The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Another book recommended by my sister.

She never actually read the book, but she saw the movie and loved it. I had nothing to read so I decided to read this since she had it at home already.

I didn't really like it. Really, it was a little bit boring. I hate war and any books or movies related to it. Well... I guess it's not really about war... but politics?Anyway, not the type of book I like.

I liked the way the author wrote this book though... you can really feel what the characters are feeling. Like... whenever he said, "that's the last time I...". Really captures the moment... well I think anyway.

Seriously, not much to say about this book. Well, except for one thing. What the hell is up with all the butt raping? It's like the theme of the book!

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

I've never cried so hard after reading a book before. Heck, I've never cried after reading ANY book. Although I can't distinguish the reason as to why I was crying so much (hormones, fatigue, the book itself), I know for sure it was the ending that triggered the first drop of tear.

This is not the type of book I usually go for. I only read it because 1.) my sister already has it, so there is no purchase required and 2.) my sister kept recommending it. It wasn't too hard to get attached to the book since the subject is one that is very interesting: a 13 year old girl files a lawsuit against her parents for medical emancipation. But the thing that really got me hooked was the thing with Campbell's service dog. I really wanted to know why he left Julia and why the hell he has a service dog when he's not blind nor deaf. So halfway through the book I really just couldn't put it down because I was desperate to find out what happened between Campbell and Julia.

The most interesting relationships in this novel (imo) were between Anna and Campbell and Anna and Jesse. Anna and Campbell because Campbell ended up being Anna's friend despite his initial specifications that it would not happen; Jesse and Anna because as Jesse once states, on the surface they seem like polar opposites, but in reality they are very much alike.

Every time I think about the ending I feel emotional pain. I don't know if it's because I've lost ones I loved before as well. Or maybe I think about how much pain my loved ones went through when they lost their loved ones.

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

Completion time: November 1st to November 9th.

I somewhat had high hopes on this book until a friend commented on how he hated this book on Facebook. He said that this book lacked twists like other books by Brown. I tried as hard as I could to read this book without his influence, and actually enjoyed the book... up until the ending.

He was right, this book did lack the "OMG" element at the end.

The worst part is when they reveal what the actual "lost symbol" is. They build it up so much, saying how it would destroy the world and what not... and guess what the lost symbol actually is?

.....

Seriously take a guess....

... if you don't mind me spoiling the ending for you....

... here it goes...

.... almost there....

dary!!! oh wait, I didn't mean lengendary bahahahha...

K enough of the annoying bullshit. The lost symbol is the bible. THE BIBLE. Thanks so much for building it up and then completely destroying my hopes for something amazingly evil as the lost symbol.

Anyway, another friend of mine hates Dan Brown. He thinks that all of his characters well... actually has no character. They're basically walking encyclopaydias. But to be honest, I read his books for the thrill and suspense of a tv show or movie, not for their characters. and frankly speaking, although the ending of this book sucked, it managed to keep me reading once I got into it..

A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon

This book was recommended by a friend who's half British. Not that I have anything against the Brits... well that's a lie, of course I have something against them. I have something against everyone. Anyway, that's beside the point... the point is I didn't like this book, and didn't enjoy reading it... No offense to my friend. I mean he did me a favor by lending me this book when I was in desperate need for something to read.

This book is extremely mundane. So mundane that it's boring. It's not that mundane is bad... I mean, The Namesake was very mundane as well, but it was mundane in a way that it was heart breaking, and easily relateable (alright I know it's not a word, tever dude!) to my life.

While A Spot of Bother can possibly relate to my life as well... it's just boring. I guess maybe I just don't understand British humor?

Anyway, to explain how simple this story is... I guess I'll just have to tell you the summary. Here it goes:

The "main" character George thinks he has cancer although his doctor tells him that it's just eczema. His wife Jean has an affair with his ex coworker David. His gay son Jamie is dumped by his boyfriend Tony. His daughter Katie who has a very young son Jacob gets dumped by her fiance... shit I don't even remember his name... anyway, this "dude" dumps her right before the wedding.

The ending: Jean stays with George, Tony comes back to Jamie, Katie and the dude gets married, and we don't find out if George has cancer or eczema.

I know the author tried really hard to develop each person's character... I mean each "chapter" is each character's inner monologue... but I just can't connect to any of them at all. They just sounds really flat and... well kinda dull. Even Katie who's supposed to be somewhat fiery. The only part that interested me and is the easiest for me to remember is when George tried to cut off his "cancer". That was so... "American Psyco" that it was awesome.

Anyway, I still blame it on the fact that the book is too British for me... I don't blame my friend or the author at all for my dislike of this book.

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

All book reviews contain spoilers... ah duhhhhhh

It's honestly been a while since I last read a good book. While American Psycho was a good read, it doesn't compare to this book, The Namesake.

Why do I like this book so much? I have no idea. It's definitely not something that I'd normally pick up. (and I thank Vianne for getting me this book... seriously) The storyline is extremely normal, flat, nothing special. But somehow it appeals to me. Perhaps it's because of the similarities Gogol and I share.

It's not easy growing up as a "foreigner" in a country. I've mentioned this countless times in my other blog and conversations that sometimes, ultimately, the person who is discriminating and stereotyping against yourself is you. This is a book review so I'm not going to retell my story.

Both Gogol and Moushumi struggled for the majority of their lives trying to be non-Indian, to escape from the traditions. Gogol was fortunate enough to break free of this constant struggle before Moushumi.

While I felt bad for Moushumi, I also hated her. She's the type of person I'd hate if I met her in real life. I hate people who try so hard to be different, to be unique, only to end up getting lost in what they genuinely like. Just enjoy the things you like, regardless if they are cliche or mainstream. There is nothing wrong with liking these things. Doing so doesn't make you less of an individual and more of a conformist. It's simply something you enjoy.

Another reason why I'm in love with this book is because it's very mundane, something I can easily relate to. The characters in the book go through a series of unsuccessful relationships, some of which were morally wrong. Even in the end there is no happy ending. There's pretty much no conclusion as to what happens to Gogol after the divorce, leaving it as an open mystery. That's how I think books should end, because life is an ongoing process and doesn't end the moment the author drops his or her pen. Characters should be allowed to live their lives beyond the last page of the book.

So please, if after reading this review you have the slightest interest in reading it, go for it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

Ideally I should be at the consulate renewing my passport this moment, however due to my stupidity and laziness of the office, I'm stuck at home. I'd elaborate but it's completely unnecessary since this is a book blog, not a life blog.

Since I'm stuck at home I decided to talk about American Psycho, the book as well as the film.

I completed the book in about 2-3 days, almost non-stop. I tried to speed through it because a. I know once I put it down I'm going to get lazy and take forever to resume (the details bore me and act as a repellent) and b. the mood of the book is dark and disturbing, so I don't want to prolong this feeling if possible.

When my friend first gave me this book after watching the movie together, he said something along the lines of..., "are you ready for it? it's quite... vivid..." Naturally when I started this book I was expecting it to be extremely graphic and disturbing. Much contrary to my belief, it wasn't graphic in the beginning at all. It took a while, according to Wikipedia first third of the book, till it got to the nasties.

So once it got into the really graphic stuff, I started to get really disturbed. All I wanted to do was finish the book asap. Mind you, I am a person who loves thrillers and gory and morbid movies, but when it comes to books it's a bit different, since you know... you kind of have to produce an image when reading the text, which tend to linger longer than if an actual concrete image was placed in front of me. Also, because most of the victims in the novel were women, the way the author describes the tortures and murders really gets to me. Being a woman myself, I can feel the pain the women in the book are feeling... You'll understand if you have or do end up reading the book (the rat and the cheese O_o).

I guess the reason why the book disturbs me so much is because it's so... realistic... mundane... The inner monologues of Patrick Batement can easily be mine or yours. The way he is so vain isn't so different than you and I, and although I do not have murderous intentions (at least not always or really mean it anyways... come on, you never wanted to murder the asshole who cut in front of you while driving to work this morning?), at times I have destructive thoughts... like breaking a glass... smashing something onto the ground... or something. Of course, nothing to harm others or myself.

The point is... Patrick Batement can exist anywhere, and can be anyone. It can be in anyone of us. The author never clarifies whether or not the murders took place, so I mean... we can all have these murderous intentions and thoughts like Batement, regardless of it actually happens or not. Batement once said, "Is evil who you are, or is it what you do?"(or something like that). I'm thinking, is evil who you are, what you do, or what you think? Is thinking about strangling that cat as evil as actually conducting the act itself? If I think about murdering someone while I put on a fake benevolent mask, doing tonnes of charity work, am I a saint or a secret satan?

Near the end of the book, I really enjoyed the brunch Patrick and Jean had together. Jean is someone who Patrick looks down on for the entire book, since she's his secretary and madly in love with him. Jean sees Batement as a considerate and sweet man. I can't really remember if he is angry at this, but he thinks about how Jean has categorized him and he cannot be anything else but that. I find this very interesting. We get mad when people misjudge us because once someone judges us, it's very difficult to change that image in someone else's mind. They've decided who you're going to be and you cannot be otherwise. It's kinda like how parents always think of their children and kids even when they children are now in their 50s. No matter what you do or how old you grow this relationship and image doesn't change.

Last but not least, the only thing I will mention about the movie is that... it's strange how the lines are the same as in the book, but the orders and the people saying them are mixed up. It's actuallt quite interesting. The essence of the American Psycho is kept in the movie even though it isn't the identical twin of the novel.

So do I like this book or not? Well... I don't know. I think it was quite entertaining, although I skipped a lot of the boring details such as what someone was wearing or eating or drinking or sniffing. I also pretty much skipped through the 3 chapters on Genesis, Whiteney Houston, and another band I can't recall. I do like dark and disturbing things... but I think maybe this was a little too much for me. I'm gonna say... this was ok, but definitely not my favorite and I may or may not recommend it to others. Well, I guess it depends on who I'm talking to.

The Witch of Portobello by Paulo Coelho

As I was looking up the author of this book, I suddenly remember that I have another book in Edmonton... The Witch of Cologne by Tobsha Learner. What's pissing me off more than ever currently is that... I don't remember if I finished the book or not!!! Argh...

Anyways, The Witch of Portobello...

I can't say that I hated it, but certain parts of it did piss me off. The "Witch" (I don't remember her name) was this annoying, pretentious, dumb c... witch that seemed to have it all without actually working for much. From what I remember, she did really well in her career without much description of how hard she worked. She was very spiritual... which makes her a witch I guess?? She danced all the time and seemed to only care about herself.

The part that pissed me off the most was when she gave the wrong directions to tourists asking for help. She said something like... this way they'll discover new things or some shit...

I guess it was ok, but it certainly didn't move me or help me gain any insights on my current life.

I would not recommend this book to anyone... unless they want to borrow my copy.

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Please... do not read this book unless you're into overrated, pretentious romance novels.

I hated this book. One because I wasted $21 CAD on it, and two because it was a waste of my time and space in Hong Kong... oh and three, it was boring and pointless.

I was misled to this book. I thought it was about a real psychological or psychiatric disease that causes Henry to time travel involuntarily. I was hoping for some twist in the end. I thought it was about how Clare had to deal with her husband's sudden and unexpected amnesia moments. Boy was I wrong.

This book was about a fake made up disease... Argh, I know I'm reading fiction, but I wasn't expecting this. While others found this book "funny" and "heart warming" and "touching", I just found it boring!

It's like a science fiction trying to be extremely realistic, which doesn't work for me, really. Reading this book was really really annoying.

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

I picked this book up because it was in the Oprah's Book Club and it's about a hermaphrodite. I like weird stuff like this. Although I didn't like this book, I wasn't too upset since I got a discount on it through a friend's bookstore membership.

The beginning of the book really interested me, because it was talking about how these Greek siblings escaped from Greece to America during some war thing in the past, paralleling what's going on in Cal's modern present day life. Then it got really boring. So boring that I can barely remember what I was reading about.

There was never really a climax, rising incidents... nothing too exciting... well except for maybe when Calliope was "discovering" who she was through various sex acts. Alright, I know I sound like a pervert, but seriously other than that nothing was really that exciting in the book. I mean... a burn down bar? come on, that's not that exciting. Jimmy trying to kill Lefty? Yeah I guess that was interesting but that's about it.

I don't really see a point in Cal talking about his relationship with Julie. Is the point... Julie is Asian so she's not going to mind Cal's ambiguous genitalia? You know... Asians and small wangs? hahahhahahahahahahhahahahahaha Wow I just thought of this now too... Gosh and it was so obvious.

I shouldn't be too upset I guess, since a friend already warned me that this was a bad book...

Perspectives

I'm by no means a good writer, so I don't really have any authority to judge whether or not a book was written well or not. The reason why I'm starting this blog is because I need a place to keep track of all the books I've read as an adult (or not...). I want to have a reminder of everything I've read and my feelings towards these books.

... with that in mind, please don't think that I'm trying to review these books as a professional critic. Simply take what I say here as a dumbass who doesn't really know what she's talking about. I'm writing here from the perspective of someone who would like to be entertained by books. Therefore, my judgment of these books are solely based on how much they entertain me.

So... unless you're me, you can't tell me that I'm wrong for not liking or liking a certain book. Only I know what the eff I like.

If you somehow coincidentally have the same taste in books as me, then congratulations to you and I because we can recommend or de-recommend (not a word probably...) to each other! Hooray for a win-win situation!