What Katy Did at School by Susan M. Coolidge

This trilogy (begun by the more famous What Katy Did) is generally thought of as a children's - specifically, girls' - book, and I would agree, but there's much more to it than that. Written in the 1870s, these books - much in the same way as the Laura Ingalls Wilder series - are worth looking at for the social history alone, and the What Katy Did trilogy in particular gives an interesting insight into American urban middle class life at that time.

In this one, we see the precursor of Enid Blyton's Malory Towers series, Brent-Dyer's Chalet School books and many others, written almost three-quarters of a century earlier - and in America.  Amazingly, it sounds very similar and thus refreshingly "modern", especially when you consider what was being written in England at that time. If you liked Malory Towers, you'll love What Katy Did at School in spite of the 19th century language. The same characters are there: the sensible one, the madcap trickster, the spoilt brat, the inseparable sisters. Injustices are perpetrated and avenged. Teachers are feared, pranks are played, feasts are eaten, friends and enemies made. The only rather strange omission, which I noticed for the first time when reading as an adult, is the complete absence of any kind of lessons or teaching going on, despite this being a school story. Another difference between this and later school story types is the tendency for the author to intervene and address the reader directly, in order to make a point - a 19th century feature of style, maybe, as it also crops up in books such as Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.

I really enjoyed reading this again after so many years. I found it funny, cleverly written and full of convincing characters, though a much shorter read than I remembered.

The Big Bang Theory and Philosophy by (eds.) William Irwin and Dean A. Kowalski

This is an academic work (fairly hefty at 278 pages), based upon the popular American TV comedy The Big Bang Theory, which I happen to be a big fan of.

It's a series of essays, taking various strands/traditions/theories of philosophy and ethics and showing to what extent each one is reflected in the show. Examples of themes under discussion are: is it morally wrong to laugh at Sheldon (the main character)? What is friendship? and science, religion and the family. All are liberally illustrated by events and quotes from the programme.

I'm a non-philosopher, and this did give me a bit more of an insight into what philosophy is all about. It did get a bit heavy in a very few places, but other parts were very enjoyable and entertaining, reminding me just how funny and insightful the show is.

If you are a fan of the show and either know or want to know more about philosophy, then this book is for you.

The Dressmaker of Khair Khana by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon

This is non-fiction, based on real life events as told to the author.

Kamila is the second-oldest of a large family of mainly girls in Kabul during the take-over by the Taliban, and here she tells of what it was really like to live under that regime.

When her father left home to avoid imprisonment for supporting the previous regime, she took responsibility for the family and started a business making and selling women's clothes to support the family. She also began a project to teach women sewing, so they could help themselves in a society where there were so many widows, yet women were forbidden to work, be educated or even talk to men who were not relations. Her life was fraught with danger, especially when she later began to branch out and join an internationally funded project to help local people.

This is a fascinating account, if a bit depressing at times (though there is a happy ending) and the events certainly ring true when compared to other books I've read on the subject. It's the everyday details of people's lives that are so captivating, though I feel the tone is a bit pedestrian at times and some of the time frames are a bit confusing and less plausible, but these are minor quibbles. Kamila is certainly an inspiring person who deserves our attention and praise for her courage and hard work.