I'mmmmmm Back to blogging

I'm now free - For over a month- from BookSpan (they were taken over by BMG) and on to bigger and better things. The drama of that place could be a blog in itself. I'm just happy to get out while I could.

Anyway, I can no longer get free books, which means I can be a little pickier in my selection.

Here's some of the better books I have read.

The Pursuit of Happyness - Chris Gardner

I picked this book on my way to China. I read it on the long plane ride home. I had seen Chris Gardner on Oprah and I was very interested in his story. I didn't get to see the movie, but I very much enjoyed the book and was inspired by Gardner's ability to make a better life for himself, even with the deck stacked against him. It was a testament that you don't have to be a slave to circumstance. And you can beat the system. LOVED IT 3 stars.


SHANTARAM by Gregory David Roberts

A friend of mine told me about this book while I was in China in January. It is a BIG BOOK. I think about 700 pages, but I loved it. It was written by an ex-con who escaped from jail in Australia, fled to India, worked his way through the underworld, and was finally caputured in Germany. He wrote this (Semi-Autobiographical) novel while he was in jail. Apparently, several times as some of his versions were destroyed. I couldn't put this book down. If I left it at the office, I would go back to get it. I brought it to bed with me. It felt like I wasn't making a dent until the last 100 pages. When I got there, I didn't want it to end. I usually drop my books at the salvation army. This one, I kept. 10 STARS. A MUST READ.




Seeing by Jose Saramago
This is a translation of a book written in Spanish. It deals with corruption in politics and what happens when 83% of its citizens cast blank ballots in a national election. It is a sequel to another book, called Blindness, which I haven't read, but I enjoyed it just the same. The story makes you think about what is happening here with the war in Iraq and how the government may have done to sway public opinion. I really makes you think. Highly recommended, but the writing style makes it a very slow read. 4 stars.



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