This was a lyrical and lovely little book. Ba makes it easy to connect with the main character and understand her emotions. She is not a terribly strong female figure, at least not compared with the friend to whom she is writing, but brings to light many of the issues facing women in Senegalese society.

I’m not sure I’d read this again, but I think it was worth reading as she is such an important African writer. It’s really difficult to get through, especially in the beginning, because it is told from the point of view of a woman who is not mentally sound. By the time I finished I felt like I was going crazy too…

This movie made me feel really empowered. Which, I guess, is what it’s supposed to do. Some of the dialogue seemed awkward or forced or something, but overall I really enjoyed it. It made me want to run around in my underwear and celebrate women’s bodies of all shapes and sizes. While I didn’t end up doing that, I did go straight home and sign up to pose for a nude calendar, which turned out to be a fantastic experience. Thank you, America Ferrera!

In the beginning, there was too much lesbian sex.

After that, there was not nearly enough lesbian sex.

Not my kind of movie, I guess – too campy with sort of a dumb plot.

I just found out that Duncan Shiek is a Brown alum, which I can’t believe I didn’t know sooner and which makes me very proud. Anyway, his music in this is fantastic! I’d love to see this show. The lyrics can be strange and sort of awkward at times, but the music itself swept me away. My favorites are “The Word of Your Body” (gives me the shivers) and “Don’t Do Sadness/Blue Wind”. Good stuff right here.

David Sedaris is one of the most hilarious writers out there, period. His writing is smart and honest and I love it. After reading one of his essays in my Creative Nonfiction textbook, I just had to get my hands on more of his work. Each of the vignettes that make up this book has a point, too – while making me laugh aloud (once per chapter at the very least), they also made me think – about why people act the way they do, why we have certain perceptions of others, etc.

I found this book to be incredibly powerful. I had to take a break afterward before starting another one, just to let it all sink in. I’ve heard several people say they couldn’t get into it at the beginning, but for whatever reason I didn’t notice it being slow. I for one had never read a novel that took place in Afghanistan and it offered an unflinching eye into the culture and the changes that have taken place in recent years. There were several “coincidences” that made the plot a tad unrealistic, but it certainly made for a good story. Some of the images from this book will stay with me for a long time.

This book was gorgeously written. I loved his style – the descriptions pulled me right in. And the plot itself was page-turning from start to finish, even though the real “action” of the novel was only told after the fact. A haunting story of prejudice and the relationships between the people of a small town – loved every minute of it.

Never seen the show, but from the sound of it “Scoundrels” is pretty hilarious. The soundtrack includes two of my favorite Broadway stars (Norbert Leo Butz and Sherie Rene Scott) and John Lithgow doesn’t have to be a great singer to play the part perfectly. Basically just fun, catchy songs with some cleverly-written lyrics.

This movie had me in stitches the entire time. The whole thing was just really clever and well-done. I’ve been quoting it ever since! A lot of the jokes forced you to pay attention because they reappeared in subtle ways, which I loved.