Memoir Binge.

I did end up reading the Solomon Northup's memoir, which was a surprisingly easy read.  I can't pinpoint exactly why I assumed it would be more complicated.  Maybe it was the impression that someone writing from the 1800's would use much more different English than today.  It's still definitely a more formal English (just like the movie), but the story flows so easily.  There is just so much dignity and grace in this man despite having been to hell and back.  How do you keep from being bitter and hateful after being treated that way and seeing so much brutality and horror?  Maybe it helps to have a cause to fight for.  Maybe that's why he survived. 

Mindy Kaling's memoir.  Hilarious.  What's not to love?  Immigrant family stories.  Nerd girl morphs into superstar pioneer brown girl of comedy.

Orange is the New Black was something my sister got me into.  I watched it on Netflix while I was at home coughing up a storm.  Again, I broke my read-the-book-before-the-show rule but I read the book anyway.  The book opened a whole new world for me.  I googled the real Piper Kerman and found out there was some flak about her being a privileged white woman who merely got to dip her toe in the prison world and easily jump out, while thousands of underprivileged women of colour are stuck in prison for smaller crimes.  I'll have to go with the creator of the show (Jenji Kohan) regarding this one.  I think that even though Piper's story sold well because she is indeed a privileged white woman, at least it generates discussion (and hopefully, progress) about this hidden and forgotten world.  Piper strikes me as another person with a quiet dignity, even though she is on the other end of the spectrum.  She is fully aware of her privileges but empathic towards those who clearly do not have the same advantages.  I felt like I was humbled right along with her while I was reading.  Empathy, people!  Get some.

Now that I think about it, I honestly don't know how I had time to read all this.  Maybe sick time helped.  Now I'm back to dancing every day.  And performing as much as possible to get into the performing groove to prepare for competition time in Miami (I leave in a week - whoa (c) Keanu).

And somehow I will squeeze in another book, which I've started already.  I'm taking a break from memoirs and jumping on Malcolm Gladwell's latest book about underdogs.