36) The Best of Roald Dahl, by Roald Dahl, 520 pages, Random House Vintage Books, 1978
WHY I PICKED IT: I love Roald Dahl
ELAPSED TIME: 6 days
RATING: Good
I had read some of these short stories before, but many of them were new to me. Interestingly enough, I read a lot of stories that identified plagarists... from Jeffrey Archer (the famous British Author) to a story I read by a classmate when I was in Grade 8. Dahl's stories typically had a twist at the end which makes them dark... and interesting. Despite this, I don't know if I'd recommend the book. Too much great stuff out there, and this is somewhat middling.
37) The Bro Code, by Barney Stinson with Matt Kuhn, 195 pages, Simon and Schuster, 2008
WHY I PICKED IT: Barney Stinson is Awe - wait for it - Some! Awesome!
ELAPSED TIME: 3 days
RATING: Good
It was funny, it was lighthearted... a really quick read. Amusing, only if you follow How I Met Your Mother. In addition, I strongly agree with Amendment II of The Code.
38) Chef, by Jaspreet Singh, 248 pages, Random House, Vintage Canada, 2008
WHY I PICKED IT: My Aunt, Fatma, referred it.
ELAPSED TIME: 4 days
RATING: Very Good, almost Required Reading, but not quite.
The story was honest, and made me think. I truly enjoyed the words chosen, the story. The line about the monk who told the Dalai Lama that he was worried that he would lose his compassion for the Chinese was an amazing parallel to what the Kashmiri's must feel towards the Indians. Rubiya's story of the movie screen revealed a depth of understanding that is not often considered. But with respect to a comparison to Adichie's Half of a Yellow Sun, I felt something was missing. Chef Kirpal Singh did not exhibit strength, he was simply an observer. I would rather have read the story of Chef Kirsen, of Irem, or better yet, of Rubiya.
X) Anthills of the Savannah, by Chinua Achebe, 233 pages, William Heinemann Ltd, 1987
WHY I PICKED: I liked another book by Achebe, so I thought I'd try this
ELAPSED TIME: 3 days
RATING: Not good.
This is my third non-finished book of 2010. I struggled with the first 40 pages and just couldn't get into it at all...
39) The Proposal, by Owen Slot, 263 pages, Hodder and Stoughton, 2005
WHY I PICKED: I liked Slot's other book, so I thought I'd try this
ELAPSED TIME: <1 days
RATING: Good.
Hmm. This book was interesting. Typically, books in this genre (guy-lit) have happy endings... and this one was really about accepting that you can't have what you wanted. That you can't always make the parts fit. If Slot ever writes a third book, I'd read it.
40) Educating Alice, by Alice Steinbach, 282 pages, Random House, 2005
WHY I PICKED IT: It's about travel, it's about learning... two things that I love
ELAPESED TIME: 5 days
RATING: Very Good.
This book was really enjoyable... not a single story that you would want to sit with and churn through in one reading, instead it's about Alice's learning experiences around the world. Chef in Paris, Dog Trainer in Scotland, and traditional lady in Japan... all very cool. It's how I want to spend my time - not at all as an observer, but rather as a student of the world.
41) How I Live Now, by Meg Rosoff, 194 pages, Wendy Lamb Books, 2004
WHY I PICKED IT: Alice Kuipers recommended it to Stephen Harper on WhatisStephenHarperReading.com
ELAPSED TIME: <1 day
RATING: Very Good.
This book tells the story of a young woman staying with family in England when World War Three breaks out. The story of survival is tough to read as an adult; that it's targeted to young adults is interesting. I will read more by Rosoff and would recommend this book.
42) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson, 837 pages, Penguin Canada, 2008
WHY I PICKED IT: My friend Rachel recommended it
ELAPSED TIME: 4 days
RATING: Very Good
Phew. That was a really good story. Three (?) stories interwoven together to show the motivation for the actions of the characters... The book is a compelling read (as evidenced by the speed at which I completed the tale). I'd categorize it as more fluffy than literature, but would recommend this book for anybody stuck in a room for 3 days... it's long, and it's definitely entertaining.
43) One Day, by David Nichols, 435 pages, Random House Vintage Books, 2009
WHY I PICKED IT: Ling Sian recommended it
ELAPSED TIME: 3 days
RATING: Very Good
Wow. This book is phenomenal. Tracing the relationship of two people from University and over the next 20 years... on July 15th of each year. Tracing their friendship, and their love, their ups and their downs... With characters that I tried hard to dislike, but couldn't help but go through their emotional turmoil; David Nichols has written a captivating story.
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