The Things They Carried

Millenium Series by Stieg Larsson

Grounded: A Down to Earth Journey Around the World by Seth Stevenson

Seth Stevenson is a contributer to Slate and I heard about this on one of the Slate podcasts. Seth and his girlfriend attempt to travel around the earth without flying. Interesting premise for a book and it really isn't a bad read but it feels rushed. It's only 300 pages with large type and margins so there is little time to provide a lot of detail on the various places visited. That's partially due to the speed which this adventure takes place. It seems like the author is trying to get this done as quickly as possible - which is fine since I think that is his goal but it doesn't lend to the best travel book. Overall interesting and a quick read. B-

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

I heard about this on a podcast about the time The Pacific HBO series debut. It was referenced by a veteran as his favorite and most realistic war themed book. It was a finalist for the 1990 Pulitzer and with a 4 and half rating on Amazon I thought I'd give it a go. It centres around the Vietnam era and covers both the time before and after the war. It's not about the history of certain battles but really focused on what the men who fought actually went through (before, during, and after). Excellent writing and story telling. I would recommend this book to anyone. A

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest by Stieg Larsson

Another good one in the series. If you are going to read these, you have to read them all. Originally the author had intended this series as one book but I guess someone changed that up a bit after his death. Like the first two the story takes a bit of time to get going but it still doesn't leave the first part feeling too slow. There are several side stories going on at once and they don't all wait until the end for resolution. In all, one of the better non-fiction thrillers I've read. A-

Between the Assassinations by Aravind Adiga

This book is a series of short stories based in a fictional Indian city. I suppose the idea is to get the reader to know the city based on varying perspectives. A couple of the stories characters linked to others but it was very subtle - so much so that I found myself recognizing a name and flipping back through the book to the story where I thought I had seen it before. If India is of interest, I'd read A Fine Balance or Shantaram over this. B

The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson

This one focuses more on Lisbeth Salendar than the first one and the overall story has been more intreging. Obviously you need to read the first one before moving on to this but by the end, you'll want to go right into the third one - as i'm now doing. A-

The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie

This is my first Rushdie book and I'm not really sure what I got out of it. It had good parts that really grabbed me but those parts felt overwhelmed by sections that I really couldn't get in to. Here's a review from the NY Times that fairly closely mirrors how I felt. This book received a lot of great reviews but as I look a bit further I do find a lot of people who felt similar to me. One of the main characters, Akbar, was really well developed and I enjoyed the pieces where he played the center role. Other pieces however I felt were a bit distracting and left me wondering what I missed. I'm going to give Midnight's Children a try which I understand is considered by many Rushdie's best work. Enough here to intrigue me but I was happy to be done with it. B-

Freakonomics by Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt

.Similar take on things as Malcolm Gladwell. Some interesting bits but I wasn't blown away. B-

A Short History of Progress by Ronald Wright

Very short history - I think this was about 124 pages. The author uses a few examples to show how progress over the course of history has led to the downfall of several civilizations. He makes a decent case and really with all that is going on in the world, don't think subsequent generations are really learning from the past. Worth the read. B

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Angela has recommended this and we saw the author speak here in Nelson so figured I'd give it a go. It's a thriller revolving around the legend of Dracula. I'm not really into the whole vampire scene (i.e. Twilight) so was a bit wary. This book however it a thriller and does incorporate a lot of history from the era. Maybe not Bram Stoker's Dracula but closer to that than the romance heavy Twilight series. I did get into it but a few spots were a but cumbersome (maybe I just didn't pay enough attention). Maybe could have been shortened but in all not a bad read. B-

The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman

Historical fiction that follow the life of Richard Plantagenet who eventually became King Richard III (for 2 years then replace by Henry VII). At over 900 pages and smaller than average font, this takes some time to get through but if the era is of interest, it's a really good read. There are a lot of Richards, Elizabeths, Edwards, and Henrys that it can be hard to follow who is who sometimes. Well done. B+

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Character development was well done and the story was compelling and believable. Overall a good thriller. I'd recommend you give it a go. On to the next one. B+

The Future of Freedom by Fareed Zakaria

The book jacket describes it best, "The Future of Freedom...uses historical analysis to shed light on the present, examining how democracy has changed our politics, economics, and social relations. Prescient in laying out the distinction between democracy and liberty." Although written a few years ago (2002) it is still very relevant in explaining a lot of the political dysfunction in the US today. It is an easy read but ended up at the bottom of my currently reading queue because I was reading it at work. Mr Zakaria takes a very unbiased stance and also suggests several options to help improve the current situation. In all, I suggest anyone interesting in US politics would be wise to read this. B

The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

Good read. I did see the movie (Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow) many years ago but I forgot the details and had heard this was a good read. So I recommended the library purchase it and when it came in I gave it a go. I just glanced at the movie recap and it definitely deviates from the book. Good character development and a good story. I especially like all the martini's they drink. Only 250 pages and quick reading. B+

Leading Change by John Kotter

Good book on change management. Quick read with a lot of useful information. I would recommend you read it if involved in major organizational change. B

Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick

This book focuses less on the actual journey of the Mayflower and more on the survival of the Pilgrims upon reaching Plymouth and their interaction with the natives. A great deal of the book also covers the happenings surrounding King Philips War. I'd visited Plimoth Plantation as a child but imagine I would have got much more from it after reading this book. A lot here that isn't common knowledge. Easy to follow with good maps and illustrations. Very telling about the people who made the journey. B+

NYT Review

Outliers by Malcom Gladwell

This book is similar to Blink but focuses on how what he describes as outliers (the very smart/ successful) have used the various opportunities presented them to make their own success. I think Outliers are summed up well at the end of his book, "Their success is not exceptional or mysterious. It is grounded in a web of advantages and inheritances, some deserved, some not, some earned, some just plain lucky - but all critical to making them who they are." An entertaining read that, as Blink did, makes you look at things a bit differently. B

NYT review

The Forever War by Dexter Filkins

Similar to War Journal by Richard Engel that I read over break last year and really enjoyed. Dexter Filkins is a New York Times journalist writing about his experiences in Afganistan and Iraq. He spends time with everyone from US troops to Iraqi locals and diplomats with even some encounters with extremists. His view is much different than what is commonly reported (i.e. majority of Iraqi's aren't keen on US occupation and wanted them out after 6 months). It is in interesting view, especially seeing what has been happening over the last couple years. Obviously the US did so much wrong, guess that is the problem with not planning for anything after "winning" the war. Very well written and I highly recommend it if you are at all interesting in the recent events in the region. A

NYT Review

The Plot Against America by Philip Roth

Not really sure how I felt about this one. It takes place in early 1940's America and assumes Charles Lindbergh, a Nazi sympathiser, is elected President. It focuses on the anti-Semitism that follows. In any case, I did enjoy the sections about how the events depicted affected the narrator and his family but there was a lot of additional background that didn't really grab me. B-

NYT Review

The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris

Pulitzer Prize winner. I already read the second in the series but this was more highly recommended by others and it focuses on his life before becoming President. I wish I had read this one first as it really does a good job of describing Teddy and what drove him. It certainly would add a lot of context for the second book. If you are at all interested in American History or Theodore Roosevelt specifically, read this one. A-

The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins

Have finally got to this one after planning to read it about a year ago. Angela read and reviewed this awhile back. So much to say about this one. As Angela pointed out, some of the science can be a bit heavy but that shouldn't deter anyone. His arguments are logical and fact based.

What so many forget is that religion is faith and not factually based. The author does a great job of debunking the common held argument for the existence of a God and outlines why there almost certainly is no God - seriously, the Old Testament, some of the stuff in that is CRAZY.

I won't get into too much of my beliefs but I do find it odd that there are so many religions today, and none of them support one another, they all conflict - so which one is "right?" Not to mention the majority of all wars could probably be tied back to arguments over religious beliefs. Well anyway, this is a good read if you aren't in the 100% believe there is a God camp and thus can be open minded and objective - you finish the book and see really how outrageous religion can be (although I can see church as a good social outlet for people). So much for keeping my views to a minimum. A-

Where Underpants Come From by Joe Bennett

Same author as the book I recently finished, A Land of Two Halves, which I preferred. This one focuses on Mr. Bennett's attempt to understand how the underpants he purchased at The Warehouse (discount store here in NZ that buys almost everything from China) were made. He travels to China to uncover the source of the raw material through production and shipment to NZ. It was ok, I'd pass. C

Cathedral of the Sea by Ildefonso Falcones

Historical fiction set in 14th century Barcelona. Basic rags to riches type story and very similar to the Ken Follett books Pillars of the Earth and World Without End. If you liked those, you'll probably enjoy this one. It was a quick read even at 600+ pages. B

Mudbound by Hillary Jordan

Saw this at the bookstore and it sounded interesting and has received good reviews so when it came up as available at the library I picked it up. Read it in 2 days - easy to get into and quick reading. The story takes place in the rural south just after WWII and focus on many issue with racism taking center stage. I like the way the story is told with each chapter taking a different character's perspective - 6 character's in all get to share their thoughts on the one storyline. Different read for me but very good. Here's The Denver Post book review. B+

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

After seeing the waiting list at the library for this I just went out and bought it. It's been some time since Dan Brown has had a book out - guess the income from the movies was enough. This book didn't disappoint for me. If you liked the last two, you will probably like this one. I can't say Brown has evolved as a writer but I can see this one making a good movie as well (cha ching). Good thriller, suspenseful but same formula as his last couple. Worth the effort. B+

A Land of Two Halves by Joe Bennett

Recommendation from someone at work. The author is a social commentator who, after living in NZ for 10 years, hitchhikes around the country to uncover the heart of the country. I recommend this if you have been to NZ or intend to visit. There is a lot here. Similar to a Bill Bryson book but, I thought, funnier. Of course, that might be because I understand a lot of the NZ references. There is a good amount of history here as well. In any case, it's a light and quick read. A-

Netherland by Joseph O'Neill

Here's a good synopsis about this book. It's not a book that offers heavy doses of the game of cricket so don't be scared off by that (and if you enjoy cricket and want to read something about it, this isn't it). This did take me a few pages to get into and is different than most of my recent reads. It's not a suspenseful page turner but more philosophical and thought provoking. I found the sentences very long - as if the author was trying to get too many thought across at once. I did have to reread some paragraphs as his word play and imagery is a bit much at times. I was able to connect with the lead character and found myself immersed in his world. All this said, I found it very enthralling and recommend it. Check out the NYT Book Review. A

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson

While I wasn't overly impressed with the writing style it is easy to get past based on the story. Simply amazing what Greg Mortenson has done. He is a true hero and going about helping the Pakistani and Afghan people the right way. I saw a review the other day where the person had read this right after reading A Thousand Splendid Suns and I agree that would be helpful to read both. Anyway, Here for more info. B+

The Other Daughter by Lisa Gardner C

Plain, Honest Men: The Making of the American Constitution by Richard Beeman.

A good in-depth view of the development of the US Constitution. It's worth the read if you have any interest in the subject matter. Simply amazing how these guys put this document together. A true compromise that left most of the participants feeling somewhat satisfied even though it wasn't what each of them wanted. Check out the NYT book review. B+

The Steel Wave: A Novel of World War II by Jeff Shaara

My dad got me started on this author by giving me a signed copy of The Rising Tide. This is the second in the 3 part series and focuses on the D-Day invasion. Historical fiction with main characters Eisenhower, Rommel, and a sergeant attached to the 82nd airborne Jesse Adams. If interested in WWII, I recommend it. Check out a review if you don't believe me. A

The Post-American World by Fareed Zakaria

Fareed Zakaria's view on the economic and political rise of the rest of the world with the focus centering on China and India. He also has several suggestions on what the US should do in order to operate effectively in this new era. Fareed takes a very balanced view - it's not an over exaggerated story on how the US has lost its way or how China/ India will shortly become the next superpower. A lot of well supported factual information the draws on recent history to help him make his point. I enjoyed its balanced approach - just enough being tough on America for always thinking they are #1 while also acknowledging the good things they do. B+

The Unforgiving Minute: A Soldier's Education by Craig Mullaney

One of many books I ordered from Amazon which Angela hauled back from the US. New York Times Review. A really good story about the author's life from entering West Point, then to Ranger school, on to Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, deployment to Afghanistan as a platoon leader, and finally his return to the US. If you have any interest in what army life is like, this is a compelling read. Craig does a good job of explaining things without heavy promotion of the military. It's a quick read, not too deep but gives an idea of what it's like to be in the military in this day. B+