A couple of weeks ago, I decided to read The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby after seeing Debra Hamel’s review. Here’s my mini-review:

Amazingly lucid. Bauby, who suffered a massive stroke and had locked-in syndrome, shares his world with us through flicks of his left eyelid. It’s too cheesy to say that the book inspires even though it did. In the end, it has nothing to do with us but was all about Bauby’s life. And really, that’s more than enough.

Reading the book now was great timing because the movie adaptation has just reached the theaters. Here’s the trailer. Unfortunately, I won’t get to watch until February when it comes to the UK.

This past week, I also read May Contain Nuts by John O’Farrell. After the awful week I had, this satire of UK parenting was a much needed source of smiles and guffaws.

Only parents who’ve ever had their children enrolled in the UK school system can understand the dilemmas of going public vs private. John O’Farrell makes laughing stock out of all of our neuroses. A much needed kick in the rear!

I’m still working on Reading Lolita in Tehran but am finding it slow-going mainly because Western lit has never been my forte or interest and also because the situation in Iran then and now is too horrifying for me in my present drained condition.

I also started former HP CEO Carly Fiorina’s Memoir today - Tough Choices. Thanks to my sister for lending me her autographed copy! A few chapters in and I can’t say I’m inspired but I do recognize the extreme importance of hard work. Time to buckle down and get to it. Tomorrow’s the start of a new week.

PS Join us at Sunday Salon!