car wash and book readings

Last weekend I was at my brother's place and we all ended up washing our cars.
My little niece loved being allowed to play with the soap and water (as did I).
It has been a long time since I had physically washed my own car.
Usually I just go over to the car wash and $8 to $10 later, the car is cleaned.
It is a lot more fun to wash the car with all the family noises around u.
Only problem for me was the aftermath was an aching back that still has not diminished by Wednesday.
Ahhhh....not many more physical washing of my own car for me.

I am reading a book called 'The Japanese Lover' set in the early 1900's.
It is about the war torn times when the Japanese plundered through South East Asia.
It is about a girl from India whose father tried to trick a very rich man in Malaya to marry her.
The storyline sounded promising and the book had some good moments.
Overall I do not think it was that great a book (still have not completed it yet) as no many characters got developed, and some characters were too unbelievable with the supposed backgrounds they were said to have.
But it was a change from the other books I have read.

I loved reading about the Empress Dowager of China by Amchee Min.
That was fiction inter-twined with real history.
(How could the author know the thoughts and feelings of the heroin who died and did not leave her own writings?)

I also enjoyed the writings of Jean Sasson on the women's lives in the Middle East.

Actually I am happy that I have been able to upkeep my new year's resolutions of reading even when it is not during my vacation times.
I just left the books in the bathrooms and read whenever I need to use the throne.
Two pages a day will 14 make a week!
Of course I read more over the weekends.

I shall need to go buy more books soon.
More books also mean I have more to write off for my income taxes.
Yay!