2011-06 - The Secret River, by Kate Grenville

06 - The Secret River, by Kate Grenville, 333 Pages, Harper Perennial, 2005
WHY I PICKED IT: I don't know.  This book has been sitting in my "to read" pile for two years, unread. 
ELAPSED TIME: 2 days
RATING: Good

This story was quite interesting in that it provided a context for two types of criminal that existed in London in the early 1800s.  Those who store by necessity, and those who stole out of convenience... and how they came to be sent to Australia.  The story of the early settlements in Sydney, and the path of those convicts to freedom and ultimately a full pardon was relatively easy, and necessary for the colonizations of that far-away continent.

The necessary strength of those who went inland to claim their fortune, the communication and misunderstandings with the natives, and choices that they made regarding their interaction with them were believable, but the characters lacked depth... and once Ms. Grenville had taken us through that journey, she spent the final 20 pages wrapping up the next 30 years in a way that was ... well unnecessary.  Was it simply to give us closure on those characters future?  I don't know, but it was hard to relate, and felt like I was reading the notes she made when planning the plot.

This book is barely good.  If it was historical fiction about a place I knew, I will admit that it would have been a solid "meh," but I hadn't read about early settlers to Australia before, and so I rate this a tentative "good."  I acknowledge that I will not remember these characters.

2011-05 - Love Monkey, by Kyle Smith

05 - Love Monkey, by Kyle Smith, 336 pages, Harper Perennial, 2004
WHY I PICKED IT: Because I like the genre. 
ELAPSED TIME: <1 day.
RATING: Meh

This is the story of Tom Farrell, in the genre of Nick Hornby... Except in that genre there is the top tier: Nick Hornby, Mike Gayle and Jonathan Tropper... and there is everybody else.  And in the realm of everybody else Kyle Smith is in the bottom quartile.  Kind of disappointing to be honest, here is a book that had several (actual) laugh out loud moments, many great lines... but several sections that just needed better editing.  There is one point where the character writes a review of the movie Training Day... and we have to read the entire thing!  :(.


Sign of a book that is "meh" and not "good"... I finished the book, went to bed, woke up 6 hours later and couldn't remember the ending... Meh.

2011-04 - The Magician's Assistant, by Ann Patchett

04 - The Magician's Assistant, by Ann Patchett, 357 pages, Harcourt, 1997
WHY I PICKED IT: Because I'm reading everything by Ann Patchett
ELAPSED TIME: 2 days.
RATING:Very Good

I have read four works of fiction by this beautiful author.  In each instance, the characters have depth and and the story draws you into them in a way that is warm and safe.  This one is a sad love story; with two very distinct stories: That of Sabine and Parsifal (the Magician) who she loved since she was 19, and his (gay) partner Phan (who, truth be told, has died before the story even started).  The second story is that of Sabine and her integration into Parsifal's family as his widow.

I think this might be my second favourite story by Ann Patchett... and possibly only because I read Bel Canto first.

2011-XX - The Circle of Reason, by Amitav Ghosh

2011-XX - The Circle of Reason, by Amitav Ghosh

XX - The Circle of Reason, by Amitav Ghosh, 423 pages, Hamish Hamilton, 1986
WHY I PICKED IT: Because I loved Ghosh's the Glass Palace and was recommended both by my Aunty Fa.
ELAPSED TIME: 5 days.
RATING:Wow, this book sucked.

So I only got 13 pages into this book... but it took me 4 days to get past page 8 and after another 5 pages I just couldn't stick with it.  The back didn't sell me on the book, and the first 13 pages confirmed what the back of the book said:  That this story was (supposed to be) a tragi-comic web of fantasy and fable... sorry, not spending my time on this.  At least not now.

2011-03 - Starter for Ten, by David Nichols

03 - Starter for Ten, by David Nichols, 338 pages, Villard Books, 2003
WHY I PICKED IT: Because I really enjoyed One Day by David Nichols and wanted to try something else by him
ELAPSED TIME: 2 days.
RATING: Meh.

This story was quite underwhelming.  Nichols writes flawed characters so very well.  Characters who are uncomfortable in their own skin, and who are figuring themselves out.  But whereas Emma and Dexter are fundamentally likable - characters who I missed once they were gone from my lives (as promised by my friend Ling Sian) - Brian (the supposedly lovable loser) and Alice (the girl of his dreams) are ... well slightly too flawed.  Brian just doesn't do enough to redeem himself to the reader, to build empathy for his predicaments (real and imagined).

2011-02 - Run, by Ann Patchett

02 - Run, by Ann Patchett, 295 pages, Harper Perennial, 2007
WHY I PICKED IT: I'm working my way through everything Ann Patchett has written
ELAPSED TIME: 3 days.
RATING: Very Good.

I love how Ann Patchett creates these warm characters.  Even the ones who define themselves as something else have an inner warmth - a tie to their family that is quite real.  Another thing she does really well is tell you the future.  As an event is happening, Ann tells the reader how those experiencing the event will remember it; and how it's different from the reality. Unfortunately, for all the work she put into making the book genuine in it's representation about Boston, makes generic references to Africa that are obviously false to anybody who has lived or worked there (as her character Sullivan supposedly has).

In this review, I have barely scratched the story... that of two African American boys, adopted into an Irish Catholic family... and a key 24-hour period of their lives.  I really enjoyed this story.

2011-01 - The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest, by Steig Larsson, 743 pages, Maclehose Press, 2009

01 - The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest, by Steig Larsson, 743 pages, Maclehose Press, 2009
WHY I PICKED IT: The third in Larsson's trilogy.
ELAPSED TIME: 3 days.
RATING: Very Good.

A clear continuation of The Girl Who Played with Fire, this story wraps up that plot in gripping fashion.  Similar to Ayn Rand, Larsson is able to write stories that advocate for his politics through his compelling characters.  Gender equality, immigration, constitutional controls over government and police... all issues that Larsson fought for in Sweden are raised in his works of fiction.  These three books were fantastic, and we are surely at a loss to not have had more from him.

If you want to get lost in a story, I highly recommend this trilogy.

Hassan's Book of 2010

As 2010 comes to an end, I find myself reflecting on the seventy two books that I have read... through twenty two thousand, seven hundred and sixteen (22,716) pages.  The longest book was Shantaram (936 pages) and the shortest was Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes (64 pages).  My most productive month was April (9 books), and my least was May (1 book).

I have encountered three books unworthy of inclusion in my list (that I just could not finish),

Two books that were quite simply “Not Good,”

Nine books that were just “Meh,”

Twenty eight books that I considered as “Good,”

Twenty seven books that were “Very Good,” and

Six books that I would recommend as REQUIRED READING:

·         Born to Run

·         Honeymoon in Purdah

·         Zeitoun

·         Iran Awakening

·         Three Day Road

·         Bel Canto

Born to Run, Iran Awakening, and Zeitoun although great reads are clearly not Hassan’s Book of 2010.  For much of the year, I have reflected upon Honeymoon in Purdah; but now, as I approach the end of the year, I find myself wanting to select a book of fiction.

And so, the Hassan Book of 2010 is Three Day Road.  The combination of exposing us to a history that is often forgotten, coupled with strong characters is what earned the selection.  Please let me know what you think of it.