Brian's 2012 Book Log

[Brian.]

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

Paul Baumer enlisted with his classmates in the German army of World War I. Youthful, enthusiastic, they become soldiers. But despite what they have learned, they break into pieces under the first bombardment in the trenches. And as horrible war plods on year after year, Paul holds fast to a single vow: to fight against the principles of hate that meaninglessly pits young men of the same generation but different uniforms against each other--if only he can come out of the war alive.

 

(Taken from Goodreads)

 

 

My Thoughts

This book has been sitting on my TBR pile for a while now, I think coming up on 2 years. Seeing as though I like reading about the wars its a surprise that it has taken me this long to get round to it. Initially it wasn't going to be the next book I read, in fact it wasn't even on my horizon to be read any time soon. The only reason I grabbed it off the shelf is that I was heading out to the doctors and I knew I would be in for a bit of waiting around. I wanted something nice and small and this was the first thing that came to hand, being just over 200 pages it was perfect.

 

Within the first few pages I knew it had picked a winner and I was hooked in. Although I have read extensively about the second world war, the first world war has passed my reading by a little. Remarque covers the subject with great skill, mixing in soldier humour, worries, hardship and humanity all at the same time.

 

There is no doubting, parts of the tale make horrific reading and you can't help but have the heartstrings pulled when a comrade falls. It's the human side of the soldier's story that got me more than anything else. There is no bravado over the fighting from the soldiers, that all comes from people back home who aren't fighting on the front line. This becomes very evident when Paul goes home on leave and realises he wishes he hadn't. People want to tell him how proud they are and what a great war it is, all he can think about is the waste of human life and how his mates are getting on back on the front line. There is also the ludicrous episode when an officer on civvy street bawls him out for not saluting properly which understandably makes his blood boil.

 

Paul's thoughts are not only with his comrades but also with the people who he his fighting. They are going through the same as they are he often comments, although their food is better. There is no real emotion in the killing of them, its a mechanical action, kill or be killed. In the moments of reflection however, there is real regret at the war and the situation it has put both sides of soldiers in. This is reinforced when it comes to using face to face combat to save his own life. He wounds an enemy soldier but can't bring himself to finish him off though and he suffers a slow death. He promises himself that he will write to the family of his victim. That feeling passes when he is back on his own line, back in the business of war fighting.

 

The ending left me with mixed emotions but in a good way. I can't really go into details with posting a spoiler so I won't comment further. This is an incredible book in many ways and it is one I can see myself re-reading many times over. It really has stood the test of time and I would highly, highly recommend it to everyone regardless of your like or dislike or war stories.

 

5/5 (It was amazing)

[Brian.]

Carra by Jaime Carragher

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

Jamie Carragher is one of the most charismatic footballers of his generation. Adored by the fans, he was recently voted the most popular player in the entire Liverpool squad. Yet the young Carra came to Liverpool as an Everton fan, from an Everton family, and with Everton friends. Packed with great anecdotes, controversial opinions and large helpings of his trademark humor, this is his story. Born in January 1978 in Bootle, Merseyside, Carragher signed professional terms with Liverpool in 1996, having served a successful apprenticeship, won the FA Youth Cup and played for England Under-21s. He scored a goal in his first full game for the senior team—pretty good for a defender and very unusual for him—and his versatility was to ensure a permanent place in the starting line up before long and he is now vice Captain. In fact he is so integral to the Liverpool squad, the Kop now chants "we all dream of a team of Carraghers" to the tune of "Yellow Submarine." Raw, funny, and down-to-earth, his book is an antidote to the anodyne sports autobiography. It takes you behind the scenes of all of Liverpool and England's greatest triumphs and disasters in the company of a player who never fails to be intelligent, controversial, or just downright hilarious.

(Taken from Goodreads)

 

 

My Thoughts

I am always a bit wary of football biographies as the modern trend is for players to write them (or have them written) far too early in their careers. The best ones in my opinion are the ones which have a story to tell, ones in which a player has a story to tell beyond the world of football. Players like Gazza, Robbie Fowler and Tony Adams for example all have had interesting lives and have a real tale to tell. I am a Liverpool supporter and so this book was a must read for me and finding it for £1.50 in a second hand bookshop was something I couldn't pass up.

 

Fortunately there isn't a lot of Carragher's childhood covered as I find this part of most autobiographies to be tedious. Only the important parts are covered such as the fact that his mother was under pressure to terminate him because of a mis-diagonsed birth defect. Being catholic she saw this as not being an option, something he is understandably greatful for.

 

All the major parts of his career are covered including his disappointment at the way he was treated by different England bosses and why he came to see international duty as a chore. I never really understood this way of thinking but over time I have come to understand why players such as Carragher and Scholes have retired from England duty early. One of the most startling aspects of his early career is how he went from being a stauch Everton fan to become a fierce Liverpool player. I knew he had his reasons but didn't realise just how passionately he felt about his conversion and the reasons why.

 

Inevitably he best chapter is the one about the Champions League victory in 2005 over AC Milan. It is a moment that will live with all Liverpool supporters for ever and its great to read insight from someone who played in the game. He lays the facts as they are, including the fact that although he was calm at halftime Rafa was a little unsure on what to do. He covers all the managers he worked under and it is interesting to see the differing opinions players have of the same manager. Unfortunately when the book was written the takeover by FSG hadn't happened and it would have been interesting to hear his take on the ins and outs of it all.

 

In the end, this is a good read but as with all sport based books I think it really helps if you already have an interest in the player or team involved. This is one of the better football autobiographies about.

 

4/5 (I really liked it)

[Brian.]

I've got another non-fiction football book to review that Ive just finished, hopefully I'll have it done in the morning. Started Casino Royale by Ian Fleming while I was waiting at the docs this morning and I'm really enjoying it so far. My book buying is not really slowing despite some of my efforts to curtail it. I ordered a few off Amazon and the others have come from my favorite second hand bookstore. My haul today was

 

Snuff - Chuck Palahniuk

Haunted - Chuck Palahniuk

People Who Eat Darkness - Richard Parry

Invisible Monsters - Chuck Palahniuk

The Plot Against America - Philip Roth

The Necropolis Railway - Andrew Martin

Moonraker - Ian Fleming

Murder on the Orient Express - Agatha Christie

Gulliver's Travels - Jonathan Swift

 

Must stop buying!

[Brian.]

The Anatomy of England by Jonathan Wilson

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

Having invented the game, everything that has followed for England and its national football team has been something of an anticlimax. There was, of course, the golden summer of 1966, and the great period of English dominance on the world stage, which fell roughly between 1886 and 1900, when England won 35 of their 40 internationals ... But before long foreign teams, with their insistence on progressive 'tactics', began to pose a few questions. And much of what followed for England constituted a series of false dawns. In THE ANATOMY OF ENGLAND Jonathan Wilson seeks to place the bright spots in context. Time and again, progressive coaches have been spurned by England - technique being all very well, but what really matters is pluck and 'organised muscularity', or, to quote Jimmy Hogan's chairman at Aston Villa in 1936: 'I've no time for these theories about football. Just get the ball in the bloody net.' Wilson takes ten key England fixtures and explores how what actually happened on the pitch shaped the future of the English game. Bursting with insight and critical detail, yet imbued with a wry affection, this is a history of England like none before.

(Taken from Amazon)

 

 

My Thoughts

Following the football trend I picked this up recently in my local Waterstones, based entirely on the fact that it is written by Jonathan Wilson. Wilson is a football journalist who works mainly for The Guardian and a man who's work I greatly admire. He is also the editor of The Blizzard, a football quarterly that he set up to allow journalists to write about the things they want to about football in depth without the overbearing eyes of newspaper editors. It is a great publication with pieces from football writers from all over the world, covering all aspects of the game you don't normally see in the newspaper. You won't for example read about the latest kiss and tell story thankfully.

 

Wilson is very sharp when it comes to the wider world of football and also something normally overlooked, tactics. In this book he picks 10 significant matches from the England archives and delves into them, looking at what actually happened, why it happened and the fall out there after. He avoids the obvious games in most cases, for example the game from 1966 he looks at is England Vs Argentina.

 

His writing style is very easy going and crams in a lot of information in without coming across as superior in anyway. I have to admit that the earlier games, although interesting were a bit lacking for me. I think this is mainly because I don't know that players involved. The tactical progression or lack of over the decades is particularly fascinating.

 

Where the book really comes alive for me is during the modern game from the 80's onwards as I can remember the games involved. Discussion about Euro '96 and Italia 90's in particular are highlights. Personally I would have liked to see a game from the reign of Sven and Capello being tackled from a tactical point of view. I assume the Capello was omitted because at the time of writing the World Cup in South Africa hadn't yet happened. Sven being left out is probably because the time was unremarkable from a performance and tactical stand point.

 

I am looking forward to getting some of Wilson's other books, especially Behind the Curtain which covers football in eastern Europe.

 

4/5 (I really liked it)

[Roland Butter]

I read Behind the Curtain about four years ago, at a guess. It's quite an interesting book, but it'll help if you have an interest in Soviet-era history (and a good memory for names, because it's chockful of "-offski's" and "-vitches"!). In the end I wasn't sure what Wilson was trying to achieve with it, but it's certainly worth a read.

[Brian.]

I read Behind the Curtain about four years ago, at a guess. It's quite an interesting book, but it'll help if you have an interest in Soviet-era history (and a good memory for names, because it's chockful of "-offski's" and "-vitches"!). In the end I wasn't sure what Wilson was trying to achieve with it, but it's certainly worth a read.

 

I love Cold War era history, especially if It involves the Soviet side of things. I always hear about the great eastern European side of the era like Red Star but have no knowledge about them so it sounds like a book I would enjoy.

 

Bit behind on my reviews, should really attempt to catch up ASAP.

[Brian.]

Casino Royale by Ian Fleming

 

 

Synopsis

This, the first of Fleming's tales of agent 007, finds Bond on a mission to neutralize a lethal, high-rolling Russian operative called simply 'Le Chiffre' - by ruining him at the baccarat table and forcing his Soviet spy masters to 'retire' him. It seems that lady luck is taken with James - Le Chiffre has hit a losing streak. But some people just refuse to play by the rules, and Bond's attraction to a beautiful female agent leads him to disaster and an unexpected savior.

(Taken from Goodreads)

 

 

My Thoughts

My first Ian Fleming and James Bond book and where better to start than at the beginning. Having seen the Daniel Craig movie I was pretty interested to see how it differed from the book and where I felt each one was the better approach. Initially I was surprised at how small the books is, off the top of my head I think its not much more than 200 pages.

 

The first thing that jumped out at me is that the Bond in my head is Sean Connery and not Roger Moore or even Daniel Craig given the book I was reading. At no point did I feel that this spoiled the book although it's worth noting that neither Le Chiffre or Vesper Lynd were their respective actors in my head. Maybe decades of watching Bond had ingrained him on my mind.

 

Le Chiffre in particular is different to the movie and I think that the movie villain is a far better fit physically. I suspect that Fleming wanted him to be a more physically imposing figure than the movie required. He comes across in the book as more of a strong but slightly simple villain instead of some super evil baddie.

 

The casino descriptions were top notch and I really love the idea of 1950's European casino's. They some how capture a certain time and class for me and somewhere I would love to visit if I had a time machine. Given that the book was written in 1953 I was pretty surprised about the torture scene and how brutal it was in it's detail. This just makes me wonder if the peril levels in later books remain as gritty as this and where merely toned down to slightly comical levels for the movies.

 

I really enjoyed this read, it was quick and easy going with just enough going on to keep me constantly engaged. It did feel a little lacking in places but given that Bond is such a prominent character in modern life that's hardly surprising. I am looking forward to reading all the Bond books in the future.

 

4/5 (I really liked it)

Edited April 30, 2012 by Brian.

[Brian.]

Snuff by Chuck Palahniuk

 

 

Synopsis

From the master of literary mayhem and provocation, a full-frontal Triple X novel that goes where no American work of fiction has gone before

 

Cassie Wright, porn priestess, intends to cap her legendary career by breaking the world record for serial fornication. On camera. With six hundred men. Snuff unfolds from the perspectives of Mr. 72, Mr. 137, and Mr. 600, who await their turn on camera in a very crowded green room. This wild, lethally funny, and thoroughly researched novel brings the huge yet under acknowledged presence of pornography in contemporary life into the realm of literary fiction at last. Who else but Chuck Palahniuk would dare do such a thing? Who else could do it so well, so unflinchingly, and with such an incendiary (you might say) climax?

(Taken from Goodreads)

 

 

My Thoughts

After enjoying Fight Club so much I bought 3 Palahniuk titles as a discounted package from Amazon. I kind of knew what Snuff was about although I hadn't read the synopsis. I don't think I would have bought it on its own but I really wanted Invisible Monsters and Haunted and decided to kill 2 (or 3) birds with one stone.

 

I have to say outright that this was unlike any book I have read previously, in no small part thanks to its setting. A world record gangbang isn't something I every thought someone who write about but it is what it is. I found it not to be overly nasty but sometimes wondered if Palahniuk was trying to be shocking just to be shocking.

 

In the end I don't really have a great deal to write about this book. I didn't really enjoy it at all and in fact would have probably given it 1 star apart from some of the humour. Palahniuk likes to name the porn movies after famous books but to what end I'm not too sure at all. I disliked all the characters and worked out the name twist within a handful of chapters. I was left very disappointed when I had finished and I just to god that the other books by Palahniuk I bought are better. Reading though some reviews online it would seem that Snuff is a very polarizing book, some love it and others hate it.

 

Free to a good home if anyone wants it.

 

2/5 (It was ok)

[bree]

Casino Royale by Ian Fleming

 

 

Synopsis

This, the first of Fleming's tales of agent 007, finds Bond on a mission to neutralize a lethal, high-rolling Russian operative called simply 'Le Chiffre' - by ruining him at the baccarat table and forcing his Soviet spy masters to 'retire' him. It seems that lady luck is taken with James - Le Chiffre has hit a losing streak. But some people just refuse to play by the rules, and Bond's attraction to a beautiful female agent leads him to disaster and an unexpected savior.

(Taken from Goodreads)

 

 

My Thoughts

My first Ian Fleming and James Bond book and where better to start than at the beginning. Having seen the Daniel Craig movie I was pretty interested to see how it differed from the book and where I felt each one was the better approach. Initially I was surprised at how small the books is, off the top of my head I think its not much more than 200 pages.

 

The first thing that jumped out at me is that the Bond in my head is Sean Connery and not Roger Moore or even Daniel Craig given the book I was reading. At no point did I feel that this spoiled the book although it's worth noting that neither Le Chiffre or Vesper Lynd were their respective actors in my head. Maybe decades of watching Bond had ingrained him on my mind.

 

Le Chiffre in particular is different to the movie and I think that the movie villain is a far better fit physically. I suspect that Fleming wanted him to be a more physically imposing figure than the movie required. He comes across in the book as more of a strong but slightly simple villain instead of some super evil baddie.

 

The casino descriptions were top notch and I really love the idea of 1950's European casino's. They some how capture a certain time and class for me and somewhere I would love to visit if I had a time machine. Given that the book was written in 1953 I was pretty surprised about the torture scene and how brutal it was in it's detail. This just makes me wonder if the peril levels in later books remain as gritty as this and where merely toned down to slightly comical levels for the movies.

 

I really enjoyed this read, it was quick and easy going with just enough going on to keep me constantly engaged. It did feel a little lacking in places but given that Bond is such a prominent character in modern life that's hardly surprising. I am looking forward to reading all the Bond books in the future.

 

4/5 (I really liked it)

 

Great review! (Hope It's okay for me to pop-in here!)

 

I'd forgotten I'd read this book - and just remembered on reading your review.

 

I'd read an old second-hand copy, a few years ago - before the movie - and I remember really enjoying it.

It made the movie special for me. Should re-visit both.

 

And you should try From Russia, With Love - slick!

[Brian.]

Great review! (Hope It's okay for me to pop-in here!)

 

I'd forgotten I'd read this book - and just remembered on reading your review.

 

I'd read an old second-hand copy, a few years ago - before the movie - and I remember really enjoying it.

It made the movie special for me. Should re-visit both.

 

And you should try From Russia, With Love - slick!

 

 

 

Of course its okay, pop back as often as you want. Ive managed to pick up an old tattered copy of Moonraker but I really want to read them in the correct order. I need to find a copy of Live and Let Die, I'm hoping my local library has it.

Edited May 1, 2012 by Brian.

[Brian.]

The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo

 

 

Synopsis

1944: Daniel, a soldier, legendary among the Norwegians fighting the advance of Bolshevism on the Russian front, is killed. Two years later, a wounded soldier wakes up in a Vienna hospital. He becomes involved with a young nurse, the consequences of which will ripple forward to the turn of the next century.

 

1999: Harry Hole, alone again after having caused an embarrassment in the line of duty, has been promoted to inspector and is lumbered with surveillance duties. He is assigned the task of monitoring neo-Nazi activities; fairly mundane until a report of a rare and unusual gun being fired sparks his interest. Ellen Gjelten, his partner, makes a startling discovery. Then a former soldier is found with his throat cut. In a quest that takes him to South Africa and Vienna, Harry finds himself perpetually one step behind the killer. He will be both winner and loser by the novel's nail-biting conclusion.

 

The Redbreast won the Glass Key prize for the best Nordic crime novel when it was first published, and was subsequently voted Norway's best crime novel. The Devil's Star, Nesbø's first novel featuring Harry Hole to be translated into English, marked Nesbø as a writer to watch in the ever more fashionable world of Nordic crime.

(Taken from Goodreads)

 

 

My Thoughts

Ive heard Nesbo mentioned many, usually in comparison with Steig Larsson which seems to be unavoidable if you write crime fiction and are from a Scandinavian country. That comparison is enough to put me off, not because I dislike Larsson, in fact I loved the Millennium Trilogy. I find it to be lazy on the part of book publishers but I guess publicity is the name of the game and Larsson is the hottest of the last few years.

 

After a little bit of digging I found that Nesbo has a lot a favourable reviews and so decided to give him a go. Problem number 1. The first two books in the Harry Hole series have not been translated into English. That put me off a little as I like to read books in the order in which they are written. Many reviews said that in their opinion it didn't matter so I bit the bullet and dived in.

 

Firstly, I regret reading the blurb on the back of the book, it has a HUGE spoiler in it that I felt really annoyed at. For the first 100 pages or so I felt it was just plodding along nicely. Nothing huge seemed to be happening but the writing was engaging enough and it felt like it was setting the platform for what was to come. Initially the story flicks back and forth between 1944 during war time and 1999 in Oslo. It is an effect that Nesbo puts to good use although it did feel a little over used after a while.

 

After about 200 pages I was hooked, the characters of Harry and Ellen are instantly likeable and I felt myself urging them on more and more throughout the book. Once I had reached the first big plot moment (the one spoilt by the blurb) I just had to finish it and so read it over the space of the next day and a half. The story moves along fast and feels about the right length instead of needlessly long or missing important details.

 

I only have 2 slight down points on the book which made it a 4 star (4.5 really) and not 5 star book for me. The first is that a lot of characters come along in quick succession which made me flick back once of twice to check who was who. It doesn't get over the top but it's not normally something I have a problem with. The second is that Harry Hole is a brilliant but down on his luck detective who is a big drinker, frequents dive bars who develops a love interest who should be out of his league. To me this feels quite over-used in the crime genre but somehow I still really liked the character.

 

In the inevitable comparison I can't say if I prefer Larsson or Nesbo but Nesbo's writing is feels of a better standard to me but none of the characters quite hit the heights of Lisbeth Salander. Hole's detective work feels a whole lot more natural though when compared to Blomkvist.

 

I really enjoyed this books and have already decided I need to find out what happens next so I need to go book shopping again. Ive got a feeling I am really going to enjoy the series.

 

4/5 (I really liked it)

[vodkafan]

Casino Royale by Ian Fleming

 

 

Synopsis

This, the first of Fleming's tales of agent 007, finds Bond on a mission to neutralize a lethal, high-rolling Russian operative called simply 'Le Chiffre' - by ruining him at the baccarat table and forcing his Soviet spy masters to 'retire' him. It seems that lady luck is taken with James - Le Chiffre has hit a losing streak. But some people just refuse to play by the rules, and Bond's attraction to a beautiful female agent leads him to disaster and an unexpected savior.

(Taken from Goodreads)

 

 

My Thoughts

My first Ian Fleming and James Bond book and where better to start than at the beginning. Having seen the Daniel Craig movie I was pretty interested to see how it differed from the book and where I felt each one was the better approach. Initially I was surprised at how small the books is, off the top of my head I think its not much more than 200 pages.

 

The first thing that jumped out at me is that the Bond in my head is Sean Connery and not Roger Moore or even Daniel Craig given the book I was reading. At no point did I feel that this spoiled the book although it's worth noting that neither Le Chiffre or Vesper Lynd were their respective actors in my head. Maybe decades of watching Bond had ingrained him on my mind.

 

Le Chiffre in particular is different to the movie and I think that the movie villain is a far better fit physically. I suspect that Fleming wanted him to be a more physically imposing figure than the movie required. He comes across in the book as more of a strong but slightly simple villain instead of some super evil baddie.

 

The casino descriptions were top notch and I really love the idea of 1950's European casino's. They some how capture a certain time and class for me and somewhere I would love to visit if I had a time machine. Given that the book was written in 1953 I was pretty surprised about the torture scene and how brutal it was in it's detail. This just makes me wonder if the peril levels in later books remain as gritty as this and where merely toned down to slightly comical levels for the movies.

 

I really enjoyed this read, it was quick and easy going with just enough going on to keep me constantly engaged. It did feel a little lacking in places but given that Bond is such a prominent character in modern life that's hardly surprising. I am looking forward to reading all the Bond books in the future.

 

4/5 (I really liked it)

 

Hi Brian , this is the only Bond book I have read (like you I wanted to start at the beginning.) What surprised me very much about Bond was that he was very much living on his nerves, a chainsmoking adrenaline junkie. I liked that "on edge" feel to him very much. I am sure real cold war spies were just like that. I also saw him only as Sean Connery.

Did you know this?

 

Sean Connery walked out of the audition for Bond. The director saw him across the street and said something like: " Go get that man back. That's Bond. I can hear his balls banging together from across the street"

 

Edited May 9, 2012 by vodkafan

[Brian.]

I didn't know that VF but I did hear once that Albert Broccoli didn't like the idea of Connery as Bond initially because he had 'farmers hands'.

 

Went out to pick up the next 2 Nesbo books in the Harry Hole seris, Nemesis and The Devil's Star. Even though Waterstones don't do 3 for 2 any more I always find myself picking up 3 books. The 3rd was purely an impulse buy, I don't know the author and hadn't heard of the book before I picked it up today. That book is Pao by Kerry Young, its going to be my next read once I have finished White Tiger by Aravind Adiga which I am already just over 100 pages into.

[Brian.]

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

 

 

Synopsis

Balram Halwai, the eponymous ‘white tiger’, is a diminutive, overweight ex-teashop worker who now earns his living as a chauffeur. But this is only one side of his protean personality; he deals in confidence scams, over-ambitious business promotions (built on the shakiest of foundations) and enjoys approaching life with a philosophical turn of mind. But is Balram also a murderer? We learn the answer as we devour these 500 odd pages. Born into an impoverished family, Balram is removed from school by his parents in order to earn money in a thankless job: shop employee. He is forced into banal, mind-numbing work. But Balram dreams of escaping -- and a chance arises when a well-heeled village landlord takes him on as a chauffeur for his son (although the duties involve transporting the latter's wife and two Pomeranian dogs). From the rich new perspective offered to him in this more interesting job, Balram discovers New Delhi, and a vision of the city changes his life forever. His learning curve is very steep, and he quickly comes to believe that the way to the top is by the most expedient means. And if that involves committing the odd crime of violence, he persuades himself that this is what successful people must do.

 

The story of the amoral protagonist at the centre of this fascinating narrative is, of course, what keeps the reader comprehensively gripped, but perhaps the real achievement of the book is in its picture of two Indias: the bleak, soul-destroying poverty of village life and the glittering prizes to be found in the big city. The book cleverly avoids fulfilling any of the expectations a potential reader might have -- except that of instructing and entertaining. The White Tiger will have many readers anxious to see what Adiga will do next.

(Taken from Amazon)

 

 

My Thoughts

This has been sitting on my TBR pile a little while, it was one of my recent charity shop purchases. It's not a book I would have normally bought but being cheap and also a Man Booker winner I decided it deserved a shot. It also appears on the '1001 books' list so is another one I can tick off taking my reading to 30 books from the list. Arukiyomi's great app tells me I'm on track to be able to finish all the books by the time I am in my mid 50's.

 

The telling of the tale takes place in a series of letters written by Balram to the Premier of China prior to his visit to India. Balram feels that he must tell the Premier about his life and how India really is instead of the sanitized version he will be fed. There are 2 distinct India's in the book, the darkness which is the rigid caste system with life in the villages and the light which is the life of the rich.

 

For Balram to go from one to the other he feels he must commit some immoral acts (mirroring the business world) and feels completely justified in these actions. To me, the big 'thinking' point of the book is that given his obstacles is he in some way justified in what he does?

 

I will leave the answer of the question upto you but I will say that the story is a bit far fetched. This isn't actually that huge a deal, the story behind the story is the point. I found it to be an interesting enough read and it was a fast read for me.

 

Personally I probably wouldn't have given it a Man Booker prize but then again, I would never have given the prize to Ian McEwan for Amsterdam (a book I hated). This is probably down to the fact that I am more of a pure fiction reader rather that literature reader. On Amazon and in other places it has been mentioned that this book signaled a move away from Man Booker winners that were somewhat hard to read. If this is the case then that should be applauded as this book certainly fits the easy to read tag.

 

Overall it was an ok read, nothing amazing but at no point did I find it hard or a chore to read. The best thing for me is the fact that my copy is soon heading to a new home for someone else to read. More people should swap books

 

3/5 (I liked it)

[vodkafan]

Interesting review Brian, will put this one on my list. If you didn't already have a "swapper" I would certainly have swapped something with you.

[Brian.]

I made a start on Pao by Kerry Young and I found it to be a little slow going so far. It's only about 300 or so pages long so I am sure I will get through it in no time at all. Off on holiday soon so I need to thing up what to take with me for the uber tedious flight that awaits.

Edited May 15, 2012 by Brian.

[Brian.]

Super Casino: Inside the 'New' Las Vegas by Pete Earley

 

 

Synopsis

In this lively and probing book, award-winning author Pete Earley traces the extraordinary evolution of Las Vegas -- from the gaudy Mecca of the Rat Pack era to one of the country's top family vacation spots. He revisits the city's checkered history of moguls, mobsters, and entertainers, reveals the real stories of well-known power brokers like Steve Wynn and legends like Howard Hughes and Bugsy Siegel, and offers a fascinating portrait of the life, death, and fantastic rebirth of the Las Vegas Strip.

 

Earley also documents the gripping tale of the entrepreneurs behind the rise and fall and rise again of one of the largest gaming corporations in the nation, Circus Circus -- to which he was given unique access. In his trademark you-are-there style, he takes us behind the scenes to meet the blackjack dealers and hookers, the heavy hitters and bit players, the security officers, cabbies, and showgirls who are caught up in the mercurial pace that pulses at the heart of this astounding city.

(Taken from Goodreads)

 

 

My Thoughts

I have always found casinos very interesting, the way they run, the maths behind all the games, the kind of people they attract, everything. Up until last year I have yet to travel to Vegas and I loved it, so much that I am heading back there in a few days. I picked this to read because I wanted to learn a little more about the history of Vegas beyond the mob days. Most Vegas history books deal heavily with the mob days, organised crime and Frank Sinatra. I wanted to read about how the strip became the place it is today with its sprawling super casinos.

 

The only reason why this book has 4 and not 5 stars is twofold. Firstly its is about 15 years out of date, an updated version is well overdue in my opinion. Secondly it concentrates most of the second part of the book on the fortunes of the Luxor. This is mainly because it was the Circus Circus company and specifically the Luxor staff which Earley was given total access to.

 

Earley starts by saying that he would not let them edit anything from his book, they could read it prior to publication and request changes but the final decision was down to him. This is really evident when reading about the in fighting that plagued the boardroom and the running of the company as whole. There is also an obsession it would seem from the staff of trying to keep up with new Vegas superstar owner, Steve Wynn. It is left upto the reader to decide who won in the end, something that can probably be debated still today.

 

The book ends with the completion of the Luxor refit and the opening of the Mandalay Bay resorts. To me this was a big down point, I wanted to read about the Bellagio, Venetian and Paris resorts. This is probably in large part my fault as I didn't look to see when it was originally published (1995).

 

The mix of anecdotes from people involved and the writing style of Pete Earley make this a very well written book which is very easy read. I found myself picking it up to read a chapter whenever I had a quiet few minutes in the day. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to anyone who has an interest in Las Vegas.

 

 

4/5 (I really liked it)

[Timstar]

Hey Brian, some great reviews. Half I have read and half I want to read. Love Palahniuk, such a change of pace from other authors. Snuff is the next one on my list.

 

Also working my way through the Bond novels, only read the first three so far but enjoyed them all. Catch-22 is also on my wishlist as are the Asimov novels, if you enjoyed them you will probably like Arthur C. Clarke as well!

[Alexi]

I loved Vegas too Brian, and this book sounds fascinating - although like you I'm more caught up in the Bellagio than Mandalay Bay. One for the wish list anyway!

 

Have a great time

[bobblybear]

Great review on The White Tiger. I read it this year and really enjoyed it. Yes, it's probably a bit far-fetched, but I found the story interesting nonetheless, and it opened my eyes a bit to life in India.

[Brian.]

Pao by Kerry Young

 

 

Synopsis

As a young boy, Pao comes to Jamaica in the wake of the Chinese Civil War and rises to become the Godfather of Kingston's bustling Chinatown. Pao needs to take care of some dirty business, but he is no Don Corleone. The rackets he runs are small-time, and the protection he provides necessary, given the minority status of the Chinese in Jamaica. Pao, in fact, is a sensitive guy in a wise guy role that doesn't quite fit. Often mystified by all that he must take care of, Pao invariably turns to Sun Tzu's Art of War. The juxtaposition of the weighty, aphoristic words of the ancient Chinese sage, with the tricky criminal and romantic predicaments Pao must negotiate builds the basis of the novel's great charm.

(Taken from Goodreads)

 

 

My Thoughts

I picked this up in my local Waterstones based on the fact that it had been shortlisted for the Costa first novel award. It's not a book I would have considered reading otherwise but the nomination caught my eye and the subject matter sounded interesting.

 

I came to it full of hope and interest in it but found after a while that it just didn't grab me in the way I hoped. My first major bug-bear is the way Young writes using the accents quite often. After a while I found this quite irritating and in certain parts of the book it was hard to follow. Apart from that I just found it to be a bit flat. The story as a whole was ok but apart from Pao I didn't really feel involved with any of the characters.

 

The big redeeming feature of the book for me was the tie in with Jamaican history. The changing face of the country was well portrayed albeit from just one point of view. The Sun Tzu quotes fit in with the story well but can get a little tiresome after a while. There was little descriptive detail to the characters and setting to really grab me although that may well be down to the style in which is was written from Pao's point of view.

 

I really thought that this would be a quick read for me but somehow it just wasn't. I didn't hate it, there were some parts that I liked but all in all I found this a disappointing book.

 

If anyone fancies this let me know otherwise it's going down my local charity shop.

 

 

2/5 (It was ok)

[Brian.]

Around The World In Eighty Days by Jules Verne

 

 

Synopsis

For a bet, Phileas Fogg sets out with his servant Passepartout to achieve an incredible journey -- from London to Paris, Brindisi, Suez, Bombay, Calcutta, Singapore, Hong Kong, San Francisco, New York and back to London again, all in just eighty days There are many alarms and surprises along the way -- and a last-minute setback that makes all the difference between winning and losing.

(Taken from Goodreads)

 

 

My Thoughts

This is the 3rd Jules Verne book I have read this year and I enjoyed it just as much as the other 2. In usual Verne style it is a fast paced story of exploration and adventure. Despite the story being part of western culture I had never read it before or seen any of the movies or tv shows based on it. I voted for it to be this months Reading Circle book (Link Here).

 

First I'll take a look at the four main characters. Phileas Fogg is an eccentric London city gent who is always calm and reserved. He is very generous with his money, heroic and very intelligent. Along for the ride is his French servant Passepartout who is very loyal to Fogg and brave but is somewhat careless at times. Mr Fix is a policeman who is trying to track down the thief who stole a large sum of money from a bank in London. He is fairly intelligent and although his motivation is correct his methods to capture the thief are very questionable. Finally, there is Aouda, a young woman who is rescued along the way and joins the party. She is a kind of equal and opposite to Fogg and we don't find out where they stand with each other until the end of the story.

 

One observation I made during the book is that certain stereotypes are heavily pushed. Verne was an Anglophile and this book really shows this. The 2 English men in the book are very heroic, brave, intelligent but at the same time you're not sure as to whether they can be trusted. Americans are portrayed as risk taking people who don't really listen to the thoughts of others. The French character Passepartout is loyal but unreliable. Also the out-lying countries of the British Empire have areas that have either been tamed and therefore respectable or left native and described as being full of savages. Given the time when this was written I don' think too much fault can be found with Verne, this was the thinking at the time.

 

I really enjoyed this book, I don't have any more Verne books on my shelves but I will be keeping my eye out for them in the bookshops I frequent.

 

4/5 (I really liked it)

[Kylie]

I enjoyed your review. I like that you don't mark a book down because of the time it was written in. I think it's so important to read these books in context.

[Brian.]

I enjoyed your review. I like that you don't mark a book down because of the time it was written in. I think it's so important to read these books in context.

 

I think it's even more important when you read about some of the things that were far ahead of his time. Submarines were still very much in their infancy when he wrote 20,00 Leagues.

[Brian.]

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami

 

 

Synopsis

In 1982, having sold his jazz bar to devote himself to writing, Murakami began running to keep fit. A year later, he'd completed a solo course from Athens to Marathon, and now, after dozens of such races, not to mention triathlons and a slew of critically acclaimed books, he reflects upon the influence the sport has had on his life and on his writing. Equal parts travelogue, training log, and reminiscence, this revealing memoir covers his four-month preparation for the 2005 New York City Marathon and settings ranging from Tokyo's Jingu Gaien gardens, where he once shared the course with an Olympian, to the Charles River in Boston among young women who outpace him.

 

Through this marvellous lens of sport emerges a cornucopia of memories and insights: the eureka moment when he decided to become a writer, his greatest triumphs and disappointments, his passion for vintage LPs, and the experience, after fifty, of seeing his race times improve and then fall back. By turns funny and sobering, playful and philosophical, "What I Talk About When I Talk About Running" is rich and revealing, both for fans of this masterful yet private writer and for the exploding population of athletes who find similar satisfaction in distance running.

(Taken from Amazon)

 

 

My Thoughts

I am a regular but infrequent runner and this book is widely named by the running community as a book to read that is not focused on how to train or run. Murakami is someone who's fiction I have yet to read but interests me greatly as a person.

 

In this short book (180 pages) he talks about 3 main things in his life, running, writing and aging. I'm not sure if this would interest people who don't have an interest in running but people who would like an insight into how he writes may find value in it. The one thing that comes across strongest in the book is Murakami's level of humility and his self depreacating manner. He maintains that he is an average runner at best despite running 23 marathons and a 62 mile ultra-marathon along with triathlons. The ultra-marathon in particular is something that not many people would even consider, when you factor his age at the time it makes it even more remarkable.

 

His main motivation for running is to give him the physical health he sees as being required to allow him to write. I think also a big part of it is that it allows him to unwind and take his mind away from day to day things, I've always found running great for mental well-being. He ties the stamina needed for running long distances in with the stamina needed for writing everyday for upto a few years to complete a novel. Maybe this pushing of his physical limits in part explains the length of IQ84.

 

There is a consistent thread throughout on his thoughts about aging. You can see that he kind of wishes that he still had a young body but says that aging is inevitable so there is no point in being worried by it. Given how busy he is it's pretty incredible that he has managed to keep up his running regime for so long especially given that he also started riding and swimming for triathlons. The style is very relaxed and easy going and I am looking forward to getting into some of his fiction as his style of often discussed.

 

 

I enjoyed the book, if you have an interest in Murakami or running give it a go.

 

4/5 (I really liked it)