We are getting to the crunch point on this moving business. Husband wants us out of the old house by the first of September because a friend is going through a divorce and tired of staying at a hotel; husband wants to rent our old home to him. I'm not sure how I feel about that. I want to get out of the old house as soon as possible but it's a bear of a job. We've been in this house for a long, long time. Anyhow, if I disappear for a time, it's because we're rushing to finish the move. At this point, I barely have time to sit and take a break from packing, moving, cleaning, painting and lining shelves. I have, however, managed to finish a few books in the past 2 weeks.
Dreaming in English by Laura Fitzgerald is the sequel to Veil of Roses and stands alone fine but it's probably a lot more fun to read the two books in order because Dreaming in English does give away the entire plot of Veil of Roses.In Veil of Roses, which I have not read, Tamila Soroush left her home in Iran and moved to the United States, joining the sister who had already moved to the U.S. and married. Her objective was husband-hunting so that she could leave Iran permanently.
If you plan to read Veil of Roses, the rest of this review will be a spoiler!!
At the end of Veil of Roses, the man Tami was on the verge of marrying asked her to make some unacceptable promises. Knowing she couldn't give in to his demands, she booked a flight home. But, the man she'd really fallen in love with swooped in and they married in Las Vegas.
In Dreaming in English, Tami and Ike begin their marriage rather badly, with a visit to his parents, who are dead-set against the marriage and think Tami is trying to use Ike to stay in the U.S. The newlyweds are determined to make their marriage work, though. They move into the cottage of a friend of Tami's and Tami gets a job working for her brother-in-law. Meanwhile, Ike assumes he'll have to give up his dream of owning a coffee shop when his father refuses to give him the promised funds. The marriage is the obstacle.
Tami knows Ike will never be content if he has to leave his dream behind, so she sets out to help make it happen. But, when Ike's old girlfriend returns to the country from Europe, Tami makes a huge mistake that may cause Ike to give up on Tami for good.
Dreaming in English is a nice, light, romantic read that genuinely surprised me. I figured it would be a little on the chick-littish side but there are constant challenges and the pages simply flew. Recommended when you're looking for a breezy read that isn't pure fluff -- just quick reading. Even though the first book has been spoiled by the reading of Dreaming in English, I liked it enough that I'd still happily read Veil of Roses, even knowing what's going to happen.
The Aleppo Codex by Matti Friedman is nonfiction, the true story of the author's quest to uncover what happened to the thousand-year-old Bible also known as the "Crown of Aleppo", which was kept safely hidden in Syria until the United Nations agreement after WWII that led to riots and the eventual end of the Jewish presence in Aleppo. How did the Codex travel from Aleppo, Syria to its current home in Jerusalem, Israel? Who brought the book to Israel and when did a large portion of the Codex disappear? Where did the missing pages go?Because everyone was tight-lipped about all of the above questions, the author had to really dig to find the truth. And, the story of his investigation is absolutely fascinating. I was very impressed with Friedman's journalistic efforts and how he managed to put together the pieces of the puzzle.
The story of the Codex's journey and how the pages disappeared is engrossing. I highly recommend The Aleppo Codex to those who enjoy nonfiction, particularly history.
I've also finished reading The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, but I'll save that for another day. I don't want this post to go on forever.
Books that walked in, this past week:
Keeping the Feast by Paula Butturini - from Paperback Swap
The House at Riverton by Kate Morton - from Paperback Swap
If I can, I'll sneak in a mini review of The Prisoner of Heaven, in a couple days. If not, see you on Fiona Friday!
Bookfool, slightly overwhelmed in a good way
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