The recent highlights:
Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001, by Steve Coll. I looked like a weirdo reading this at the beach in Mexico, but I didn't care. This is what all nonfiction should be like: engaging, full of incredible facts, suspenseful. I am still thinking about it a month later, and seeing connections to it everywhere. I only knew a bit about the whole Russia/Afghanistan/US connection, but thanks to this book, I know much more and actually feel like I understand it. The roots of Al Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden's madness are also detailed here. I highly, highly recommend this one. Other 9/11 related books that I think are worth reading include Richard Clarke's Against All Enemies and the 9/11 Commission Report. Um, in case you were saying "I wonder what else Laura would recommend?"
Native Speaker by Chang-Rae Lee. I've now read all of his novels (the others are A Gesture Life and Aloft and if forced to pick a favorite I think I'd pick Aloft) and I am such a fan of this author. His characters are always compelling--they are usually Korean-Americans who are struggling to assimilate. I think he writes great fiction.
Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl. Full disclosure: I avoided this one for a long time because I was turned off by the title, and the book cover (yes, I know I should know better than to judge a book by its cover..) Plus all of the reviews I read were glowing but I could never get a sense of what the book was actually about. One day it beckoned to me from the New Books shelf at the library and I am so glad that I put aside my first impressions. I really enjoyed this book. It had a great main character, 16 year old Blue Van Meer, and there were twists and turns that I didn't expect.
The Places in Between by Rory Stewart. In January 2002, Rory Stewart walked across Afghanistan. He faces not only brutal weather and terrain, but often dangerous situations. Stewart is a historian, and his knowledge of the country's past, along with his ability to speak the language (albeit clumsily at times), allows him to make his way across the land. It is a breathtaking book. I learned so much about Afghanistan's past and present, and I was amazed at Stewart's bravery and grace.
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6 comments:
I loved The Places in Between as well...and will be picking up Animal Vegetable Miracle asap! I've been meaning to and your fab review seals the deal. Love your page.
I'll have to add a couple of these to my ever-growing To Read list. Have you read Come Back to Afghanistan by Said Hyder Akbar? I thought that was really good too.
Also, have you ever done anything with http://librarything.com? I joined over the weekend and managed to import all the books I currently have in my possession. It's super addictive, and I love comparing my library to other people's.
Chang-Rae Lee went to Exeter (class of '83), so I've always meant to read some of his stuff, but I never actually have.
Holy cow. I didn't know the book guru had a blog until seeing the link on Uyen's. I'm knee-deep in that 33 1/3 series...but i'll check back to see what I need to know!
Ali-- Thank you! You must let me know what you think of Animal Vegetable Miracle.
B-- I will check out the Akbar book: thanks for the recommendation! I have heard of librarything but haven't joined up yet.
Paul-- Clearly this is a sign you should read one of his books, dude. You can't go wrong with any of them...
Kevin-- Glad you found your way here! I'd love to hear which of the 33 1/3 books you're reading.
No problem...http://lovethedalek.blogspot.com/2007/07/ambfad-book-club.html. A little recap on what i've read and what i'm moving to next. They're kind of addictive!
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