Brian's Books 2011

[Brian.]

I meant to do one of these last year but never got round to it. My TBR pile is ever growing and this should be a good way to keep track of how close I get to reading 50 books this year. I am going to stick 2 holding relpies onto this so I would appreciate no replies until they are done.

 

1. Fear And Trembling by Amelie Nothomb (My Review)

2. 3,096 Days by Natascha Kampusch (My Review)

3. American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis (My Review)

4. Phoenix Squadron by Rowland White (My Review)

5. The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan (My Review)

6. Stealing The Wave by Andy Martin (My Review)

7. The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Moshin Hamid (My Review)

8. The Coming Insurrection by The Invisible Committee (My Review)

9. My Booky Wook by Russell Brand (My Review)

10. Bad Science by Ben Goldacre (My Review)

11. Fatherland by Robert Harris (My Review)

12. The Damage Done by Warren Fellows (My Review)

13. A Life Too Short: The Tragedy of Robert Enke by Ronnie Reng (My Review)

14. Bringing Down The House by Ben Mezrich (My Review)

15. The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson (My Review)

16. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (My Review)

17. Tokyo Vice by Jake Adelstein (My Review)

18. Amsterdam by Ian McEwan (My Review)

19. Junky by William S. Burroughs (My Review)

20. Cold War by Jeremy Isaacs & Taylor Downing (My Review)

21. Lustrum by Robert Harris (My Review)

22. On the Road by Jack Kerouac (My Review)

23. The Hacienda: Hot Not To Run a Club by Peter Hook (My Review)

24. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (My Review)

25. Snow by Orhan Pamuk (My Review)

26. Fremder by Russell Hoban (My Review)

27. Slave Girl by Sarah Forsyth (My Review)

28. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway (My Review)

29. White Noise by Don DeLillo (My Review)

30. Money by Martin Amis (My Review)

Edited December 25, 2011 by Brian.

[Brian.]

This will be ever growing no doubt.

 

 

To Be Read

Casino Royale - Ian Fleming

Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad

Frankenstein - Mary Shelley

Dracula - Bram Stoker

Alone In Berlin - Hans Fallada

Crime & Punishment - Dostoyevsky

The Secret Agent - Joseph Conrad

Lord of the Flies - William Golding

Germinal - Emile Zola

The Shipping News - E. Annie Proulx

Lustrum - Robert Harris

Pompeii - Robert Harris

Enigma - Robert Harris

Archangel - Robert Harris

Contact - Carl Sagan

The Black Dahlia - James Ellroy

Tales from the Thousand and One Nights

The Satanic Verses - Salman Rushdie

Arnhem - Lloyd Clark

Robinson Crusoe - Daniel Defoe

Berlin Soldier - Helmut Altner

The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

The Reluctant Fundamentalist - Mohsin Hamid

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - Mark Haddon

Edited November 25, 2011 by Brian.

[Brian.]

On Hold.

 

Reply away

[Peacefield]

Some great classics on your lists, Brian! Will this be your first read or a re-read? Germinal and Dracula are on my wish list, so I'm contstantly keeping my eye out for them at the second-hand shops.

[Brian.]

First reads, I only read got into read fiction just over a year ago, before that I only read non fiction. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley pretty much changed all that and since then I've been picking up some of the classics. I've got a load more to add to the list, I buy far far too many books.

[Peacefield]

No such thing as buying too many books, Brian! I've always read fiction, and have only read a handful of non-fiction but have been wanting to change that. Plus of course there's still a bunch of classics I've not read .

[Kylie]

Nice list of classics there, Brian. Frankenstein and Dracula are two of my favourite books, and Crime and Punishment is an excellent read, although I found it a little hard going.

[ladymacbeth]

How did you find American Psycho? Is that the one that was made into a movie with Christian Bale and Reese Witherspoon? Not sure if I'm getting my memory wires twisted.

[Brian.]

Fear and Trembling by Amelie Nothomb

 

 

Synopsis

Amelie Nothomb was born in Japan, is Belgian by nationality and living in France when the book is written. She takes up a job working for Yumimoto Corporation for a year. The book is her experience of the east/west divide and culture clashes that she experience during her time there and also her struggle with adapting to the Japanese way of doing things.

 

 

 

 

My Thoughts

Normally I doubt I would pick up a book like this to read, I hadnt heard of the author and the cover is fairly uninspiring. It was a title mentioned in something I read recently, probably one of those endless 'books you must read' lists. Its a short book (132 pages) and I thought a great way to start the year. Being someone who has had to work in foriegn lands I instantly related to some of the oddities picked up by Nothomb. She portrays the unease you intially feel when dropped into a different culture very well, only here its enhanced because of the difference between Japanese and Europeans. I couldnt help but feel sympathy for her situation and yet at the same time laugh at the peculiar customs she encounters. Her battles with her immediate superior Mori Fubuki show the massive contrast between two different out looks on life. At the same time as feeling sympathy for Nothomb because of Fubuki's actions towards her I felt sorry for Fubuki because society demands that she is the way she is.

 

Overall I found this to be a very pleasant book to read and great way to spend a few hours. It doesnt try to be more than it is and although I probably wont seek out any more Nothomb titles in glad I decided to read this one. I've already lend the book to my sister who was an interest in Japanese culture and she loved it.

 

7/10

[Brian.]

How did you find American Psycho? Is that the one that was made into a movie with Christian Bale and Reese Witherspoon? Not sure if I'm getting my memory wires twisted.

There is certainly a movie that has Christian Bale in it although its been a long time since I seen it. I has to confess I didnt really enjoy the book too much, its far more graphic than the movie if memory serves me correctly and I found it hard to stick with. I'll post up a more in depth review before too long but I don't see myself reading it again.

[frankie]

Hello Brian, nice to see another new book logger I was a bit surprised to see a review on an Amelie Nothomb book, I rarely come across someone who's read her books. Fear and Trembling is my least favorite of hers, but since you liked it I would recommend The Stranger Next Door and Antichrista which are my favorite Nothombs and which you might enjoy as well

 

Edit: Almost forgot: Have you already read the Natascha Kampusch book? It's on my wishlist and I'm curious to find out if you liked it.

Edited January 17, 2011 by frankie

[Brian.]

3,096 Days by Natascha Kampusch

 

 

 

Synopsis

In 1998, 10-year-old Natascha Kampusch was grabbed off a street in Vienna suburb by Wolfgang Priklopi. From there after she spent 3,096 days as his prisoner, most of which was spent in a cellar un able to communicate with the outside world. This book is her story of the ordeal, how she coped with her situation and eventually, her escape.

 

 

My Thoughts

This book had been on my radar for a while and I'm not sure how I came across it. I think it must have been recommended by a newspaper article or by a bookstore email. Once I scanned through the spiel on the back cover I just knew I had to read it, the story must have passed me by when it happened as it was new to me. Very quickly into the book I realised that this wasn't just another one of those stories about a crime. Kampusch approaches the story from a slightly different angle and is very honest about her emotions about her parents foe example prior to the kidnapping. The inital shock of the kidnap gradually subsides into her attempts to defy her captor in small but no doubt important ways.

 

I had wondered how much can be said about her time in a cellar and how it would fill the pages but at no point does it feel repetitive. Even during her small victories and calmer moments violence is just around the corner. The beatings and physical torment caused to her make harrowing reading but one thing remains unsaid. At no point does she mention any sexual torment she may or may not have faced and for that I am very glad. Doing so would have spoilt the overall tone of the book I feel and is not needed.

 

I felt the pace quicken as her escape approaches and yet there are further twists which are heart wrenching. After her eventual escape she addresses her emotions towards her ordeal, her parents, the police and also Priklopi. Its her emotions towards Priklopi which are naturally the most fascinating, I expected hatred, she gives almost forgiveness. Once I had finished the book I hit google to find out more. There are photos of her prison, Priklopi and her but also many articles. The articles reveal that her life afterwards has causes much controversy. She has bought the house in which she was held captive and she refuses to accept her status as a 'victim'. She is also very public, has a TV show and has given many interviews and her approach is at odds to what many expect the appropriate response to be. I can't help but think that there is more to come.

 

9/10

I would have no hesitation to recommend this book.

[frankie]

Excellent review Brian, I'm now definitely going to buy this at some point and read it. Thanks!

[Brian.]

Hello Brian, nice to see another new book logger I was a bit surprised to see a review on an Amelie Nothomb book, I rarely come across someone who's read her books. Fear and Trembling is my least favorite of hers, but since you liked it I would recommend The Stranger Next Door and Antichrista which are my favorite Nothombs and which you might enjoy as well

Although I said I doubted if I would read another one of Nothomb's books I might have to check out your suggestions.

 

Excellent review Brian, I'm now definitely going to buy this at some point and read it. Thanks!

Thank you, I intend to review all the books I read, its just taking me a little time to catch up on the ones I've already read.

[Janet]

Amelie Nothomb was born in Japan, is Belgian by nationality and living in France when the book is written. She takes up a job working for Yumimoto Corporation for a year. The book is her experience of the east/west divide and culture clashes that she experience during her time there and also her struggle with adapting to the Japanese way of doing things.

As strange coincidence would have it, I looked at this book this morning as it said on Wikipedia that she is a 'Belgium writer' (although it does later say she was born in Japan). Unfortunately, that rules her out of my challenges as I'm doing them based on where the writer was born.

[Brian.]

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

 

 

 

Synopsis

Patrick Bateman is twenty-six and works on Wall Street; he is handsome, sophisticated, charming and intelligent. He is also a psychopath. Taking us to a head-on collision with America’s greatest dream – and its worst nightmare – American Psycho is a bleak, bitter, black comedy about a world we all recognize but do not wish to confront. (Taken from Amazon)

 

My Thoughts

My decision to read this was based on the fact that I have a very vague recollection of the movie and wanted to watch it again. However before watching it I wanted to read the book as I often find movies have been changed quite a lot from their respective books. I had high hopes as it often appears on 'must read' lists. I was in for a surprise and from my point of view, not a good one.

 

I struggled to get through this book but I stuck with it hoping that it would suck me in but it didnt. My biggest gripe is the repeated details of what people are wearing or possess. I understand that this is an important aspect as it pokes fun at the consumer driven nature of the characters and their try to get one over the next man. Half way through the book though and it gets tired. I also found that none of the characters were that interesting, apart from Bateman they provoked no emotions on my part.

 

I suspect that some of the book may be lost on me. I'm generally not one for hidden meanings and interwoven messages in books. I found the violence at times to be particularly nasty and felt it was like that just for the shock value, especially where the rat is concerned. Overall I'm non-plussed about this book. I didnt enjoy it but I wouldnt say I hated it, I just found it a bit tedious.

 

3/10

[Brian.]

Phoenix Squadron by Rowland White

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

January 1972: the tiny outpost of British Honduras is threatened with imminent invasion by battle-hardened, US-trained Guatemalan paratroops. Britain’s response must be immediate and decisive. But there is only one deterrent the government can offer: HMS Ark Royal, once the Navy’s most powerful warship, now a white elephant on the verge of being scrapped. To save the small colony, she must launch a pair of Buccaneer fighter bombers on an unprecedented long-range mission. But first the old carrier must make a high-speed, 1,500 mile dash across the Atlantic towards the Gulf of Mexico. The odds of arriving in time are very slim indeed… Drawing on extensive first-hand accounts and previously unseen, classified documents, Rowland White has pieced together one of the most audacious and thrilling missions of post-war British military history. (Taken from Amazon)

 

 

My Thoughts

I like to alternate my reading between fiction and non-fiction so here is another non-fiction title. I had previously read Vulcan 607 by Rowland White so am familiar with his style of writing. Vulcan 607 captured my imagination because I had an interest in both the Vulcan as an aircraft and also the Falklands conflict. I had little knowledge of either the Buccaneer or Ark Royal so I was unsure how well this book would capture me.

 

I shouldn't have worried as White's engaging style and the content soon had me hooked. He has a way of mixing facts with anecdotes from people who were there into a story that flows along at a nice pace. The political aspect of the story in British Honduras I found a little flat at times. I had no underlying knowledge of the situation in BH and I felt that had a negative impact on my enjoyment. The political problems faced by Ark Royal and its relationship with its American allies are covered in depth and give you a real feel for what they were up against.

 

I've seen this book described as riveting and a real page turner in reviews but I don't really agree with that. Sure, its interesting but I don't see it sucking in people without any prior interest in the subject. Its a book I would recommend though and I got through it in short order so it must be fairly good. Two other people I know who have read it have positive things to say about it.

 

6/10

[vodkafan]

Hi Brian I liked your book reviews . I read The Reluctant Fundamentalist last year and reviewed it on here somewhere. I will be interested what you think of it, the style the book is written in and the main character too.

[Brian.]

The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan

 

 

 

Synopsis

Richard Hannay has just returned to England after years in South Africa and is thoroughly bored with his life in London. But then a murder is committed in his flat, just days after a chance encounter with an American who had told him about an assassination plot which could have dire international consequences. An obvious suspect for the police and an easy target for the killers, Hannay goes on the run in his native Scotland where he will need all his courage and ingenuity to stay one step ahead of his pursuers. (Taken from Amazon)

 

 

 

My Thoughts

Despite being 30 I've only been reading fiction for the past 2 years or so. Prior to that I read soley non-fiction and so missed out on a whole load of great books. As usual christmas comes round and I get asked what I would like, my answer as usual was 'nothing'. This usually leads to me being bugged until I give a suitable solution. This year it was simple, I produced a list of classic books that I would like to read and allowed people to buy one of they so wish. This is how I came to be in possession of 'The Thirty-Nine Steps'. I think I got it off the 1001 books you must read before you die.

 

Apart from the existance of a Hitchcock movie, which I havent seen I knew nothing about either the book or the author. A quick read of the intro bit in the book revealed he was from Perth in Scotland, somewhere I lived for a few years. Enough waffle and onto the book.

 

One of the things that I'm always worried about with classics is the language that could be used. This is something that I shouldnt have worried about in this book as it is written in a straight forward easy going style. The characters are nicely built in the book but its the environment and especially the landscape which really jumps out of the book. Buchan really shows his love for the outdoors and in particular Scotland with his vivid descriptions. It really helps the feel of isolation when Hannay is on the run and you feel as if the desolate environment is helping him evade his pursuers.

 

I got totally caught up in the tension towards the later stages of the story so much so that I deprived myself of much needed sleep to finish the book. Most of all I enjoyed the simplicity of the story, Hannay is a normal person thrown into an adventure rather than some kind of super human. I can see why this was turned into a movie but from what I have read since finishing the book the movie and book differ a lot.

 

 

 

 

 

8/10

[Brian.]

Hi Brian I liked your book reviews . I read The Reluctant Fundamentalist last year and reviewed it on here somewhere. I will be interested what you think of it, the style the book is written in and the main character too.

Thanks for the kind words. Just started The Reluctant Fundamentalist last night so the review shouldnt be too far away.

[Janet]

I only read The Thirty-Nine Steps for the first time about 5 years ago but I enjoyed it very much. I've been meaning to read other Buchan works. I believe there are other books featuring Hannay?

 

My Mum has an old hardback copy of Prester John which belonged to her Dad - that's a children's book, I believe. I might get round to reading that one day.

 

I really liked The Reluctant Fundamentalist - hope you do too.

[Brian.]

Stealing The Wave by Andy Martin

 

 

Synopsis

Wiamea bay, the mid eighties and two surfers are trying to show that they are the best big wave surfers on the scene. One is a veteran of Wiamea, Ken Bradshaw, the self proclaimed master of the bay and all American hero. The other, Mark Foo, a young upstart of Chinese heritage drops in and 'steals' a wave from Bradshaw. Foo is self confident in his abilities, good looking and has an entirely different approach to the world of surfing. The 'theft' of the wave starts a feud that lasts for years and ends in tragedy.

 

 

 

 

My Thoughts

After 'The Thirty-Nine Steps' I decided to drop into another of my growing collection of obscure non-fiction titles. I bought 'Stealing The Wave' a few months ago after hearing Steve Bunce (a sports journo) mention it on a radio show. It sounded intriguing and had 2 things which normally appeal to me with non-fiction books. It contained a subject I'm very unfamiliar with (surfing) and a human story to maintain interest should the surfing fail to catch my attention.

 

I didn't need to be concerned about the book not catching my attention, after reading the first 30 pages or so I read the rest of it in one sitting during a quiet night at work. Martin's style is very easy going and he really captures the environment and surfer lifestyle. He also delves into some of the technical aspects of surfing while still keeping it simple to understand. Along with the seemingly perfect lifestyle of the surfers in drops tragedy of their pursuit of the biggest waves. Right at the start of the book he details the funeral or sorts of the late great Hawaiian surfer Eddie Aikau. Martin really manages to sum up the atmosphere perfectly and I really felt that I understood the reverence that Eddie Aikau is held in.

 

The battle between Bradshaw and Foo is the classic fight between the older established way of doing things and the young, fresh brash approach of the up coming generation. The fact that Martin is not a big wave surfer or part of the scene means that he seems to favour neither camp and points out the character flaws in both. I purposely didnt look to see who the main tragedy befalls and up until the event I found it impossible predict. The tragedy is dealt with in a slightly detatched manner which portrays the feelings around the event very well. There was, and remains quite a lot of controversy around the event which Martin handles with good balance. He could have taken a side and used it in a sensationalist manner but instead each side is represented and the reader left to mull it over.

 

This is a great book and not only for sport fans, I think everyone would take some enjoyment from it.

 

 

 

7/10

[Brian.]

The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Moshin Hamid

 

 

Synopsis

At a café table in Lahore, a Pakistani man converses with a stranger. As dusk deepens to dark, he begins the tale that has brought him to this fateful meeting... Among the brightest and best of his graduating class at Princeton, Changez is snapped up by an elite firm and thrives on New York and the intensity of his work. And his infatuation with fragile Erica promises entree into Manhattan society on the exalted footing his own family once held back in Lahore. For a time, it seems as though nothing will stand in the way of Changez's meteoric rise to personal and professional success: the fulfilment of the immigrant's dream. But in the wake of September 11, he finds his position in the city he loves suddenly overturned, and his budding relationship with Erica eclipsed by the reawakened ghosts of her past. And Changez's own identity is in seismic shift as well, unearthing allegiances more fundamental than money, power, and perhaps even love. (taken from Amazon)

 

 

 

 

My Thoughts

I've had this book sitting on my bookcase for quite a few months now. I forget when I picked it up but 2 things drew me towards it, the Man Booker nomination and the name Moshin Hamid. I hadn't read Hamid's earlier work and knew nothing of the book except that it is held in quite high regard. This was another book that I read in a few sittings, two if memory serves me correctly. Although this has happened for the last few books I've read it is not typical for me. This book slowly sucked my in until I just had to finish it then and there.

 

As the story developed my emotions towards the two characters at the cafe table shifted several times. I say two characters but in fact there is Changez and an un-named American, I'm assuming Hamid did this to place the reader in the shoes of the American. If that was his intention it certainly worked in my cafe and I constantly held Changez with some level of suspicion. The title gave away that fact the Changez had an ulterior motive but I felt it wasnt as simple as that, especially towards the end where it turns out the American may have a secret. Initially I felt deeply for Changez, he is a stranger in a strange city trying to find his way, this is something I have experience and so I felt a certain affinity with him.

 

With regards his relationship with Erica I felt less compelled to side with him. There seemed to me to be little in the way of truly understanding her emotions and feelings. The relationship of Erica and America as words wasnt lost on me and felt a little clunky at times as did the relationship as a whole. There was some tenderness and affection in the start of the relationship but as things went wrong I felt the approach was too cold and clinical.

 

My biggest issue, and its not a huge one is Changez's feelings towards 9-11. It doesnt sit comfortable with me for a character to say that he felt some happiness over the attack while trying to act friendly. Everything seemed to be put at the feet of America while Changez portrayed no revulsion, guilt or sadness at what had occurred. One thing this books did was me was to keep me thinking it over for a few days, it really got into my head. I'm usually open to giving books away to people but I shall be keeping this one as I suspect I will read it again and again. Despite my small gripes I have to say that I thought this was an excellent book. Easy reading but thought provoking at the same time.

 

 

 

9/10

[~Andrea~]

Hi Brian. You have some great books on your TBR. I've just finished listening to Crime and Punishment audio (abridged) and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a gripping drama.

Dracula is also great - a real page-turner (well most of it is anyway )

Edited February 8, 2011 by ~Andrea~

[Brian.]

Hi Andrea, I've been meaning to read Crime & Punishment for a whilenow but I'm a little intimidated by the size and high esteem its held in. Who was the reader in the audiobook version you listened to?