Always Reading in the Summer

"The afternoon the bombs start falling, I get my highest score ever on my favorite video game."

This non-fiction book reads like historical fiction, and describes modern warfare from a child's point of view. During Operation Deserty Storm, young Ali is more concerned about how his family is going to obtain Coca-Cola, and when the electricity will be restored so he can go back to playing Atari. When his mother bruns some of his beloved Superman comics in order to light the stove, he forces himself to consider the realities of war.  Ali Fadhil grew up in Iraq, and his love for America, particularly American TV shows, helped him learn English. As an adult, he became an interpreter and assisted the US Department of Justice during the trial of Saddam Hussein.

"Everyone loves a pretty dead girl, and to be reminded of what happens to girls who aren't careful."

Recommended for fans of Pretty Little Liars. All the usual teen fodder like crushes and parties and social media, with plenty of drinking and drugs and absentee parents thrown in for the 90210 fantasy element. There's also stolen identities and murder. And a boy with blue hair, just so it's perfectly clear that these are teenagers. 

"Why do I have to bear his evil in me? It's his evil. So why is it me that's hurting?"

Janna is a devout Muslim. She has people in her life that share her beliefs, but there are also others, mostly at her public high school, who do not always understand why she chooses to live her life wearing a hijab, eating halal foods and not dating. In many ways, she has become accustomed to balancing these two worlds, but when an acquaintance attempts to rape her, she finds herself questioning the line between good and evil, when it is not always apparent to observers. 

 

I heard about this book on NPR, when author Mike Reiss was interviewed. It's true that I have not watched new episode of The Simpsons since college, but I was compelled to see the film when it came out. I haven't kept up with the series, but I was the generation of kids that witnessed the premiere of the show. I loved wearing my Lisa Simpson t-shirt, and Sunday evenings were almost magical when the theme started. The book is full of trivia and stories and nostalgia for the glory days of our favorite cartoon family.