner showed sides of Afghanistan from a male point of view and mostly decades ago.

A Thousand SPlendid Suns focuses more on the plight of women in Afghanistan and spans a time that leads into the now. The focus is on two women in particular and how their dissimilarities truly prove how similar they are. It gives you an insight to the hardships faced during the civil war, the war with Russia and the aftermath of those conflicts. It is very well written with the ability to draw a picture in your mind, which is what I enjoy most about a good book. I like to finish a well written book feeling as if A: I watched a really good movie or B: I was actually a participant in the book. And this book did that for me.

All The Stars Came Out That Night

You really have to be a big baseball fan to be able to follow and/or enjoy this book. Thankfully I am. The storyline takes place in 1933 and follows Satchel Paige, Leo Durocher, Dizzy Dean and many others from that era in their attempt to hold a St. Louis Cardinals -vs- Negro League Ball Game. At that time A white team was not allowed to play against a Negro team. Common knowledge holds that the Commissioner didn't want anyone to know that the Negro players were just as good if not better than the white players. There are many smaller sub plots and even some sidetracks into Hollywood and kidnapping. But don't let that distract you from a good baseball story.

Comfort Food - Kate Jacobs

Remember how much I loved THIS?

And how when I went to BlogHer there was this stack of books as schwag?

Well Comfort Food is by the same author as The Friday Night Knitting Club and just happened to be in that stack.

This time Ms. Jacobs has kept her focus on one main character but given you enough about each of the perimeter characters that she could continue on with them in other books (which I hope she will).

Augusta "Gus" Simpson is a cooking show cook. Think Paula Deen on Food Network. That is how she was pictured in my head the entire time. She has two grown daughters and is facing cancellation of her show. When a partner is thrown in that is younger, prettier and less experienced it makes for some madcap episodes. Throw in a couple of love interests for herself and her daughters and even an odd little mystery twist and you have a great read.

Ms. Jacobs has outdone herself again.