2013-05 - Cutting for Stone, by Abraham Verghese

05 - Cutting for Stone, by Abraham Verghese WHY I PICKED IT: Recommended by my friend Alexis
ELAPSED TIME: 2 weeks
RATING: REQUIRED READING

Marion Stone is born in Ethiopia - the son of an Indian nun (who is a nurse) and a British Surgeon.  Born ahead of his brother, Shiva, only because the need for a C-Section switched the birth order... and "orphaned" immediately, as their mother passes away during child birth and their father disappears.  Adopted by two Indian doctors in the hospital of their birth.

This is a compelling story, told on the backdrop of Ethiopia's revolution.  This book came to me at an interesting time, when two Oscar-nominated movies (Lincoln and Argo) are being accused of taking liberties with history.  What responsibility does an artist (be it an author or a director) have in maintaining historical accuracy when telling a story?

When so much of us learn our history from novels and movies, isn't there a responsibility to the Truth?
Conversely, can you truly cover the entire Truth conveniently; and even if you could, isn't it inherently biased anyways?  Verghese addresses this concern by highlighting historical liberties that he took in his acknowledgements... a decent compromise, I would think.

These characters are warm and aspire to greatness, despite their natural limitations.  I highly (highly!) recommend this book.

2013-04 - The Hundred-Foot Journey, by Richard C. Morais

04 - The Hundred-Foot Journey, by Richard C. Morais
WHY I PICKED IT: Found it in a book store
ELAPSED TIME: 3 days
RATING: Very Good

This is a lovely tale of an Indian boy whose family emigrates (in the shadow of a tragedy) to India... and who rises to the level of a Michelin Rated Chef.  If you enjoy food or descriptive writing, this book does a fantastic job of describing the dishes that the chefs make!

The story raises interesting questions of what is haute cuisine, and what is art.  The struggle of getting to the top of one's field, and the question of why one should do so.  I remember speaking with my yoga instructor a few years ago (Hi Paisley), who said that she was struggling with seeking to achieve a level of certification as an instructor, and the balance of fulfilling the criteria in an honest manner (not just ticking a box).  If the purpose of a restaurant is to serve great food, should it matter whether you get three stars from the Michelin food critics?

At another time in my life, this book may be required reading, but I don't know that I took the main character into my heart, and so I give the book a rating of "Very Good"

2013-03 - I am the Messenger, by Markus Zusak

03 - I am the Messenger, by Markus Zusak
WHY I PICKED IT: Re-Read of a good book I've previously enjoyed
ELAPSED TIME: 3 days
RATING: Very Good

Nothing to write - I needed to enjoy a book, and knew that I'd enjoy this.

2013-02 - An Abundance of Katherines, by John Green

02 - An Abundance of Katherines, by John Green 
WHY I PICKED IT: Re-Read of a good book I've previously enjoyed
ELAPSED TIME: 3 days
RATING: Good

Nothing to write - I needed to enjoy a book, and knew that I'd enjoy this. 

2013-01 - Looking for Alaska, by John Green

01 - Looking for Alaska, by John Green
WHY I PICKED IT: Re-Read of a good book I've previously enjoyed
ELAPSED TIME: 3 days
RATING: Good

Nothing to write - I needed to enjoy a book, and knew that I'd enjoy this.

Hassan's Book of 2012

As 2012 came to an end, I reflected on the forty books that I have read.  This has been a year where I certainly have read less than in previous years, and it still took me a month to get to choosing a winner.

I have encountered several books that absolutely sucked, but I have stopped blogging about books I hated and did not finish.

2 books that were quite simply “Not Good”,

9 books that were just “Meh”,

12 books that I considered as “Good,”

13 books that were “Very Good,” and

4 books that I would recommend as REQUIRED READING:

• City of Thieves, by David Benioff
• True Notebooks, by Mark Salzman
• Something Fierce, by Carmen Aguirre
• The Art of Fielding, by Chad Harbach

True Notebooks is a great book, but was a re-read from last year (and was last years winner), and thus does not qualify for Hassan’s Book of 2012.

• City of Thieves tells the story of David’s Grandfather in St. Petersberg during WWII.  I would hate to ruin the story with any more detail than that, other than to say it’s a warm story and I love the characters.
• Something Fierc tells the story of Aguirre’s amazing childhood, supporting her parents’ efforts to overthrow Pinochet in Chile.
• The Art of Fielding is the story of a story of friendship

If I were going to recommend just one of these, I would have to say that the amazing characters and engaging story told by Benioff has stayed with me throughout the year.  The Hassan Book of 2012 is City of Thieves.

A LOOK BACK

• Hassan’s Book of 2011 was True Notebooks, by Mark Salzman
• Hassan’s Book of 2010 was Three Day Road, by Joseph Boyden
• Hassan’s Book of 2009 was The Help, by Kathryn Sockett
• Hassan’s Book of 2008 (and of the decade) was Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie