My Weekly Top 10 (21): (may 18 - 24, 2008) - Non-Fiction Book Review

My weekly top 10 (21): (may 18 – 24, 2008)

PRATIBHA – shoplifting
RAYA – my dad
JOBIE – sleeping beauty
DUBL – expressionism?
WANDIOLA – immigrant
TIN2TWINKLING – sorrows felt
SEESAWMAE – psychology of the great depression
HANNAH K MONASH – white butterfly in the blackberry patch
FUNNYBUNNY – flutter
YONAIKA – how to get away with anything

PRATIBHA - She is a spirited young woman springing forth with an idea a day. Most of her ideas develop into discussion boards. And when you have a recurrent crime “shoplifting” up for discussion, you will be drawn like bees to honey. We do come across shoplifting. What are our reactions to it – pity, punishment, indifference. Join it for all you know. And all you know should be there for discussing.

RAYA – Well, well. Last week I read all mother’s day stuff. Raya counter offers her gift to a father, “my dad”. This is a child’s impression of her father and most of us will identify with it. When we read, “I love you because you are my dad”, it will long echo in our hearts. You will not easily outgrow it because you will always love your dad.

JOBIE – And if a daughter can sing paeans to her father, can a father be left behind. Jobie enters the scene with a heart warming “sleeping beauty”. Indeed, Anna is taking her beauty nap. She nestles in the secure arms of her dad. The dad doesn’t want to move, not even to record this magical moment, lest it disturbs her sleep. What more can I say. Read on.

DUBL – I read “expressionism” many times. It’s like wine, it gets better with each read. And each time it left me in misery. There is so much sorrow that an ocean is inadequate for drowning. Dejection, despair, disappointment (am I done with all the D’s), Dubl deals with them all. Can our imperfections define us, find out for yourself. A masterpiece.

WANDIOLA – Our experiences define us. A young “immigrant” to US, Wandy lays bare her raw wound. Her trials and tribulations. Immigration can be an extremely trying and insensitive experience. This is a tribute to the never-say-die spirit of an ever-growing breed, who says, “we will survive, no matter how we are treated!” Marvellous

TIN2TWINKLING – T2T stands to compete with Dubl. She is a University student. You will think, a University student won’t have time for sorrow, what with carefree life and all the fun. She proves it otherwise. She dwells so deeply in “sorrows felt”; it will make you feel sorry and thank God that there are not any more of it (or are there?)

SEESAWMAE – In 1929, US underwent the Great Depression that wiped out scores of families financially and socially. Economically it devastated the nation. And US is facing a similar crisis today in the housing market with the erosion of capital. Seesawmae’s essay “psychology of the great depression” provides a fine backdrop to that Black Tuesday. Worth a read.

HANNAH K MONASH – It must be pretty creative to create a short story from a song. Hannah achieves this with, “white butterfly in the blackberry patch”. Jack and Matt are childhood friends. They go their separate ways to follow their professions. After a long gap, Jack returns to see Matt. Age has taken its toll. An emotional saga.

FUNNYBUNNY – When one falls in love, there is that funny feeling, the pounding of the heart, the agonising wait and more wait, and then the meeting. No lover will forget first love and that lovely feeling when hours become seconds. Lien’s “flutter” is what you and me have experienced and won’t mind it being repeated again and again and…

YONAIKA – Well, these are certainly not my ideas but try them and I am sure you will get away with anything (not murder, silly, don’t go that far). Ally (Yonaika) has a recipe in “how to get away with anything”. You may have spoilt someone’s mood but with a smile or even a pout you can achieve terrific results. No harm trying this spunky recipe.

(We are getting pretty close to US elections. So let’s share a good laugh.)

Hillary Clinton visited a fortune teller. In a dark and hazy room, peering into a crystal ball, the mystic delivered grave news: "There's no easy way to say this, so I'll just be blunt: Plan to be a widow. Your husband will die a violent and horrible death this year." Visibly shaken, Hillary stared at the woman's lined face, then at the single flickering candle, then down at her hands. She took a few deep breaths to compose herself. She simply had to know. She met the fortune teller's gaze, steadied her voice, and asked her question: "Will I be acquitted?"

until next week...CHEERS!... and lots of luv and kisses...and...and...(I said SHUT UP!!!)

ciao