6/19/2007

Reading Paris to the Moon, by Adam Gopnik. She spent the year between her undergrad and law school studying French in Paris and can relate to a lot of the topics in the book--among other things, the feeling of living in a place that has history and the present day tension with North African immigration.

She borrowed the book from her mother, who went to visit her when she lived in Paris. Together they traveled together (something her mother had always wanted to do) throughout France and also Scotland and England.

Another book she and her mother have bonded over--One L: The Turbulent True Story of a First Year at Harvard Law School, by Scott Turow. Her mom read it before her first year and, when she'd say things like, "I stayed up all night studying," her mom would relate it back to the characters in the book.

Now, with One L behind her, she's working for the summer instead of studying, and she has twice as much time to read! Next up in the line-up--Me Talk Pretty One Day, which includes a real-life character she encountered while she was studying in Paris--an intolerable French professor who spoke entirely in French, making jokes the students didn't understand and by the end of the semester when the students did finally understand, they resented her for it. She's only read bits and pieces of the book and is looking forward to reading it all the way through.

What should people be reading these days? Whatever they like, though if it's political, both points of views. If you're going to read Michael Moore, you should read The Republic and compare. She enjoys going from, say, a book about history or contemporary politics to a romance novel.

Her favorite book of all time--My Enemy the Queen, by Victoria Holt, Philippa Carr, Jean Plaidy and Eleanor Hibbert (contributor), which is about Queen Elizabeth I and is told through the eyes of a maid who falls in love with the same man as the queen. It's based on historical fact.

Other books she's read recently are Gideon's Trumpet, by Anthony Lewis; a book about the history of Europe; Espresso Tales and the first two books of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agencyby Alexander McCall Smith.

What she likes most about reading is not the plot or even the overall picture, but phrases that wow you and make you realize the author has insight.