2013-36 - Ostrich, by Matt Greene

36 - Ostrich, by Matt Greene
WHY I PICKED IT: Picked up at Word On The Street Book Fair
ELAPSED TIME: 4 Days
RATING: Not Good

This is the story of Alex, a 10-year old (-ish) kid in England.  He has a hamster named Jaws 2 (in that Jaws the original died), a girl that he likes... and brain cancer.  The book is supposed to make you fall in love with him as he goes through the experiences of growing up while enduring something extremely challenging, yet being "normal".

I didn't.  Book wasn't very good at all.

2013-35 - Kalashnikov AK 47, by Gideon Burrows

35 - Kalashnikov AK47, by Gideon Burrows
WHY I PICKED IT: Picked up at Word On The Street Book Fair
ELAPSED TIME: 1 Day
RATING: Good

This short book included some really interesting facts about the AK47:
a) The USA purchased 10,000 of them and sent them to Iraq and Afghanistan to arm their military and police
b) They purchased the guns from an Eastern European manufacturer, in violation of the patent (owned by a Russian State-Owned manufacturer)
c) American soldiers in Vietnam used to pick them up from dead Viet Cong, because they work much better than their Colt M16.
d) 88% of the world's arms exports are from the USA ($14 billion), UK ($4.6 billion), France ($3.4 billion), Russia ($3.4 billion), and China ($0.5 billion) - not coincidentally also the 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council.
e) Oman, Syria, Myanmar, Sudan, Pakistan, Eritrea and Burundi each spend more on their military than they do on education and health combined.  Another 14 developing countries spend more on military than they do on education and health (separately).

Despite making general statements about the impact of the gun on civilian populations (in terms of deaths and rape, as well as the difficulty in coming to peace when small arms are readily available and ridiculously cheap), they provided little hard data on that (prices for new / used AK47s in different countries was a bit anecdotal rather than carefully collected).

Overall, interesting as a quick read, but nothing special.

2013-34 - River of Smoke, by Amitav Ghosh

34 - River of Smoke, by Amitav Ghosh
WHY I PICKED IT: Recommended by my friend Wendy
ELAPSED TIME: 5 Days
RATING: Good

The second book in Ghosh's trilogy about the opium wars, this book was a lot more history and not enough fiction.  The protagonists failed to capture my heart.

One interesting (and redeeming) feature by Bahram, the Indian businessman whose fortune was tied to the British, was the acknowledgement that the Westerners only speak of Free Trade when it benefits them... and when the opposition is winning, they rely on their government to step in and protect their space in the market.

All in all, I won't recommend this book... and likely will forget the characters and storyline in short order.

2013-33 - It's My Choice, by Somya Singh, Maryum Anis, and Farrah Khan

33 - It's My Choice, by Somya Singh, Maryum Anis, and Farrah Khan
WHY I PICKED IT: Free book
ELAPSED TIME: <1 Day
RATING: Good

This illustrated novel is really three short novellas about Maya, Karina and Ash (respectively)... and about various scenarios that could result in a Forced Marriage (the topic of the conference).  A hard topic that I learned a lot about; the book is a really simple way of showing what can happen and what choices are available to you.

2013-32 - Sea of Poppies, by Amitav Ghosh

32 - Sea of Poppies, by Amitav Ghosh
WHY I PICKED IT: Recommended by my friend Wendy
ELAPSED TIME: 5 Days
RATING: REQUIRED READING

Wow!  This story is engaging.  Multiple interlinked stories - The widowed opium farmer.  The bankrupt raja.  The white orphan girl whose parents died in India, and her "brother," the orphan son of her wet nurse.  The carpenter turned sailor.  All aboard an old slaving ship.

Amitav Ghosh's tale is gripping and engaging.  The backdrop is realistic and troublesome (a believable picture of India during Colonialism and the Opium Wars), and all of the characters have depth (albeit, without flaws), and you want to root for each of them.

2013-31 - Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell

31 - Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell
WHY I PICKED IT: Recommended by my friend Emily
ELAPSED TIME: 3 Days
RATING: Very Good

This is a really interesting read.  Gladwell tries to show that success is more than a product of intelligence and ambition.  Hard work and passion are key components, but so are culture, timing, and opportunity.

Timing - Being born early in the cutoff is a benefit that carries forward in both athletics and academics.  5 year olds who are born in January are more likely to be considered advanced than those born in December (either as hockey players or as students)... and are more likely to get advanced coaching or advanced placement - resulting in added coaching and support that gives them an even greater advantage.

Hard Work - A lot of studies show that talent and innate ability are actually hurdles rather than on a continuum.  Once you have enough talent (IQ or athletic ability), it's actually a tonne of hard work that gets you from Good to Great... about 10,000 hours seems to be the magic number.

Would recommend this book to parents, as there is a lot in here that is relevant to positioning your kids for success.

2013-30 - The Ocean at the End of the Lane, by Neil Gaiman

30 - The Ocean at the End of the Lane, by Neil Gaiman
WHY I PICKED IT: Recommended by a saleslady in the book store
ELAPSED TIME: 2 Days
RATING: Meh

A middle aged man comes to his childhood home for a funeral, and visits the house of a friend who lived down the lane.  What follows is his memory of an adventure they shared (involving other worlds and something that is not quite magic).

I finished this feeling the same as I do when I finish a book by Murakami: A bit confused.  The difference is that with Haruki Murakami, I enjoy the book a bit more.  This is not a bad read, but I wouldn't recommend this book because there are much better books out there.

2013-29 - Everybody has Everything, by Katrina Onstad

29 - Everybody has Everything, by Katrina Onstad
WHY I PICKED IT: Saw it in a book store
ELAPSED TIME: 3 Days
RATING: Good

Ana and James have a quiet marriage.  Unable to have kids, and with a plodding marriage, they live their lives... until their friend Marcus dies and Sarah is in a coma... and 2-year-old Finn is thrust into their lives.

This book is an honest study in their emotional and professional failings.  Too honest perhaps, redeemed with the warmth of the ending.

A decent read, perhaps, but many better books out there.