Yesterday I finished reading Life of Pi--which I would describe as Old Man of the Sea meets Jungle Book. (Okay, so I'm not exactly staying current with what's on the NY Times bestseller list, but better late than never, eh?) I've spent lazy Sunday afternoons reading it this winter, and I highly recommend it for its fine style and excellent yarn spinning.

Also, while my hubby was out of town over the weekend, I opted to rent a "girl" sort of documentary: "The Beauty Academy of Kabul." It offers an interesting peek into Afghani women's lives by following a couple of groups that enrolled in a 2003 beauty academy. The teachers came from the West for three months to offer their skills. The film provides a look at the status of these strong women and how they have triumphed through difficulty. Good stuff.