I realize it's been awhile since I've written. I haven't felt inspired, even though I really only report my literary adventures anymore. I've read a few books since I last wrote. Before I forget what they were, I better list them quickly: On Beauty by Zadie Smith, Falling Leaves by Adeline Yen Mah, The True Story of Hansel and Gretel by Louise Murphy , Two Women of Galilea by Mary Rourke, The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs, and The Shack by William Paul Young. Really the only one worth writing about is the Zadie Smith book. Of course, I am bias given the fact that since I read White Teeth years ago, she became one of my favorite writers. What impresses me most about her is that her first novel--the aforementioned White Teeth--was written when she was only 23. With On Beauty, she examines aspects of family, marriage, academia, race, youth, middle age, pop culture, friendship, religion, music, art, infidelity, and forgiveness in complicated and refreshing ways. She does so with both humor and heart-wrenching realism. Each character is represented richly, demonstrating both endearing flaws and subtle sort of heroism. Kiki Belsey, the African American former activist and wife of the glib British art history professor, Howard, is my favorite character I've encountered in literature thus far. The description of her as a robust, middle aged matron with smooth chocolate skin, dressed in the colorful, flowing attire of her African culture, elicits such an image of beauty that is rarely seen in the real world. She is dynamic, unwavering, sensual, altruistic, loyal, and witty. She sounds almost too good to be true, which is perhaps why she's merely a character in a book. But she's a character I grew to love, nonetheless.