Little Month, Little Progress
February has come and gone, the shortest month, and thus the most challenging to keep it up and not dwell on a single book. It's also been a busy month, constantly facing barriers of other obligations that put my reading on the back-burner.
In regards to keeping to the challenge, I found it particularly difficult, constantly flip-flopping between different books, indecisively meandering through the first few chapters. I finished a book that didn't fit the challenge (Bad Feminist); it was pretty good, although a little one-note at times. I even returned to a book I previously read (Think Like a Freak). Sure, I was still reading, but I was really struggling to keep to the prompts. Even when I did turn my attention to them, the question remained, which book should I read?
Libraries have due dates, though, and that kind of made my decision for me, forcing me to read first the book that would have to be returned soonest.
Hence,
Book #5: A book about an unfamiliar culture
Most people would have chosen a novel about a faraway land. I went with a non-fiction book instead, one where the title makes it obvious that the tale within would be about culture clash.
Kunal Nayyar's Yes, My Accent Is Real: and Some Other Things I Haven't Told You was nothing like an episode of The Big Bang Theory, the show from which we know Kunal. Instead, it talks equally about his life back in India and his adventures after arriving in Portland, Oregon, for college.
I learned about a number of Indian holidays and traditions that I may not have otherwise known about, but it's the heart in this novel, the bittersweet love letters to his family, friends, and past girlfriends, that really makes it stand out.
Sure, Kunal Nayyar injects humour in here and there, but I prefer his sincere tone as he talks about those he will always remember. My favourite chapter is titled, "Dinners with Dad," in which Kunal recounts the Kennedy-style dinners he would have with his father from a young age, talking about the issues of the day, especially during the Hindu-Muslim religious riots in his neighbourhood. This section attempts to capture the many life lessons he learned from his father, such as the old adages, "There are two sides to every story," or, "Disarm with a smile." There are some lesser-known gems of advice, such as "Use a spreadsheet," in which Kunal learns to use Excel to budget. But the whole is more than the sum of its parts, each lesson a puzzle piece that builds a picture of a strong man, a role model for Kunal, who was benevolent and bestowed all his wisdom upon his children. The only way you won't get a little misty-eyed here is if you're made from stone.
If you're looking for Book #6 for this month, I'm sorry to say you'll have to shine it on for another month. Sadly, that's all she wrote (and read) this month. Hopefully, March will be more productive. It's time for me to buckle down and kick this challenge in the keister. Maybe I'll tackle some of the more daunting prompts and tackle a chunkster. Who knows?
Happy reading, y'all!
In regards to keeping to the challenge, I found it particularly difficult, constantly flip-flopping between different books, indecisively meandering through the first few chapters. I finished a book that didn't fit the challenge (Bad Feminist); it was pretty good, although a little one-note at times. I even returned to a book I previously read (Think Like a Freak). Sure, I was still reading, but I was really struggling to keep to the prompts. Even when I did turn my attention to them, the question remained, which book should I read?
Libraries have due dates, though, and that kind of made my decision for me, forcing me to read first the book that would have to be returned soonest.
Hence,
Book #5: A book about an unfamiliar culture
Most people would have chosen a novel about a faraway land. I went with a non-fiction book instead, one where the title makes it obvious that the tale within would be about culture clash.
Kunal Nayyar's Yes, My Accent Is Real: and Some Other Things I Haven't Told You was nothing like an episode of The Big Bang Theory, the show from which we know Kunal. Instead, it talks equally about his life back in India and his adventures after arriving in Portland, Oregon, for college.
I learned about a number of Indian holidays and traditions that I may not have otherwise known about, but it's the heart in this novel, the bittersweet love letters to his family, friends, and past girlfriends, that really makes it stand out.
Sure, Kunal Nayyar injects humour in here and there, but I prefer his sincere tone as he talks about those he will always remember. My favourite chapter is titled, "Dinners with Dad," in which Kunal recounts the Kennedy-style dinners he would have with his father from a young age, talking about the issues of the day, especially during the Hindu-Muslim religious riots in his neighbourhood. This section attempts to capture the many life lessons he learned from his father, such as the old adages, "There are two sides to every story," or, "Disarm with a smile." There are some lesser-known gems of advice, such as "Use a spreadsheet," in which Kunal learns to use Excel to budget. But the whole is more than the sum of its parts, each lesson a puzzle piece that builds a picture of a strong man, a role model for Kunal, who was benevolent and bestowed all his wisdom upon his children. The only way you won't get a little misty-eyed here is if you're made from stone.
If you're looking for Book #6 for this month, I'm sorry to say you'll have to shine it on for another month. Sadly, that's all she wrote (and read) this month. Hopefully, March will be more productive. It's time for me to buckle down and kick this challenge in the keister. Maybe I'll tackle some of the more daunting prompts and tackle a chunkster. Who knows?
Happy reading, y'all!
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