blue_lotus13 | What I've been reading lately

1. Eat, pray, love by Elizabeth Gilbert- The subject of my first column. Part biography, part travel, part spiritual memoir. I think it was the right book for me to read at the right time. It's about a female writer who travels around and takes mental and spiritual journeys after she's spent a year struggling with depression and divorce. Highly, highly recommended.

2. Lost soul companion by Susan Brackney- A little book about being an artist, sort of like one of SARK's books. Very cute. Hey, I like any book where the author thanks the makers of Zoloft.

3. Tay John by Howard O'Hagan- A Canadian classic that didn't hold my interest except for the description of Alberta.

4. The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill- The subject of my second column. I completely and fully loved this book. It's the story of a female African who is captured and forced into slavery, works on an indigo plantation, and eventually becomes a colonist. Fascinating book. I learned A LOT of new history from reading this book and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes historical fiction. Plus, Lawrence Hill is supremely nice and emailed me to invite me to his book launch in Vancouver. We've been chatting via email for a while now. Highly Recommended.

5. The return of simple by Langston Hughes- Langston Hughes is a genius. In this book, he creates a character named Simple (Jess Semple), who discusses life in Harlem, race relations, gender relations and all kinds of stuff. I really love Hughes' use of language, and his insight.