The Newlyweds by Nell Freudenberger

This was an absolutely stunning read, I couldn`t put it down and I certainly didn`t want it to finish.
It was magical in its descriptions of people and especially places, painting them so vividly that you certainly felt as if you had been there. Her characters are beautifully drawn and multi-faceted and develop throughout  the book like onion skins being delayered, they are not characters who are easy to like and most readers will form an opinion one way or the other. There are secrets and lies and twists and turns aplenty in this well paced suspenceful book that draws you so deeply into each characters orbit and it is simply amazing to look back on the reading of this book and see what appeared originally as quite simple turning into anything but.
The Two main characters are George and Amina who have met online and married when Amina travels form her home in a small village in Bangladesh to Rochester, New York where husband George lives, apparently the epitome of all things good, all things American, But nothing for these two and the characters that surround them is as simple as the surface appears and it isn`t long before stress and strain poke their heads in and life becomes quite the challenge especially when secrets charge in with resounding force and open a can of snakes as opposed to the often mention worms!
This book stretches across continents, across generations and across expectations and the heavy weight these can and do bring to those who choose to marry out of their own cultural group. and attempt that difficult challenge of making it work, so much can and does change and at the drop of a hat, how you react and what actions you take determine failure or success.
I felt that Freudenberger took me on an adventure of a life time to Bangladesh, I felt as I was right there, smelling the smells, riding in the rickshaws,climbing the stairs, bouncing along the rutted roads, sharing the meals,thwacking the mossies, trying to do the right and acceptable thing, listening for snippets of conversation...
This book is available via the library system and it is well worth placing a hold.

Hedda Hoppers Hollywood..Celebrity Gossip and American Conservatism by Jennifer Frost

I don`t expect that too many people will run out and buy this book simply because it isn`t that kind of a book. What it is however is an excellently written, engaging recount of an era long gone, an era that has transitioned via...video, facebook, twitter etc into something that bares a stunning resemblance to the past, different mode, very similar power and messages.
Hedda Hopper used her power as a Hollywood Gossip Columnist to comment on anything,in any way that she wished. In an era when the Newspaper ruled and columnists were like family, this gave her a great deal of power indeed, power she used to influence her vast readership into forming and expressing opinions that she formulated and supported be it the rights and wrongs of Movie Stars, Politics, Racial Issues, Family Values, Who should do this, that and the other..in reality exactly what goes on in our gossip obsessed and media driven society today. It is easy to dismiss Hedda and her like as ill informed, old fashioned and irrelevant when in fact they were trail blazers who paved the road we now go down. Her influence was mighty, she had the ability until the 60`s to make or break a career and she didn`t hesitate, step on her wrong side and bang! As she brought huge revenue to her papers they didn`t bother to restrain her and all though there were consequences in one or two situations, basically Hedda was always the winner.
I didn`t read every page of this book but what I did read (99%)of it was very good indeed.
The narrative flowed well and the author drew very realistic portraits of Hedda, her supporters, followers and foes and the forces that drove her.
If you are interested in the Media Culture of today you will certainly get the back story from this book, I enjoyed it but then I would!

The Family Law by Benjamin Law

Basically the story of Benjamin Law`s family this is a very well written and very funny book. He pulls a few punches and uses a few unique and special words in the book to describe certain feelings, places and people ,their reactions and behaviours especially when confronted with the different and difficult in life, he never loses perspective and never fails to pop someones balloon when able to.
I liked his description of a family sleeping in and having to rush to get to School on time, alarmingly realistic! His dads Asian Grocery Store and his clumsiness when attending to customers, his mum telling her children that they shouldn't have any and given the choice she wouldn`t bother having them! How his dad believed everything he read in the Cantonese tabloids..the half pig story..stands alone! Witty, lively, full of delicate descriptive phrases and family stories that you will all recognise, I loved it. I would not however give it to Granny unless she has a great sense of humour, I would however give it to almost everyone else. Feeling a bit down, a wee bit sad, this book will soon have you laughing and do as he did..attempt to write down 10 things you know about your Dad or Mum without repeating yourself!
Thank you to Claire Hammon who is very good at choosing books for me to read!