The namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

The Namesake is a pretty awesome book. I'm about three quarters through and I'm really enjoying every word.

This is a quiet book and not much happens although it does trace a man's life from birth until at least his 27th birthday (where I am now in the story). I assume it'll continue through his entire life.

The central characters are a Bengali couple who move to the U.S. shortly after their marriage and their two children who are born in America. Their oldest son, Gogol, is "the namesake" and he is really the main character. It's a really interesting look into the clash of Indian and American culture and how it's hard for Gogol's parents, especially his mother, to function in the U.S. especially when their children are totally American.

It's really interesting to me to see the perspective of the parents who never quite feel at home in the U.S. and how puzzled they are by their children and vice versa. It's cool to see their side of it when most of what I'm exposed to is the Americanized kids version of things.

This will sound strange, I think, but I find that Lahiri's style of writing is particularly soothing. Her words have a very quiet tone and they seem to just wrap you into the cocoon of a world she's creating in her novel.

I can't wait to finish this and I've also checked out her book of short stories: The Interpreter of Maladies which won some awards a few years ago.

Little girls in pretty boxes : the making and breaking of elite gymnasts and figure skaters - by Joan Ryan

Wow! This book is an eye-opener!

It's kind of a grusome tell-all about how horrible Bela Karolyi (and all his protege coaches) is and how terrible it is for young girls to be involved in gymnastics.

The figure skating stuff is less shocking - more like how they told Nancy Kerrigan to get veneers on her teeth to get better endorsements and how Tonya Harding lost competitions because she was trashy. The gymnastics stuff is more about horrifying injury and eating disorders and all sorts of abusive treatment by coaches. I don't think I'll ever be able to watch that sport again. (not that I watched it much anyway!)

It was a total page turner but it's also a lot of stuff I wish I didn't know.

The book also killed the dream of the Olympics -- all the girls they talked to hated the experience. Mostly because their coaches wouldn't let them eat or participate in any of the fun parts.

Educating Esmé : diary of a teacher's first year - by Esme Codell

I got this one from Barnes & Noble's book a day calendar.

Esme sounds like an awesome teacher and the book is easy to read but I still found it a little bit self congratulatory and kind of irritating.

Still, I read it in one sitting. It's a tiny book.