Book Review: Jerusalem Reading

I snatched this from something I wrote when we were in Jerusalem but never publicly posted.  It's a bit outdated, but useful for readings related to our time there.    

I reread Everything is Illuminated.  It's one of my favorite books, and this time I got about 2/3rds through it before I lost the thread.  It's much further than I got last time, so that's something.   It's a beautiful, thought provoking, heart breaking, and life celebrating book...that is difficult to entirely "get".  Maybe that's why I like it.  If you want to think about something or be completely baffled, you should read it.   It's about family, history, religion, identity (specifically Jewish Identity), what it means to "love" someone, and a host of other things.

I reviewed Foer's second novel "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" in earnest on the Provo City Library Staff Review Blog (when I was employed there, wipe a tear). 

Four Mothers: Horn, Shifra: Picador: 288 (old habits die hard)

I had never heard anything about this author or this book and it was a pleasant surprise.  It told the story of four generations of women living in Jerusalem through the war of 1948, the Jordanian Occupation (48-67) and then the 6 day war in 1967.  It was epic and sad (two things I love) and did  a great job of fleshing in the un-thought-of details of history.  Great storytelling.

Rashi's Daughters

I actually didn't finish this book. It is a series with several books following that detail the lives of Rashi's daughters.  (Rashi is an actual well known Jewish Medieval Rabbi.)  At first I loved the slow reveal of what life was like for this Jewish group in Medieval France, but after a while it just didn't hold my attention.  It would be great for a YA historical fiction read, but I just wasn't in the mood.  I might try it again later.   

In the Image: A Novel: Horn, Dara: W.W. Norton & Co.: 280

Owf.  That's how I feel about this book. There were moments of genius, but most of the book was a little pretentious and a little contrived.  One moment of genius occurs near the end where the story of Job is retold backwards through the familial history of one of the main characters.  As if to say that the parameters of our present are the product of our our ancestor's tragedy.  When we choose good and happiness despite every historical reason not to we are confirming God and refusing to deny him.  That part stole my heart, but the rest of it just irked me.  Horn didn't give reader's the chance to read between the lines before shoving the obvious down our throats.  Take it or Leave it.

Jerusalem: One City Three Faiths: Armstrong, Karen: Ballantine Books:  1997

Karen Armstrong is really something.  A historian, a religious historian who still thinks that religion is good is hard to come by and she is the perfect balance of skeptical historian and good willed faith affirm-er.  This book is a readable history of Jerusalem and the Holy Land in general.  Fabulous.

The History of Love: Krauss, Nicole

Another repeat.  Last night I almost put it away, but then It reminded me of how good it is.  Similar themes as "Everything is Illuminated" (the authors are married afterall....) and similarly bizarre and thought provoking.   

You might have noticed that every single book I'm reading is about Jews or Jewishness.  Well, when in Rome!  (er Israel)  It's been a good cultural exercise along side living here.  I've also read a slew of travel books - I can't get enough of them.

International Librarianship?

I just finished my semester and I'll be honest, it rocked my socks off. I had a class in Young Adult Literature and one in the History of Books and Libraries (I know - THAT'S what heaven looks like). The class about books and libraries got me so jazzed that it's something I'd like to pursue. I've been thinking about getting a second masters when I'm done with this one, and I think I'd like to do it in History and study the history of books and maybe libraries (books first, libraries second). That way I can study a broad range of time (like, all of it) and isolate one common theme - the book. Awesome? yes.

Also, one of my dear professors has taken an interest in our move to Israel and we talked on the phone about possible opportunities I might have in Jerusalem. She said that I should spend a bit of time just getting myself into the library scene. Find out what library students in Israel would do and do it (You know, like "think about what at Maverick would do and then do that"). She said ask for tours of all of the libraries and archives, familiarize yourself with the faculty at the University. She advised not to show up and say "I'm a MLIS student and I'd like an internship" (which was my original plan but now sounds dastardly arrogent), but to get my feet wet and slowly become part of the library scene in Israel. That's right, the library scene! She suggested that I take the International Librarianship class that San Jose State offers in the fall and I think I'll do just that. She suggested I join the Israel chapter and get really involved. I'm really looking forward to the library opportunities this move will offer.

And here is where all the threads meet. If I were to do a Masters in history focusing on books and libraries I have this secret plan to study at all of the Universities where we live. If we live in Syria, I could study the book/library movement in at University of Damascus, or if we live in Egpyt I could study at Cairo. Well, I wouldn't even have to study at the Universities, I could just study the movements in the areas we live in - become an expert. Every region has a book history, and since the actual history of books, language and libraries is in the Middle East I kind of think I'm in for a treat.