72 - Five Months in a Leaky Boat, by Ben Kozel, 422 pages, Pan Macmillan, 2003
WHY I PICKED IT: Colin Angus was on this journey
ELAPSED TIME: 3 days.
RATING: Good.
Five Months in a Leaky Boat tells the tale of two Canadians (Colin Angus and Remy Quinter) and two Aussies (Tim Cope and Ben Kozel) and of their journey from the headwaters of the fifth longest river in the world and their journey to the Arctic. Having read Colin Angus' perspective a few years ago, I was delighted to see this in a used book store in Sydney and was not disappointed. These adventurers truly seek to balance an objective (getting to the end of the river) with meeting and engaging with the people they encounter. From Mongolia, through lower Siberia, and up to the Nenets who live with the reindeer in upper Siberia.
This blog is a simple review of every book that I read... For all books I’ll tell you why I picked it, how long it took me to read it, and give it a rating (burn it, not good, meh, good, very good, and required reading). I ask (encourage?) all readers of my blog to post their thoughts of any of the books in my comments :). Thanks!
Monday, December 27, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
2010-71 - The Glass Palace, by Amitav Ghosh, 470 pages, Random House, 2002
71 - The Glass Palace, by Amitav Ghosh, 470 pages, Random House, 2002
WHY I PICKED IT: It was recommended by my Aunty Fatma
ELAPSED TIME: 6 days.
RATING: Very Good.
Spanning 2 proper generations, and 2 more generations tracing back their family history, this book tells the tale of Rajkumar, a poor Indian boy who goes on to build an empire... interwoven is the story of Dolly, a young woman in the Burmese court who goes on to be his wife... the story of Uma, an Indian woman who is Dolly's friend... and the families that they have. It's a gripping tale that will suck you in, and expose you to a part of India, Burma, and Malaya that you might otherwise never see. I will seek out more of Ghosh.
WHY I PICKED IT: It was recommended by my Aunty Fatma
ELAPSED TIME: 6 days.
RATING: Very Good.
Spanning 2 proper generations, and 2 more generations tracing back their family history, this book tells the tale of Rajkumar, a poor Indian boy who goes on to build an empire... interwoven is the story of Dolly, a young woman in the Burmese court who goes on to be his wife... the story of Uma, an Indian woman who is Dolly's friend... and the families that they have. It's a gripping tale that will suck you in, and expose you to a part of India, Burma, and Malaya that you might otherwise never see. I will seek out more of Ghosh.
Monday, December 13, 2010
2010-70 - Through Black Spruce, by Joseph Boyden, 407 pages, Penquin Canada, 2008
70 - Through Black Spruce, by Joseph Boyden, 407 pages, Penquin Canada, 2008
WHY I PICKED IT: I really enjoyed Three Day Road, and wanted to read more by Boyden
ELAPSED TIME: 2 days.
RATING: Very Good.
WHY I PICKED IT: I really enjoyed Three Day Road, and wanted to read more by Boyden
ELAPSED TIME: 2 days.
RATING: Very Good.
Boyden is well on his way to becoming one of my favourite contemporary authors. This story, written because Boyden missed his characters from Three Day Road (see Book # 64), tells the story of Xavier Bird’s son and grand neice. Similar to his first book, this story weaves the uncle and neice’s perspectives into a compelling narrative. Knowing that he is working on a third book, to complete a trilogy, is exciting for me.
There are two great lines in the book, that I was compelled to write down... I share them with you without comment:
1) Experience is the most difficult of teachers, because it gives the exam first and the lessons second
2) there are no heroes in the world. Not really. Just men and women who become old and tired and lose the strength to fight for what they love any longer.
2) there are no heroes in the world. Not really. Just men and women who become old and tired and lose the strength to fight for what they love any longer.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
2010-69 - Taft, by Ann Patchett, 246 pages, Harper Collins, 1994
69 - Taft, by Ann Patchett, 246 pages, Harper Collins, 1994
WHY I PICKED IT: I'm working my way through everything by Ann Patchett
ELAPSED TIME: 7 days.
RATING: Very Good
This woman's writing is quite simply very good. She consistently creates characters whose warmth is palpable. Who you just want to hug and protect. Characters who are simple, and yet quite real. I enjoyed this book - it was unfortunate that work distracted me, so I couldn't get into their skin for a few days.
WHY I PICKED IT: I'm working my way through everything by Ann Patchett
ELAPSED TIME: 7 days.
RATING: Very Good
This woman's writing is quite simply very good. She consistently creates characters whose warmth is palpable. Who you just want to hug and protect. Characters who are simple, and yet quite real. I enjoyed this book - it was unfortunate that work distracted me, so I couldn't get into their skin for a few days.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
2010-68 - Truth and Beauty, by Ann Patchett, 257 pages, Harper Collins, 2004
68 - Truth and Beauty, by Ann Patchett, 257 pages, Harper Collins, 2004
WHY I PICKED IT: I loved Bel Canto, so I wanted to read more by Ann Patchett
ELAPSED TIME: 4 days.
RATING: Very Good
Ann Patchett has an amazing voice as a writer, and the story of her friendship with Lucy Grealy is warm and engaging... for the first three quarters of the book. That she calls herself the Ant and Lucy the Grasshopper is interesting - a recognition that Lucy is bright wherein she is the worker... but the friendship works. The final portion of the book is gut wrenching ... but not altogether unsurprising. Definitely a worthwhile read. I'll see out the rest of Ann's books.
WHY I PICKED IT: I loved Bel Canto, so I wanted to read more by Ann Patchett
ELAPSED TIME: 4 days.
RATING: Very Good
Ann Patchett has an amazing voice as a writer, and the story of her friendship with Lucy Grealy is warm and engaging... for the first three quarters of the book. That she calls herself the Ant and Lucy the Grasshopper is interesting - a recognition that Lucy is bright wherein she is the worker... but the friendship works. The final portion of the book is gut wrenching ... but not altogether unsurprising. Definitely a worthwhile read. I'll see out the rest of Ann's books.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
2010-67 - Raven Stole the Moon, by Garth Stein, 442 pages, Harper Collins, 1998
67) Raven Stole the Moon, by Garth Stein, 442 pages, Harper Collins, 1998
WHY I PICKED IT: I really enjoyed The Art of Racing in The Rain, and wanted to read Stein's new book
ELAPSED TIME: 5 days.
RATING: Good.
As it turns out, this isn't Stein's new book, it's a reprinting of his first book (and you can feel it throughout with the pacing and voice)... to take advantage of the fact he is a known author now. This story is interesting in that it provides insight into the Tlingit people and their faith. And it's not a bad story. However, I think Stein's first book never did well because the story was just a bit too dark. It starts with a tragedy, and even though the book is about the journey to find peace within, ultimately this story failed to draw me in.
WHY I PICKED IT: I really enjoyed The Art of Racing in The Rain, and wanted to read Stein's new book
ELAPSED TIME: 5 days.
RATING: Good.
As it turns out, this isn't Stein's new book, it's a reprinting of his first book (and you can feel it throughout with the pacing and voice)... to take advantage of the fact he is a known author now. This story is interesting in that it provides insight into the Tlingit people and their faith. And it's not a bad story. However, I think Stein's first book never did well because the story was just a bit too dark. It starts with a tragedy, and even though the book is about the journey to find peace within, ultimately this story failed to draw me in.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
2010-66) The Playbook, by Barney Stinson and Matt Kuhn, 141 pages, Simon and Schuster, 2010
66) The Playbook, by Barney Stinson and Matt Kuhn, 141 pages, Simon and Schuster, 2010
WHY I PICKED IT: Barney Stinson is awesome, so his book should be too...
ELAPSED TIME: 5 days.
RATING: Meh
The Bro Code was quite enjoyable... for what it was. A lot less thought went into making this book funny. I'm betting fans of the show would still want to churn through this book... but I don't know if I'd recommend it.
WHY I PICKED IT: Barney Stinson is awesome, so his book should be too...
ELAPSED TIME: 5 days.
RATING: Meh
The Bro Code was quite enjoyable... for what it was. A lot less thought went into making this book funny. I'm betting fans of the show would still want to churn through this book... but I don't know if I'd recommend it.
2010-65) Bel Canto, by Ann Patchett, 495 Pages, Harper Collins, 2001
65) Bel Canto, by Ann Patchett, 495 Pages, Harper Collins, 2001
WHY I PICKED IT: Eileen Lao recommended it
ELAPSED TIME: 5 days
RATING: REQUIRED READING
Oh my. This story is a universe unto itself. These characters became my friends. Their experiences were my experiences. I will miss them. Ann Patchett has woven a fantastic story - of terrorists and their hostages, of the bonds that are developed over the months in captivity. Patchett's voice draws you into the minds and hearts of her characters - which would fantastic on its own - but she throws out a sentence every so often that you must simply stop and ponder. And in some of those sentences she tells you what will happen later in the story, but you have to want to hear it. I, like the characters in the book, refused to accept the reality of their situation, and so I was condemned to experience their fate as they were condemned to live out their fate.
WHY I PICKED IT: Eileen Lao recommended it
ELAPSED TIME: 5 days
RATING: REQUIRED READING
Oh my. This story is a universe unto itself. These characters became my friends. Their experiences were my experiences. I will miss them. Ann Patchett has woven a fantastic story - of terrorists and their hostages, of the bonds that are developed over the months in captivity. Patchett's voice draws you into the minds and hearts of her characters - which would fantastic on its own - but she throws out a sentence every so often that you must simply stop and ponder. And in some of those sentences she tells you what will happen later in the story, but you have to want to hear it. I, like the characters in the book, refused to accept the reality of their situation, and so I was condemned to experience their fate as they were condemned to live out their fate.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
November 2010 - First to thirteenth
61) The Girl Who Played With Fire, by Steig Larsson,724 pages, Penguin Canada, 2006
WHY I PICKED IT: Second book in a trilogy, recommended by Rachel Menk
ELAPSED TIME: 2 Days
RATING: Very Good.
If you liked the Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, you'll like this book. Great plot, well written, the right amount of back story interspersed with the main plot... Larsson has created engaging characters that are all likeable in different ways... Long books can be hard to read because they typically weigh you down with long time lines. This book avoids that with a multitude of parallel interconnected characters all moving at the same pace through the four months that are this book.
62) The Confession, by John Grisham, 418 pages, Doubleday, 2010
WHY I PICKED IT: I like a good John Grisham as mindless entertainment once in a while
ELAPSED TIME: 2 Days
RATING: Good.
The story of a man on death row... wrongly convicted nine years earlier... and the guilty man on the outside who finally wants to come clean. This story, like most of John Grisham's is entertaining and absorbing, without being mistaken for literature.
63) Steig Larsson, My Friend, by Kurdo Baksi, 144 pages, Viking Canada, 2010
WHY I PICKED IT: Because his crime fiction is fantastic; because he died before finishing the complete story of Lisbeth Salander
ELAPSED TIME: 4 Days
RATING: Good.
Wow. This man was fantastic. That he carved out the time to write such phenomenal stories is fantastic... but his other work, was his real work. A tireless advocate for tolerance and acceptance - to fight injustice in all forms - racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia... from a white man from rural Sweden, this is fantastic. The book itself tries hard to show both sides of the man, while keeping his personal life out of it... in that Baksi and succeeded, while displaying the true depth of the friendship and the sense of loss that he suffered when Steig Larrson passed away.
64) Three Day Road, by Joseph Boyden, 382 Pages, Penguin Canada, 2005
WHY I PICKED IT: Recommended by Jennie Olden
ELAPSED TIME: 2 Days
RATING: REQUIRED READING
Wow. What a gripping story. Isabel Allende said it better than I could possibly: "A beautifully written and haunting story of survival and innocence shattered, of friendship, death, redemption, and love of the land... Please, please don't miss it!" For the last two days, Little Bird has been in my life... I feel like I have gone to war with him, and now he is gone. I will miss him.
WHY I PICKED IT: Second book in a trilogy, recommended by Rachel Menk
ELAPSED TIME: 2 Days
RATING: Very Good.
If you liked the Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, you'll like this book. Great plot, well written, the right amount of back story interspersed with the main plot... Larsson has created engaging characters that are all likeable in different ways... Long books can be hard to read because they typically weigh you down with long time lines. This book avoids that with a multitude of parallel interconnected characters all moving at the same pace through the four months that are this book.
62) The Confession, by John Grisham, 418 pages, Doubleday, 2010
WHY I PICKED IT: I like a good John Grisham as mindless entertainment once in a while
ELAPSED TIME: 2 Days
RATING: Good.
The story of a man on death row... wrongly convicted nine years earlier... and the guilty man on the outside who finally wants to come clean. This story, like most of John Grisham's is entertaining and absorbing, without being mistaken for literature.
63) Steig Larsson, My Friend, by Kurdo Baksi, 144 pages, Viking Canada, 2010
WHY I PICKED IT: Because his crime fiction is fantastic; because he died before finishing the complete story of Lisbeth Salander
ELAPSED TIME: 4 Days
RATING: Good.
Wow. This man was fantastic. That he carved out the time to write such phenomenal stories is fantastic... but his other work, was his real work. A tireless advocate for tolerance and acceptance - to fight injustice in all forms - racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia... from a white man from rural Sweden, this is fantastic. The book itself tries hard to show both sides of the man, while keeping his personal life out of it... in that Baksi and succeeded, while displaying the true depth of the friendship and the sense of loss that he suffered when Steig Larrson passed away.
64) Three Day Road, by Joseph Boyden, 382 Pages, Penguin Canada, 2005
WHY I PICKED IT: Recommended by Jennie Olden
ELAPSED TIME: 2 Days
RATING: REQUIRED READING
Wow. What a gripping story. Isabel Allende said it better than I could possibly: "A beautifully written and haunting story of survival and innocence shattered, of friendship, death, redemption, and love of the land... Please, please don't miss it!" For the last two days, Little Bird has been in my life... I feel like I have gone to war with him, and now he is gone. I will miss him.
October 2010
57) Shantaram, by Gregory David Roberts, 936 pages, Abacus, 2003
WHY I PICKED IT: Recommended by Nabeela Barday
ELAPSED TIME: 10+ days
RATING: Very Good
This is an amazing story.... but about 400 pages too long. Roberts' experiences as a criminal, an addict, a health care provider, a money launderer, forger, gangster, Bollywood actor, and Mujahedeen are unbelievable and make for gripping reading. His friends and mentors cause him to think about why and how he chooses different paths and the meaning of right and wrong. I recommend reading this book in 200-page chunks - with 2 months between each chunk.
58) The Lost Boy, by Dave Pelzer, 331 pages, Health Communications, 1997
WHY I PICKED IT: Recommended by Rubab Mavani-Hassanali
ELAPSED TIME: <1 Day
RATING: Good.
This book picks up the amazing story of Dave Pelzer's childhood (a Boy Called It, see above) and takes you through the rest of his childhood... This child, saved from his demonic mother and continually saved by a series of foster parents and angels throughout the system. Without their help, he would have been lost so many different ways... but he came out of it and survived. That one of his brothers was also abused, but that Dave never tells us what happened to him, is worrisome... That the system never went after the mother is sad.
59) PlayerOne, by Douglas Coupland, 246 pages, House of Anansi Press, 2010
WHY I PICKED IT: It's Douglas Coupland. It's the Massey Lecture
ELAPSED TIME: 2 days
RATING: Good
I love Coupland. I generally really enjoy the Massey Lectures. Sadly, this didn't meet expectations. Coupland likes to challenge his readers to think about the meaning of it all, to think about how and why we relate to one another. Typically, he has been successful in doing so with characters that I fundamentally like, relate to, and care about. Unfortunately, this book didn't get there. I did enjoy the dictionary of terms at the end, but not enough to rate this book anything higher than "Good".
60) A Man Named Dave, by Dave Pelzer, 331 pages, Penguin, 2000
WHY I PICKED IT: Third book in a trilogy, recommended by Rubab Mavani-Hassanali
ELAPSED TIME: <1 Days
RATING: Meh.
This guy is a testament to perseverance, and living proof that you can overcome where you came from. It is great to hear how most of his brothers did, but sad that they never rebuilt their relationship. Wouldn't really recommend this book, unless you really loved the first two.
September 2010
52) A Child Called "It", by Dave Pelzer, 180 pages, Health Communications, 1995
WHY I PICKED IT: Recommended by Rubab Mavani-Hassanali
ELAPSED TIME: 2 Days
RATING: Good.
This book tells the amazing story of Dave Pelzer's childhood... of a mother deranged enough to take out her misery on one of her children. Who'se father couldn't stand up to his wife to help his suffering son. Who'se brothers slowly learned the lessons of their mother and treated him like a slave. I have already ordered his sequel, The Lost Boy. That his mother is so messed up is gut wrenching; I hope Dave knows what happened to his brothers, and shares it with us.
53) The Lucifer Effect, by Philip Zimbardo, 488 pages, Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2007
WHY I PICKED IT: Recommended by my colleague Michael Witalec
ELAPSED TIME: 5 days
RATING: Good
This book is both pheonmenal and disturbing. Primarily focusing on the Stanford Prison Exercise in 1971 (Zimbardo was the professor responsible for it), and drawing parallels to Abu Gharib, this book shows how the drive for conformity coupled with the dehumanizing of "others" can quickly escalate into abuses by the majority over the "others." Having experienced a breakdown of our civil liberties in Toronto during the G20 meetings this past summer, I wonder how much of the police escalation was premeditated action versus a result of structures put in place that could but lead to extreme acts by those entrusted with our protection. One of Zimbardo's lessons at the end strikes home: I will not sacrifice personal or civic freedoms for the illusion of security.
54) A House in Fez, by Suzanna Clarke, 263 pages, Simon and Schuster, 2007
WHY I PICKED IT: Recommended by Ally Norton
ELAPSED TIME: 1 day
RATING: Very Good
As a book describing an international living experience goes, this one is very good. Clarke and her husband are both enthusiastic individuals who seem to truly want to live a simpler life and are respectful of differences in culture. Reading about their experience of buying and restoring a house in the old part of Fez, in Morocco, was truly enjoyable. I was engaged in the life of the staff and her friends, and was glad that she gave updates on them in the Q&A at the end of the book too.
55) Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin, 331 pages, Penguin Books, 2006
WHY I PICKED IT: Recommended by Nabeela Barday
ELAPSED TIME: 4 days
RATING: Very Good
Greg Mortenson is undoubtably a fantastic human being. He is culturally respectful, plays the long game (not shooting for quick unsustainable results), and has accomplished something really rare. That all being said, this book was a bit too much RAH RAH GREG. The experiences that took him from his first school to worldwide fame and a budget to support continued growth are tremendous, but the book felt a bit long. All in all, I'd recommend the book, but I'm glad to be finished reading it.
56) Little Bee, by Chris Cleave, 266 pages, Anchor Canada, 2009
WHY I PICKED IT: I don't remember. Just saw it in a store and picked it up, I think.
ELAPSED TIME: 3 days
RATING: Very Good
Wow. This story is going to stay with me for a little while. The story of a Nigerian girl who goes through hell in her own country, escapes to England (illegally), and the parallel story of an Englishwoman who witnessed the horror and is going through her own significant life changes. To write more would be to ruin it. Ultimately, though, I expected (and hoped for) a different ending...
August 2010
44) Nikolski, by Nicolas Dickner, 290 pages, Random House Vintage Canada, 2005
WHY I PICKED IT: Emile Martel recommended it to Stephen Harper on WhatisStephenHarperReading.com
ELAPSED TIME: 2 days
RATING: Very Good
I must admit, I am a bit perplexed with this story. Typically, when an author tells the tale of 3 characters from different backgrounds coming to the same city, the characters have more than just incidental contact with one another. Dickner is a fantastic storyteller, and Lederhendler has done a fantastic job with the translation - the three characters are interesting, have depth, and I will miss them... But why would Dickner tell me a tale of 3 people with no more than incidental contact with one another?
45) The Unbearable Lightness of Being, by Milan Kundera, 314 pages, Harper Perennial, 1984
WHY I PICKED IT: One of my Indian colleagues recommended it when I was there in June
ELAPSED TIME: 6 Days
RATING: Not Good
I don't get the purpose of this story. The tale of four lovers - only there isn't one unifying character - was hard enough... but the addition of the fifth nameless character who speaks directly to the reader... who spouts off on pseudo-philosophy was unbearable. If Kundera had dropped the fifth character, the book would have earned a Meh. If he had also dropped the two most incidental of the lovers, and made it 150 pages shorter, the book would have been Good. Sadly, he didn't, and it's just Not Good.
46) Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi, 153 pages, Pantheon, 2003
WHY I PICKED IT: Recommended by Nabeela Barday
ELAPSED TIME: 3 Days
RATING: Very Good
Wow! What a great history lesson that is accessible. Shows the flaws of Iran from the Shah, and how the revolution was truly a people's revolution, through the Iraq war and the impact of the religious right in this girl's life. As an illustrated novel, it's a quick read.
47) Right to the Edge, by Charley Boorman, 300 pages, Sphere, 2009
WHY I PICKED IT: I've read his other books, and enjoyed them
ELAPSED TIME: 3 Days
RATING: Good
I really enjoy travelogues, and this one is no exception. Boorman is a respectful traveler, tolerant of people and cultures way beyond what most people would accept... acknowledges when he doesn't like something, but finds something nice to say about the people anyways. His love of motorcycles is palpable, but his willingness to try, to figure out how he'll get to his destination mid-route is what makes his books enjoyable. I'm not sure how willing I'd be, to just figure it out as I went... for 81 days from Sydney to Tokyo, by any means...
48) Iran Awakening, by Shirin Ebadi, 219 pages, Random House Vintage Canada, 2006
WHY I PICKED IT: Recommended by Nabeela Barday
ELAPSED TIME: 2 Days
RATING: REQUIRED READING
Wow. This book is the story of a pretty amazing woman... who was raised in a progressive household in a country that didn't offer that. Who stuck by her country when many of the intellegencia did not. Who stuck by her belief to bring about change in the post-revolutionary Iran. In particular, I loved this sentence: "An interpretation of Islam that is in harmony with equality and democracy is an authentic expression of faith."
49) The Importance of being a Bachelor, by Mike Gayle, 375 pages, Hodder & Stoughton, 2010
WHY I PICKED IT: It's Mike Gayle, I read everything by him.
ELAPSED TIME: 1 Day
RATING: Good
This book met expectations. In the same class as Jonathan Tropper and almost as good as early Nick Hornby, Gayle is consistently successful in introducing you to characters, getting you engaged in the day-to-day drama of their lives, and taking you on the journey of them figuring themselves out, to find happiness. Now if only I could follow that path myself... :)
50) Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, by Eleanor Coerr, 64 pages, Puffin Books, 1977
WHY I PICKED IT: I remembered the story from when I was a kid, and wanted to re-read it.
ELAPSED TIME: <1 hour
RATING: Very Good
This book is the story of Sadako, who was two when the USA dropped an atom bomb on Hiroshima. At 11, she was diagnosed with leukemia, and at 12 she passed away. Buried with her are 1,000 paper cranes, which she believed would make the Gods grant her good health. The book ends with a poem: "This is our cry, this is our prayer; peace in the world."
51) Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return, by Marjane Satrapi, 187 pages, Pantheon, 2004
WHY I PICKED IT: I really enjoyed Persepolis, and this was the follow-up.
ELAPSED TIME: 1 Day
RATING: Very Good.
This book is a worthy follow-up to Satrapi's first book. Less an informative lesson on an Iranian experience, this book was more personal. It's a quick read though, and I enjoyed it. If you liked Persepolis, I'd recommend this as a follow-up.
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