The Pinballs

This was a pretty good children's book from the author of The Summer of the Swans. This is about three foster kids who become friends. Carlie is a sassy brat who comes from an abusive home. Harvey had their legs run over by his drunken dad. Thomas was raised by some elderly twins who neglected to adopt him. There's some heavy topics but they're handled well and the book doesn't become a drag despite it.

The Butterfly's Evil Spell

Federico Garcia Lorca's first play flopped after four performances. I can see why it's too experimental for its own good. I didn't hate it. I thought it was interesting at least. It's about a cockroach that has a thing for a butterfly that doesn't return its affections. Lorca was so embarrassed that he said that it wasn't his first play afterwards. At least it showed the promise of what was to be one of Spain's greatest playwrights. 2.5/5

Sugar Street

This was the worst of the trilogy. It was ok. I still recommend it but the first two books were just better. This book is basically just wrapping things up. Al-Sayid Ahmad is in poor health and dying and because of that he has stopped his adulterous ways. Kamal finds out what happened to his unrequited love of years earlier. A lot of the book was about Ahmad's grandchildren but they weren't as interesting as Kamal and Yasin. Yes, even Yasin is slowing down and even though he wanders he is tied down to his family now. The Cairo trilogy is an epic. If you're looking for literature to read beyond the typical American or British book I definitely recommend it. I don't know much about Muslim culture so this book gave me some insight. 3/5

Palace of Desire

The Cairo trilogy follows what happens to an Egyptian family in the 20th century. Palace of Desire is the second book. Yasin has managed to get sleazier. His second marriage fails and he marries the woman, a lute player, that his father had been having an affair with. Kamal is getting into philosophy and is becoming a teacher. He thinks he knows everything which is typical of twenty something year olds. You do feel pity though for him when the love he feels for a girl is unrequited. Kamal also finds himself slipping into his father's ways. Kamal has desires of becoming a writer. I wonder if he's modeled after Mahfouz. This was a good follow up to Palace Walk

Palace Walk

This took me a while to get into it but I have to admit this is Mahfouz's masterpiece. I read two of his books years ago. This is about al-Sayyid Ahmad and his family. He runs a store in town and is a beloved figure but at home he's a bully. He's a complete hypocrite, an adulteror, and a drinker. His son Yasin starts following in these ways and wonders how his father gets the people's respect while he is looked down upon. The book also looks at Ahmad's daughters who are waiting to get married. The most tragic character has to be his son Fahmy whose political activity gets him in trouble. This is probably one of the best examples I've read of the saga of a family, the dilemmas and yet the bond that brings people together. I started the second book and if anything it is getting more interesting. Mahfouz won the Nobel Prize and deservedly so. I can't think of another Egyptian writer that's been as influential. It was the movie Midaq Alley that got me into him. It was interesting seeing an Egyptian book adapted to fit Mexican culture but it worked.

Abarat

This was an ok young adult fantasy book by Clive Barker about a teenager in an abusive household who escapes to another world. At the world she meets a bunch of eccentrics and also there are bad guys like Christopher Carrion after her. I liked my previous reads The Thief of Always and The Hellbound Heart more. This was a lot less dark than the later though. I'll eventually get through the sequels as I thought Candy was a likable character.

Women in the American Revolution

This short history book covers the lives of some of the women who shaped the American Revolution. All I knew was Betsy Ross so I learned something. It briefly goes over the impact they had and then there are summaries of individuals including African Americans and Native Americans. What surprised me was that they even covered some women who supported the British side. It was ok. Captivating History's book on Women of the French Revolution was a lot more interesting though.