19. Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal

listened on Audio
read by Myra Syal
Unabridged (10:34)
2017, William Morrow
304 pgs.
Adult CRF, quite racy in places!
Finished  2/19/2019
Goodreads rating:  3.91 - 25,470 ratings
My rating:  4.5
Setting: Contemporary London

First line/s:  :Why did Mindi want an arranged marriage?"

My comments:  This book IS actually full of exotic stories, as well as insight into the Punjabi/Indian/Sikh culture in contemporary London. Told from the point of view of a modern British young woman of Punjabi heritage, the twists, turns, inter-generational friendships, arranged marriages, and honest peeks into a fascinating culture enthralled me totally. And listening to the lilting accented reader was a special added treat.

Goodreads synopsis:  A lively, sexy, and thought-provoking East-meets-West story about community, friendship, and women’s lives at all ages—a spicy and alluring mix of Together Tea and Calendar Girls.
          Every woman has a secret life . . .
          Nikki lives in cosmopolitan West London, where she tends bar at the local pub. The daughter of Indian immigrants, she’s spent most of her twenty-odd years distancing herself from the traditional Sikh community of her childhood, preferring a more independent (that is, Western) life. When her father’s death leaves the family financially strapped, Nikki, a law school dropout, impulsively takes a job teaching a "creative writing" course at the community center in the beating heart of London’s close-knit Punjabi community.
          Because of a miscommunication, the proper Sikh widows who show up are expecting to learn basic English literacy, not the art of short-story writing. When one of the widows finds a book of sexy stories in English and shares it with the class, Nikki realizes that beneath their white dupattas, her students have a wealth of fantasies and memories. Eager to liberate these modest women, she teaches them how to express their untold stories, unleashing creativity of the most unexpected—and exciting—kind.
          As more women are drawn to the class, Nikki warns her students to keep their work secret from the Brotherhood, a group of highly conservative young men who have appointed themselves the community’s "moral police." But when the widows’ gossip offers shocking insights into the death of a young wife—a modern woman like Nikki—and some of the class erotica is shared among friends, it sparks a scandal that threatens them all.

PICTURE BOOK - Imagine That!: How Dr. Seuss Wrote The Cat in the Hat by Judy Sierra

Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes

2017, Random House, NY

HC $17.99
Bos Lib: JB Seuss

40 pgs.

Goodreads rating: 3.91

My rating: 5

Endpapers:  Hats of all sorts, including the famous one that the Cat in the Hat wore.  It would be fun to examine te hats that other characters from some of his other books wore.

1^st line/s:  "1954 was a great year to be a kid."  
"In his head, Ted juggled the words on the list.  Then he thought,
     Why not let the cat juggle instead?
     He can juggle the stuff on the list.  Yes he can!
     He can juggle a rake and a book and a fan.
     He can juggle a fish, and the fish won't like that.
     I will draw two nice kids to have fun with th cat,
     And two naughty Things, and a keen cleaner-upper.
     I think I'll get started tonight, after supper.":
          (And no, the whole book isn't in rhyme like this, only a couple of parts.  But it sure is fun!)

My comments:  I love picture book biographies, and even if they aren't the best written, or leave out information I think should be included, I still really like their existence.  Here's a biography that's really good - interesting, fun to read AND look at, and with lots of really interesting information.  After sharing this book with a group of kids, there are so many things that could be done!  Read the book.  Then read Cat in the Hat, and Green Eggs and Ham.  THEN each child could create their own book, easy peasy fold and sew , than includes silly words they've made up, either individually or as a group.  Best, though, was discovering the process that Ted Geisel went through to make his ultra-popular, long-lasting Cat in the Hat.  Bravo!

Goodreads:  A lively new picture-book biography of the most beloved children's book author of all time: Dr. Seuss! 
          Have you ever wondered how the great Dr. Seuss wrote his most famous book? Did you know that for The Cat in the Hat, he wasn't allowed to make up the fun words he was known for--like OOBLECK and IT-KUTCH and HIPPO-NO-HUNGUS? He was only allowed to use words from a very strict list!
          This bouncy account of the early career of Dr. Seuss (a.k.a. Ted Geisel) proves that sometimes limitations can be the best inspiration of all.
          Kid-friendly prose (with Seussian rhyme for Ted's dialogue) and whimsical illustrations by award winner Kevin Hawkes recall the work of Dr. Seuss himself. Writing tips from Dr. Seuss and exclusive letters from the author and illustrator, detailing how they created this book, are included! 

PICTURE BOOK - The Stamp Collector by Jennifer Lanthier

Illustrated by Francois Thisdale

2012 Fitzhenry & Whiteside, CANADA

HC &$18.95

32 pgs.

Goodreads rating: 4.35

My rating: 2/It was okay

Endpapers: Slate blue

Title Page: Simple, with a few illustrations of stamps, tasteful

Illustrations:  Dark, with speckles of white, a little bit fuzzy, but very effective

1^st line/s: "This is the sotry of not long ago and not far away.
It is the story of a boy who loves stamps and a boy who loves words.
This is the story of a life that is lost.
And found."

My comments:  Rating this book a "2" meaning "it was okay."  The Afterword was the best part.  The premise was wonderful.  But the story itself didn't grab me.  It was poetically written and dramatically illustrated, but the meat and potatoes were hamburger and mashed.  There was not enough detail, a little TOO much showing and not telling, if that's possible.  The relationship between the prisoner and the guard was non-existent and then there.  A story that children would love?  For example?  Perhaps if this book were written for adults ... but it is targeted for the children's audience, I believe, and I found it lacking.  And I'm really sorry about that.

Goodreads:  A city boy finds a stamp that unlocks his imagination; a country boy is captivated by stories. When they grow up, the two boys take different paths – one becomes a prison guard, the other works in a factory – but their early childhood passions remain. When the country boy’s stories of hope land him in prison, the letters and stamps sent to him from faraway places intrigue the prison guard – and a unique friendship begins.

PICTURE BOOK - Little Red Writing - Joan Holub

Illustrated by Melissa Sweet

2013, Chronicle Books

HC $16.99

28 very thick pages

Goodreads rating:  4.09

My rating: 4/Liked it a lot

Endpapers: All the pencils on the way to school - on a white background

Title Page:  Left:  Pencil School News (with credits

     Right:  Title on notebook paper, "Write often and carry a big notebook."

Illustrations:  All the characters are pencils.  Sweet used watercolors, pencil (17 HB pencils, to be exact!) and collage.  They're gorgeous.

1^st line/s:  "Once upon a time in Pencil school, a teacher named Ms. 2 told her class, "Today we're going to write a story."

My comments:   Now this is my kind of story!  I'm not sure how much kids will like it, but it sure is a great teacher book.  It's written sort of Ms. Frizzle-y with lots going on...meaning main storyline, thought bubbles, story within story, words sprinkled all over the page to read -- and lots and lots to think about.  It is visually gorgeous, too.

Goodreads:  Acclaimed writer Joan Holub and Caldecott Honoree Melissa Sweet team up in this hilarious and exuberant retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, in which a brave, little red pencil finds her way through the many perils of writing a story, faces a ravenous pencil sharpener (the Wolf 3000)... and saves the day.

"Please Write: Don't Phone" - Robert Watson

I spent a lot of time yesterday - hours, actually - browsing through the selection of "crafty" books at Barnes and Noble.  Some were really cool!  I love one called Good Mail Day (Hinchcliff/Wheeler) that included this poem, which I really like a lot.

Please Write:  Don't Phone

While there is mail there is hope.
After we have hung up I can't recall
Your words, and  your voice sounds strange
Whether from distance, a bad cold, deceit
I don't know.  When you call I'm asleep
Or bathing or my mouth is full of toast.
I can't think of what to say.
"We have rain"? "We have snow"?
Let us write instead: surely our fingers spread out
With pen on paper touch more of the mind's flesh
Than the sound waves moving from throat to lips.
To phone, to wire, to one ear.
I can touch the paper you touch.
I can see  you undressed in your calligraphy.
I can read you over and over.
I can read you day after day.
I can wait at the mailbox with my hair combed,
In my best suit.
I hang up.  What did you say?
What did you say?  Your phone call is gone.
I hold the envelope you addressed in my hand.
I hold the skin that covers  you.

                             Robert Watson
                             from Good Mail Day (Hinchcliff/Wheeler)