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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