Book Reviews

Many of the books I read this year were ones that Sami brought. As much as we have in common, we really don't share the same taste in books. Sure, we both enjoy history, but I lean toward U.S. history, or anything post-Industrial Revolution. She likes world history and sometimes it seems like the older the better. I love biographies and fiction that I can relate to. My wife reads as an escape and revels in the made up worlds of Harry Potter and Twilight. My theory is that because she thinks so much in her daily life, and I so little, we each look to books as a way to strive for balance.

The following is a list and half-assed review of the books I have read from August 2009 when we began our journey abroad, to now.

Small Sacrifices Ann Rule- This book is about Diane Downs, a sociopath who shot her own kids and has lied about it to this day. I wanted to read this book because I was living in Eugene, near where the shooting took place. One day I tried to drive out and find the spot where she did it outside of Springfield, but I couldn't find it. We actually saw a special on the case on 20/20 a few months ago. Watching her laugh and joke with the media days after the incident were about as bizarre as it gets. The book is haunting and engrossing which is no surprise with Ann Rule. She is a great journalist and I want to read her famous book on Ted Bundy "A Stranger Beside Me."

American Pastoral Phillip Roth- My brother turned me on to Roth and I have since read four of his novels. I think he is great and this Pulitzer Prize winning novel is considered his masterpiece. I love how he delves so deeply into a man's thoughts. The book is very dense, and in fact the last 200 plus pages deal with actions that occur in one afternoon, but every sentence is rich and needed. It deals with the self-perceived failure of a former standout athlete as a father and a husband. His daughter is a terrorist. Read it!

21: Bringing Down the House- Worlds apart from American Pastoral, but I guess it is ok if you want to learn about counting cards in blackjack. They made a movie based on the book with Kevin Spacey. Haven't seen it and probably won't.

Nightmare in Wichita: The Hunt for the BTK Strangler Robert Beattie- The first half of this book is interesting. I love true crime, especially books that deal with serial killers, but the second half wasn't so great. The author gets pretty full of himself as a local lawyer who cracked the case. Anyway, it got sloppy toward the end, probably because it was updated after they finally caught the guy.

Twilight Stephanie Meyer- Just a little teenage vampire story. You probably haven't heard of it.

New Moon Stephanie Meyer- Yes I read two Twilight books! We had no television at the time and I was desperate! I even tried to read the third, "Eclipse," but couldn't get past the first 150 pages or so. The first two weren't painful. I call them the world's longest "Goosebumps" books. Obviously the books were not written with me in mind as a consumer so I will withhold further judgement.

The Jungle Uptain Sinclair- I tried to read Oil! after watching the movie "There Will Be Blood." I only got halfway through it much preferring the movie. The Jungle is a very depressing tale of an eastern European immigrant family's struggles adjusting to a capitalistic society. The book is famous for its muckracking descriptions of the horrendous meat processing plants of Chicago. I struggled getting into the groove with this book, but it is a story that I will never forget. You should read it.

Until I Find You John Irving- First John Irving book I ever read and it was quite an experience. The characters are so unlike me or anyone I know. I cannot relate to their reactions at all, but I have to admit that it was a good read. I enjoyed it more while I was reading it than I did thinking about it later though. Not sure what that means.

Everything They Had David Halberstam- This is a collection of sports stories by a great writer. I read his book on Belichick. I recommend that over this, but what I really want to read is his "Breaks of the Game" which follows the Blazers back in 1980-81. I saw it at an English language bookstore, but it was too many wan. Maybe next time.

Becoming Madame Mao Jiang Qing- This was a Sami book that I am ashamed to admit that I gave up on with about 30 pages to go. The writing attempted to be very poetic which I don't think is a bad thing, but I just couldn't get into it. Maybe I am just a pig who can't relate to a woman's point of view. The only thing I remember from this book was that Mao chewed green tea leaves that turned his teeth green and he de-virginized a new 12 year old every day because he thought that it would help him stay healthy and live longer. Also because he was a perv.

The Alchemist Paulo Coleho- Another book I am ashamed to admit I couldn't get into. I am sure you've read it, so I'll move on.

The Book of Basketball Bill Simmons- Pure candy for the basketball lover. We all love reading Bill Simmons, but he is an obvious Celtics homer. Also, the chapter on Russell vs. Chamberlain was too long. Those guys were before my time.

My Life in France Julia Childs- If you like cooking and are serious about cooking, you should read this book. I enjoyed it. Same and I saw the movie "Julie and Julia" when we were in Fiji (bootlegged DVD). Half of that movie is based on this book. Guess which half.

When Broken Glass Floats Chanrathy Him- The story of a young Cambodian girl's survival during the Khmer Rouge regime. Many of the scenes in the book are heartbreaking and it is an act of god that she was able to escape to the U.S. (Oregon no less).

Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen- Strange for me to read a classic novel that doesn't deal with death, but I can definitely see why it has stood the test of time. So many unique and interesting characters.

Dracula Brahm Stoker- The first 70 or so pages of this book are some of the best I have ever read, but the rest was a bit of a letdown. Still a classic, and of course, one of the most iconic monsters of all time.

The Road Cormac McCarthy- This is it. Absolutely my kind of book. It seems like I have been searching for an author and a style like this for years. I love the simple prose and straightforward story. It is a post-apocalyptic story of a father and son, but it is not science fiction. I doubt many people will read this far down in my little blog post so I will freely admit that I cried at the end, something I haven't done since who the hell knows. This is hands down my new favorite book. Do yourself a favor and read it. Please.

Everyman Phillip Roth- Crazy that this is the same author as American Pastoral. This book flowed easily and I finished it in only a few hours. Well written and a unique, yet somehow familiar perspective on aging and death.

The World According to Garp John Irving- I enjoyed the book but hated all of the characters. Actually, I take that back. I don't think I enjoyed the book. Sorry.