Leap of Faith by Queen Noor

I read Queen Noor's memoir at my mom's recommendation in preparation for our trip to Israel and it was really fascinating! Born as an American, Queen Noor grew up in California and DC. Her dad was head of the FAA and president of PanAm, so she got to travel a lot. She was one of the first women admitted to Brown University in the 1960s and then worked in Iran as a community planner. In her early twenties, she met King Hussein of Jordan and he pursued her. Just like a fairy tale, they fell in love and got married and she became Queen of Jordan. Her memoir weaves history and personal events - meeting dignataries from all over, having kids, adjusting to royal life, her efforts to improve Jordan. For example, it was partly due to Queen Noor's efforts that Steven Spielberg chose to film part of Indiana Jones in Petra! How cool is that?

I also appreciated learning about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from her point of view as an American married to the head of an Arab state. So interesting! Plus, who doesn't love the story of an ordinary girl marrying a king for love? If you have any interest in the Middle East, I highly recommend this book because Queen Noor's story is fascinating.

Read: June/July 2011

Disclaimer: I listened to this on CD and it took me about a month. I have no idea how long the actual book is, but it's worth it.

The Art of Racing in the Rain (Garth Stein)

So many people have talked about this book that I had to read it. Even though I always know that when a dog is the main character, the end is going to be sad. This one was true to form. Like Marley and Me, this is worth reading as long as you can prepare yourself for the end!

Enzo is the narrator, telling the story of his owner Denny. Denny meets and marries Eve, has a daughter named Zoe and keeps risking it all to become a professional race car driver. Enzo sticks by his side through the highs and the lowest of the lows. Seeing things from a dog's perspective kept the book entertaining. And the overall message will stick with me: That which we manifest is before us. To me, that means focus on your dreams and you will attain them. A good motto.

Read: November/December 2010

A Thousand Splendid Suns

I finished listening to this book a few days ago but I had to let it gel before I could write a review. I really enjoyed this book. I think I liked it even a little more than Kite Runner. This book tells the story of two women, Mariam and Laila, as they each grow up in Afghanistan and how their lives come together. The story really grabs you and at the end of the book, I literally could not get out of the car because I had to know what happened next! Its similar to Kite Runner in that you get some of the history of the wars in that area, mixed with a really good story that is a bit emotional. I recommend!

Read (listened): June 2009
Related books: Kite Runner (same author, story is unrelated)

Next Up (for my commute): Secret Life of Bees

Three Cups of Tea

This book was eye-opening to what is going on in Pakistan as a result of the Taliban. It details the efforts of Greg Mortenson to raise money to build schools in rural villages of Pakistan on the belief that education is the key to fighting terrorism. I learned a lot about how people live over there and how poverty, lack of options, and lack of education contribute to the rise of terrorists. I highly recommend reading this book (even if it did get a little long and choppy at the end).

Read: March 8-29, 2009
Length: 330 pages
More info: Three Cups of Tea website
Next Up: Sammy's House by Kristin Gore