As I Lay Dying

By William Faulkner

I can hardly understand anything. [Fiction, 267 pp. only got to 105 before giving up]

 

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Democracy Awakening

By Heather Cox Richardson

It's such an interesting historical review of American politics, I really should get a copy of this book. [non fiction, unfortunately, 286pp.]

 

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All the Beauty in the World

The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me

By Patrick Bringley

For some reason, it took me a bit to get into the book. Since I have been reading multiple books at the same time, I had not managed to finish it before I had to return it back to the library, since it's was on hold. Also, doesn't help it's a relatively new book and is only being lend for 2 weeks instead of three. Anyway, after getting it again, I got more into it, and it was quite interesting to see the museum workings from the inside, and appreciate works of art through the eyes of someone who gets to really spend time with them. [Non fiction; 226 pp.]

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Sarah's Love (Hebrew)

By Yoel Druker

Disclaimer: The author is my cousin's husband. 

This was a the kind of book that rather than making me fall asleep at night, kept me reading for much longer than I wanted. Its poetic language was a bit weird to me at first, almost felt archaic, but as I kept reading, it became the norm somehow. The events in the story kept surprising me, and it took me a little bit to appreciate the ending. Overall, it is a beautifully-written book with an unusual take on the ages-long conflict in Israel/Palestine. [Fiction; 291 pp.]

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Salt Houses

By Hala Alyan

This novel covers four generations of one Palestinian family, whose members move from one place to another in the wake of wars and other conflicts. Displacement, loss, attachment, identity, guilt, are all things the family members deal with, each with their own personality and aptitude. 

As an Israeli reader, it wasn't easy for me to read parts of this book. Atrocities that my people committed are described there that I'd rather believe are untrue, even though I know other atrocities were and are committed by them, and I know that I've been fed myths growing up about the purity of the fighting of the IDF that I later learned didn't really hold. Still, it's hard for me to think that they would do that kind of atrocity. These were just a small part of the book, and most of it deals with personal struggles and more mundane life occurrences, but the overall arch emphasizes the Palestinian identity and what it might mean.  [fiction; 320 pp.]

 

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From Here

By Luma Mufleh

A memoir of a woman who grew up in Jordan and was forced to leave due to her sexual orientation. It's an interesting look at the nuances of familial relationships and the complications brought in by cultural norms (which of my beloved male relatives would perform the honor killing when they found out the shame I am bringing to the family?)  [306pp.]

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An Illuminated Life: Belle da Costa Greene's Journey from Prejudice to Privilege

By Heidi Ardizzone

A fascinating biography of a woman who was a trailblazer for professional women, vivacious party-goer, and a celebrated personality, for whom maintaining huge portions of her life secret was crucial. [Fiction; 580 pp.]

 

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