Merry

I read the book a few years ago and just watched this limited series. I loved both. Anthony Doer is a masterful storyteller. The limited series on Netflix was very well done, well cast and I loved the cinematography.

Wow! This is the true story of the author, a woman born in Somalia, Muslim, impoverished and at the age of six, she was forced to undergo genital mutilation. After escaping the horrors of the Somali civil war, she lived in Saudi Arabia, Kenya and eventually, she escaped an arranged marriage commitment by secreting off to the Netherlands and claiming asylum. After educating herself at Dutch universities, she eventually becomes a member of parliament, where she risks her life, fighting for the human rights of Muslim women immigrating to the Netherlands. This story is about her critical examination of the Muslim religion and how it is so oppressive to women and society at large. She concludes that it’s onerous rules and commandments are to blame for so many Muslim countries not modernizing and being stuck in backward, oppressive cultures. The audiobook is read by the author and I found her to be courageous and resilient for all the horrors she survived.

A fun, humorous account of a reluctant hiker’s journey on the Appalachian trail. I enjoyed this narrative and at times doubled over in laughter.

A murder mystery in the small town of Sweet Haven. This is the first of a series by Andrew Klaven. I enjoyed this story and especially the ending.

Historical fiction about the sea diving women in Korea. I enjoyed this book, although at times, the cruelty of the invasion was hard to imagine. The resilience and courage of these women is some ryan to admire.

Ben Shapiro navigates the evolution of Western thought and civilization starting with the early philosophers and the Bible, touching on Voltaire, Marx, Nietzsche, Freud and more. Humans pursuit of happiness, science and God.

This was a good re-telling of Florida’s Governor, Ron DeSantis’ term in office. He discusses the historical, cultural and legal context behind his policies prior to and during Covid. His determination to lead despite controversy in a way that benefited his constituents instead of yielding to the political elites, brought him great success.

A page-turner for sure! But a bit graphic and grisly. This was a captivating thriller, creepy and frankly, I couldn’t put it down. A girl goes missing and her family mourns for many years not knowing what happened to her. Her estranged sisters find a way back to each other and work together to solve the mystery.

I cannot decide if I liked this book. The subject matter was hard: dysfunctional family, rape, incest. The story meanders and weaves memories of previous events throughout—at times confusing the reader of where they are in the timeline of events. However, it was also about the victim coming to terms with her circumstances, her family members and their shortcomings and a love she has held since childhood. The writing is beautiful but hard to follow at times due to all the jumping around.