What have I been up to?

When I was younger, Myles and Eric used to call me the Bookmobile because I read so much. During college I definitely fell off the reading bandwagon due to other constant distractions. Since November when I moved to my community, pleasure reading has again become on of my top hobbies.

• Monique and the Mango Rains, Kris Holloway - Memoirs of Peace Corps volunteer in Mali in the 90s working in a health clinic. It was interesting to compare my experiences to those of the author.
  
• 1984, George Orwell - I have been meaning to read this for a long time.
  
• All the Pretty Horses, Cormac McCarthy - What beautiful imagery. I look forward to reading the rest of the trilogy.
  
• Using Participatory Analysis for Community Action - A handbook describing some of the methods I use to work with the community.
  
• Where There is No Doctor- A Village Healthcare Handbook, David Werner - An illustrated guide to all medical problems that may be encountered in a rural area, stomach pains to snake bites. I have already used the book to identify several medical issues with myself!
  
• The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver - A story of a missionary's family in the Congo, it was wonderful book to read while settling in to a very rustic setting. One of my favorite parts was when the young daughter complained about why people sweep a dirt floor. I sweep the dirt floor in and around my host family's house every morning.
  
• Three Junes, Julia Glass- The writing style reminded me of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, in that I loved it and could not put it down. I also love sad books.
  
• Three Weeks with My Brother, Nicolas and Micah Sparks - The story is good but I do not like Sparks' writing style.
  
• Slapstick, Kurt Vonnegut -The book was written in 1976 and its amazing that almost all the criticisms of the United States have not changed. I enjoy Vonnegut in small quantities, and luckily he writes short books.

Other new hobby: chakaras which are knit shoulder bags hand-made to hold anything from a cell phone to a baby. I learned how to make them by hand and by knitting from women in my community.