If you have not read I am Malala: The Girl Who Stood up for Education and was Shot by the Taliban, stop what you're doing and read it.
It's maybe a little dated now, as it was published in 2013 and politics move fast, but it's absolutely worth the time. It goes fast and her story is touching and interesting. I especially appreciated the history and background of Pakistan and its government. You think the US has problems? I mean, it does, but...
Aside from being inspired by Malala and her family's courage and commitment to their cause, this is an extremely important read because of a recent story about a young Muslim boy who was arrested after bringing a homemade clock to school that administrators thought was a bomb. This brings back into light the fear of Muslims (or any brown person wearing a hood or head covering) that white Americans have. Malala's account of the situation in Pakistan and Afghanistan is a great testament to the fact that not every person of a certain religion, culture, skin color, or sexual preference is the same. Not all of us has the same thoughts and opinions about how to live.
Putting all Muslims in the same boat as the Taliban is exactly the same as putting all Christians in the same boat as the Westboro Baptist Church crazies. It's inaccurate and an insult to those who are legitimately trying to do good in the world, no matter their religion or culture. The extremists will always be extreme. Each person and religious group will always interpret their holy books the way that benefits them most. There are powerful and charismatic characters within in each sector of every religion who are able to change the way the people around them think. We hope (and assume) that they are changing people's minds for the better, but this isn't always the case. Malala's book summarizes the conflict better than any news story I've tried to read (maybe because she's 16 while writing this story with Christina Lamb) and does a great job pointing out how much more hurtful war is to civilians than to governments or terrorist groups.
Read it.
Another well known book I read while we were on vacation was Americanah. I was worried about this book when the first chapters introduced separated high school lovers still yearning for each other (despite one being married), but the meat of this book was fantastic. If you are white, you need to read this book. You don't understand what it's like to be black in the United States and you never will, and neither does the main character of this book, as she is an immigrant from Nigeria. Her observations as an outsider living with white people and black people in the US are fantastic and thought provoking. She even throws in the white privilege checklist, which I love to use. I won't put any spoilers in here, but the ending was highly disappointing. The "love" story from the beginning wrapped up at the end and was completely unnecessary. Her stories and experiences merited a great book without a childish romantic backstory. However, still definitely worth a read if you have ever thought that someone might be "pulling the race card" at any point in time.
That's all for now. Will post about vacation soon, too.
