Our Favorite Books
-
Blobbi:
Blobbi, :salute:. I've not read any of thesel. The closest I come to this genre is kite runner. Have you read it?These days, I can't read fiction. Best books I've read:
Blood & Oil, Manucher and Roxane Farmanfarman.
Manucher Farmanfarman (family name means Prince of Princes) comes from a line of royalty in Iran. he was instrumental to, I can't remember his exact words, the rape of his country's oil reserves by the British in the early 20th century. The narrative is personal - this guy is an old world charmer who's opening line talks of attending a meeting for ambassadors (that's what he was) and meeting with wives (not his), with hungry eyes. Anyway, I felt so enraged with the treatment that the Brits meted out to their \"sovereign\" properties.
The Orientalist, Tom Reiss
A semi-biography of a mysterious writer of a book Tom Reiss came across while in Soviet Central Asia. As it unfolds, it's clear the man, Kurbin Said, was a Jew trying to run away from his own identity when being Jewish was a mark of death. It paints a picture of how Central Asian Jews, Muslims, Christians lived together before revolution tore them apart.
Now reading Uranium Wars by Amir Aczel. About how Uranium was discovered, how nuclear fission was discovered. Are we at the forefront of mass renewable energy? Very exciting! -
Funz:
I'm also a fan of Patterson..think I've read almost all the Alex Cross, Women's murder clubs except the Max ride series which my son likes.If given a choice, I tend to go for mystery, thrillers or horror. But if in a crunch, I will read anything I can get my hands on.
So far I like James Patterson's Alex Cross and Women's murder club series, Tami Hoag, Dean Koontz, Patricia Cornwall, Michael Connelly, John Sandford to name a few.
Currently reading Lisa Jackson's Chosen to Die.
I have seen and heard about Jodi Picoult but have not picked up any of her books. Afraid that it will be one of those rambling stories that go on and on about scenaries and decription of persons, etc.
Tried reading the Twilight series to see what all the fuss was about but got totally bored after the 1st couple of chapters. Did not make it through the movie either.
DH bought Men in White but it is such a big thick book that I do not have a chance to read yet. I have a bad habit of reading in bed and that book is just too heavy and cumbersome.
Now that I have the Kindle I am downloading a host of free books from amazon. Beginning to like this little gadget after the initial hiccup of getting started.
Books like Men in White, MM Lee's memoirs..it's not something I'll read..maybe when I retire..
Twilight series..I read them to know what my kids are saying.
Do you find reading on the kindle straining to the eyes? I recently realised that NLB has audio books which you can loan for 2 weeks. Have just finished Cecilia Ahern's If You Could See Me Now, within 1 week of school runs. -
mathsparks:
Yes, read The Pact sometime back. My fav is still My Sister's Keeper, which is the first Picoult book I read
Indeed, picoult's books are emotionally draining, but it also leaves you questioning the choices you made.mummy of 2:
Hi
I'm a fan too. Her books are excellent reading, but can be emotionally disturbing, as I find myself drawn too deeply into it.
Usually I try to alternate reading her books with lighter ones by Jane Green, Sophie Kinsella etc, so that I'm not too drained/brain-dead.
Anyone read The Pact yet? As parents, we try to be a friend to our kids, to know what's bothering them and we like to think that our kids run to us when they've troubles...
Emily is dead at seventeen from a gunshot to the head, and Chris says the two had intended to carry out a suicide pact. -
mathsparks:
The closest I come to this genre is kite runner. Have you read it?
Yah read it. So very sad. Made me cry ... actually, goosebumps standing now as I type this ... -
What’s the Kite Runner about? Worth reading?
-
mummy of 2:
What's the Kite Runner about? Worth reading?
IMHO, yes. The author himself migrated from Afghanistan to the US. These two places serve as the backdrop of the novel. It's about the innocence of childhood and early friendships; how a young child sees a nebulous relationship with a servant boy - is he friend or servant? It's also about betrayal, unspoken events that, when we are disappointed with ourselves, can cause us to reject others around us who serve as a reminder, and about coming to terms with ourselves.
The servant boy, Hassan, is a Hazara. This is a race of people who are quite spread out across Pakistan and Central Asia. I've always been fascinated by them because they can look so Asian! Their bloodline was probably left behind by Genghis Khan's hordes as they trampled across the Central Asian plains.
Anyway, I couldn't bring myself to watch the movie. -
Blobbi:
I read the book too. Highly recommended. Also his next one entitled \"A Thousand Splendid Suns\"mummy of 2:
What's the Kite Runner about? Worth reading?
IMHO, yes. The author himself migrated from Afghanistan to the US. These two places serve as the backdrop of the novel. It's about the innocence of childhood and early friendships; how a young child sees a nebulous relationship with a servant boy - is he friend or servant? It's also about betrayal, unspoken events that, when we are disappointed with ourselves, can cause us to reject others around us who serve as a reminder, and about coming to terms with ourselves.
The servant boy, Hassan, is a Hazara. This is a race of people who are quite spread out across Pakistan and Central Asia. I've always been fascinated by them because they can look so Asian! Their bloodline was probably left behind by Genghis Khan's hordes as they trampled across the Central Asian plains.
Anyway, I couldn't bring myself to watch the movie.
-
Blobbi:
I didnt watch the movie either.
Anyway, I couldn't bring myself to watch the movie. -
autumnbronze:
Yep, I finished this too. There're so many frayed copies of the kite runner in the library, it is definitely a very popular read. And I remembered queueing for several weeks just to get a copy of the splendid suns from the library.
I read the book too. Highly recommended. Also his next one entitled \"A Thousand Splendid Suns\" -
I read the Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini back in 2007, when events in Afganistan prompted me to pick up the book.
From wikipedia: The story of Amir, a well-to-do Pashtun boy from Kabul, who is haunted by the guilt of betraying his childhood friend Hassan, the son of his father's Hazara servant. The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of the monarchy in Afghanistan through the Soviet invasion, the mass exodus of refugees to Pakistan and the US, and the Taliban regime.
Hazaras were massacred when the Talibans came to rid Afghanistan of filth.
The book described how Hazara men and boys were shot right in front of their families and their bodies left on the streets for dogs to eat. As in the words of a Talib..dog meat for dogs. According to the book, Hazaras were Mogul descendants, and that they looked a little like Chinese people. Pashtuns were Sunni Muslims, while Hazaras were Shi'a. I was surprised to find out that the hazaras are mogul descendants and looked like Chinese too.
The first English book written by an Afghan, though simple in writing, left a lasting impression on me with these..
and I brought Hassan’s son from Afghanistan to America, lifting him from a certainty of turmoil and dropping him in a turmoil of uncertainty.
There are a lot of children in Afghanistan, but little childhood.
I wondered how forgiveness budded, not with the fanfare of epiphany, but with pain gathering its things, packing up and slipping away unannounced in the middle of the night.
That was a long time ago, but it's wrong what they say about the past, I've learned, about how you can bury it. Because the past claws its way out
A reminder of a dream that was wilting even as it was budding.
I had wanted so much to watch the movie, but eventually couldnt bring myself to watch it, just like Blobbi.
It's a great book, mummy of 2. Go read it! It’ll bring tears to your eyes. And get your mind off petty worries.
Hello! It looks like you're interested in this conversation, but you don't have an account yet.
Getting fed up of having to scroll through the same posts each visit? When you register for an account, you'll always come back to exactly where you were before, and choose to be notified of new replies (either via email, or push notification). You'll also be able to save bookmarks and upvote posts to show your appreciation to other community members.
With your input, this post could be even better 💗
Register Login
