Maldita

Speechless: Tales of A White House Survivor by Matt Latimer

This was my inflight reading material during a recent trip to LA. This memoir caused quite a furor even before it was released. Democrats were amused about the behind the scenes drama and ego-fights among senior Bush 43 advisers; and republicans were horrified for exactly the same reason.

 The first half of the book, where the author chronicles the developments that made him a republican (despite being raised by democrat parents); and the rest discusses the events that led to his stint in the White House to serve as a speechwriter for Bush 44. It is an entertaining read.  The author is sympathetic to Rumsfeld and (a bit) to Cheney; but has no love for Condi Rice and Karl Rove. 

The Nine- by Jeff Toobin

I received this book as a present from one of my clients (an eDiscovery technology consulting company). It is heavy reading and it took me a while to finish this. But I thought it was timely to re-read this book in light of the recent Sotomayor supreme court nomination. 

Jeffrey Toobin's The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court provides a fascinating view of how the modern US Supreme Court came into being. As a non-lawyer, there were some sections where I struggled with understanding some of the more nuanced legal discussions. But still, it is riveting. The book gives the readers a peek on the inner workings of the Supreme Court, as well as, provides a mini-biography on the Supreme Court justices. This is a well researched book- the author conducted thousands of hours of interviews and reviewed case laws and legal opinions- to give the readers a portrait on how each Justice's life experience shaped his or her philosophies.

Sandra Day O'Connor is one interesting example.  It seemed like the former republican senator from Arizona was expected to side with the conservatives during all the critical votes; yet her philosophies and views were crucial in tipping the Courts in the direction of what was perceived as "liberal" values.  "Roe v. Wade" and the subsequent challenges to it were just some of the more critical decisions where her vote was the critical "swing vote".

In reading this book, I learned 3 things regarding the US Supreme Court:

First, the philosophies of the Justices (which heavily influenced, at their very core, how they would vote on cases) can be grouped into 2 major ideologies:

- the federalists who believe that the constitution should be interpreted to the letter in the manner in which the founding fathers meant it to be.

- those who believe that the supreme court should evolve and reflect the complexities and challenges of the modern society

Second, I learned that the abortion issue (Roe vs Wade) and the supreme court nomimee's views are always going play a crucial litmus test during any candidate's confirmation.

Third, when it comes to Roe v Wade, opposing sides will find it difficult to come to an agreement or compromise because of the way in which each side couches their argument. Prolife supporters see it as a a discussion on the definition of "life"- when does life begin?  The Pro-choice supporters believe that government does not have the right to subsume a woman's individual right and privacy to make decisions about her body. In the Pro-choice's camp, banning a woman's right to choose is viewed as a violation of privacy and individual rights. 

It doesn't matter if you are a conservative or a liberal, this book is a fascinating read,  I highly recommend it.

Sleeping Arrangements by Margaret Wickham

My friend, Raluca, gave me this book as a birthday present. For the uninitiated, Margarent Wickham (who also authored the hilariously silly Shopaholic series) spins a slightly more mature story about two British families that are forced to share a vacation house in Spain.

Chloe Harding hopes that the week-long holiday will soothe the strain between her and longtime partner Philip Murray, who is worried about losing his job after the recent takeover of his company.  Hugh Stratton is on holiday with his high maintenance wife, Amanda, and their 2 daughters. Hugh feels very removed from his family, has been questioning his marriage, and was hoping to get to know his daughters and reconnect with his wife during this holiday.

Unbeknownst to Chloe and Hugh's partners, the 2 share a painful past.  It seems like Hugh broke Chloe's heart 15 years ago. There is a lot of anger (Chloe) and guilt and regret Hugh) over the events that transpired over 15 years ago.

I wasn't quite sure what to make of this book when I started reading it.  I had expected something light and silly like the Shopaholic series, and this book is definitely more serious and grown up. It actually grew on me as I continued to read the story.  It's really an exploration of the dynamics of a long-term relationship and the "what might have beens". Definitely not the fairytale ending that one would expect from the Shopaholic author. 

Towelhead by Alicia Erian

 Towelhead is the story of Jasira, a beautiful but confused 14 year old girl. Jasira's parents are divorced. Her mother is white and her father is Lebanese. Jasira's mother sends her away to live with her strict Lebanese father in Houston after she finds out that her boyfriend was a little too interested in the teen. Things don't get any better for Jasira. She has to cope with her strict father's rules regarding the behavior and role of women in society; she has to cope with racism in her new high school (her classmates call her "towelhead"). As she becomes aware of her budding sexuality, she is disturbingly attracted to her army reservist neighbor and an african-american boy in her class. This is a very sad, poignant, disturbing yet oddly gripping book that explores very complex issues- racial identity, racism, teen sexuality, statutory rape, and child abuse.  Yet towards the end, it is hopeful.