The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead Books, 2004, c.2003.

Amir has been struggling his whole life long with the knowledge that his father despised him for what he perceived as character flaws. In addition, his father seemed to show more interest in Amir's best friend, Hassan, the son of his servant, than in his own son. In an attempt to catch and hold his father's attention, Amir betrayed Hassan, resulting in the estrangement of the two families after a 40-year friendship. Now, after many years and a flight to America ahead of the Taliban, he still feels guilt and loss, and castigates himself on his lack of character and lack of courage.

After his father's death, Amir receives a cryptic phone call from a family friend in Afghanistan, urgently requesting him to "Come. There is a way to be good again." He decides, now that he is married, to accept the offer in the hope that the truth can finally be told, the guilt assuaged, and the weight of hidden secrets can be lifted from his relationships. And so, he returns to Afghanistan to meet Rahim Khan, a journey that becomes an epiphany.

The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield. Atria Books, 2006.

Nearly reclusive Margaret, who writes biographies of dead authors, is summoned to write the life story of a living author of many popular books. Reluctantly, she allows herself to be persuaded, and is drawn into a bizarre story of madness, incest, twin-talk, and research.

Vida Winter, a self-described storyteller, has provided at least 20 different accounts of her life to journalists. Now nearing death, she is oddly haunted by the earlier request of a brown-suited journalist to "tell the truth". It is up to Margaret to determine whether, this time, the story is fact or fiction.

Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die , by Chip Heath & Dan Heath. Random House, 2007.

Using famous and not-famous examples, the authors analyze common elements of real and (urban) mythical ideas that "stuck." The six principles they arrived at are: the ideas are simple, unexpected, concrete, credible, emotional, and tell a story. Having read the book, I can see applications in all areas of life - anywhere you have a message to convey. By applying the six principles, anyone should be able to craft a message that will be immediately clear, to the point, and "sticky." (Footnote: I have trouble remembering the correct title of the book - even though the safety-orange cover and simulated duct tape across the front is vividly in my mind.)

The secret life of The lonely doll : the search for Dare Wright, by Jean Nathan. New York : H. Holt, c2004.

An image of the cover of a children's book "The Lonely Doll," originally published in the 1950s, resurfaces unbidden in Jean Nathan's memory, and she embarks on a quest to discover more about its author, Dare Wright. The book itself proves elusive to find, and biographical information about its author equally so. Eventually, the story she is able to piece together is both profoundly illuminating and profoundly disturbing.

Although I would not have chosen this biography to read on my own, I found I was fascinated by Dare's story. Confined to a world of make-believe by a strong mother who couldn't let go, Dare's personality is subsumed so completely into that of her mother, she herself almost completely ceases to exist as an individual. It was like watching a spider create its web and entrap its victims; yet, even knowing what the ultimate end would be, I was unable to stop reading.

Misquoting Jesus, by Bart D. Ehrman. HarperSanFrancisco, 2005.

Believing the Gospels to be the true word of God, the author is disconcerted to discover that there are provable discrepancies in copies made at different places and times - some unintentional and others intentional - which have changed the meaning or interpretation of the message. He concludes there is currently no way to really know what happened and what Jesus actually said, because so many changes were made to support the positions of different factions within the early and medieval Church. The history and research are interesting and well documented - almost tediously so - but ultimately Ehrman fails to convincingly state how his findings affected his belief in the veracity of todays editions of the Gospels. Disillusionment is evident, but a corresponding re-affirmation of his faith is not very strong or convincing. I was left with the impression that the Gospels were, and still are, used as a teaching tool to support the beliefs of Christianity, and that they can, and probably will, be changed again as new discoveries are made and new research is published.

"True History of the Kelly Gang" by Peter Carey. Alfred Knopf, 2000.

Is he a folk hero or a murderer? Ned Kelly, who lived in Australia in the latter half of the nineteenth century, has polarized the country. Imprisoned and sentenced to death for his crimes after eluding police for 20 years, he tells his story in a "letter" to his as-yet unborn daughter. He describes in eloquent detail the living conditions, the corruption, and the desperation of the people around himself, hoping to prove to his daughter that his intentions were honorable, but circumstances beyond his control made judicious choices impossible.

Carey chose to tell the story from Kelly's point of view, mimicking the style of Kelly's own writings, as preserved in the Jerilderie Letter, for example. Once you get past the unusual and colloquial language, the images he draws of life in those times are riveting and appalling. Considered from today's vantage of civil rights and social welfare programs, Kelly's life was hard and hopeless. Was his death karma or martyrdom? That's still being debated in Australia. He won't, however, be forgotten.

"Something Remains" by Inge Barth-Grozinger. Translated from the German by Anthea Bell.Hyperion Books for Children, 2006.

Although Sacramento Public Library does not own this novel, I thought it was worth including. Originally published in 2004 in Germany, it answers the question of how the Holocaust could have happened. Told from the viewpoint of Erich Levi, son of a Jewish merchant in the small German town of Ellwangen, the erosion of the rights of Jews is chronicled over a period of about 3 years. The belief that the sanctions were unfair and temporary is a strong thread throughout the story. It is not until the end of the book that the reader finds out that this is the story of a real family! This would be a good companion to Anne Frank's "Diary of a Young Girl."

"Twelve Sharp" by Janet Evanovich. St. Martin's Press, 2006.

The latest in this wonderfully trashy mystery series involving bounty hunter Stephanie Plum involves fewer car burnings and gallant rescues, and shows a new dimension in the character of Ranger. In this episode, Ranger's twelve year old daughter has been kidnapped from her foster parents by a lunatic who has adopted Ranger's persona, and who is just smart enough and experienced enough to elude all attempts to apprehend him.

I was a little disappointed, actually, because it seems like the twisted, exotic characters are becoming more "normal" and therefore less interesting. However, both Marty and I finished the book in record time: within 48 hours it was back at the library, ready to go to the next on the 150-person waiting list. Can't wait for number thirteen!

"Angels and Demons" by Dan Brown. Pocket Books, 2000.
The theft of a secret and highly dangerous sample of antimatter from a research center in Switzerland leads to a race against the clock, literally. The Illuminati, a secret society long presumed to be defunct, claims responsibility and leads researchers and experts to Vatican City where, against the backdrop of a papal election, three cardinals are kidnapped from the conclave and murdered. Will the experts solve the clues and recover the antimatter before Vatican City is destroyed?

BibliOdyssey
Although this blog is intended to be a log of books I have read, I came across the web site BibliOdyssey via another blog and thought it was worth sharing here: it is a collection of art from old books - quirky, beautiful, mysterious, eclectic.

"The Shadow of the Wind," by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Penguin Press, 2004.
This novel is set in Barcelona during and after the Spanish civil war. On his 10th birthday, Daniel's father takes him to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, where "last copies" go for safekeeping forever, or until they can be adopted by someone else. Daniel selects the book, "Shadow of the Wind," which captures his imagination so completely that he wants to find out more about the author and read his other works. During the course of his search over the next 10 years or so, he finds it unusual that there seems to be no information about the author, and that someone is methodically tracking down every copy of the author's works and burning them. There is danger, romance, humor, drama, and philosophy in the pages of this novel, and the author is successful in preserving the punchline until near the end of the story.

"The Winds of Change: Climate, Weather, and the Destruction of Civilization," by Eugene Linden. Simon and Schuster, 2006.

Linden has spent the last thirty years studying and writing about nature and the environment. In this book, he assembles his own and others' research into a timeline of global climate change cycles. He compares historical events like the disappearances of the Norse settlement in Greenland, the Akkadian community in North Africa, and the Maya in Central America with the climatological record recovered from icecap and ocean floor core samples. He claims there is strong evidence for a model of sudden catastrophic climate changes, rather than for the older model of gradual change over a long time.

Because this is a relatively new field of study, the evidence is still anecdotal. Linden shows that, although global warming is increasing at an unprecedented rate, the United States and other nations are refusing to acknowledge this or to take seriously the potentially disastrous consequenses. The compelling correlations he draws between historical events and global climate change, however, will soon lead you to agree with his conclusion that a major climate change is imminent - and has already begun.

"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time," by Mark Haddon. Doubleday, 2003.

Told from the viewpoint of 15 yr. old Christopher, who has a form of autism, the mystery of who killed his neighbor's dog morphs into another mystery altogether. In systematically "detecting" the circumstances of the dog's death, Christopher actually tells two stories: the story of his struggle to cope in a "normal" world, and the story of the break-up of his parents' marriage.

This book seems to have a big impact on each person who reads it. It is tragic, funny, pathetic, and insightful. I couldn't put it down.

"Small Island " by Andrea Levy, Picador, c.2005.
Hortense and Gilbert Joseph, black Jamaican immigrants living in London immediately post-World War II, try to build their lives together as members of the British Empire, only to find that Mother England is less than tolerant of her colored children.

Queenie and Bernard, white and English, have issues of their own to deal with. Bernard, presumed dead, turns up at his front door two years after the war has ended, to find his wife has taken in black lodgers to support herself.

I had the eerie feeling that I was actually hearing the voices in this novel. The author has somehow managed to commit to paper the cadences of the Jamaican patois and British and American wartime slang. Through chapters told alternately from the point of view of one or another character, the personalities and histories of the four major players and several others come to life with humor, pathos, drama, and compassion. Certainly the characters are overdrawn, but as representatives of the events of their day, they effectively drive home the difficulties faced by servicemen after the war, as well as those faced by immigrants. This would make a good book for a discussion group.

"The Time Traveler's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger. MacAdam/Cage Pub., c2003.

It's impossible to know where to begin in describing this book. Clare and Henry meet, marry, and ultimately have a daughter. Clare is an artist; Henry is a librarian with a peculiar genetic disorder that causes him to abruptly and unexpectedly transport back and forth in time within his life. This causes disconcerting disconnects between himself, his wife, his job, and the everyday normalcy one expects. There is an indication that a cure or control may be possible, but not in the immediate future.

I gave up trying to keep track of dates and ages as Clare ages and Henry time-travels, and just enjoyed the story. However, the ending introduced some new implications and became somehow very disturbing. I would read it again just to see if I could comprehend the potential impacts on the lives of the characters.

"Epitaph For a Peach" by David Mas Masumoto. New York : HarperCollins, 1995.
This book was chosen by a planning committee for the second "One Book Sacramento" program in summer of 2005. I declined to read it then, but thought, as a library employee, I ought to at least give it the once-over. I was surprised to find myself thoroughly enjoying Masumoto's account of a year on his peach and grape farm. I found his writing lyrical and introspective, full of richly evocative images of his trees, house, and family, past and present. I enjoyed his comparisions and following his thoughts as he arrived at his plan for the next year. It is certainly about farming, but encompases so much more: philosophy, wonder, humor, rue, fear, anger, submission. Astute observations of other farmers and the migrant farm workers he hires are sprinkled throughout like salt, to savor this blend. I wish I had read it during the program, so I could have attended the author's talks. I would love to meet him! One reviewer captured it perfectly: "a beautifully wrought tale about food that ultimately nourishes the soul."

"Code Orange" by Caroline B. Cooney. New York : Delacorte Press, 2005.
Mitty, who never exerts himself in school any more than absolutely necessary, becomes intensely and personally interested in his "infectious diseseases" writing assignment. Challenged to find titles about smallpox for his bibliography, he investigates some old books his mother has purchased from a doctor's estate - and discovers an envelope containing 100-year-old smallpox scabs. After handling them and accidentally breathing in some of the old dust, he becomes convinced he has infected himself and all of New York City.

"The Prosecutors [A Year In The Life Of A District Attorney's Office]" by Gary Delsohn. Roseland, NJ : Listen & Live Audio, p2003.

Author-reader Delsohn follows the progress of six high-profile crimes prosecuted by the Sacramento County District Attorney's office in a recent year.

This is only the second audiobook I've "read", but I learned that true crime in audio is not for me. I was living in Sacramento when the crimes occurred or were tried, and I found it too much like listening to the news. During our book club discussion, though, some folks said they found it interesting to see the prep work required to bring the criminals to trial, and also were surprised at how much politicking and dealing went on in the DA's office in the interests of getting a conviction.

"Winning every time : how to use the skills of a lawyer in the trials of your life" by Lis Wiehl. New York, Balantine Books, 2004

Wiehl is a trial lawyer, commentator and legal analyst. She illustrates the steps anyone can follow to build a solid "case", argue it rationally, defend it, and win in all the arenas of life: home, work, and school. Each step is explained in its own chapter and brought to life with vivid examples.

"The Map That Changed the World : William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology" by Simon Winchester. New York, HarperCollins, 2001

William Smith, while working as a coal miner in the early 19th century in England, learned from other experienced miners that the earth was arranged in predictable layers. Later while surveying routes for coal-barge-carrying canals, he remarked that those layers occurred in the same order all over England; moreover, they could be identified by the fossils they contained. Armed with this discovery, he then made it his life’s work to create the world’s first map of England’s rock layers, thus founding the science of geology.