Camp is over, I’m finally getting enough sleep, and I’m actually at home for more than a week at a time....time to enjoy some reading. Here’s some of the books I’ve been reading or listening too:
Kite Runner
I only just started this, but am intrigued already. It’s about a boy growing up in Afghanistan and that’s almost all I know so far. It’s very well written and so full of things I’ve never seen or experienced that it’s very intriguing.
The Life of Pi:
This is an odd book, but I found I couldn’t put it down. It’s about an Indian boy whose father owns a zoo, and then one day decides to move to Canada. On the way to Canada, the boat with Pi, all the animals, and his family sinks. Pi is left alone on a lifeboat with some unusual companions.
It’s an eclectic collection of reflections about life, religion and animals in India, as well as a tale of harsh survival, and at the end even fantastical. Has an odd twist at the end that makes an interesting epistemological statement. Very interesting. (does have some graphic descriptions of wild animals killing, eating, surviving etc. be warned)
Artemis Fowl, Artemis Fowl 2
I had always wondered if these books were any good. Now I know. They are! I loved reading the first one, and listening to the second one. They are witty, clever and delightful stories.
Blink: the power of thinking without thinking.
I’m listening to this book after reading it last fall. It’s by Malcolm Gladwell, the author of the Tipping Point and follows in his engaging, well researched, almost anecdotal, but tightly crafted style. He explains how our minds make sub conscious snap decisions, why they’re so often right, and how they can be fooled. Compelling.
The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place:
Great book by E. L. Konigsburg, author of From the Mixed up Files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler. Typical of her style: about a young girl, funny, back and forth in time and perspective, with quirky twists and a good dose of wit along the way.
The Message:
Just got the audio version of the Message New Testament. It’s a vibrant, contemporary translation of the Bible by scholar Eugene Peterson. It’s so exciting to listen to familiar stories and truth in new words.
Okay, so there’s some books I’ve been reading. Leave a comment and let me know what you’re reading and what I should check out! Can’t wait to see what’s scattered around or neatly stacked in your room!
Thursday, 24 August, 2006
